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Benefits of Renting Vs. Owning

Owning a home may be a lifelong goal for many Americans but that does not mean it is for everyone. After all, homeownership comes with inevitable headache and responsibility, which is why renting is a valid and appealing option for many! Here are five of the biggest benefits renting has over owning… 1. Smaller Upfront Cost The average American pays about 6% of their home’s value for their down payment, so even on a moderately-priced home, the upfront cost of buying a home can be substantial. While there are also upfront costs to renting (security deposit, pet deposit etc.), the cost of moving into an apartment should be far less compared to what you would spend on a home purchase. 2. Access to Amenities Most modern apartments feature several amenities for their Residents to enjoy. 500 Park Avenue boasts a resort style heated outdoor swimming pool, 24-hour onsite fitness center, billiard lounge and more! To have access to the same type of amenities as a homeowner would require expensive installations or monthly membership costs. 3. Lower Maintenance Costs Owning your own home means you are responsible for all the repairs and seasonal upkeep yourself. From shoveling the snow to cleaning the gutters to changing filters, a home’s maintenance never ends. On top of standard home upkeep also comes the cost of repairs, from smaller electrical repairs all the way up to costly roof and foundation repairs. As a renter, maintenance and repairs are someone else’s responsibility! There is someone else to shovel the walk, someone else to call in the middle of the night when there is an emergency and someone else to hire the contractors. As a Resident of 500 Park Avenue apartments, you’ll enjoy 24-hour emergency maintenance, a professional on-site team ready to help, and the confidence of renting from WPM Real Estate Management - a well-established, award-winning management company that puts its residents first. 4. More Free Time Time is our most valuable resource, and the way that we choose to spend our hours adds up to the way that we spend our lives. Renters spend less time on household upkeep and home projects, which means more time for rest and leisure! 5. More Flexibility A lot can happen over the course of a 30-year mortgage. You might need to relocate for a job or want to be closer to an aging parent, or you might simply want a fresh start. Yet again, renting has a distinct advantage compared to owning as it offers more flexibility to the resident. If your circumstances change, and you need to move, it is much easier to get out of an apartment lease compared to a home mortgage. Let Us Help You Find Your New Home! Reap the benefits of renting for yourself! Come home to the luxury apartments at 500 Park Avenue! Call to schedule your tour today!

How to Clean Your Home After an Illness

While the idea of having to sanitize your entire home can be overwhelming, doing so after an illness can keep germs from spreading. Follow this guide to get your home back in shape after someone in your household has been sick. Clean and Disinfect When your household is healthy, simply wiping down surfaces with soapy water is a fine way to get rid of some germs and make things look tidy. But if someone in your home has been sick, you’ll also need to disinfect to destroy the illness-causing germs. To make sure you’ve got a product that will do the trick, look for a cleaner that specifically says “disinfectant.” You can also mix a quarter-cup of chlorine bleach with a gallon of hot water. In fact, the CDC recommends bleach to kill the stomach bug-causing norovirus on surfaces. If bleach will damage your surface , look for “phenolic solution” on the label of a concentrated disinfectant. Flu viruses can also be killed with hydrogen peroxide-based cleaners . Microwave Your Sponge Before You Start Because they’re often moist, your kitchen and bathroom sponges are perfect breeding grounds for bacteria. If someone’s sick, try cleaning with a microfiber cloth instead . If you really want to clean with a sponge, wet it and put it in the microwave for 2 minutes first . Doing so will kill 99.9% of the germs. Whether you choose a cloth or a sponge, be careful not to bring germs from one room to another on dirty cleaning tools. Use a different color for each room to keep them straight. Wear Gloves and Wash Your Hands Disposable rubber, vinyl, or latex gloves can help prevent the spread of germs while you clean while also protecting your skin from harsh products . When someone in your home is sick, toss the gloves when you're done so you don’t spread disease. Even if you’ve worn gloves the entire time you cleaned, make sure to thoroughly wash your hands when you’ve finished . Start in The Bathroom When your household is sick, your bathroom becomes even more of a germ hot spot. After a bug hits, disinfect this room with a mix of bleach and hot water. Don’t forget the toilet lever, shower faucets, cabinet handles, doorknobs, and light switches. While you’re in the bathroom, make sure to replace your toothbrushes after an illness . Disinfect The Kitchen Even when you’re healthy, the kitchen is the germiest place in your house , so it’s important to pay very special care to meal prep areas after someone in your home has been sick. Disinfect all the things you touch, like the refrigerator handle and inside drawers, coffeepot, microwave, faucets, and stove knobs. Wash dishes and utensils in 1 tablespoon of bleach per gallon of hot water. If you’re the one who’s ill, don’t cook until you haven’t had any symptoms for 48 hours . Reset The Bedrooms Wash dirty clothes, soiled linens, or stuffed toys right away with nonchlorine bleach in the hottest water possible, and dry on the hottest setting. Disinfect nightstands, bedposts, and changing tables, and look for things that could be germy. Wash pacifiers and hard toys in the dishwasher . Clean The Family Room When cleaning your living room or family room after an illness, don’t forget the sneaky hot spots like remote controls, computer keypads, doorknobs, light switches etc. Steam clean rugs and upholstery at 170 F for 5 minutes or 212 F for 1 minute to kill the stomach bug norovirus. Don’t Forget the Electronics To prevent damaging your electronics, make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning, but don’t neglect these germy hotspots! When a bug strikes your home, it can live on your surfaces for as days or even weeks! Following the steps above will destroy these left-behind germs and keep sickness from spreading.

10 Places in Your Home You’re Forgetting to Clean

You’ve cleaned the windows and changed the linens. You’re in full spring-cleaning mode and your home is feeling fresher than ever. But is it really? We’ve curated a list of the spots in your home that are most often left off the spring-cleaning list. So put on your favorite playlist and open the windows! It’s time to get cleaning! 1. Washing Machine It seems like the washing machine should always be clean, doesn’t it? But over time it can gather build-up and cause your clothes to smell not-so-fresh. Every washing machine is different, so make sure to find the cleaning method that’s best for yours. For most washing machines, you can use a mix of white vinegar with baking soda on the machine’s hottest cycle. Always remember: to keep your washing machine fresh and clean longer, leave the lid or door open between uses! 2. Dishwasher Yet another appliance that seems it should stay permanently clean, your dishwasher can accumulate hard-water deposits, soap scum and clogged food debris. To clean out your dishwasher, run a cycle on hot with a cup of white vinegar on the top rack. 3. Under Your Appliances Those large appliances aren’t easy to move, which is why the areas behind and beneath them is so often overlooked. However, taking the time to properly clean under your appliances can help prevent pest and allergies . 4. Ceiling Fans Overtime, the blades of your ceiling fans collect a layer of dust (especially the ones in your bedrooms). To prevent that dust from falling onto tabletops, mattresses, and other surfaces, put an old pillowcase over the fan blade to wipe the dust off and into the pillowcase. This method is quick, easy, and mess-free! Repeat this process for every fan blade. Once most of the dust has been knocked off with the pillowcase, you might prefer to then go back over each blade with an all-purpose cleaner . 5. Shower Curtains Liners Plastic shower curtain lines can collect mildew, dirt, and soap scum. Instead of tossing a dirty liner in the trash and buying a new one, try combining it with a batch of towels, laundry detergent and baking soda . 6. Trash Cans Your trash can is host to hundreds of bacteria per square inch . Not to mention, it likely omits an unpleasant odor despite how often you replace the trash bag. Make sure to scrub and deodorize those trash cans as part of your spring-cleaning checklist! 7. Coffeemaker You may clean your coffee pot regularly, but what about the coffeemaker itself? To really give your coffeemaker a super deep clean, run a cycle of equal parts white vinegar and water through it. Then run another cycle with water only to eliminate any lingering vinegar. It might not be the most pleasant smell, but this process will also help decalcify the machine and keep your coffee tasting its best. 8. Door Frames & Baseboards The tops of your door frames can collect a lot of dust, and because the area is out of sight, many of us neglect to clean it. Your baseboards are another spot that often goes unnoticed. They might look perfectly fine from afar, but up close you’ll notice a different story. One of dust, scuff marks and grime. Make sure to give these areas some TLC when you’re doing your spring cleaning. Listen, if you are going to someone's house for Thanksgiving, compliment their baseboards. That is what they are spending today cleaning. — Simon Holland (@simoncholland) November 20, 2017 9. Curtains Most curtains are machine-washable and dryer-friendly, but double check yours just in case. Throughout the year, things like dust, pollen, and cat fur (it must be nice to sit in a sunny window all day) will build up on your curtains. Give them a good vacuum and then toss them in the wash! 10. Throw Pillows You likely wash your pillowcases and sheets as part of your regular cleaning routine, but how often do those throw pillows get washed? Just like any other linen in your home, throw pillows can collect dust, dirt, food, and dead skin. Vacuum up the dust or dander with a handheld vacuum and spot clean any stains. Some throw pillows are machine washable , so check to see the best care for yours! We hope this will help you get the nooks and crannies of your home extra clean and fresh for the spring!

How Often to Wash Bedding

If you’re getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep per night , that’s 56 hours you spend asleep in your bed a week. While it is important to get the rest our bodies need to thrive, 56 hours is also ample time for our sheets and bedding to build up dirt, sweat and oil from our bodies. In fact, you shed 500 million skin cells a day – many of them in your bed. Without regular cleaning, dirty sheets can contribute to allergies, breakouts, asthma, and more. For your health and sleep quality, it is important to keep things clean. So, how often should you wash your sheets for proper hygiene? Keep reading to find out! Sheets and Pillowcases The general rule of thumb for sheets and pillowcases is that they should be laundered once per week . However, several factors may make it necessary to clean these items more often. For example, if you have pets, a wash every 3-4 days is recommended. If you experience allergies or asthma, it may also be worth cleaning your bedding more frequently to see if your symptoms improve. Regardless of how often you wash your sheets, be sure to check for and treat any stains as they appear. Also, avoid washing sheets in hot water because it can shrink your sheets, which you might not notice until you try to put them back on the bed. In fact, thanks to advances in both washing machine technology and detergent formulations, hot water is no longer needed in most laundering scenarios ! Pillows Even if you protect your pillows with removable covers that you wash weekly, the pillow should be washed at least seasonally . How to properly launder your pillows will depend on what they are made of, so make sure you know how to wash your type of pillow before getting started! Comforters and Duvet Covers Covers for comforters and duvets help protect the interior from most everyday dirt and soiling. Unless the comforter has something spilled on it, you’ll only need to wash it a few times a year . However, if there is no separate cover, you will need to wash the entire comforter every week and whenever spills or stains occur, but make sure to read the product tag first! Yelp: The Best 10 Laundromats in Baltimore Mattress Covers Mattress protectors are thin casings that go over your mattress like a fitted sheet. They are usually waterproof and protect your mattress from stains, dust mites, and more. Using a mattress cover is a lifesaver in extending the life of your mattress, but they do collect bacteria and sweat over time, so you need to clean it, so it works effectively and is hygienic. Mattress covers themselves should be removed and washed every one to two months . If any spills or stains occur, remove the cover, treat it, and wash it according to the directions as soon as possible. Shop Best-Selling Mattress Protectors on Amazon .

5 Cleaning YouTubers You Should Be Watching

Spring Cleaning season is almost upon us and while the annual practice is known to have plenty of health and psychological benefits , sometimes the motivation to throw open the windows and give the home a good scrub just isn’t there. Enter the cleaning inspiration channels on YouTube! There are thousands of YouTubers who dedicate their time and energy to creating fresh cleaning and organization content for viewers just like you. If you are struggling to find the motivation to clean your home, here are five of our favorite YouTubers who can help! Love Meg Megan is a 29-year-old stay-at-home mom from Savannah, Georgia who makes videos about motherhood, organization, decluttering, lifestyle and more. Megan posts videos to her channel – Love Meg - several days a week. For some serious motivation, check out her Ultimate Cleaning Motivation playlist , which has over 280 videos to inspire you to tackle every task on your cleaning to-do list. Brianna K Brianna is stay-at-home mom of three currently living in Hawaii. In addition to cleaning motivation, she also shares videos about pregnancy, homemaking, decorating, and more. Brianna posts to her channel – Brianna K – every Monday. If you’re unsure where to start with your spring cleaning, check out her 2021 Extreme Spring Cleaning Series playlist! This Crazy Life Amanda is a stay-at-home mom who shares videos about cleaning, affordable room makeovers, cooking and more on her channel This Crazy Life. If a major decluttering is on your spring cleaning, checklist, check out her Whole House Declutter With Me 2021 playlist. Carissa Cleans It All For some serious cleaning motivation, room makeover inspiration, expert organization tips and more, look no further than Carissa Cleans It All. Carissa is also expecting baby number three, so there is plenty of baby and pregnancy-related content if that is something that interests you! Candis Halligan Candis is a military spouse and mom of two boys who shares lifestyle, cleaning motivation, organization, and home decor tips on her channel. Check out her Cleaning and Organization playlist for more than 90 videos ranging from cleaning routines for working moms to speed cleaning routines. Do you like to watch cleaning motivation content on YouTube? Who are your favorite YouTubers to watch? Let us know in the comments!

5 Famous Baltimore Natives

Most Baltimoreans can easily identify folks like Michael Phelps and Jada Pinkett Smith as celebrities who are from Charm City, but some of those with B-more connections are less obvious – like the five on this list! Here are five famous people you might not have known are from Baltimore! Julie Bowen Julie Bowen is an actress best known for starring as Claire Dunphy in the sitcom Modern Family . Bowen was born in Baltimore and was raised in suburban Ruxton-Riderwood, Maryland. Bowen first attended Calvert School, then Garrison Forest School and Roland Park Country School before moving to Rhode Island. View this profile on Instagram Julie Bowen (@ itsjuliebowen ) • Instagram photos and videos Anna Faris Anna Faris rose to prominence for her work in comedic roles, particularly the lead part of Cindy Campbell in the Scary Movie film series. Faris was born in Baltimore , where her sociology professor father had accepted a professorship at Towson University. She and her family moved to Washington state when she was six. View this profile on Instagram Anna Faris (@ annafaris ) • Instagram photos and videos Penn Badgley Fans of early 2000s teen television will undoubtedly recognize Penn Badgley as Dan Humphrey, but did you know he hails from Baltimore ? Though the actor spent most of his childhood between Richmond, Virginia and Seattle, Washington, he is a B-more native. View this profile on Instagram Penn Badgley (@ pennbadgley ) • Instagram photos and videos David Hasselhoff David Hasselhoff is most well-known for his roles on Knight Rider and Baywatch – two hit tv shows which helped him secure his Guinness World Record as the most watched man on tv . Hasselhoff’s great-great-grandmother emigrated with her family to Baltimore from Germany in 1865, and Hasselhoff was born here in 1952! View this profile on Instagram David Hasselhoff (@ davidhasselhoff ) • Instagram photos and videos Frank Zappa Frank Zappa was a musician whose career as one of the most innovative and stylistically diverse musicians of his generation spanned more than 30 years. Zappa was born in Baltimore , and though his family moved often, they returned to Maryland after a sometime in Florida. While living in Maryland, Zappa's father worked at the Edgewood Arsenal chemical warfare facility of the Aberdeen Proving Ground. View this profile on Instagram Frank Zappa (@ zappa ) • Instagram photos and videos So…did you know these five stars had Baltimore roots? Let us know in the comments!