Monday, April 21, 2014

Santa Ana Drain Cleaning

Drains, drains - they won’t go away. You wouldn’t want them to - you need them - in your bathroom, in your kitchen sink. You use them all the time, and like anything that receives heavy use, problems can occur.

With kitchen drains, grease and food waste can stick and make drains run slowly or clog and back up - and then it’s time to call the pizza delivery service, because you won’t want to be washing dishes until the issue is resolved!

In the bathroom, hair, soap, and grime are the build up culprits. Keep an eye on your shower and tub - before a drain becomes completely clogged it may simply run slowly. That’s not normal - water should drain right away when you shower, and rapidly post-bath.

Toilets can also be problematic. Whether it’s an excess of toilet paper or accidentally flushing baby wipes or facial tissue which dissolves less easily than toilet paper, clogs do happen. A plumbers’ snake is usually the easiest way to cut through the clog and clean the drain at the same time.

Then there are the drains you may not usually even consider - ground level drains such as drains on patios, in driveways, or laundry rooms. These drains usually contain a trap that can get clogged, causing back up.

Using drains everyday means that over time, almost inevitably, there’s going to be a clog or two. You can try to prevent this by using a drain filter in the bathroom to catch hair, running hot water anytime you put anything down a drain, pouring boiling water into a mildly clogged drain and being patient, adding more and more hot water until the clog - whatever it may be - dissolves.

But none of these measures help all the time. Sometimes you need to bring in a pro to do the cleaning. And you want to make sure you’re working with someone who knows what they are doing. Look at online reviews, ask for referrals. Drain cleaning Santa Ana style: get rid of that clog fast and efficiently, or prevent it from happening in the first place with professional cleaning before a problem arises.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Santa Ana Spring Cleaning

Spring is here, and with it comes a variety of maintenance tasks - some for the home, and let's face it, some for ourselves!

Sure, some parts of the U.S. are still seeing snow, but here in Santa Ana, we've got blue sky and sunny afternoons. So no more winter couch potato excuses!

Here are some of the things I do to start the season right:

After work exercise. No more early morning sessions at the gym.  I can take a run at the end of the work day, with more daylight to light the way.

Garage sale. Spring cleaning only sounds like a cliche, in reality one of the best ways to clean out the house is to get rid of unwonted items. Whether it's outgrown children's toys or old golf clubs,  having an old fashioned garage sale is a great thing to do. Not only can it put a little extra cash in your pocket, left overs can be donated to a worthy charity or two.

Home maintenance. You don't have to go overboard. Just pick one necessary item and make sure it gets done. So whether that's cleaning out or replacing rain gutters, or replacing a leaky shower head, just do it.

Finances. Spring is the time to get your receipts and your 1040's in order, whether it's for you or for your accountant.

Recreation. Want to pick up that tennis racket again? or is there something awesome you want to do in Santa Ana but you haven't done - like a trip to the Bowers Art Museum, or a stroll through the Santa Ana Zoo. Get out and enjoy the weather. Just apply the same principle here as you would to your chores - just pick something fun and do it. That's maintenance of the mind!

Thursday, April 3, 2014

Going Green in Santa Ana

Having an eco-friendly house is a lot easier than it used to be. And it's a good idea - you can save time, money, and the planet at the same time, more or less - all without taking on an overwhelming amount of work either. In fact, going green at home has never been easier.



Let's start with the basics. These include getting rid of older, inefficient appliances. This is a good plan for your wallet as well as for the environment. Some people are very surprised at how much they save after they purchase Energy Star rated refrigerators or washer dryers that are more friendly, environmentally and use a lot less power.

And here's an inexpensive and super easy change - just replace your light bulbs. That's right, get rid of incandescent bulbs and replace them with fluorescent lighting, or LED type lighting. Again, savings for your pocket book, and energy savings for the environment.

Another favorite, efficient, cost saving green change is a programmable thermostat? These inexpensive devices make temperature alteration a snap. Using this kind of thermostat allows control of the temperature in each individual room in your home. So your bedroom can be toasty warm, and your living room stay cool all night long. Or, turn on the a/c for that dinner party in the summer, cool off the dining room and kitchen - but moderate the temperature in the part of your home where you're not entertaining.

And then there’s water savings. Naturally, low-flush toilets and low-flow showers are a great idea. But many Santa Ana home owners are selecting landscaping choices that result in even more savings. Replace those non-native flower beds that need constant watering with native plants that grow beautifully in Santa Ana, and these plants live longer, too.

The result: time savings for you, healthier plants, less water being used to preserve your landscaping. And that means less cost. Saving time, water, money, beautifying your home with a natural feel - what could be better. And here's another idea, when you do water, employ recycled water sources. Grey water sprinkler systems are such an efficient way to use water.