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It is never too late to get your home looking the way you've imagined it! Because the living room is perhaps the most important reflection of your entire apartment, it is always great to give an equally fantastic impression all the time. It's where you have your movie nights, solo TV dinners, weekend naps, and other cool experiences. Keep your living room as organized as possible with these tips.
5 Quick Tips to Achieve An Organized Living Room
Have a wastebasket
One of the first things you can do is get rid of clutter, of course. Regardless of how much we try to maintain cleanliness, we cannot always do away with trash entirely. It's best to purchase a wastebasket to put right in the living room, so you'll be more likely to get rid of the odds and ends lying around that are no longer needed, such as old receipts and magazines.
Create a children’s play space
If there are children that live in your home, their toys and other belongings could be the reason your living room is always cluttered. To counter that, designate them a playing space. The corners of the room are especially good for this so that their toys are always slightly out of the way. A bookcase or basket where you can store these items can also save space significantly.
Limit your collections
Sometimes when you have too many collectibles, organizing them becomes hectic. So, only keep what adds value to your living room.
Be keen on décor color blending
When shopping for your home décor, plan out what colors will blend perfectly with the items you already have. This will create a sleek and unified look that makes your space seem more organized.
Take advantage of the space behind the sofa
Perhaps you have never thought of this, but using the extra space behind your sofa is a great way to minimize clutter as well. Consider storing items in a crate or basket there that you rarely use but still need around, such as candles, pillows, and extra blankets.
It all begins with a great apartment
A fabulous apartment motivates you to keep everything organized. So if you are looking for an apartment in Flagstaff, you'll be just a step closer to the best home when you call us to schedule a visit of University Square.
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Electronics always look so shiny and new out of the box, but sooner or later they're going to get dirty. Dust collects on, and in, your computer. Grime builds up around those keyboard keys and controller buttons, and that shiny new gadget can start to look a little junky. Here are some tips to get the electronics in your Flagstaff apartment looking like new:
Cleaning Your Electronics
- Never apply a liquid cleaner directly to an electronic. Put the cleaner on the cloth or cotton swab, and then get to swabbing.
- Always unplug and turn off anything you're going to clean. If it has an accessible battery pack, you'll want to take that out, too. The risk of electric shock is relatively minor, but not non-existent.
- Don't use window cleaner, paper towels, or sponges on your TV or other screens. A tiny bit of water on a microfiber cloth will do the trick, but you probably won't need the water, just the cloth.
- Use rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab for things like game controllers, computer mice, and other handheld input devices. The trick here is that rubbing alcohol will dry out before it has a chance to damage any circuitry.
- A computer duster will help to clear out the interiors of laptops, gaming consoles, keyboards, and other electronics. If the problem is bad enough that you need to open the device up, you'll need to check your warranty to see if that's allowed and watch or read some tutorials on your specific make and model.
These tips should get you started, but any time you're not sure how to approach the problem, look up specifically what you need to do. Chances are, there's are directions for it!
If you're looking for an apartment in Flagstaff, AZ to house all those electronics, get in touch with University Square to learn about our available floor plans.
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If you’re entertaining soon in your apartment in Flagstaff, AZ, you might be in a panic. The guests are coming soon, but your place isn’t in the shape you want it to be. Now you have to put in a ton of work to get it clean before they arrive. Does this sound familiar?
The problem here is that many of us get into a vicious cycle in which we wait until we absolutely must clean before getting started. Operating this way causes stress and can even affect your social life. The secret to quick cleaning is to never have that much to clean in the first place. Here are two tips that will help you do just that.
Never Leave a Room Empty-Handed
Our first tip is to never leave a room empty-handed. Whenever you move from one space to another, stop and be present. Ask yourself what is out of place. Make it a habit to pick up a handful of items that are out of place each time you go from one room to another. Put them away, then go about your business.
Never leaving a room empty-handed is one way to decrease the amount of cleaning you’ll have to do later.
Know the Power of 10
Second, know the power of 10. One reason we don’t clean is that we feel like we don’t have the hours it would take to get the apartment looking perfect. Instead, set smaller goals. Spend at least 10 minutes in the morning and at night cleaning something. Work incrementally instead of saving everything for the day before company arrives.
Wrapping Up
Keeping your home clean is important, and sometimes staying motivated is hard. Of course, it’s easier to stay motivated to keep things clean if you love where you live. The Flagstaff apartments scene has plenty of options, but if you’re looking for an awesome off-campus living opportunity near NAU, contact our office today.
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Like magic, it is possible to lift stains out of clothes nearly as fast as they set in. Although this seems unfathomable in many ways, it is true. You just have to have the right items and techniques at your disposal to complete the job right. To help you out, you can use this guide on how to remove three stain-causing substances from your clothes.
Mustard
The pigments in yellow mustard are so strong that they can even stain plastic. On clothing, mustard seems to instantly become a part of the fabric, changing its colors for eternity. Thankfully, when combined with a few drops of dish soap, white vinegar holds the key to removing yellow mustard from clothes. Simply stir together these powerful agents and soak the stain in the mixture overnight. In the morning, launder like normal to remove the rest of the stain.
Grass
Stubborn grass stains may inspire you to throw out your clothes rather than wasting another moment cleaning them. Fortunately, it does not need to be that way. You can lift grass stains from your clothes with baking soda and water. Simply mix ¼ cup of baking soda with two tablespoons of water to make a thick paste. Rub the paste on the grass stain and allow to sit for one full day. Wash like normal to release the remainder of the green pigments.
Blood
Blood can set in fast, leaving a dark brown mark on your clothes for an eternity, unless you tackle that stain with hydrogen peroxide. Pour the peroxide straight onto the stain and allow to soak overnight at least. When you wash out the fabric the next day, the proteins in the blood will rinse away, eliminating the stain altogether.
When working on stain removal, always look at the fabric after it washes to verify the pigments are fully removed. If not, repeat the process—and whatever you do, don’t dry the fabric until the stain is completely gone.
When you are finished removing stains from all the clothing in your life, give us a call at 844-795-6793 to see how we can help you upgrade your Flagstaff, AZ apartment.
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It’s interesting, but in a lot of ways, cleaning an apartment can be tricky. Whether you’re moving out or just keeping your Flagstaff apartment clean, these tools can help you get the job done right.
Canister Vacuum Cleaner
The original canister vacuum might not have been designed with apartments in mind, but there are modern incarnations that take this view. If you’ve never used a canister vacuum, understand that it's all about versatility. The main vacuuming body is smaller and more compact than traditional designs. Also, this type of vacuum cleaner always runs off of a hose.
Canister vacuums are great for cleaning floors, furniture, and even walls and ceilings. If you want to cut the sheer number of cleaning supplies you need to store in your apartment, a canister vacuum will help you get there.
Hair Removal Broom
Hair removal brooms are often advertised to help clean up after pets, but they aren’t limited to that niche. The simple truth is that carpet collects hair and that hair creates problems. If you use a roller vacuum, it’ll tangle the hair, and in the worst cases, it’ll burn the hair—filling your apartment with an acrid stench. Hair brooms are easy to use and let you get the hair out of the carpet before it gets tangled in anything else.
Spin Mop
Like the other items listed, spin mops weren’t invented specifically for apartments, but apartment-sized versions are available. Spin mops are designed to scale down the mopping process. A shorter mop head, handle, and bucket all make it easier to clean the unique floor designs of apartments. The spinning bucket allows you to rinse and wring the mop without creating a mess. You won’t have to worry about accidentally bleaching or staining the carpet near your tile or hardwood floors when you clean.
If you’re looking for your next apartment to keep clean, check out the apartments available at University Square. Give us a call to learn more about our apartments in Flagstaff!
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Cooking in your Flagstaff apartments is much more enjoyable when you work from an organized pantry. While there’s not necessarily a science to pantry organization, there is definitely an art to it. Here are five tips for organizing your pantry in your apartments in Flagstaff.
5 Tips for Organizing Your Pantry
1. Use Clear Containers
Clear storage containers allow you to see inside everything without having to open them. This is a huge time-saver that adds up over time. It will also help keep you from feeling frustrated by not being able to quickly locate ingredients.
2. Invest in the Same Brand of Storage Containers
It doesn’t matter which brand you choose for clear containers as much as sticking to the same brand. The reason is that you’ll be able to have the same dimensions for your storage containers; all the small sizes will be the same, all the medium sizes will be uniform, etc. This helps a lot when you go to the next step, which is fitting items inside the pantry.
3. Fit According to Size
Now it’s time to fit everything into your pantry. Large storage containers go farthest back, medium sizes go in next, and smallest sizes go in front. If you like, you can also put each size on separate shelves.
4. Remove Dry Foods From Bags
Many dried foods are sold in plastic bags. These shouldn’t be stored in your pantry like this, though, because it’s hard or impossible to see what’s in the bags without lifting and inspecting each one. Instead, put dried foods like rice, lentils, beans, and pasta into your clear storage containers, labeling each one accordingly.
5. Use Over-the-Door Storage
Removable hard or soft over-the-door storage units are very useful for your pantry. Here, you can store smaller items like food coloring, spices, and smaller canned foods.
Even if you don’t cook every single day, you’ll really love experimenting with different ways to keep your pantry organized in your Flagstaff apartments. To see the kitchens and floor plans that are available, please contact us today!
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In many ways, you can’t avoid clutter in life. Paper builds up, there are clothes in your closet that you don’t wear and those knickknacks you’ve had since childhood are difficult to get rid of.
Still, decluttering your life remains a great way to gain clarity and control over organization, and this means better organization of your mind too. If you can come up with some useful ways to declutter your apartment, you’re setting yourself up for success in other areas of your life.
Try These 4 Apartment Decluttering Tips:
1. Have a Place for Everything
Decluttering your life starts with having a place for everything you own. If you want to keep it in your life, make sure it has a place to go.
2. Abide by the 60-Second Rule
Will it take you 60 seconds or under to put that thing (whatever it may be) away? Do it now instead of holding off and shoving it on the counter “to deal with later.”
3. Abide by the Six-Month Rule
Have you used it in the last six months? You probably don’t need it, if not. You should either give it away, donate it, or recycle or trash it if it’s no longer usable.
4. Be Careful With New Purchases
Aimless shopping is dangerous — not only because it can make you waste your money, but also because it can clutter up your apartment in a jiffy. Sure, you went to Florida and you want something to show for it. But are you really going to be happy with your coconut chimes purchase once it comes time to put them up in your place? Maybe not. Think hard before you buy.
Still Looking for an Apartment in Flagstaff?
You can’t declutter your apartment if you don’t have one! If you’re on the lookout for a new place in the Flagstaff area, give us a call. We’ll let you know which of our Flagstaff apartments are still available.
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Cooking may be an art form, but doing the post-meal dishes remains a chore we’d all like to get through quickly and efficiently. Here are some dish-duty tips for our University Square community members in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Multi-Task While Cooking
Although focusing on the cooking can be a joy in and of itself, there should be enough wiggle room during the food creation time to give a quick wash to certain items. If you beat a few eggs, that bowl can benefit from a quick splash hot water and soap without slowing you down. If you use breadcrumbs to coat chicken for parmesan, consider washing the plate once everything is in the pan. Taking care of minor items as you go will make the final task less onerous.
Reduce Your Dishware Count
For those that truly abhor doing dishes, the washing and drying can be a significant source of procrastination. That means the pile in the sink may keep growing until you simply run out of plates, bowls and cups. Be your own best friend and calculate how many dishware items you really need and limit your inventory. If you have only 4 plates, you will be tasked with washing them when they’re all dirty or ordering take-out indefinitely.
One Meal, One Pot
The single-pot method of cooking can be actualized by planning meals. There are numerous one-pot recipes that are but a Google search away. Many are nutritious, delicious and easy to prepare. Hey, who can’t wash just one pot!
Avoid Overnight Mistakes
One of the biggest errors dishwashing haters make is soaking things in soap and water. On the surface, it sounds like such a good solution to loosen up clinging food. In reality, you can’t stand the idea of scrubbing and that pot, plate or bowl may sit there for days and get seriously tainted in the process. Scrub fast, scrub hard and don’t use “soaking” as a procrastination tool.
We hope these dishwashing suggestions help our University Square community members push through that unwelcome task. If you or a friend would like more information about our Flagstaff apartments, call us today.
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It’s springtime, which means it’s officially time for spring cleaning. Before you run screaming for the hills (We’re at 7,000 feet, guys, is running uphill really a better plan than cleaning?), we invite you to consider a new way of cleaning and decluttering your home: The KonMari Method. The KonMari Method is focused on helping you get rid of clutter forever. Here are five tips to help you tidy up your apartment and keep it that way!
Find What “Sparks Joy”
The idea of throwing things away is probably one of the most miserable thoughts we deal with when cleaning. Instead of thinking about what you’re losing, focus on cherishing items you love. As you declutter, hold each item and ask yourself, “Does this spark joy?” If the answer is no, it’s time to go. Part of this process is physically touching every. single. thing. in your home and asking this question. It’s about getting more emotionally in tune with what compels you to keep things, and more realistic about what actually brings joy to your home.
Clean By Category
The key to effective tidying, according to the KonMari Method, is tidying the right categories in the right order. Use this order to start tidying your home: clothes, books, papers, and miscellaneous. You can break down each category into subcategories, but the key is keeping them in this order. Did you notice how the order works from least emotional attachment to greatest emotional attachment? Consider, for instance, which is harder: tossing a sweater you never wear and don’t love, versus throwing away a letter from a friend. We love this method because it gives you time to build up to the hard stuff.
Tidy All At Once
This method takes some time, and depending on how much stuff you have can take anywhere from a few days to a few months. Don’t rush the process, but also don’t let it get too drawn out. Resist the urge to read every piece of paper you come across. Resist taking extended breaks. Resist bulk tossing.
Stop Decluttering By Room
Many of us grew up using the “clean each room” method of decluttering and tidying. But think about what you risk when you clean this way. Think of how many times you might move an item from one room to another to avoid dealing with it. Instead, use the categories above, and gather all items from that category in one place at one time to declutter. That means when you start with clothing, open every drawer, and pull every item of clothing from socks to scarves to Halloween wigs, and have at it all at once.
Picture Where You Want to Be
This might be one of the most important steps of the KonMari Method. The method asks you to clearly define where you want to be and how you want to live after you’ve finished decluttering. It’s not as simple as saying, “I want to live clutter free.” It needs to be more specific than that. Think about how you envision living, and ask yourself why you want to live that way. This helps you really take hold of the decluttering mission you’re about to undertake, and creates a stronger commitment to the task at hand! Why do you want to be tidy? What difference will it make in your life? Consider this long and hard, and then get started.
Part of what the KonMari Method teaches is to have a place for everything, and keep everything in its place. The first part of discovering this place is to get rid of everything that doesn’t belong. It may be hard, but during this spring cleaning season we invite you to give it a try and see what a difference the KonMari Method can make in your home! Want to learn more about the method? Check out “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo, the founder of the KonMari Method!
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At one time manufacturers were required write out these cleaning instructions in plain language, but in July of 1997 the FTC decided it would allow makers to use symbols instead, kind of like the universal symbols seen on traffic signs and restrooms. This saves manufacturers time and money, but it can be confusing for consumers who are unfamiliar with them.
The symbols were developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials and are supposed to be intuitive and easy to understand, but in reality they’re not without a little initial guidance. Luckily, the American Cleaning Institute has published a handy guide to the most commonly used symbols, which can be found here. They also offer another visual guide to the common elements of all the symbols here. With just a little study and practice, you too can become a laundry pro.
We’re Here To Help!
Residents of University Square Apartments in Flagstaff, AZ who have questions or concerns about our laundry facilities are encouraged to stop by the office or contact us by phone and we’ll be more than happy to assist you.
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