5 Tips To A Cleaner Garage

Posted on September 21, 2010 by Carmel

Summer is quickly coming to a close. For those living in the northern states or Canada, this means getting your garage cleaned out to park your cars indoors. For some this may be an easy task. Others understand that their garage is messy enough to be a full weekend project. This article was created for those of us who have normal garages; the garages littered with extra tires, tools, fishing rods, old tents and faded kites. The road to total garage organization is long but it’s rewarding. Here’s some advice to help you along the way.

Messy GarageSentiments Aside

Your garage is meant to be your functional storage space. When it comes to this, nostalgia is your worst enemy. Too many people refuse to let go of an old bike or their child’s old rollerblades. This is the typical attitude of a hoarder and it is, in itself, contradictory. By holding on to everything thinking you might one day use it, you create a mess that ensures you’ll never find anything you need. Should you choose to donate, recycle or trash it, just get whatever you can out. You’ll come to realize that free space and no clutter is much more valuable than your old trinkets.

Bulk Storage

No matter how much you try to neatly put your things on the side, your garage will always be a mess unless you use proper storage. The best thing you can get is a good, rugged drawer that will keep items accessible. Storex’s Active Archive storage drawers are probably your best bet. Each drawer should be dedicated to something else (e.g. car cleaning supplies, bike accessories, tools). A storage drawer is useless if you’re not categorizing your stuff and only relocating your clutter.

Hooks

The goal of the project is to clear up as much floor space as possible so as to maximize car space for the coming winter. With that in mind, make a trip to your local hardware store and get yourself as many heavy duty hooks as you can use. Bikes, tools, and sports equipment can all be hung up on the wall when not in use.

Quality Garbage Bins

If you still have old garbage bins that can’t even fit all your garbage bags, it’s time to upgrade. Garbage bags are innefficient when it comes to space management, smell bad and don’t do much in the way of aesthetics. Not only will a sturdy garbage bin make your garage appear neatter, it’ll also make taking out the garbage a simpler, better smelling task. Stick an odor absorber on the lid of the garbage bin so you don’t end up with lingering food smells.

Scrubbing

Like anything dirty, you garage would benefit from a good scrub. Wet the entire floor and use a cleaning detergent and abrasive broom to scrub the concrete floor and clean the salt that accumulated in the winter, leaves from the fall, mud from spring and oil stains from year round. Not only will this improve the look of the garage, but also the look of white socks when someone just runs in from the house to grab that single tool.

What are some of your ace garage organizing tips? Comment below.

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5 Easy Tips for a Better Interview

Posted on August 17, 2010 by Carmel

It’s no secret, the economy is still a tad shakey and employers are still very conservative in their hiring. Landing a job is pretty tough since at least a dozen other people are after the same position. In a situation like this, you need to take any advantage you can get. Here are a few trick of the trade that should give you the advantage over your competition.

Wear a Suitinterview notes

Employer are looking for people who are serious about their work. The first step in proving you take your business seriously is by dressing yourself in clothes that convey an air of professionalism and class. A well fitted suit will make you look 100x better and flaunt the powerful features in your body. For more information on how suits make you look better, check out “Clothes Make the Man.”

Repeat Questions:

When your interviewer asks you a question try to repeat it before you move on to the answer. For example:

-”What can you do for our company?”

-”What can I do for your company? I can optimize your…”

People tend to like other who remind them of themselves. Reapeating the question creates a little mimicry and is seen favorably by the interviewer.

Bring a Quality Folder/Binder

If you read the suit article mentioned above, you’ll see that a good watch is a crucial part of the look because it give the image that your organized and time conscious. The same goes for a folder or binder that you’d bring with you. When it comes to business, interviewers are looking for someone logical and collected who can stay functional under pressure. You can write about your work ethics all you want in your resume, but actually showing your prospective employer that you’re organized and responsible goes a much longer way. You don’t want to be using one of those flimsy, vinyl-covered pieces of cardboard. Check out Storex’s line of binders and folders for items that look stylish and are quite reliable. What goes in your interview binder?

  • Reference letters
  • Extra CVs
  • Business Cards
  • Portfolio Snippets

Do Your Homework

Before setting foot inside the interviewrs office, you should know what the company does, what are their goals and what are they expecting from you. All this information is indespensible in marketing yourself. Adjust your resume and answers to conform to what you’ve read on the internet about the company and the classifieds ad that led you there. An interview won’t think of ways he can fit you in to the organization. It’s your responsibility to make yourself seem as though you not only fit in flawlessly, but also that it’s not comprehensible why you’re not already with the company.

Places to search for company background:

Avoid the Fake Weakness

You’re not going to outsmart an interviewer by attempting to disguise a strength as a weakness (eg, “perfectionist”or “workaholic”). That’s just a tired cliché that any interviewer’s heard a dozen times a day and will only score you negative points. Instead of being phony, show that you’re conscious of your faults and are constantly looking to improve them. Give an honest piece of criticism about yourself and what you’re currently doing to fix it. The interviewer needs to see that you’re a logical person capable of critically analyzing himself in order to raise the quality of work.

Do you have any highly effective interview tips? Share with the whole class.

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7 Easy Ways to Save Money on Back to School Shopping

Posted on July 7, 2010 by Carmel

August is just around the corner. That means the kids come back from camp and the school supply frenzy may officially begin. For many of us, that means loosening the purse strings and start spending oodles of money in hopes that, with all the right supplies, your child will have no excuse not to be a straight A student. It’s true that properly stocking your child for his or her back to school needs will aid productivity, but it doesn’t have to be as expensive every year. Here are a handful of tips that will keep green in your pocket and (hopefully) red off your kid’s homework.

child drawing on chalkboard1) Stick to a list

It’s true for food shopping and it’s true for back to school shopping – following a specific list will have you buying only what you need. School’s usually give out a list of required materials for the school year. If your child’s school doesn’t provide a list, here are some sample lists with the universal essentials:

Grade K – 3 (pdf)

Grade 4 – 6 (pdf)

Grade 7 – 11 (pdf)

When you go without a list, you’re basically saying that you’ll be looking at advertising and marketing to tell you what you need and, though it may seem indispensable, there’s little need for a set of colored sharpies in junior high.

2) Keep an eye out for deals

Knowing about the prices and specials each store offers ahead of time is the best way to decide where you’re going to do your back to school shopping. For those living in Canada, Smart Canucks is a great site to find deals for all the local retail stores.

3) Shop for durability

The biggest reason why people spend more money is because they shop for the short term and in the long run they end up spending more. A vinyl binder may be less expensive, but it will likely have to be replace by the end of a semester, if not sooner. A quality binder will last at least 5x longer, making it a much better value for your dollar. The same goes for backpacks. Opt for a bag with a lifetime warranty. They’re sure to be a quality product that can be used for a few years in a row. If you avoid a second supply run in the middle of the semester, that saves an extra $20-$30.

4) Wash your binders

An earlier article describes how you can clean your Storex binder and have it look like new. You’d be surprised how long your binder is usable when it doesn’t have any marks or stains. Again, extending the life of the binder means putting off having to spend money replacing it.
5) Shop online

The ultimate way to avoid distractions, save time and save money is to do your shopping online. A lot of online stores will offer a promo code to take a certain percentage off your final bill. Shopping online means you’ll add to your cart only what you’re looking for and you won’t happen on superfluous items while browsing the aisle.

6) Shop at price matching stores

If you decide what you need before going to the store, you can find the cheapest prices on all your items in whatever store they may be, then bring the flyers to a price matching store (like Staples) that will give you 110% of the difference, giving you the lowest possible total on your shopping list.

7) Check your stock

Your first destination for back to school supplies won’t be any store or website. It’ll be in your own closet. Go through all the leftover, unused school supplies in your house and see what you can check off your list. Every item you find lying around the house that can be carried over to the next school year means more money that gets to stay warm and happy in your pocket.

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How to Store and Preserve Your Photos

Posted on July 7, 2010 by Carmel

Times are changing and we find ourselves in an increasingly digital world where all our albums are stored digitally. That’s all nice and convenient, but what about your 35mm negatives and the old, irreplaceable family albums passed down to you from past generations? Without proper storage they’re prone to quick deterioration.

When it comes to preserving photos, plastic is your best friend. Unlike paper products, plastic keeps out moisture, light and dust – your three enemies in the battle for preserving old photos. Also, a lot of paper products contain bleach and chemicals that will, over time, degrade your photos.

Insist on Acid-Free Tape/Glue/Markersold vintage photos

When fixing your photo tears or taping together panoramic shots, make sure to use photo tape. It’s acid-free so you won’t end up with a stained photo. The same goes for gluing your photos or writing the details on the back. Glues and inks normally contain acids that, over time, will break down your photos unless they’re specifically specified to be marker safe.

Only Use PVC-Free Sheets

Clear plastic sheets are now the standard and it doesn’t look like they’re going anywhere. They protects againts both moisture and dust. Make sure the sheets your using are PVC free. Otherwise you could end up with photos that stick in their sleeve or have dots of discoloration. If you still have photos in the old style adhesive cardboard with a single sheet of plastic covering, you should really be upgrading your albums. The adhesive stops being sticky and the cardboard doesn’t do much in the way of protection from moisture.

Get a Dust Repellant Album

Again, plastic is the way to go should you decide that you’d like to keep your pictures for longer than a decade. A plastic binder will keep moisture off your binders. Those cardboard albums may have pretty designs, but they’re not well suited for the long term storage of photographs. For the best possible preservation, opt for Storex binders. Their plastic actually repels dust an keeps your photos in optimal conditions and its PVC-free, a must with any plastic used to store photos.

Keep Light in a Light and Moisture Free Storage

Once the photos are in their albums, too many people think the job is done and will throw the albums in a cardboard box. The storage box is what will prevent both light, moisture and shelter seeking rodents from reaching the photographs. Like with the other plastic materials, insist on PVC-free plastic. Storex Filing Drawers are probably your best bet when it comes to this. Not only do they serve all the functions, but they’re also the cheapest item that does.

Maintain Consistency

Just like with wine, photographs like to be kept at a consistent temperature. Fluctuations in the climate can have them crack and degrade. Though your attic or cellar may be a convenient, out-of-the-way location, they’re not smart picks if you want these photos to be around for future generations.
With the right attention, your photos can stand the test of time and can be enjoyed by many generations to come. It’s all a matter of creating the proper conditions and knowing which common pitfalls you should be avoiding. The better you can follow the above guidelines, the longer the lifetime of the photos.

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How to Clean Your Storex Products

Posted on July 2, 2010 by Carmel

School’s back for another semester and you’re off to buy school supplies yet again. It’s the same routine of taking the list of required school supplies, jetting over to Staples and filling up the carriage with a bunch of brand new items that will likely cost an arm and a legstorex binders (exact number of limbs dependant on number of kids). One thing you shouldn’t have to worry about is new binders. Did you know that Storex binders are erasable and dishwasher safe?

  1. Use an eraser to clean off pen, pencil and even Sharpie off your Storex item.
  2. Pop the item in the dishwasher to have a clean, stain-free finish.

Dishwasher recommendations

  • Set the dishwasher to low heat
  • Duratech binders may go on either top or bottom drawers
  • Poly Binders and Poly Report covers should go on the top drawer
  • Use regular detergent

It’s easy, it saves money, it’s environmentally friendly…why not?

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How To Protect Your Documents From Floods

Posted on June 29, 2010 by Carmel

Floods are constant problem nowadays. They’re destroying property and causing irreparable damage to countless families. But the tragedies don’t end when the waters dropped. Families are left homeless and without any sort of documentation (passports, finances, bonds) to help them put the pieces back together or their old, irreplaceable family albums. Keeping your documents safe in case of flooding should be an absolute priority for any family. Here are some tips to follow to ensure your files are secure.

flooded houseStore in high ground

Most household basement floods are only a foot or so deep as a result of a leaky pipe. Having all your documents go to the trash just because of water that just manages to wet your ankles is a real frustration. The solution is simple and save you a lot of frustration. Prop your storage drawer up so it’s at least 18 inches off the ground. If you’re able to store it higher, then better. In an area where flooding is a problem, the attic is your best bet for keeping documents dry.

Scan important documents

Important documents like birth certificates and passports should be scanned and put in a safe if possible. The digital copy may stored online for free on MSN’s servers . Otherwise, keeping them elevated (like in a attic) and in a waterproof and chew-proof (for the occasional rodent looking for bedding material) box will

Stay organized

The less organized you are with your files, the more likely they are to get damaged. Loose papers and files will get wet from rising waters and leaky pipes. It takes an extra 30 seconds to put it away properly and it will avoid hours of headaches in the future.

Use the proper equipment

Just like most people, you probably keep your archives in your basement in corrugated boxes. Money-wise, it’s the cheapest alternative. Security-wise it’s probably the least savvy option. All it takes is a little water build-up or a leaking pipe for those boxes and papers to get wet and ruined. If that doesn’t get them, the moisture in the air will have them turn moldy beyond use. Metal filing cabinets, while they protect against water damage, cost a fortune and are pretty unrealistic for your home filing needs. Storex 18″ archive drawers are probably your safest bet. They’re lightweight, won’t rust, won’t be affected by moistures, and are a fraction of the price of metal cabinets.

Recovering your damaged paperwork

Recovering soaked documents is probably the least intuitive part of the process. When your papers dry, they’ll more than likely crinkle. To avoid that, freeze the paper then thaw it out using a hair dryer. If the document is torn up to the point that it will not survive further archiving, a notarized photocopy of the original, in certain instances, can be accepted as an original.

As Mel Brooks once said: ”Hope for the best. Expect the worst.” It never hurts to be prepared and think proactively when it comes to securing your irreplacable documents and photos.

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Sneaky Home and Office Hiding Places

Posted on June 23, 2010 by Carmel

Is one nosey co-worker constantly looking through your desk after hours to “check if you have paper clips”? Is your roommate constantly “borrowing” things without you knowing? It’s very frustrating to see your things have been meddled with. It’s time you upped your level of hiding private objects. Here’s some home and office hiding spots that’ll have you feeling like 007 without leaving your swivel chair.

Stressed Office WorkerHide-a-book

I’ve heard of people missing money from their desk when the janitor comes by and does a “thorough cleaning”. For this trick, you’re banking on someone judging a book by its cover. Yes, it may seem a bit juvenile, but the hidden compartment is surprisingly effective when it comes to hiding some small items that you want to keep out of gaze of peering eyes. The instructions build instructions are quite simple:

  1. Get an inconspicuous book that you don’t mind sacrificing
  2. Place a paper towel between two pages about 3/4 inch into the book
  3. Using a paintbrush, spread a mixture of 1 part water, 2 parts glue on the outside edge of the pages. This will seal them together
  4. Allow the page to dry overnight under a stack of heavy books so it will dry flat and not in crinkled shape
  5. Using a sharp knife, continuously cut a square out from the middle of the pages starting for the area bookmarked with the paper towel.
  6. When you’ve cut enough to your liking, your book is finished

False bottom drawers

This is probably one of the more difficult methods but it’s also the most sly. It involves creating a false bottom for your drawer.

  1. Measure the length and width of the inside your drawer
  2. Cut a pressed board to the same measurements
  3. Glue some stands to the bottom (erasers work great)
  4. Place the items in your draw then cover with the false bottom you’ve just created.

Locking drawer

Most people don’t have time to meddle with cutting out books or installing false bottoms. They just want a professional, inexpensive way to keep their things out of reach without having to buy a $300 safe or taking out a safety deposit box at the First National. Storex has a few options available for the student, the office worker and the mom. The cheque drawer and 2-drawer filing cabinet are the no-frills, fool proof way of keeping people off your personal belongings. They each come with a numbered lock and key to ensure your privacy and are a professional and discrete way of maintaining a degree of confidentiality.

Antibacterial wipes

Antibacterial hand or surface wipes are becoming more and more common place in both the home and office setting. Their container happens to be a perfect hiding spot. Give the empty container a cycle in the dishwasher and it’s ready to hold your Jelly Bellys, extra cash, or emergency candy bars.

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