Month: March 2021

2021-03-30T08:05:00

(BPT) – This past year we’ve all made a few changes to our daily lives, but one thing has remained constant — your appliances. It’s easy to forget these machines are working hard in the background, but they’re always helping to keep your household running smoothly. In the spirit of spring cleaning, let’s give some extra love to our dedicated appliances, so they can keep performing at their best. Here are spring cleaning must-dos from Maytag appliance experts.

Deep cleaning for a fresh start
Deep cleaning your appliances may not be top of mind, but it’s important for them to have a good, thorough cleaning to keep everything looking like new.

• Refrigerators will benefit from regular cleaning every three months, inside and out. This helps maximize storage while maintaining a fresh environment for your groceries. Make sure to wipe down all surfaces and skip the harsh chemicals. Try white vinegar and baking soda to keep out unwanted chemical smells. Finish off by wiping the outside with soap and water or with a special cleaner like affresh Stainless Steel Cleaning Spray.
• A dirty oven not only looks bad but can cause unpleasant smells in the kitchen. Clean every part of your oven by removing all racks and soaking in hot, soapy water to remove any leftover food and grease. Next create a spreadable paste of baking soda and water and cover the entire inside cavity. After 20 minutes, spray with lemon juice or vinegar and wipe with a damp cloth until clean. Maytag cleaning experts actually advise against chemical oven cleaners, as these products contain harsh chemicals and release fumes that can linger in your oven long after cleaning is done.
• Clean clothes require having a clean washer. Follow these four easy steps every 30 washes to help keep your washing machine clean. Clean the tub, clean the dispensers, clean in and around the door and lastly clean the outside.
• Dryers produce a lot of lint, and without proper cleaning can become a fire hazard due to reduced airflow and overheating. Clean the lint screen after every use and the vent screen at least every two years.

Organizing for a less stressful tomorrow

Did you know there’s a science to storing food in your fridge? Not only will your food stay fresh, but you will stay more organized and could even save some money. Here are the basics:

• Door storage should be reserved for less perishable items such as condiments and soda.
• Shelves are great for every day, non-produce items. Group similar foods together to eliminate the need for searching.
• Deli drawers have slightly colder temperatures than the rest of the fridge making it ideal for meats and cheeses.
• High humidity crisper drawers help thin skin produce like spinach and citrus fruits stay fresh, while low humidity crisper drawers are great for thick skin produce such as peppers and avocados.

Replacing parts for optimal performance

• Many refrigerators have water filling stations, and the filter should be changed every six months. There is a quick way to replace your water filter in under five minutes. Once replaced, you can enjoy clean, fresh-tasting water.
• If dishes begin to have grit and grime after they’re cleaned, this can indicate that your dishwasher filter needs a cleaning. On select dishwashers, locate the filter at the bottom of the dishwasher. Remove it by turning it counterclockwise and pulling up. Rinse out the filter under the faucet to remove most soils and debris, and once clean, reinstall.
• A well-lit oven is essential for efficiently tracking the progress of dishes. You can change your oven light in five easy steps.

Whether you’re a seasoned homeowner or still figuring out how to adult, spring cleaning is a great time to give back to your home and appliances. For more expert tips and tricks to keep your appliances running and looking their best, visit the Maytag Info Hub at maytag.com/blog.

2021-03-30T05:01:01

(BPT) – With millions of Americans looking for employment, and the population now balancing different roles at home such as an employee, parent or caregiver, teacher and more, there is an increasing need for more jobs with flexible work schedules. Many are taking an opportunity to learn about the benefits of hourly employment. Not only do hourly positions offer flexibility, they also can set many up for a successful and productive career down the line.

Did you know that 90% of The Home Depot’s store leaders began their careers as hourly associates? When searching for hourly employment opportunities that could lead to a long-lasting career, it helps to choose a workplace with a good track record of providing a positive employee experience. The company, known for offering competitive benefits and opportunities to both empower and challenge employees, made both the top 100 on Comparably.com’s list of Happiest Employees 2020, and was also named in Forbes’ 2020 “Best Employers for Diversity” list. The list of advantages to these types of hourly jobs does not stop there.

Variety of positions

Whether you’re looking for part-time or full-time employment, employers offering a variety of positions across different departments are worth exploring, to both challenge and amplify personal passions or skill sets.

The Home Depot, for instance, offers a wide range of positions, both in-stores and in distribution centers. These positions focus on everything from customer service in-store, fulfilling online orders to be picked up by customers or unpacking overnight freight and merchandising. Distribution center roles involve replenishing store inventory, placing and shipping orders. Across all positions, many opportunities are available to play to different employees’ capabilities and strengths.

Safety at work

The Home Depot puts the safety and well-being of its associates and customers at the forefront of everything they do, while continuing to serve communities with the products they need. Over the past year, the company has implemented additional safety measures, both in their stores and distribution centers. With these new safety measures, the expansion of associate benefits has also increased, including:

• Daily health checks for associates.
• Requiring all associates and customers to wear non-medical face masks in stores and at their facilities and providing non-medical face coverings to all associates.
• Enhancing cleaning measures throughout all stores and facilities.
• Promoting social and physical distancing practices in stores by marking floors, adding signage and offering plexiglass shields between associates and customers.
• Preparing for a safe spring selling season by widening aisles for easier social distancing and providing a variety of convenient shipping and pickup options for customers.

Meaningful core values

Aligning with a company’s core values when job searching is an important part of the application process. One of The Home Depot’s biggest core values is taking care of its people. Last year, the company invested approximately $2 billion in enhanced compensation and benefits for associates, including offering emergency sick time and paid time off for all frontline associates. The company also transitioned from temporary to now permanent COVID-19 benefits and compensation enhancements for frontline hourly associates.

Other top benefits offered by The Home Depot include:

• On-the-job training and development opportunities
• Back-up care for dependents
• Tuition assistance available from the first day
• Flexible schedules to fit associates’ unique life needs and shorter commutes, thanks to their wide footprint of over 2,000 stores and distribution centers across the U.S.
• A “Take Care of You” program, which helps associates stay balanced and healthy, with resources like at-home workouts, meditations and more
• Celebrate professional successes through the “Success Sharing” program — a financial reward program for associates when the company has a successful performance each half of the year

Interested in learning more about open roles within The Home Depot? Visit Careers.homedepot.com/hiring today, or apply by texting “JOBS” to 52270.

2021-03-29T14:01:00

(BPT) – This year, National Cleaning Week takes on newfound importance as we look back at how our cleaning habits changed in 2020. For many, pre-pandemic cleaning was just another chore, but as COVID-19 emerged in the U.S., cleaning quickly became a way to protect against the spread of germs and illnesses. In fact, a new survey conducted by the American Cleaning Institute found that 70% of Americans now view cleaning as a way to ensure the health and safety of themselves and their families, and more than 85% of Americans plan to keep up their cleaning practices after the pandemic ends. As the pandemic assigned new meaning to cleaning, here is a snapshot of what we’ve learned along the way.

Hygiene Is Handy

More than 75% of Americans plan to continue to wash their hands frequently once the pandemic is over. We all know, especially now, that handwashing is one of the most effective and simplest ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick and prevent the spread of germs to others. Reminder: Key times to wash your hands include: before, during and after preparing food; before and after caring for someone who is sick; and after handling items like garbage or dirty laundry!

GPS for Germs

They may be microscopic, but over the last year the majority of us have developed a radar for germ hotspots. We now know cleaning and disinfecting are critical for health, but that doesn’t mean you have to clean every single thing, every single second. For daily disinfecting, we’ve learned the importance of focusing on frequently touched areas where germs can quickly build up, like door knobs, light switches and faucets. While some areas of the home should be cleaned weekly, others only need a yearly clean — check out this home cleaning schedule for more information.

Labels Do Matter!

When it comes to your cleaning products, 2020 provided a crash course in the importance of reading labels. There are four elements of the label to focus on: directions, caution warnings, ingredients, and storage and disposal instructions. Remember, reading the label before using a product will help ensure effective and safe results. Once your product is empty, read the label for information on the best way to dispose or recycle the container.

Laundry Is a Cycle of Health

Beyond stains and fresh wardrobes, laundry routines have become our not-so-secret weapon against germs. Whether you’re washing your mask, reusable grocery bags or favorite sweatshirt, laundry is an important step to staying healthy. If someone in your household is sick, you may need to elevate your normal routine.

Health and Safety Must Go Together

With the increase in cleaning product use around the home, we were also quickly reminded of the importance of being vigilant about proper product safety practices and safe storage. Speaking of storage, while clear bins and glass jars may be a beautiful way to organize your home, they aren’t a safe place for cleaning products like liquid laundry packets. It is crucial that all products are safety stored and kept in their original containers to avoid accidental exposures among young children and adults with cognitive disorders, like dementia. Next time you’re unloading your grocery bags and putting away your cleaning products, remember to put your Packets Up and Store Not Décor!

Today, we no longer view cleaning as a routine chore. Cleaning is a way to prevent the spread of germs and illness, to rebuild our economy and to revitalize our planet. Perhaps what we’ve learned most of all is that cleaning gives us a way to protect our loved ones and express how we care for one another. In 2021 and beyond, cleaning is caring. For more cleaning information, visit https://www.cleaninginstitute.org/.

2021-03-29T14:01:00

(BPT) – Blending fashion and function, the best bathroom design will address the needs of the homeowner while also reflecting their personal tastes. What often separates good from great design can be found in the details.

Sophisticated designer touches elevate a bathroom in an upscale way that defines a space as a luxury retreat within the home. If you’re planning a master bathroom remodel or adding a new luxury bathroom space within your home, don’t forget these three important facets.

Layer lighting

There are three main types of lighting: task, ambient and accent. Layering these lights thoughtfully in the bathroom will not only make the space more functional, but will also elevate the appearance and provide high levels of flexibility.

The main light — often an overhead light — provides ambient lighting for the overall illumination of the space. Many people choose dimmer options for this bathroom light to give it maximum customization.

Task lighting is essential in the bathroom since so many personal grooming tasks take place in the space. Task lighting might include lights over the mirror or vanity lighting. When planning and positioning task lighting, remember to position fixtures to minimize shadows to facilitate activities like shaving or applying makeup.

Finally, accent lighting is a key feature of luxury bathrooms and makes one space stand out from another. Accent lighting is meant to highlight the special features of the space and might include a light positioned over a painting, a decorative chandelier in a changing space or wall sconces by a soaking tub.

Select shower drains

Sophisticated touches make your bathroom design come together, so as you plan your shower space, don’t overlook the aesthetic potential of the drain. Choosing an upscale drain option blends elegance and performance to elevate the shower experience and the overall bathroom design.

For example, QuickDrain USA offers a variety of unique drain options. For the ultimate in-shower design, consider WallDrain, which is concealed behind the base of the wall — rendering it virtually invisible. The clean lines of this innovative drain system provide a seamless visual flow in the shower, ideal for a variety of décors, including contemporary or transitional designs.

However, if you prefer a drain that remains visible along the wall or in the center of the floor, you still have numerous options to elevate your look. QuickDrain’s Euro-styled linear drains and its new SquareDrain are ideal for conventional curbed or zero-entry, curbless applications that allow wheelchair access and ADA compliance.

Among the biggest trends of 2021 are rose gold and matte black finishes for shower drains. But there are a variety of finishes you can choose from to get the ideal look for your space.

Looking to take your bathroom design to an even higher level? The world-renowned firm of Michael Graves Architecture & Design collaborated with QuickDrain on two drain cover designs: the Cosmo and the Stream. Crafted from durable 18-gauge, 304 stainless steel, these removable, slim-profile covers are both offered with a brushed stainless steel finish, while the Cosmo is also available in a polished stainless finish. Learn more at www.quickdrain.com.

Evaluate hardware

Just like that special watch or necklace makes an outfit, the hardware you choose for the bathroom is the jewelry that enhances that space. Because the bathroom features a substantial amount of hardware relative to the size of the room, choosing the right option can make a big visual impact.

Hardware in bathrooms includes knobs and pulls on the vanity, but extends to other accessories as well. This includes towel racks for bathing and hand towels, toilet paper holders, soap dispensers and shower curtain rods. When planning hardware details, don’t forget to add in light switch covers, wall plates and vent covers to create a cohesive, professionally designed look.

Keep in mind, finishes for hardware don’t necessarily need to all match as long as the tones blend nicely and you don’t mix too many finishes together. For example, brushed steel and matte black work well together, but if you mix in more colors you risk the space looking disconnected and not well thought out.

There are many factors that go into creating a bathroom design. It’s important to pay attention to the details if you want to create a luxury space. These three details will help ensure fashion and function go hand in hand for a space you’ll love for years to come.

2021-03-29T07:01:00

(BPT) – What do planting a tree, building a patio, installing a pool and putting up a fence have in common? These popular home improvement projects add value to your home, and they all require an important safety step: getting utility lines marked before digging.

With so many people spending more time at home during the pandemic, homeowners are tackling DIY projects at growing levels — 19.5 million Americans plan to dig this year for a home improvement project, according to the Spring 2021 Homeowner Omnibus Research from Common Ground Alliance (CGA). Unfortunately, two in five homeowners will miss the crucial step to call 811 to get utility lines marked before they dig.

Tempted to skip this step? You are putting yourself, your family and your entire community at risk. Unintentionally striking one of these lines can result in inconvenient outages for entire neighborhoods, serious harm to yourself or your neighbors, and significant repair costs.

CGA research found that a third of American homeowners have been affected by a utility service interruption during the pandemic. This can be particularly frustrating as people spend more time at home, relying on essential utilities to work, study and stay entertained. You don’t want your digging activity to be the reason your neighborhood faces an inconvenient outage, or worse.

If you think it won’t happen, think again. “A utility line is damaged every few minutes in the U.S. because someone decided to dig without making a call to 811 to learn the approximate location of buried utilities in their area,” says Sarah Magruder Lyle, President and CEO of CGA. “Calling 811 to get utilities marked before digging is free and easy, and will protect you, your community and the utilities you rely on.”

Follow these safe digging steps each time you dig:

Step 1: A free phone call to 811 makes it easy for your local one call center to notify appropriate utility companies of your intent to dig. Call a few days prior to digging to ensure enough time for the approximate location of utility lines to be marked with flags or paint.

Step 2: Know where you plan to dig and have a basic idea of what you plan to do. When you call 811, a representative from your local one call center will ask for the location and description of your digging project.

Step 3: Your local one call center will notify affected utility companies, which will then send professional locators to the proposed dig site to mark the approximate location of buried utility lines with colored flags and paint.

Step 4: Wait the required amount of time for the lines to be marked. Once all lines have been accurately marked, carefully dig around the marked areas.

There are nearly 20 million miles of underground utility lines in the United States, which equates to more than a football field’s length of utilities for every person in the U.S. Your family depends on this buried infrastructure for your everyday needs, including electric, natural gas, water and sewer, cable TV, high-speed internet and landline telephone.

With that much critical infrastructure underground, it’s important to know what’s below and call 811 before digging. To find out more information about 811 or the one call center in your area, visit www.call811.com.