Category Archives: Home Safety Tip

Be Prepared for Emergencies

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That ice storm in February hit many of us by surprise, and with widespread power outages across the Portland metro region (including The Move Makers office in Lake Oswego), the idea of being prepared for the next emergency event is top of mind for us.  

We’ve compiled a short list of comprehensive websites that list the most important things to have on hand in advance should an emergency take place.  Since these are website links, it may be a good idea to print out the pertinent information and keep on hand in a handy file folder in case you lose power... Read the rest

Just How Long Do Your Pantry Staples Last?

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Baking season is upon us, and if you haven’t baked any cookies since the last holiday season, chances are some of your baking supplies are ebbing on the edge of expiration.  Right now may be a good time to get out the step ladder and dig deep into your pantry to purge any old supplies from your shelves and purchase fresh ones. Your cookies may come out a little nicer, too!

According to HGTV, home to many televised and online cooking shows, here are a few general rules for common baking staples, and how long they last at their best performance:

Vanilla and other extracts – these last indefinitely as long as they are sealed well

Baking soda – as long as it is sealed, it lasts indefinitely

Baking powder – up to one year

Sugar – indefinitely if kept in an airtight container – sugar has the added benefit of not allowing bacteria to take hold

Salt – the same as sugar – never get it wet!.. Read the rest

The Move Makers Take A Look Back at 2019. It was a Great Year!

Announcement Downsizing and Organizing Home Safety Tip How to Organize Memorable Moves Packing and Move Preparation Uncategorized No Comments

Year number six is in the books for The Move Makers, and what a year it was!  We continue to grow and have assisted with many move outs and move ins in 2019, all while taking the stress out of the process for our wonderful clients and their families.

In 2018, The Move Makers achieved A+ Accreditation by the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM), the leading professional organization for Senior Move Managers in the world.  This year, our founder Carolyn Rowe was elected to the NASMM Board of Directors, and looks forward to her role on the leadership team... Read the rest

Organizing 101: Inside Tips from the Move Makers Crew

Accessibility Downsizing and Organizing Home Safety Tip How to Organize Move Planning and Management Packing and Move Preparation Unpacking and New Home Set Up No Comments

Our crew at The Move Makers have managed hundreds of moves for our clients, and we’ve learned quite a few things along the way. One important thing we’ve learned is never to make any assumptions about the ease or difficulty of a project beforehand, because there are always surprises. Another thing we’ve learned is that when an unexpected situation arises, we can rely on the experience and training of our staff, and the expertise of our trusted partners, to overcome any obstacle.

With that in mind, we’d like to bring you a just a few of our well-seasoned tips from our team, many of whom are Professional Organizers, so that your own home project can get off to a great start, and hopefully a successful finish!.. Read the rest

The Bedroom: A Safe and Comfortable Sanctuary

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Our bedrooms are our sanctuaries – a place for rest, relaxation and recharging after busy days. Despite the fact we spend one-third of our lives in this room, we often overlook it when thinking about safety and accessibility. For best accessibility, a bedroom should be on the ground floor. Many homes were not built with downstairs bedrooms, so this may not be an option. Stairlifts can be added for accessing bedrooms if necessary or a den or other downstairs room can be converted to a bedroom in a pinch.

Keep the mood restful in the bedroom by choosing soothing colors. Shades of blue, green and lavender are ideal... Read the rest

Remove Your Risky Medications: National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

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There is one household item that tends to linger far longer than most. It usually lurks in a cabinet in the dark. We spend a lot of money for it, so we want to keep it around just in case. What we don’t realize is that this item can cause great harm, even death, to anyone accidentally consuming it. What is this dangerous item? Prescription medication.

Americans take a lot of medications today, far more than any other country. In fact, the total number of prescriptions filled has increased by 85% in the past two decades, according to Consumer Reports. Statistica.com.. Read the rest

Chemical Safety in the Home

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Today’s homes are filled with chemicals. There are detergents, cleaners, polishes, paints, solvents, pesticides, automotive and garden chemicals. Just how dangerous are these products? Consumers need to carefully read the labels to find out. Look for the signal words. The most dangerous is poison, followed by danger, warning and caution. A product is considered hazardous if it has one of the following properties:

  • Flammable/Combustible: can be easily set on fire
  • Explosive/Reactive: can detonate or explode
  • Corrosive/Caustic: can burn and destroy living tissues
  • Toxic/Poisonous: can cause injury or death if ingested, inhaled or absorbed
  • Radioactive: can destroy cells and their chromosomes

Chemicals and off-gassing from chemicals in home products (carpet, draperies, furnishings, etc.)

.. Read the rest

Unreachable Cabinet Spaces: an Elusive Black Hole

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The most popular home remodeling projects are kitchens and bathrooms, according to surveys from the National Association of Home Builders. Homeowners want to improve areas of their home that will give them the greatest return upon resale, but will also benefit them in the meantime. With kitchen remodeling, cabinets are one of the features that people want to change most.

Older cabinets were not primarily designed for function or accessibility, but for style. They had many “dead” spaces that defied access. The shelves were too high or too low or were unreachable black holes in corners. Newer, accessible cabinet designs remedy this with an “Optimum Reach Zone” or ORZ... Read the rest

Safe Home, Happy Home in 2019

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The beginning of the year is a good time to take inventory of your home and just how safe it is. There are many home security devices and systems on the market, ranging from a simple lock to a full-blown “safe room.” Choices exist for every particular need and budget. New door camera devices like Ring, Remo DoorCam, and Z Modo can alert you to who is at your door whether or not you are home. You can also integrate your home security apps with Alexa, Nest and even your Apple watch. There are also many security services that can monitor your home for a monthly fee... Read the rest

Unclutter to Boost Your Mood

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Welcome to 2019! If you’re like most Americans you have made resolutions to exercise more, lose weight and get organized. Why is getting organized so high on the list of things to accomplish? It could be because it has been nagging at you for so long. You know you could do more if only you didn’t have to contend with so much clutter and disorder. Studies support this. Neuroscientists at Princeton have shown that clutter has a negative impact on your ability to be productive and focus. It bombards the brain with unimportant information. Psychologists at UCLA confirmed this with a study of families and their clutter... Read the rest