We all know how important it is to recycle items and keep them out of landfills. There are other items we can at least re-use once or many times over before tossing them in the trash. Read on to get nifty tips for re-using, re-purposing and up-cycling things that we typically throw away. This will help the planet and yourself!

Clothing that is not worthy to donate, because they have holes or stains, are great for turning into cleaning rags. Do not buy cleaning rags, simply cut up old clothing and add them to your laundry room. This works especially well for clothing made from all cotton.

Old toothbrushes make great brushes to use when cleaning jewelry that contains diamonds or gem stones. They also work well when cleaning small, narrow areas like grout.

Wine bottles can be transformed into cool table top torches, perfect for any patio or garden. Look online to find tutorials on this easy DIY project. Decorative glass bottles can also be used to store hand soap and other liquids you use around the house. Simply buy the tops used for liquor and keep salad dressing or dish soap in them. These glass bottles make wonderful single stem vases for cut flowers. Use them in groups by placing them around a room or line them down the center of a dining table.

Save old newspapers to wrap and store breakable items in. Paper keeps delicate Christmas decorations and delicate china safe, when not being used. There are loads of other items that this material can protect. You can also cut up or shred newspaper and add it to a compost pile.

Transform old books into nifty little hideaway containers to keep valuables in. This is another activity that can be easily explained online. Basically use a utility knife to cut a square out of the pages, where jewelry and other small items can be stored away. Place them on accent tables or hide them amongst other books in a bookshelf.

Being responsible for the environment is very important to us at Carpets N More.  Click here to learn more about the specialty floor options we offer and ask us how we are committed to doing what is best for our world.

Educating yourself about the various options available for floors in your home might seem like a daunting task. There are so many awesome ways to create the perfect floor to coordinate with the overall design of a room or entire home. A smart way to go about it is to first learn the basic considerations of each type. Natural floor options have some excellent and unique qualities that might make them more appealing than synthetic possibilities. Use this guide to begin your research process. When you’ve narrowed it down to a few favorites, visit with Carpets N More to learn more about each of them.

Bamboo

Bamboo is a natural floor option that is created by overlaying bamboo reeds atop subflooring. It is highly durable and easy to install. It also happens to be hypoallergenic, which is a huge bonus if this is an important consideration in your home. It’s also easy to clean.

Hardwood

Hardwood is milled from a single piece of timber, making it especially durable. It is also a great long term investment because being able to sand and refinish it ensures that it will have a lengthy term of use in a home. While this is a great benefit, it won’t be necessary often because it’s wear resistant. It also happens to be rather easy to clean.

Stone

Stone flooring is comprised of natural rock (in various types) that has been quarried and cut for home use. It could be argued that stone is perhaps the most durable of all floor options so it is ideal in areas that will experience very high traffic and utility.  One of its unique benefits is that it tends to actually look better with the passing of time, which makes it a great material for homes that want a design that’s timeless.

Cork

Cork is made from bark of cork oak. It’s exceptionally sustainable and durable. It actually “springs back” from wear and tear, and it’s very eco-friendly. It’s resistant to mildew as well as stains. If it’s important for it to be durable and water resistant, there are finishing options that will help protect it.

These days it seems as if everyone is trying to do their part to be more environmentally conscious. There are things you can do when considering flooring for your own home that help not only the environment but can also make your home more energy efficient. With cork flooring you won’t have to give up style to achieve these results and below we will go through all of the benefits cork flooring would provide you.

One of the eco-friendlier options for flooring is cork. It is actually what is known as a harvested resource and therefore doesn’t necessitate the cutting down of trees. Instead it is harvested from the bark of the tree and there are strict laws around how this process is handled so that the trees are protected. Throughout this process the tree is not destroyed or damaged meaning that the environmental impact is very minimal.

In addition to being helpful to the environment, there are other benefits to cork flooring that might surprise you. Cork has sound control properties – it absorbs noise produced by footfalls and noise. It is also fire-resistant, meaning it requires a very high temperature before ignition and emits less toxins and smoke once ignited. Cork is a healthier option for you and your family—it is mold and mildew resistant and even works well against termites and microbes.

You might also be interested to learn that cork flooring is incredibly durable. It is resistant to cracking and surface damage because of its ability to bounce back from pressure. This also means that when properly maintained cork flooring can be incredibly durable and last up to 40 years.

There are many reasons to choose cork flooring and you might think that style isn’t one of them. But when you look closer you will find that cork flooring is incredibly versatile and you can achieve almost any look with it. You can have a natural look or you can have the cork colored for a tiled or patterned look. But you don’t have to give up style for economy.

Cork flooring offers real environmental and practical benefits along with versatility when it comes to design opportunities. When considering your options, cork is not one to be overlooked!

To learn more head to our site to see the benefits cork flooring may have for your home.

The trends for flooring in 2015 are exciting and fresh, boasting surprising materials and new takes on old ones. It can be hard to determine if a new trend is right for your house when you don’t know much about the material like one of this years biggest trends—bamboo. Here we will go over the pros and potential cons of this exciting flooring material.

As we mentioned before, bamboo is a trend that is quickly on the rise. It might surprise you to learn that bamboo is very hard, even harder than most other hardwood floors. Bamboo gives your room a look similar to traditional hardwood flooring, however it does have a distinct appearance that can add a modern look to any room. Generally it comes in wider planks, and you can find it in various shades.

One strong argument for bamboo flooring is that it is a natural and renewable material. While it can take the trees used for hardwood floors 20 years or more until they can be harvested, bamboo is mature enough to be harvested in only 5 years. This faster growth means that the harvesting and use of bamboo as flooring does not deplete the bamboo population with the same effect that it has with hardwood. Don’t worry about pandas going hungry, either!  Bamboo grown for floors is not edible by our fuzzy friends.

There are some considerations when deciding if bamboo floors are right for your space. Bamboo is best installed in areas that tend to be dry rather than humid. Avoid bathrooms and kitchens and instead use bamboo in areas such as your bedroom or living room where there is no threat of humidity. This will ensure that the planks do not expand. 

Finally, cleaning bamboo flooring is convenient and incredibly easy. Make sure that you keep it well swept with a dry mop or broom. No harsh or special cleaning treatments are necessary. If you really need to clean more deeply, you only need to use warm water and a mild soap to mop the floor. Wring the mop thoroughly so no excess moisture is left behind.

Bamboo is a great option when considering what type of floor you want for your home. There are many pros and with an informed decision you will be able to find the floor that is right for you. If you have any questions, check out our bamboo information page or stop by one of our stores!