12/10/19 House & Home

5 tips for stress-less holiday cleaning (BPT) — Each year, the holiday season brings a flurry of entertaining.

From hosting a houseful of out-of-town relatives to formal sit-down dinners to impromptu get-togethers, chances are your schedule - and your home - is brimming with activity.

With all the extra foot traffic and activity can also come stress.

Stress from shopping and decorating is expected, but what about holiday stress related to cleaning?

Fortunately, with a little prep work and proactive thinking, you can make your holidays and your home shine all season long. Here are a few tips to keep your home ready for holiday joy.

1. Divide and conquer

each room in your house. Clean a small, focused portion of the room before moving on to the next, so you can see your progress.

Try cleaning each room in a clockwise, top-tobottom motion so you don’t miss a spot.

• Prep entryways and clear space in at least one closet for guests’ coats. If you’re using a bedroom for coats, make sure it is clean, since this area will be seen by your visitors.

• The kitchen and bathrooms are crucial areas to clean before guests arrive. Besides wiping down counters and sinks, and sweeping and mopping floors, spend time clearing out the fridge to make room for holiday goodies and leftovers.

Minimize after-party cleanup by starting with a clean sink and an empty dishwasher.

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the living room or family room floor is cleared for group games or dancing.

Using a product like Bona PowerPlus Hardwood Floor Deep Cleaner will ensure the dance floor is sparkling clean and ready for the party.

• Clean welcome mats and place them inside and outside entryways to help prevent guests from tracking in dirt, mud or snow, further protecting your freshly cleaned floors.

• Set up a bench and shoe rack so guests can remove footwear upon entering your home.

3. Be prepared for anything

The survey found that along with holiday visitors come unanticipated messAn online survey comes - and 76% of adults missioned by Bona® and agree that house guests conducted by The Harris appreciate clean accomPoll in October 2019 modations, but don’t reported that nearly 2 in always leave them in the 3 U.S. adults (63%) agree same condition when they preparing their home for 2. Clean and protect depart. house guests is as stressful floors Respondents shared as holiday gift shopping.

The survey also found colorful stories of house But it doesn’t have to be. that six in ten adults agree guests who left a lasting • Optimize your time by that their favorite part of impression - and not in a compartmentalizing holiday gatherings is when good way. One guest left

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the water in the bathtub running overnight, causing damage to the bathroom floor, while another dropped a frying pan full of hot grease all over the kitchen floor.

following household rules while visiting someone else’s home isn’t too much to ask. Posting a list of “golden” rules for each room of your home is an easy way to ensure your house is kept neat and • Collect a shortlist of tidy for all your holiday local handyman and guests. cleanup services for As you’re posting rules, minor calamities. Post ensure that guests can this list on the fridge find everything they need so you and your guests easily, such as towels and know exactly who to paper products, withcall if emergency help out having to rummage is needed before or through drawers and after guests visit. cabinets for supplies and 4. It’s OK to set other necessities.

ground rules

5. A quick clean-

Be proactive and up is better than communicate with guests nothing to prevent unnecessary Over half of adults mishaps and hassles over the holidays. In the survey, (51%) claim that if given 85% of adults agree that a choice, they might

forgo hosting holiday guests to avoid extra home cleaning. However, even a quick tidying-up can help. Just 15 minutes can spruce up a messy entryway or clean kitchen surfaces. Especially for impromptu gatherings of friends or family, it’s important to allow yourself to relax and enjoy everyone’s company without stressing that your home isn’t clean enough.

Enjoy your holiday festivities and your beautiful home this year with less stress by following these tips. Visit bona.com for a range of hard surface floor cleaning and care products to help relieve stress and keep your home shiny and bright, all season long.

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Top tips for putting your house on the market MCKEAN COUNTY – There is so much to think about once you decide to put your house on the market.

Not only are you dealing with the process of moving, you have to actually sell your house.

Where do you begin? “I always tell sellers that the first thing they should do is take care of the basics,” said McKean County Association of Realtors’

President Kathy Obermeyer. “Take a good look at your house. Does your living room need a fresh coat of paint? Does the kitchen need a good deep cleaning? There’s no need to do major renovations, just fix the small things.

Talk with your Realtor® about the things you can easily take care of yourself before it’s time to put your home on the market.” The Pennsylvania

Association of Realtors® President Bill McFalls Jr. said that first impressions always matter. “Make sure the outside of your home looks welcoming.

Fresh flowers, when in season, always look nice and a neat, clean landscaping job makes a world of difference,” he said.

“Sellers are so focused on making the inside of their home look the best, it can be easy to forget the first

thing people see: the curb appeal.” Decluttering is also a typically low-cost way to make your home look better. Keep décor simple, remove family

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Common home emergencies, and how to prevent them Dorothy Gale said “there’s no place like home” in “The Wizard of Oz.” But what about when homes are no longer safe?

Household emergencies can occur at any time.

When disaster strikes, knowing how to proceed effectively can make a world of difference and potentially save lives.

Fortunately it’s easy to prevent or reduce a wide range of household dangers by embracing some simple safety measures.

• Burst pipes: Burst pipes or leaking plumbing can quickly cause major damage in a home.

Dwell Residential Group says to locate the water main, which is usually in the basement or garage on the “street side” near the water meter. Turn off the main to save the home and your wallet.

Make the water main visible, mark which way is off, and instruct others in the house on how to use it.

• Accidental falls: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that accidental falls are the leading cause of nonfatal injury among nearly every age group. Roughly three million adults age 65 and older experience falls that result in emergency room visits each year in the United States. Falls can be prevented by removing tripping hazards, installing steady handrails and other supports and adding lighting in and around a home. If a fall should occur, stabilize the limb or injured area of the body and seek medical assistance.

• Tipping furniture: Tip-over incidents send thousands of people (especially young children) to emergency rooms each year, says the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. Top-heavy items, like dressers, TV stands and televisions, bureaus, and bookcases should be anchored to the wall.

• Kitchen fires: The potential for danger exists whenever cooking with heat or over open flames. Kitchen fires may occur, but they don’t have to spread or cause serious issues if fast action is taken.

Never use water to put out a grease fire — it will only spread it and make it worse. Cover the fire with a lid to suffocate the flames, or use baking soda to douse the fire. Always have an all-purpose fire extinguisher on hand, and know how to operate it.

designate emergency exits that are the quickest and safest ways out of every room in the house. Practice this plan and pick a specific meeting spot outside.

Safety at home involves knowing how to act fast in an emergency and how to reduce your risk of being in potentially dangerous situations.

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• Unintentional poisoning: People may inadvertently consume household poisons.

State Farm advises calling 9-1-1 if the victim is unconscious or not breathing. If the person is alert, consult with the American Association of Poison Control Centers at 1-800-222-1222 (or the Ontario Poison Centre at 1-800268-9017) and await instructions. Keep the bottle or packaging of the assumed poison on hand and be prepared to discuss symptoms and personal information about the victim.

• Fire or other danger: No one ever thinks an emergency situation necessitating escape from the home will take place. But to play it safe, residents should

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