Skip To Content

Common Myths That Are Costing You Time and Money

You can’t swing a tool belt without hitting a website or TV network offering tips on taking care of your digs. Save money by watering your lawn at night! No, water it in the morning! No, dig it up and replace it with a drought-hardy meadow!

Throw in the info you pick up from well-meaning friends and there’s a sea of home care truisms out there, some of which can sink your budget.

Stone Countertops Are Indestructible

Marble, quartz, travertine, soapstone, and limestone can all be stained. Regular household cleaners can dull their surfaces over time. And marble is maddeningly fragile — it’s the prima donna of stone.

It’s easy to scratch. It’s easy to stain. Here’s the worst part: Mildly acidic substances like soda, coffee, lemon juice, even hard water will eat into marble, creating a cloudy, dull spot in a process known as etching.

Spill a glass of wine on a marble counter and go to bed without cleaning it, the next morning you’ll have a problem. And while stone counters won’t crack under a hot pot, such direct heat can discolor quartz or marble. So be nice to your counters, no matter what they’re made of. And note that the best rock for your buck is granite. It doesn’t stain or scratch. It’s tough because it’s volcanic rock. Which means it can stand up to all the merlot and barbecue sauce you can spill on it.

Your Smoke Detector’s Test Button Is Foolproof

The test button doesn’t tell you what you really need to know. Yes, check your smoke detector twice a year. But all that test button will tell you is whether the alarm sound is working, not if the sensor that detects smoke is working. Pretty key difference there.

The best way to check your device is with real smoke. Light a long, wooden kitchen match, blow it out, and hold it near the unit. If the smoke sets off the alarm, it’s working. If not, replace the batteries. If it still doesn’t work, you need a new smoke detector. And replace those batteries once a year anyway, because dead batteries are the No. 1 reason smoke detectors fail.

A Lemon Is a Great Way to Clean a Disposal

 While wanting to use natural cleaners is admirable, all of them will damage your disposal and pipes over time.

The lemon’s acidic juice will corrode the metal parts of your disposal. The mixture of salt and ice contains metal-eating acid, too. The coffee grounds are abrasive enough to clean the gunk off the blades and make it smell like a cup of americano, but they’ll accumulate in pipes and clog them.

The best natural cleaner for your disposal is good old baking soda. It’s mildly abrasive so it will clean the blades, but it’s a base, not an acid, and won’t damage the metal. Best of all, a box with enough baking soda big enough to clean your disposal twice costs less than a buck.

Check back on our blog every week for more real estate advice and local articles about living in Albuquerque. And make sure to follow us on Facebook for up to date real estate news for Albuquerque and surrounding areas.

HOT HOME LISTING OF THE WEEK!

3504 Yipee Calle Court NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120  $259,000

2 Bedrooms / 3 Bathrooms (2 full, 1 half) / 1920 Square Feet

Superb Town home nestled on the Bosque! Very well maintained, newer carpet ’16, new low flow, comfort height toilets in all bathrooms! Newer furnace/AC ’12, upgraded granite counter tops with widened bar in kitchen. Breakfast nook, stainless steel appliances, and pantry. Beautiful tongue and groove ceilings, loft with latillas and sola tub lighting. Master suite is large with double sinks, separate shower and garden tub. Backyard features pergola, water feature, turf, covered patio and you own personal gate to hiking/biking trails and the bosque. Minutes from shopping/restaurants and so much more!

Contact the Sandi Pressley team for additional details!

Get your Morning Inspiration with the Sandi Pressley Team

Trackback from your site.

Sandi Pressley

Albuquerque New Mexico Real Estate YOUR SOURCE FOR ALBUQUERQUE REAL ESTATE! Sandi Pressley offers unparalleled service to ALL clients in Albuquerque and surrounding communities in the New Mexico real estate market. Sandi's motto is "Putting You First." Your complete satisfaction with our service and representation is our number one priority. As a native of Albuquerque, Sandi Pressley has been dedicated to serving her client's real estate needs for over 45 years. Sandi has achieved a goal unprecedented by any other Realtor of being the #1 Top Producing Realtor for 38 consecutive years in all of Albuquerque as well as the entire state of New Mexico. She is also the #1 Top Producing Realtor for the entire Western Region and 8th in the Nation with Coldwell Banker National. Sandi Pressley serves the entire Albuquerque New Mexico real estate market including the surrounding communities such as Rio Rancho, Placitas, Corrales, Bernalillo, Northeast Heights, North Albuquerque Acres, Sandia Heights, High Desert, Foothills, Four Hills, UNM, Nob Hill, Ridgecrest area, Uptown area, North Valley, Northwest Heights, Paradise Hills, South Valley, Southwest Heights, Bosque Farms, Los Lunas, Cedar Crest, Tijeras, and all East Mountain areas. Whether you are considering buying a home, selling a home or both, we know these areas inside and out.

Leave a Reply

*
*