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  • 7 Kitchen Storage Solutions You Need

    7 Kitchen Storage Solutions You Need

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    The kitchen is not a room used only for the preparation of food. The kitchen is also the place to eat and gather, and for these activities you need a lot of things . With so much to store in the kitchen, organizing the space can become an almost insurmountable task.

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    Simplify your kitchen organization  with better storage solutions. Adopt the seven storage solutions below to regain control of your kitchen organization.

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    1. Think narrow

    It’s okay to be narrow-minded when it comes to kitchen storage when it comes to the tight space between your fridge and the wall. It’s the perfect place to store things like canned food. A canned goods organizer between the fridge and the wall can even become a do-it-yourself project.

    To make a freestanding cabinet for this perfect canning space, Classy Clutter suggests that the entire project (including all materials) cost around $110 .

    2.  Be open

    Open shelving in the kitchen is definitely trending right now. Open shelving helps clear a tight space in the kitchen.

    Also consider an open kitchen island if you don’t already have one. Some islands look like the average kitchen island from the front, but their backs are open for storage. An open kitchen island provides prime space to store cookbooks and other items you never seem to have enough space for.

    You can also add a little more order to this space by adding storage boxes or compartments. In this way, nothing is likely to disappear behind the island!

    3.  Opt for transparency

    Use clear containers to store food in your pantry, credenza, or kitchen cabinets  to keep everything organized and easy to find and use. Using clear containers is perfect for small spaces because they allow you to quickly locate dry goods. But clear containers don’t have to be boring.

    You can decorate your jars with engraving cream to label your containers. Clear jars make cabinet disorganization a thing of the past, and labels on each container make it easy to store in the kitchen.

    4. Use every inch

    To optimize storage in the kitchen, leave no space unused. For example, the space under your sink and on the sides of your lower cabinets is probably currently unused. But you can put that space to good use and improve your kitchen organization by creating a swinging drawer for your sink. It’s a great way to store sponges and odds and ends that you need for washing dishes or that would otherwise take up valuable space on your counter tops.

    Another overlooked space you can take advantage of is the side of your lower cabinets. Here you can hang heavier or bulky items such as pots, chopping blocks, colanders and all those things that are hard to store inside cabinets.

    5. Think vertical

    The space in your kitchen cabinets and drawers can fill up rather quickly. Especially in a small kitchen, storage space can be limited. So be creative and use all the available space, including the vertical space in your kitchen. Consider hanging large utensils that are currently taking up valuable space in your drawers.

    Likewise, take advantage of the space above your stove. You can place a shelf above the stove to store your pots and other utensils and have them to hand. Also think vertical for your plates. Add a wall rack for your plates to showcase your most beautiful plates and keep them close at hand.

    Small shipping pallets also provide a solid base for a spice rack, small bottles, hooks, and even knives if you add a metal strip .

    6. Get them out the door

    Store things you don’t want to see inside your cabinet doors. For example, use a magazine rack to store plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Or hang a spice rack on the inside of the door.

    Save money by finding all kinds of vertical organizers to hold various items and necessities. For example, if you store your containers and tupperware in a cupboard, store the lids in an organizer hanging on the door to avoid losing them or creating a mess in your cupboards.

    7. Go for drawers

    There are many ways to incorporate more drawers and storage space into the kitchen. For example, you can install a drawer in the space under the sink. This usually deep cabinet can hold all sorts of things which sometimes can feel like a bottomless space. Instead, opt for an easier solution by adding a drawer, which will allow you to keep your cleaning accessories in sight, thus making them easier to access.

    Collapsible trash cans are also a popular choice for homeowners looking to maximize storage space. Hiding unattractive trash cans will free up floor space and get rid of odors. If the drawer is large enough to fit more than a trash can, store your trash bags there as well.

    If you’re looking for changes that make a big difference , start with kitchen storage and organization. Then head to the Vague & Vogue showroom  nearest you for all the other necessities you need to  customize your kitchen .

  • How to fight sick building syndrome

    How to fight sick building syndrome

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    Over the past thirty years, we have seen an increase in employees working in buildings and complaining of various ailments. Among these disturbances: fatigue, loss of concentration, respiratory problems, asthma, irritation of the mucous membranes (eyes, nose, throat) or skin irritations. This set of ailments is grouped under the English term “Sick building syndrome” or “Sick building syndrome”. According to the WHO, 30% of buildings in the world present this syndrome.

    Symptoms underlying sick building syndrome are often caused by low concentrations of pollutants in the air of the workplace. These pollutants can be organic solvents emanating from paints, glues or other furniture components (carpets, chipboard). Or even bioaerosols such as micro-organisms, dust mites, animal hair, fungi developing in porous materials.

    We must also be aware of the existence of other important forms of indoor pollution which constitute a real public health problem. This is the case, for example, of carcinogenic asbestos, the dust of which can be found in the air of the workplace following the crumbling (due to wear or maintenance work) of certain materials. Another source of illness is Legionella, a bacterium that thrives in standing water in poorly maintained air conditioning systems and can cause legionellosis, which can be fatal. We can also mention radon, a natural, odourless, colorless and radioactive gas. This gas naturally emanates from earth rocks (natural soil and building materials) and causes lung cancer.

    However, fatigue, headaches, allergies or irritations are not always related only to the building. It is also necessary to take into account working conditions (including stress, professional and salary status) and psychosocial aspects (social climate, constraints, conflicts), as well as individual characteristics (predisposition to allergies, asthma, eczema), which may also partly cause these symptoms. This is why it is often difficult to establish a clear and definitive diagnosis.

    But there are effective technical or organizational measures to combat sick building syndrome. Here are a few tips:

    Improved air quality. Guaranteeing a healthy workspace for your employees begins with improving air quality. Several options are possible:

    Partition off the area reserved for smokers. To protect non-smokers against the adverse effects of smoke on the body and against the inconvenience caused by passive smoke, it is important to provide a delimited and partitioned smoking area. In addition, it is essential to ensure sufficient air renewal in this smoking area.

    Improve the ventilation of the premises. Ventilation is the process, natural or mechanical, which makes it possible to supply a room with fresh air and to evacuate the stale air. The more effective the ventilation (air change rate, purity of the air introduced), the lower the concentration of impurities in the air of the workplace.

    Carry out regular maintenance (at least once a year) of the air conditioning systems, in order to clean and disinfect the systems and thus avoid contamination of the water by micro-organisms. The most frequent problems arise in June, when the cooling systems are restored to working order.

    Replace a carpet with linoleum to fight against dust and allergenic dust mites. Indeed, rugs, carpets and curtains constitute an environment favorable to the accumulation of dust and thus to the proliferation of dust mites.

    General work organization. In addition to the care taken with the infrastructure, the general organization of work offers several other interesting options:

    Write clear procedures. “Work stress” is a factor clearly linked to the symptoms of sick building syndrome; the vagueness of roles, tasks and responsibilities is one cause. This is why the drafting of specifications or other clear work procedures can have a positive effect on the well-being of employees.

    Rearrange workplaces. The analysis of workstations and the optimal layout of spaces, taking into account in particular the position of the body, the position of the computer screen in relation to the operator, the lighting, the type of furniture or the nature of the activities contributes to guaranteeing an appropriate working environment, which makes it possible to limit certain damage to health at work.

    Thus, the elimination of chemical and biological agents polluting the air in the workplace is an essential step in ensuring the well-being of employees, but it is important not to neglect the organizational and psychosocial aspects. Sick building syndrome being a non-specific pathology, most of the time it is a matter of improving work situations as a whole.

  • 11 shower wall cladding panels

    11 shower wall cladding panels

    1,221 Views

    high pressure laminate, resin, glass…, the shower wall panels replace or cover the tiles. Waterproof and without joint, they always remain impeccable and embellish an existing shower or bathroom in record time. What if we adopted them

    bathroom with shower panels matching the furnitureThe materials used to replace the tiles in a shower are many and varied. They can be in high pressure laminate, composite resin, acrylic, solid surface, polyurethane, glass, porcelain stoneware… These bathroom wall panels with a tiling effect (or not) are also intended to dress the walls of the shower. They are downright magical.

    Indeed, wall covering panels make it possible to renovate a shower quickly and well, and at a lower cost, in particular because they do not require any skilled labour. In addition, they ensure flawless cleanliness: say goodbye to tiling, which becomes dubious when the cement joints turn yellow under the combined effect of humidity, limescale and soap. That is why they are perfect in the shower which, once coated, is renewed and rejuvenated, and becomes easy to maintain, at least if the chosen panels are smooth.

    If your bathroom is clad in old-fashioned tiling, there’s nothing stopping you from using these same wall cladding panels to give it a new look at little cost.

    Know that there is another solution to avoid the inconvenience of fully tiled showers: it is that of the decorative coating  or waxed concrete which replaces or covers the tiles, in and out of the cabin itself.

    In high pressure laminate, resin, glass…, the shower wall panels replace or cover the tiles. Waterproof and without joint, they always remain impeccable and embellish an existing shower or bathroom in record time. What if we adopted them?

    bathroom with shower panels matching the furnitureThe materials used to replace the tiles in a shower are many and varied. They can be in high pressure laminate, composite resin, acrylic, solid surface, polyurethane, glass, porcelain stoneware… These bathroom wall panels with a tiling effect (or not) are also intended to dress the walls of the shower. They are downright magical.

    Indeed, wall covering panels make it possible to renovate a shower quickly and well, and at a lower cost, in particular because they do not require any skilled labour. In addition, they ensure flawless cleanliness: say goodbye to tiling, which becomes dubious when the cement joints turn yellow under the combined effect of humidity, limescale and soap. That is why they are perfect in the shower which, once coated, is renewed and rejuvenated, and becomes easy to maintain, at least if the chosen panels are smooth.

    If your bathroom is clad in old-fashioned tiling, there’s nothing stopping you from using these same wall cladding panels to give it a new look at little cost.

    Know that there is another solution to avoid the inconvenience of fully tiled showers: it is that of the decorative coating  or waxed concrete which replaces or covers the tiles, in and out of the cabin itself.

  • 5 good reasons to have your ducts cleaned

    5 good reasons to have your ducts cleaned

    1,007 Views

    Whether you are in a hospital, at school, in a residence for the elderly or in a restaurant, the quality of the air you breathe must be adequate and optimal. Said air comes from ventilation ducts. In the event of a problem caused by the dirt in these ducts, serious consequences can occur. Why perform duct cleaning ? What problems can arise if a duct is not cleaned? Here are 5 good reasons to have your ducts cleaned.

    What is a ventilation duct?

    Present especially in schools, hospitals and institutions, the ventilation duct  is used for sanitation and air change. These ducts are responsible for renewing the air in the establishment.

     Accumulation of dust and other residues

    Over time, dust and many other residues can find their way into the ventilation ducts , causing them to malfunction or become blocked. Contacting duct cleaning experts will remove these residues, which will certainly extend the life of the ducts, while ensuring good air quality for the people present in the establishment.

     A breakage that can be expensive

    Cleaning air ducts alone is a very bad idea. Indeed, a bad maneuver and an obsolete knowledge of the conduits can cause heavy material and human damage. To avoid damage and, thus, having to pay a fortune, it is better to contact a team of professional duct cleaning professionals, who will do the job without a hitch, at little cost.

     Use of special products

    A ventilation duct has different parts (fans, filters, humidifiers, etc.) that require different powerful and adequate tools. Of course, duct cleaning professionals have the required equipment and can perform the said cleaning without any problem!

    Multiple health issues

    For a handful of dollars, we avoid compromising the health of the other occupants of the establishment. A ventilation duct that needs to be cleaned can cause lung problems, itching, redness, asthma, headaches and more. Fortunately, a team of professionals can clean the ducts, so as not to compromise the health of the occupants.

     Stagnant humidity in the ducts

    Professionals are on the lookout for the dangers that can arise in a ventilation duct. For example, too much humidity can cause mold and fungus. Unfortunately, this moisture can remain present until properly cleaned by experts in the field. In addition, simple cleaning can be dangerous in the presence of mold, especially in a confined space, such as an air duct. This is why it is necessary to call upon professionals in cleaning of ducts. They will do the work with the appropriate equipment and decontaminate everything.

    Cleaning ventilation  ducts can be a risky task, even dangerous, both for the wallet and for human health. To avoid various problems that may arise in a ventilation duct and to contribute to the good quality of the ambient air, it is necessary to contact experts in duct cleaning !