Show Notes: Sparkling Glass and Wood Furniture

Thank you for tuning in to sparkle! And check in next week for more cool tips! 

“Sparkling Glass and Wood Furniture” Show Notes for On The House with the Carey Brothers aired Dec 19, 2020. 

Missed our live show? Don’t worry! Because we have a podcast of the show. It’s the same thing we aired on the radio, but ready for you whenever and wherever you are! Check it out here. 

 

 10 New Bathroom Technologies That Will Blow You Away! 

Today we’ll be focusing on one room: the bathroom.  Here’s a look at some of the latest and great smart bathroom technologies that will blow you away. 

High Tech Toilets 

The days of using toilet paper and wasting a considerable amount of water might soon be coming to an end.   There are now toilets that don’t need the use of hands or even water. A new generation of toilets may one day even make toilet paper  obsolete– and the need to put one’s hands anywhere near the unspeakable – seem like chamber pots and outhouses: outdated and somewhat messy throwbacks reserved for camping trips.  Not only are we revolutionizing the way we “go” we’re also making it way more comfortable. 

Home depot has an entire line of Toilet seat warmers and LED lights.   Gone are the days of walking around in the dark to go to the bathroom! And what about when it comes to cleaning?  The toilet industry has that covered as well. 

Self-cleaning toilets for home use are far less expensive than the public variety — those sleek booths on the streets of New York and London cost anywhere from $100,000 to upwards of $500,000 apiece — but they’re still out of reach for most homeowners.  One day we suspect prices will eventually dip so that everyone has them. 

And another interesting technology to be on the look out for are motion sensors that open and close lids.  These are just a few of the perks of the new age of bathrooms and they seem like a lot of fun.  It’ll be just a matter of time before you use your smartphone to open the toilet seat. 

The latest in sink technology 

When it comes to going green and preserving water, one of the latest, and newest techs is digital faucets. Reduced tap flow and digital temperature-control settings, conserving money and water. 

• Touchless technology. 

• Infrared tap technology that “reads” the user and turns off when it senses that hands are not under the faucet. 
• Programmable features, such as a timed shower setting or a teeth-brushing option that runs for an allotted time frame. 

Cooled Cabinetry 

• Bathroom cabinets are now refrigerated so they can keep medicines cool as well as store drinks.  Imagine going into your bathroom to not only find your facial scrub but you can also grab a Yoohoo in the morning.   

Fit it Wi Fi Scale 

• This is one of those that go under the category of “Do I really need this?”  There’s nothing wrong with taking your fitness and weight seriously but something tells me that you don’t need to incorporate fitbit technology into your scale.  Still though, the Fitbit Aria WiFi Smart Scale uses advanced technology to track weight, lean mass, body fat percentage, and much more. 

Bathtub Technology 

• Today, the stand alone tub has been gaining in popularity.  If you think you’re seeing a bunch of tubs in hotels that look like they’re in the middle of the room, you’re not alone.  This is becoming the new standard. There are a number of styles when it comes to stand alone and here are some you should be looking out for:  Japanese style soaking tubs, modern tub faucets with pipes that come up from the floor and pour into the tub, air baths,  mood enhancing lighting or Chromotherapy, and finally new materials for tubs as well as shapes. 

Shower Technology 

• Showers have become so sophisticated that they now come with LCD panels that electronically allow you to control temperature, water flow, steam, music and chromotherapy.  Did you know they also make blue tooth shower heads?  No, I’m not joking. The Moxie Showerhead with Bluetooth enabled wireless speaker system allows you to listen to up to 7 hours of music, news or podcasts while showering. Instead of cranking your radio up so you can hear it over the water, you can now listen through your H2O. 

Warming Drawers 

• AKA towel warmers.  How awesome is it when you get out of the shower to a warm, fresh towel?  There’s no better feeling. 

Water Proof Televisions 

• And what would a show be without a waterproof television?  Radios are old news!  The current trend is to carry your iPads in the shower but people often drop these items.  And just in case you needed another reason to take more time in the shower, you’ve got one now with the TV. 

The Programmable Water Pebble 

• Water Pebble takes the guesswork out of water conservation by tracking your shower and training you to use less water.  There are built in sensors that tell you when to stop the shower so that you don’t waste water.  Finally, a technology in the bathroom for the environment too! 

Simplehuman Sensor Mirror 

• According to Simple Human, the Sensor Mirror uses a light system to stimulate natural sunlight so that users can see their full color variation. The mirror automatically lights up when users’ face approaches it, and because this cordless mirror packs a long-lasting LED that can reportedly last up to 100 years, battery life should not be a problem.  Plus, no more going to the bathroom in the dark.  Just walk a little and poof! 

 

Got Wood Furniture? 

Make it shine and sparkle!

If you have wood furniture, here’s one annual cleaning task you can’t skip. 

Here’s the long and short of it: You should polish your wood furniture, it’s probably not as hard as you think, and it might actually be kind of fun. Even wood that’s finished needs periodic polishing. This weekend you’re going to get it done. 

This Weekend: Condition your wood furniture so it’s sparkling!  

One way to tell whether your wood is thirsty for polish is if it doesn’t shine like it used to. What happens is that over time and many cleanings, the polish actually wears off the surface. (In fact, if you regularly dust with a dry cloth, your dusting could be causing harm to your wood even as you’re visibly removing dust from it. Rather than a dry rag, use a damp microfiber cloth or a microstatic duster that lifts dust.)  

Even if you’re diligently dusting, your furniture could use the extra special treatment of polish, whether you have pieces that need a more comprehensive polish, or they’re due for their intermittent spa day with more general products like Old English or Pledge. 

Polishing wood certainly keeps your wood in good condition, but the benefits reach beyond the practical and now is the best time to reap them. Not only will you be giving your wooden furniture the upkeep it needs to restore it to or maintain its good condition, but you’ll make your house smell really nice while doing it and afterwards. 

Furthermore, the polishing itself is relaxing. Use the opportunity, as you polish your wooden pieces, to be in the moment, to notice the smell, the repetitive motion of buffing the polish in, and the firm, steady feel of the wood beneath your hands as you make it look beautiful. 

Cleaning Your Fireplace Glass So It’s Sparkling

 You will be amazed! 

 Cleaning your Superior Fireplace Door is fairly simple.  Overtime there can be a lot of buildup on the glass on your door.  You will want to take it off and clean it.  On a gas fireplace there can be a white film that forms on the inside of the door.   For a wood fireplace the build up would be darker because of the smoke and ash hitting the glass.  

The first thing you need to do is make sure the glass is not hot.  If you have just turned off your fireplace or put out the fire.  Then you should wait a while before cleaning it. If you don’t wait until it has been cooled, then it could have a higher chance of shattering or you could burn yourself.  

The next thing you want to do is remove the doors or glass panels which can be removed easily with a screwdriver. Once you have the doors or panels off, lay them face down on the floor with the inside facing up.  You can remove the film easily with a razorblade.  Just “shave” the film off the door.     

When the film has been removed, you can use a window cleaner or you can buy fireplace glass cleaner. We used Bar Keeper Friend before the glass cleaners to remove any remaining film.  Remember when you are cleaning, you don’t want to use anything abrasive because you don’t want to scratch the glass.  Also, when cleaning, scrub in a circular motion with light pressure.  Too much pressure will shatter the glass.    

After you have done that let it sit there with the cleaner for 5-10 minutes, you can clean the rest of the fireplace or something while you wait.  After that take the same cloth and wet it and wipe it off or you can take it outside and spray it with the hose.   

 Now you are ready to put the doors or panels back on and you have fireplace doors or panels you can actually see through! 

 

RECALL – A Double Header Recall  

Black & Decker Recalls CRAFTSMAN 10-Inch Corded Chain Saws Due to Laceration Hazard 

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled chain saws and contact CRAFTSMAN for a free repair kit. CRAFTSMAN has received one report of the recalled chain saw starting without operation of the switch causing a laceration injury to a consumer. Sold at Lowe’s and other hardware stores nationwide, and online at www.amazon.com from October 2019 through August 2020 for about $100.   

 

Fiskars Brands Recalls 16 Foot Pole Saw/Pruners Due to Laceration Hazard 

 Description: 

This recall involves Fiskars 16 foot extendable pole saw/pruners with model numbers 9463, 9440 and 9441.  These pole saw/pruners are lawn and garden tools that extend from 7 feet to 16 feet and are used to cut high tree branches with either their pruner (for smaller branches) or their 15-inch hooked wood saw blade (for larger branches).  The blade is secured to an oval-shaped fiberglass and aluminum telescoping pole set that locks into place through a double-locking system consisting of two orange c-clamps and a black and orange lock and pin mechanism in each of the upper and lower pole assemblies.  They have an orange and black pole.  “Fiskars” is printed on the pole.  The model number is printed on the UPC code on the pole. 

  Remedy:  

Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled pole saw/pruners and contact Fiskars Brands to receive instructions on how to destroy and dispose of the product in exchange for a full refund. Fiskars received two reports of the poles separating and falling.  Two laceration injuries requiring stitches have been reported. Sold at home improvement and hardware stores nationwide and online at fiskars.com from December 2016 through September 2020 for about $100 (Model No. 9463) and $65 (Model Nos. 9440 and 9441).   About 467,680 (In addition, about 95,000 were sold in Canada) were sold.

 

Mentioned Links 

• https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/weekend-projects-condition-wood-furniture-36847152 
• https://housely.com/smart-bathroom-technologies-will-blow-away/  
• https://superiorfireplacedoors.com/cleaning/ 

~ Thank you~ 

A very special thank you to all of our callers! We live to answer your questions, so keep them coming! 

Thank you to our Technical Support: 

• Danny Bringer – Chief Engineer  
• Carol “Remodeling Babe” Carey – Executive Producer  
• Sam Reed – Associate Producer  
• Rico Figliolini – Digital Master 

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