How to Care For Your Mattresses

It's entirely possible that your mattress will be the most expensive of all the furnishings your purchase for your home. If you think about it, that actually makes a lot of sense: you spend the most time there! With all that money invested into an expensive mattress, it's important to take the time and effort necessary to be sure that the place where you lay your head each night remains as pristine as the day your purchased it. Read the following for instructions on how to make that reality.

The most basic instruction to follow for keeping your mattress in great shape is making sure to flip it once every six months. The manufacturer of the specific model of mattress that you purchase may advise you to flip it more frequently. It's important to follow these instructions carefully, because failure to do so might lead to the voiding of your warranty. If you have a queen or king size mattress, it's very possible that it will take two people to complete this task.

You should also purchase some kind of cover to protect your mattress. This doesn't have to be a tacky plastic wrapping. Instead, buy a soft cotton cover that is easily washable in a machine. This additional layer of protection will help keep your mattress free of stains for as long as you own it. That's important if you ever think about reselling your mattress to generate funds for purchasing a new one. You may also want to consider buying a foam or latex pad. This will make your mattress much more comfortable while also doing wonders to keep the surface clean.

You may also want to set up some rules regarding the mattresses in your home. Don't let children bring drinks or food onto their mattresses and it's likely that they'll remain clean for much longer. Even though it's a classic childhood activity, you should also forbid your children from jumping on the mattress, as this can easily break the springs inside. Perhaps consider purchasing a trampoline instead.

You also need to stay vigilant and make sure to remove dust when it begins to pile up on your mattress. Using the upholstery attachment of your vacuum, gently run it over the surface of the mattress, making sure to pay special attention to the spots that really need it. This is especially important if your children or spouse have an allergy to dust mites.

If your mattress does become stained, use a mild detergent to blot out the spot. It's important to limit the area you're treating to only the affected spot, because mattresses take quite a long time to dry. The quickest way to dry out your mattress is to bring it outside into the direct sunlight. The sun will dry out the entire mattress much quicker than if you leave it inside to dry. If you live in an apartment building and this isn't possible, blow a fan across the surface of the mattress to quickly dry it.

Desks - One For Every Stage of Life

Desks are an amazing fixture in our lives, and not just for part of it. There is a desk for nearly every stage we go through along life's path. From the preschool years all the way through our golden age, a desk seems to be something that we use and adapt to each unique situation we find ourselves in at each stage.

It is amazing how the children's furniture industry has developed what may seem like a silly adaptation of the normal student desk for kids as young as 2 or 3. These are usually made from molded plastic and come in a myriad of bright colors. These youngsters can learn to scribble and write and color on these desks. Some have little bells and whistles and other doo dads attached to them to further delight and entertain junior.

When the child grows up a bit more and goes off to school he is introduced to the wonderful world of private space defined by his very own desk. It probably has at least one shelf where he can put his crayons and paper. I remember how tickled I was with the little desk I had in kindergarten. It was pretty basic, but it was mine.

As we get older we move into middle school and then high school. These desks were always sort of a disappointment to me. I liked the desks I had as a younger student that had shelves and maybe even a lift top surface. The desks in high school weren't really much more than a chair with an attached hinged surface. They always felt too small, with barely enough room to put an open notebook and textbook out for use. Going off to college improves the situation a little bit. At least some of the classes have long rows of tables for students to use as desks rather than those small little chair desks.

After college the desks seem to grow, as if they are some sort of status symbol in our culture. Think big, executive, black walnut, fancy-schmancy. These bad boys tell the whole world that the man or woman behind it is large and in charge. They intimidate and they help keep the social order. If you have a large behemoth desk then you must be important, right? I mean, look at what the lowly workers out in the office have to use. Barely enough room to work at all. Then once you enclose them in their little box with a room divider or two, it definitely makes for a restricted space. This is a far cry from the bosses office. I used to work for a guy whose office actually had enough room in it, not only for his huge desk, but for a couple recliners and a conference table. It wasn't cramped. Maybe he was more important after all. He thought so anyway.

Old age brings a downsizing of all sorts of things. You see old folks having yard sales and making other liquidation efforts. They just don't need all that stuff anymore. The desks they use tend to shrink as well. Out goes the large desks they once used as part of their business lives, and in comes a smaller, more practical option. These desks can even be as simple as a tv tray for those who are bed ridden.

No matter what stage of life we find ourselves in, desks are there to serve us faithfully.

The Variety of Styles Available of a Laptop Desk Or Laptop Table

In the last 10 to 15 years, a new piece of furniture has been developed to fill a new need in the market place, and that is a laptop desk or a laptop table. In some ways this piece of furniture reminds me of a lap board or breakfast tray. But the variety of styles of a laptop desk is way more deluxe, and sometimes quite different than either of these other items.

First, there is the basic "tray" style laptop table, great for using while sitting in a chair or propped up in bed (or lying down if it has a tilting, adjustable top). Much more comfortable than balancing your computer on your lap. There are a lot of different designs just within this subcategory of laptop tables. I have seen some where a portion of the table is adjustable, tilting up at various angles to make using your laptop more convenient. This is great for relieving neck and back strain, making you, as the user, more comfortable. Usually next to the adjustable part of the table is a flat area for using your mouse. Some even have a built in mouse pad. The leg height on most models is also adjustable. I have seen this style in wood, metal and composite plastic, and also in a variety of price ranges. A few I have seen have very sleek and stylish lines and others are very utilitarian. Most are quite light and some even fold away for easy storage. Though this style is designed for use with a laptop computer, it can be used for a variety of other activities such as homework, crafts, reading and meals.

A variation of the four legged tray, is a pedestal that has a base board that you can slide under your leg to keep the tray firmly in place. These also usually have adjustable height and tilt.

Probably the more innovative design has been the mobile laptop desk. These often have lockable casters so that you can easily move the desk to where you are working and then lock it in place. The height is fully adjustable and most have a tilting portion for the computer. This part will have a small ledge to stop the computer from sliding off the desk top. I have even seen some that have a small shelf on the bottom, which could be used for a printer. There is usually a single pedestal leg which has other legs coming off of it with the casters. These are usually very low to the floor, that way they can slide under a chair allowing easier access to the work space. Many I have seen with the adjustable tilt, will tilt in either direction, which allow for left or right hand access and use of the laptop desk. Some designs have two adjustable table top areas, one for the laptop and the other for the mouse, this is great for ultimate adjustability and compatibility for the user. This style also comes in a variety of material, including metal and wood, and often a combination of both.

So, if you have a laptop, consider getting a laptop table or a laptop desk because regardless of the style that you use, most offer the same benefits: they keep the heat off your lap, the computer stays cooler on a harder surface, they allow you to work more ergonomically, most have adjustable height and tilt which results in less strain on your neck and back. With benefits like these, a laptop desk or table will allow longer periods of use and will make your time more productive. Also, with such a large variety of styles available, you are bound to find one that is perfect for you.