Watch this video for some helpful tips on keeping your hardwood floors in good condition. Read more

With today’s advancements in wood flooring stains and finishes, cleaning wood floors has become much less of an arduous process. Regular maintenance requires little more than sweeping with a soft bristle broom and vacuuming with a soft floor attachment (if the floor has a beveled edge that could collect debris). To minimize maintenance and maintain the beauty of your wood floors, consider the following preventive maintenance tips:

• Don’t use sheet vinyl or tile floor care products on wood floors. Self-polishing acrylic waxes can cause wood to become slippery and appear dull.
• Use throw rugs inside and outside doorways to help prevent grit, dirt and other debris from being tracked onto your wood floors.

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Preventative measures and regular maintenance go a long way toward preserving the beauty of your upholstery. To increase your upholstery’s longevity and keep it looking like new, consider the following tips:

Dust and clean upholstery on a weekly basis. Use the brush attachment on your vacuum to remove dirt from all the corners and folds of your upholstery. Remember to clean the back and legs to maintain a consistent finish.

Only use manufacturer-recommended cleaners. Every piece of upholstered furniture has a care label that indicates the cleaning materials that are safe to use on it. Make sure you follow these instructions. If the recommended clean
er doesn’t take care of a stain, Read more

Large-scale plumbing issues should always be handled by a professional, but there are plenty of simple techniques and procedures you can use to perform basic preventive maintenance. Consider the following tips for ensuring your plumbing system is functioning to its full capacity:

Bathroom

• Run hot water down the drain once a week to help keep it free-flowing.
• Repair leaky faucets to avoid further damage to the fixtures and faucets.
• Fit tubs and showers with strainers that catch hair and soap chips. Clean the strainers regularly.
• To remove mineral deposits on your shower head, put one cup of vinegar in a plastic bag, place it over the shower head,

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Flea control all year round in California is important for your pets, especially puppies and kittens. Dr. Kristina Hansson, a Diamond Certified veterinarian with the North Bay Animal Hospital told me why. “So what can happen is with the chronic ingestion of blood by the fleas, it can actually lead to anemia and stunted growth because the animal is not growing as fast as it normally would with the nutrient loss from the blood.” Dr. Hansson doesn’t recommend flea collars for flea prevention. She suggests talking to your vet about which flea maintenance product, the kind you apply once a month, is best for your pet. Read more

Many old Bay Area homes were wired using a method called “knob and tube,” which was in common use until the 1940’s. You don’t always have to replace it, according to Nick Courcoumelis, owner of Positive Electric, a Diamond Certified company. “Knob and tube can’t be used in places where it can’t supply enough power to a kitchen, bathroom, laundry room or outdoor wiring. Or anywhere you need surge protection because it doesn’t have a ground. However, if it’s in good condition, it can still be used in other parts of the house, like bedrooms.”

Mr. Courcoumelis explains that codes don’t allow electricians to install knob and tube wiring anymore. However, you can insulate over it in California, Read more