What’s the Big Deal With LED Bulbs?

Posted Wednesday, February 21st, 2018

What Makes LED Bulbs Better?

It’s a simple fact: LED lights can save you money on your electric bill. But why? What makes LED bulbs better than the ones you already have in your home?

Not all lights are created equal. You may need to ditch the old incandescent bulbs and upgrade to the future to help get the best lighting in every room of your home.

Enter the LED bulb.

Unlike its ugly brother the incandescent bulb, which produces light by heating up a filament until it is white hot, a LED, or light emitting diode, bulb creates light by sending electricity through a microchip that illuminates a set of small lights.

Enough of the science talk though, let’s get real here. LED light bulbs will save you money.

How Do LED Bulbs Save Money?

Since these bulbs are designed to light up your home more efficiently, LED bulbs use almost 75% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb, and as an added bonus, they typically last 25 times longer.

That means you get to save money on your energy bill and not replace that pain-in-the-butt chandelier light as often.

If it’s too hard to believe just check out this chart from energy.gov.

But don’t worry, you still get the same brightness out of your fancy new LEDs that you would from your old incandescents. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission requires all LED manufacturers to put information like lumens(brightness), energy cost, and life on all packaging so you can make sure you’re selecting the right bulb for your home’s needs.

It’s all wrapped up for you in a nice shiny (pun intended) package.

The Latest Tech

And finally for all you techies out there, many manufacturers are creating LED bulbs that you can control through mobile devices like your smartphone or tablet.

This means the next time when your kids, who like to use your home as the world’s light source, forget to turn off the lights, you can do it from the comfort of your favorite chair. Necessary? Not really. Awesomely high tech? You bet!

Before you show off your new LED lighting to all your family and friends, make sure your home is in tip-top shape. Let your carpet and upholstery shine by scheduling thorough cleaning from the professionals at Modernistic, Michigan’s #1 trusted choice for over 45 years!

How Often Should I Get My Carpet Cleaned in 2018?

Posted Monday, February 5th, 2018

How do you get the most out of your carpet?

Chances are, you vacuum weekly and blot up the occasional stain on a regular basis. For a lucky few, that’s good enough for them; maybe they don’t need their carpet to last very long, or they just plain don’t walk on it. But for the rest of us, we need to ensure our carpet’s longevity and protect the investment we made in our homes. If you find yourself asking How often should I get my carpet cleaned this year? – keep reading!

Manufacturer’s Recommendations  

Most carpet manufacturers recommend having a professional steam clean the carpets every 12-18 months to maintain the warranty. That’s the absolute minimum, according to the people who make carpet! Aside from cleaning to maintain a warranty, there are a few other factors to consider when deciding how often to get your carpets cleaned.

Here’s What You Need To Know

Carpet cleaning frequency depends on your family’s needs. Every home is different and every family’s needs vary. Smaller households with no pets may only need to get their carpets steam cleaned once a year. On the other hand a larger household with multiple pets would benefit from more frequent cleanings, 2-4 times a year. If you or a family member suffer from allergies consider having your carpet steam cleaned every 2-3 months. Professional steam cleaning will drastically reduce allergens in your home, and sometimes, depending on the home, there are even more allergens indoors than outdoors! For many people the holidays are a culmination of special events and special guests and having a clean home to host it all in is very important. Cleaning to prepare for special occasions is always a big deal, but the carpets are often overlooked! Nothing can freshen up a room quite like a steam cleaning. A lot of people either plan a cleaning before the holidays to prepare, or after the holidays to remedy any spills or spots that may have occurred during the festivities.  Some people plan on both!

Regardless of how often you have a professional out to steam clean your home there are ways to help maintain its cleanliness. Most professional carpet cleaners offer to apply Carpet Protection once the cleaning has been completed. Carpet Protection (like 3M Scotchgard) creates a protective barrier between your carpet and any dirt, dust, or spills that may touch your carpeting.  Liquid will not saturate the fibers as quickly and keeps spills and stains up on the surface, giving you more time to clean up. Applying Carpet Protection is the best way to maintain the clean look and feel of your carpet between professional cleanings.  Although there is no scientific method to determine the best possible carpet cleaning schedule a good rule of thumb is this: if it looks dirty or dingy, schedule a cleaning!

Families across Michigan have depended on Modernistic to get the most out of their carpets for over 40 years. Contact us today to see how you can prolong the life of your carpet – the Simple & Quick way!

Fun Indoor Activities for Kids in the Winter

Posted Wednesday, January 24th, 2018

When the temperatures dip and the snow piles up, we often find our faces glued to screens and not enjoying quality time together as a family. In the warm days of summer, we can lock our electronics inside while we make memories together outside. In the frigid January wind and snow, not so much! If your youngsters are driving you crazy, don’t let the weather get you down; try some of these winter-approved indoor activities for kids!

Do Summer Inside

When the weather isn’t cooperating, make the most of your interior space. There’s no rule that summer fun HAS to be outdoors. Try some of these fun indoor activities for kids (usually reserved for summer!) in the heated comfort of your home:
Put down a tarp and fill a kiddy pool with sand – Instant sand box!
Put on your swimsuits and head to the bathroom for an indoor water park – Cups, bath crayons, and water guns bring bath time to a new (and way more fun) level.
Have a picnic – Who says you need to wait for a sunny day? Pack up your favorite snacks in a basket and lay out a big blanket on your living room floor. Bring along finger sandwiches and a teapot for an extra fancy touch.
Build an old fashioned pillow fort – When the kids are longing for their tree house, a table or desk covered with a blanket and filled with cozy pillows and stuffed toys makes for a quick and easy hideaway.

Don’t Forget the Old Standbys

Now that the kids have a place for their fun, they will want some entertainment. This is the perfect time to pull out all of those board games or a deck of cards from the back of the closet. Another great way to spend an hour is to pull up a video online and learn something new! A new magic trick, a new recipe, a new song ; you can learn anything online. These long cold nights are a perfect opportunity to pop some corn and share a favorite movie from your childhood with your kids. Really put that pillow fort to good use, and cuddle up with a good book, or let the pros read a book aloud with an audio book or story podcast. There are kid and family friendly podcasts available for free download!

Family Bonding

These cold days and nights are a great time to share some meaningful time together as a family. Being trapped indoors may seem confining, but, with a bit of planning and some of these fun indoor activities for kids, your family can enjoy many bonding experiences while waiting out our Michigan winter.

Modernistic has been helping Michigan families cope with the rigors of winter for over 40 years! While we know many ways to keep kids busy when it’s cold outside, we know even more about ways to keep your carpet, upholstery, tile, hardwood, and air ducts clean and ready for family night. YES, even in the winter!