If you’ve ever found yourself asking, “mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” and haven’t heard a response, you may have a fogged up mirror. Fogginess after a hot shower is normal, but your mirror shouldn’t have constant foggy or cloudy appearance.
Not being able to see yourself clearly in the mirror to get ready in the morning can be very annoying. If your mirror is too foggy or cloudy it may require vanity refinishing in Glendale, AZ.
Why is it fogged?
Mirrors lose their brilliance over time for a variety of reasons. First of all, they get cloudy from not being properly wiped down after getting fogged up by condensation from showers. Mirrors also tend to take a beating from toothpaste and shaving cream splatter. If not cleaned with a window or mirror cleaning product regularly, that residue builds up and can eventually make the mirror cloudy and unusable. Also, if you happen to own an old mirror with a silver backing, cloudiness is just a natural part of the aging process.
Homespun remedies
If your mirrors get foggy either from lack of proper care, or if they’re just old, don’t fret! You’re clearly not the first person to encounter this problem. Homemakers across the world have aggregated a variety of ways to cure your mirror’s fogginess without using harsh chemicals, just regular items that you probably already have at home.
Shaving cream: Putting some shaving cream on a lint-free towel and buffing the mirror is said to cure mirror fog. It’s important to use regular shaving cream, not the newer gel-style creams. If buffing the mirror doesn’t work on the first attempt, apply more shaving cream to the towel and try again. After a few rounds of buffing, the mirror should be spot free and stay that way for quite a while.
Vinegar and newspaper: This one may sound counterintuitive, as the ink from the newspaper seems like it’d rub off onto the mirror and make the situation worse, right? Apparently not. Homemakers swear that if you spray white vinegar on the mirror and rub it off with an old newspaper, your mirror will be cloudless and streak-free. Be careful to keep the vinegar off the frame, as it could do more harm than good and actually call for serious vanity refinishing in Glendale, AZ.
Paint scraper: Obviously, you must be careful as to not scratch or break the glass with this technique. But, if your mirror fogginess is really bad and hard, paint-like residue, you may be able to actually scrape it off using a flat knife blade. You can pick one of these tools up at any local hardware store.
While there’s no guarantee that your mirror will say you’re the fairest of them all, it’s sure to give you an answer after using one of these remedies. If none of the above work, consider hiring us for vanity refinishing in Glendale, AZ. We’ll professionally refinish your vanity and ensure your mirror lets you know you’re the fairest of them all.
Bathtubs are (probably) the most used amenity in our homes. Since they’re used so often, they get dirty pretty quick. Dirty tubs are germ infested, look terrible and can start to smell gross after a while.
In addition to those short term consequences, a dirty bathtub can lower the value of your home if you’re trying to sell. There’s not one single factor that contributes to a dirty tub. Many small things people do (or neglect to do) lead to dirty bath tubs in Glendale, AZ. In order to keep a clean tub that’s sure to impress guests, pay attention to the following tub pitfalls.
Soap scum and shampoo buildup
The hard surface that builds up over a while around your tub in a natural reaction to water and the ingredients in soap and shampoo. After prolonged tub use, this buildup hardens and becomes increasingly hard to clean.
Mold and mildew
Mold and mildew are bound to grow in any damp area. A tub that’s constantly in use is a hotbed for mold and mildew growth. Not only are mold and mildew gross, breathing mold can be harmful to your health in the long run.
Dead skin and other body debris
We obviously take showers and/or baths to wash away the dirt and grease that we accumulate on our bodies throughout the day. The dirt, grease, hair and dead skin that doesn’t go down the drain all gets stuck in the tub. Over time all of that accumulates and causes a real big mess.
Hard water stains
Many parts of the country have water with a high mineral content, or hard water. If you happen to live in a part of the country that has hard water, over time those hard water deposits will stain the base of the tub.
Unless properly cleaned, hard water can also rust the drain cover making an unsightly red mess.
Pet cleaning
Cleaning your animals, especially dogs after they’ve been playing in the mud, is a must. However, getting them into your bathtub to get clean is always a challenge and can be equally hard on the wellbeing of your tub. Your pets’ claws will scratch the tub further damaging the tub’s protective coating.
Cleaning chemicals
Hardcore cleaning products will definitely clean up the afore mentioned problems that bathtubs often run into. However, if used in excess, these chemicals can end up damaging bath tubs in Glendale, AZ in the long run. Chemicals like bleach will slowly erode the protective coating on your tub. If this occurs, you’ll need to have your tub either repaired or completely replaced.
What can I do to fix it?
One great way to combat the build-up of all of the aforementioned is to clean your tub after each use. Bathroom cleaning experts recommend taking a few minutes after each shower or bath to wipe the tub down with a sponge or other cleaning device. If the situation gets out of hand call us at 602-531-4453 to find out how we can refinish your tub or any other amenity that is full of dirt and grime!
There’s a reason that bathrooms around America have tile flooring: thanks to its superior resilience, inherently hydrophobic properties and beautiful appeal, it’s a prime candidate for bathrooms! But, just because it boasts some of the best features around that make it ideal for the bathroom environment doesn’t mean tiling is infallible.
Anyone who has ever cleaned the tiling in their bathroom has seen what can happen to tile in just a few months’ time. Grout changes color, scuffs and abrasions appear on the tile surface, and small patches of mildew can take root with ease. Sure, new tile may look great, but what about tile that has been put through its paces?
If you’re starting to wonder about tile’s ability to remain a top bathroom option, don’t worry: there’s an easy way to protect and preserve your bathroom tiling in Glendale. We’re talking of course, about sealing it.
Sealing your tile is simply the act of coating it with an epoxy that dries on top of the tile and grout, leaving behind an invisible barrier against all of the detractors of the bathroom environment that might seek to lower its appeal. Take a look at five of the ways sealing your tile is going to ensure it lives up to your fullest expectations:
Sick of scrubbing scale buildups and hard water spots out of your tile? Sealed tile won’t hold these blemishes as well and when they do appear, they’re easily scrubbed off without you having to get down on your hands and knees to work them out!
Has your white grout become grey and black, leaving a behind a lackluster appeal? Have it professionally cleaned then sealed and you won’t have to worry about the color fading away again. Sealant preserves grout by blocking its natural pores against debris that might cause it to change color.
Sealed tile and grout is going to resist water to a tremendous degree, which in turn protects your subflooring and vapor barrier. What this means over the long term is a lack of shifting, sinking or moving tiles that can occur when warping happens below the tiling.
If you have stone tile (not ceramic or porcelain), it’s an absolute must that you invest in sealant. Sealing stone tile means preserving its integrity over the long term and preventing water from eroding it in time.
As mentioned above, grout is naturally porous, which means easy rooting for mildew and other natural growths that occur in humid and moisture-rich environments (like your bathroom). Sealing the grout and tile closes up these pores, making it a no-fly zone for organic growth.
Having tile in your bathroom is absolutely a smart choice for materials, but it’s one that’s not infallible. Make sure you’re giving your bathroom tile in Glendale the support it needs to stand strong and stay looking great for years to come with proper sealing.
Flipping houses is one of the most lucrative professions out there. But, as you might expect, this isn’t something that just anyone can do. In fact, it takes someone with a tremendous depth of knowledge regarding the housing market, property values, home renovations and legal procedure.
If you didn’t already know, the main idea behind flipping a home is to buy low and sell high, usually after putting a few dollars into upgrading and modernizing the home, to make it more appealing to a new buyer. This is the hard part, however, since you’ll need to minimize your out of pocket cost and maximize the value-add of your investment.
This is where the bathroom becomes a superb opportunity. Bathrooms are a clear focal point in homes (we spend a lot of time in them), they’re cheap enough to upgrade (when done right) and they can leave a big impression on people if they exceed expectations. Because of these things, it’s in many flippers’ best interests to pay some attention to the bathroom.
Let’s take a look at a few of the things that can really jack up the value of a home, that won’t end up costing you in the end:
Shower refinishing in Glendale, AZ is going to be a big value-add for many people. People see the shower as a comfortable amenity: somewhere they can relax, unwind and get clean. Refinishing the shower means refreshing this coveted space and projecting an air of cleanliness for prospective home buyers.
Countertop finishing in Glendale, AZ is another great way to enhance the appeal of a bathroom, without actually having to put in a lot of work or expense. Breathing new life into the existing countertops goes a long way to restoring the entire look and feel of the room.
Updating fixtures is a great way to modernize without a lot of heavy lifting. Replacing those old 70s fixtures with something a bit more on trend can give the impression that more things have been updated and that the bathroom is modern-ready.
Throwing in a brand new mirror or investing a few bucks in vanity refinishing in Glendale will dramatically increase the appeal of the bathroom. Not only is a mirror something that’s coveted in a bathroom, it can also open the room up and help reflect natural light: two things that really resonate with home buyers.
If you’re going for the big finale, upgrading materials might just be the big winner for you when it comes to flipping a home. Changing out linoleum for tile flooring or old porcelain for a tile shower can tip people over the edge and cause them to stop and think positively about the entire home.
Flipping a home is never easy, but if you can leverage a single room to your advantage, it can help to create an entire train of thought regarding the hole home. Capitalize on the bathroom with some of the above tips and see what some TLC to this oft-used room can do for you!
Are your counter tops showing signs of wear and needing to be replaced? While you may think you need to replace them, it’s entirely possible that they only need to be repaired. This will give your counter tops new life at a fraction of the cost. And not only will counter top repair in Phoenix, AZ, save you money—it will also avoid the mess and time associated with replacing your counter tops.
Benefits of counter top repair
Counter top repair in Phoenix, AZ can make old and worn counter tops look new again. Repairs can be done on a multitude of surfaces, including porcelain and fiberglass. The process requires the use of a very hard and durable acrylic coating, which is applied to the surface of your existing counter top. It can change the appearance of your counter tops to a different texture or color, as well as repair cracks and chips.
The biggest benefit to repairing your counter tops is the amount of money you will save compared to having them completely replaced. On average, a homeowner will save between 30 percent and 50 percent over replacement costs by investing in counter top repair in Phoenix, AZ. This is works particularly well on custom counter tops or very large surface counter tops that would be costly to replace.
Unlike replacing your counter tops, repairs can typically be done in 24 to 36 hours, and you won’t have the mess of demolition. You can have a new look in your kitchen in hours, as opposed to the days it would take to replace your counter tops with new ones. Counter top repair in Phoenix, AZ will also give your counter tops a useful life of up to 10 to 15 years with proper maintenance.
What to expect with counter top repair
When completing counter top repair in Phoenix, AZ, a contractor will first prepare your counter tops for the application. They will clean the counter tops and dry the surface, removing any dirt and lint. They will then mark the damaged area, masking scratched surfaces with tape. Next, an adhesive will be applied to your counter tops and left to dry for at least 24 hours. Once dried, a sealant will be put on over the adhesive. This is designed to protect against scratches and chips and give your counter tops a nice shine. The last step is to wipe the surface clean after the sealant has cured. When complete, you will have beautiful new counter tops to appreciate.
If your counter tops are worn or damaged, think about repairing them before you replace them. Counter top repair in Phoenix, AZ is a budget-friendly alternative to replacing counter tops. You can change their look and enjoy them for many years to come. When you need to repair your counter tops, contact A-1 Porcelain & Fiberglass Service L.L.C. We are an experienced contractor knowledgeable in the repair and refinishing of countertops, bathtubs, showers, sinks, vanities and tiles. With over 30 years in business, A-1 Porcelain & Fiberglass Service L.L.C. offers competitive pricing and quality work, courtesy of our knowledgeable technicians.
