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Preserving the Shine: Protecting Your Kitchen and Bathroom Tiles with Expert Tips

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Article written by Serena Johnson.

The kitchen and bathroom are more than just functional spaces in our homes; they are personal sanctuaries that reflect our style and taste. Central to this aesthetic appeal are the tiles that grace these rooms. However, maintaining the pristine condition of these tiles can be a challenge. We turned to the experts at Marble Systems in Fairfax, Virginia, for advice on how to keep our kitchen and bathroom tiles in top shape.

Understanding Tile Vulnerability

Tiles, especially in high-traffic areas like kitchens and bathrooms, are prone to various forms of damage. From the dulling of surface shine to the accumulation of grime and the threat of chipping, these issues can detract from the beauty of the space. The key is understanding the material of your tiles. Different materials require different care strategies.

Regular Maintenance: The First Line of Defense

Daily cleaning is crucial. For ceramic and porcelain tiles, a gentle cleanser and a soft cloth can prevent dirt buildup. Avoid abrasive materials that can scratch the surface. Natural stone tiles, like marble or granite, require specific cleaners that are pH-neutral to prevent etching.

Understanding the importance of dealing with spills immediately, especially on natural stone tiles is crucial. Acidic substances like lemon juice or vinegar can damage the stone if not wiped up promptly, he explains.

Sealing: A Shield for Your Tiles

Sealing is another vital step, particularly for natural stone tiles. A quality sealant can make a world of difference in protecting your tiles from stains and moisture. Marble Systems recommends resealing stone tiles annually, to protect them and keep them looking like new.

Grout Matters

Often overlooked, grout plays a crucial role in tile maintenance. Discolored or cracked grout not only looks unsightly but can also lead to moisture seeping beneath the tiles. Regular cleaning and periodic resealing of the grout can prevent these issues.

Professional Help: When to Call In the Experts

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, tiles can suffer damage that’s beyond the scope of DIY fixes. This is where professionals like Marble Systems come in. With their expertise, they can advise on the best course of action, whether it’s a repair or a complete overhaul.  They can even recommend solutions you may not have thought of.

Innovative Solutions from Marble Systems

Marble Systems, a Fairfax-based company with national locations, has been at the forefront of providing innovative tile solutions. They offer a wide range of tiles, from classic ceramics to luxurious marbles, and their team is equipped to handle everything from installation to maintenance and repair.

One trend we’re seeing is the increased use of large-format tiles in kitchens and bathrooms. These are extremely popular because they reduce the number of grout lines, making cleaning easier and giving a more seamless aesthetic.

Sustainability and Tile Care

In an era where sustainability is paramount, choosing the right cleaning products is essential. Marble Systems advocates for eco-friendly cleaners that are effective without being harsh on the environment.  They produce their products in a sustainable, environmentally friendly manner that sets them apart in the industry.  From custom projects to replacing existing tile, this company is one to watch.

As trends and technologies evolve, so does the approach to tile care. Marble Systems stays ahead of the curve, continually updating its practices and product offerings to ensure that their clients’ kitchens and bathrooms remain timeless and durable.

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Featured

Making The Most Of Travel Productivity

  Overall, the key to stress-free journeys is investing time to plan points out thoroughly ahead of time, increasing your efficiency and general comfort along the way.

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     There are a wide variety of reasons why you could take a trip, be it for leisure, business or something in-between. Nowadays, so-called “bleisure” adventures are popular, incorporating the enjoyable and exciting aspects of a pleasureful escape with the efficiency of a job requirement. Nonetheless, great preparation is an essential factor of whether you’ll have a smooth, seamless trip in which you achieve your functional objectives and fondly bear in mind the experience years down the line. Below are a couple of suggestions to aid you to attain that very equilibrium.

 

 

Utilize A List

     In the hustle and bustle of preparing for your journey, the likelihood of neglecting something is really high, however, you can avoid that just by assembling a checklist well in development. All you’ll have to do is uncheck the things on the checklist and also start fresh when you’re going on a new journey.”

 

Book Proactively

     When you’re reserving your trip, leave a void in between expected goal times. In the best-case circumstance, you’ll have a possibility to relax, consume a healthier meal and refresh on your own. As well as in the worst instance, you’ll be able to attend on schedule even if there’s a hold-up with your trip or any other hitch.

 

 

     Overall, the key to stress-free journeys is investing time to plan points out thoroughly ahead of time, increasing your efficiency and general comfort along the way.

 

Build Healthy Routines

     Traveling typically suggests you’ll be in contact with even more people, public locations and items than the majority of other people. Something as straightforward as antibacterial wipes can go a long way to making certain that you don’t capture any type of ailments. You’ll need to enjoy your diet plan as well as make the added effort to find healthy food, instead of just going for the closest chow you locate at the airport terminal or in the city you have actually arrived at. It might cost you even more as well as take more time, however, it’ll certainly work out in your favor over time.

 

 

Research Funding Choices

     Travel can be very pricey, but smart individuals have a number of means to lower their prices. You can get a hotel loyalty card, which will qualify you to free stays depending upon just how much you’ve used them, not unlike airline company miles. Usually, you can additionally stack the advantages up and make on your own an extremely affordable trip.

 

     According to Ivan Baidin, CEO of Traveling Payments, “Travel-affiliate strategies can also help you make money by referring people to helpful services and products. Usually, you make around $7 from the rate of a bought aircraft tickets and $20 from a hotel booking. It needs patience as well as discovering, yet in time it repays really well.”

 

 

     An additional cost-saving method is to just make use of no-fee ATM cards. Different banks use them, so examine the fine print to see which one is most valuable total.

 


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Destinations

The Tasty Traveling Trends Of 2019

 Let us see what’s most likely to be fashionable in the next year by observing the largest traveling fads of 2019.

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     Traveling trends are consistently producing terrific buzz for travelers. Patterns from very early 2019 up until this time, as observed by travel industries, are noticing changes from long, large, and pure vacation purposes to short and mixed vacation objectives. Let us see what’s most likely to be fashionable in the next year by observing the largest traveling fads of 2019.

Tiny Vacations

     In going with short holidays, the location needs to be conveniently accessed for a short vacation. It’s paramount to select the purposeful, time-saving activities – the remarkable ones. It could be a short family members vacation or solo trip.

Stroll touring is most advised during this sort of holiday. Native foods, gallery expeditions, and scenic strolls are the most pleasing activities you can do. There are numerous “walkable” cities in the world where you can enjoy these meaningful activities such as Kowloon in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, London, England, and numerous others.

Wellness-oriented Tours

     With the ease of access to health information online, wellness-conscious visitors always associate tourism with health. As reported by the International Wellness Institute, wellness tourism is growing rapidly and has actually produced even more destinations with wellness orientations. One valid example is the existence of hot springs around the globe. These are thought to have healing abilities and were created by the existing hotels – however, with a new clientele in mind.

 

     The wellness locations most tourists chose include nature, specific weather conditions, peaceful destinations, day spas, culture, yoga exercise, and exterior health and fitness activities. These wellness destinations will certainly not just ease you physically but also emotionally. There are numerous places worldwide that supply solutions like these, such as  Hawaii, Italy, Bali, Arizona, as well as many more.

Bleisure Trips

     This holiday incorporates business with leisure. The majority of those who take a trip for their organization offer themselves many opportunities to take pleasure in tourism after organizational duties. Many tourists in bleisure journeys, search for the closest visitor destination to discover considering that they have just limited location and time choices. Moreover, they are not traveling for a getaway; rather searching for possibilities near the place they check-in. The most joyful activities to do throughout these vacations are days at the shopping center, memento searching and walking tours. Yet you can still increase the fun as long as your schedule permits. Beaches, riders, and golf courses are the next best tasks to do.

 

Social Media-inspired Holidays

     In today’s electronic age, selecting holiday destinations is more than likely, social media-inspired. Attractive pictures of lovely locations are published on social media as well as internet sites that permit first-timers to have first experience with the prospective destination. When visited, tourists might refer the destination to pals. Since pictures on social networks systems are mainly artistic, there are more real-life cosmetically artistic locations that you can choose from such as in Rome, Italy, Paris, France, Berlin, as well as Germany.

 

     Staying on par with these four large traveling trends will certainly maintain your itinerary. This will even make your traveling trip a lot more successful and greatly more satisfying.


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Destinations

Tourists Keep Getting Stranded In This Italian Village – The Culprit Turns Out To Be Google Maps

Sardinia’s Mayor the mayor has taken steps to get the navigation app blocked on the mountain village known for its hiking. 

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     Travelers often like to venture off the beaten path. But needing to be rescued as a result is a whole different story.

 

     Leaders of the village of Baunei, on Sardinia’s eastern coast, say that’s just what’s been happening to travelers following the popular Google Maps app. And they’re trying to put an end to the misdirection that has prompted a reported 144 emergency calls from drivers and hikers over the past couple of years, according to CNN.

 

 

Misleading The Tourists

     “Too many sedans and hatchbacks are getting stuck on unpassable tracks — sometimes off-road vehicles, too,” Baunei Mayor Salvatore Corrias told CNN. “All because they follow Google Maps, whose instructions are often misleading on our roads.”

 

     So the village is urging people to use local tour guides or paper maps instead — just definitely not the technology they may be used to in their everyday lives.

 

     The Baunei Facebook page shows roadside police signs that say in Italian and English: “Do not follow the directions suggested by Google Maps.” It also includes images of vehicles on rocky paths, including some with ropes attached for apparent towing.

 

 

#Blocked

     According to the Daily Beast, the mayor has taken steps to get the navigation app blocked on the mountain village known for its hiking. He has also asked managers of tourist sites such as hotels, restaurants, and museums to use paper maps, the publication reported.

 

     “We’re aware of an issue in Sardinia where Google Maps is routing some drivers down roads that can be difficult to navigate due to their terrain,” a Google statement said. “We’re currently working with the local government to resolve the issue, and are investigating ways we can better alert drivers about these types of roads.”

 

 

International Road Blocks

     Other destinations have had their own Google Maps mishaps in the past. Between 2015 and 2017, tourists looking for the Blue Mountains in Australia were directed to a dead-end road more than 20 miles away, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Occasionally, those visitors would knock on residents’ doors looking for a restroom. In March 2017, a woman driving to the Grand Canyon followed Google Maps’ directions down a road in Arizona and ended up stranded for days when her car ran out of gas, the Dallas Morning News reported.

 

 

     Tourists in Italy blamed the navigation app in 2016 when they drove over a pedestrian bridge and along the Grand Canal in Venice, according to the Local. That same year, some tourists searching for Mount Rushmore were led by Google Maps instead to a church camp, the Rapid City (S.D.) Journal reported.

 

 A woman who worked at the Storm Mountain Center camp about 13 miles from the national memorial, Ashley Wilsey, told the newspaper that she often had to break the news to visitors that they were in the wrong place.

 

     “For the most part, people have been very friendly, but some people are very insistent that this is where Mount Rushmore should be,” she said.


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