Housekeeping

We all have heard about how great baking soda is for cleaning all sorts of things from dishes to teeth. In fact, many of us have been using it to clean stains out of the carpet, so why would we think that baking soda would leave a stain on the carpet? Well, it happens.

If you’ve ever gone apartment hunting, then you already know that vaulted ceilings are considered to be a major status symbol. It’s a way to give your room a more elegant look and also offer up some extra vertical storage space. For artists, a vaulted ceiling can also provide a lot of canvas room. But, vaulted ceilings can have their design limitations, and this is especially true when it comes to lighting. For example, the topic of recessed lights on vaulted ceilings can be a hard one to handle.

Whenever you move into a new place, one of the first things you should do is buy new locks. While it’s initially a safety tool, it also allows you to customize your home a little more by choosing any doorknob you want. One of the most commonly picked styles are handles with twist locks. 

Pancakes are delicious with maple syrup on them but not so much for carpets. The sticky gooey mess in your rug is unsightly and you need to get rid of it as soon as possible before it soaks in all the way. Whether it is real maple syrup or corn syrup, we have some solutions for you.

Cockroaches are one of the oldest insects on the planet, dating back to more than 320 million years ago. They did not last this long on accident. They are hard to get rid of and can spread diseases to humans. Unfortunately, if you have cockroaches in your cabinets, you have them all over the house.

The sight of mold in your dishwasher can make you think twice about using your dishes again. Dishwashers are the perfect place for mold to grow because of the moisture, heat, and darkness. Many people struggle with how to get rid of mold in the dishwasher, however, you can prevent mold growth and get rid of what’s already there by taking a few precautions.

Leather couches are beautiful additions to living rooms and give a classic touch to the aesthetic. If proper maintenance isn’t carried out routinely, leather can wear and tear quite quickly. This material is often prone to large holes and cracks when it’s not regularly conditioned. 

Cleaning a mattress involves jumping through all sorts of hoops. It’s not like you can just throw it in the washer. But what about the mattress cover? If it’s removable, it should be washable, right? Purple, one of the leading mattress companies in the United States, has something to say about that.

Window air conditioning units are lovely in the summertime. On a hot day, you can flip a switch and out pops some nice cold, refreshing air. However, there is one issue with these types of units: Mold. Mold is problematic no matter what type you have, although some are worse than others.

We’re all coffee drinkers in my household. We brew a huge pot each morning, the coffee often sits in the pot all day, which causes stains to build up. Rinsing the pot out is simply not enough. So, the one thing I really struggle with is how challenging it can be to keep my stainless-steel coffee pot clean and free of stains.

Pets are wonderful companions. The unconditional love and laughs they constantly provide are irreplaceable. Still, there is a downside to sharing your home with a pet that doesn’t know how to use the toilet.

Many homeowners prefer propane over natural gas because it is safer and more convenient. With that said, it is still wise to be aware of your propane consumption when you use a stove. So, how much propane does a stove use?

Architecturally, glass blocks are very similar to conventional brick materials. Both bricks and glass blocks are used in the same way although, glass blocks can be used in some situations where bricks cannot.

Return air vents keep your home’s air fresh and circulated. If you’re remodeling a room, or even just rearranging some furniture, you may wonder: can I block that vent? It doesn’t seem to be doing anything. Those return vents are a vital component of your home’s air circulatory system.

In many situations, a good Sharpie can come in handy. However, while a permanent marker can be an asset sometimes, it can be a pain in others. If the wrong surface gets marked (like your antique wood table), it can be quite tricky to remove Sharpie from wood. After all, there is a reason they call it “permanent.” F

You should never move a fish tank with water in it. A fish tank with water, decorations, equipment, and substrate is quite heavy. The combined weight of everything can crack the glass and create a huge, dangerous mess. Moving a tank with fish in it can also cause physical trauma, and they may even die.

Having a sprinkler system for your yard can be a beneficial thing. Keeping your garden and landscaping looking lush and healthy is a difficult job and a sprinkler can ease the burden. It can be especially helpful for larger properties.

According to the Department of Energy, single family water heaters use around 17% of all household energy. This makes water heaters a huge factor in your household energy efficiency levels and corresponding energy bill ( Source).

When I was growing up, I didn’t know much about mobile homes aside from the fact that they were supposedly bad with tornados. But then again, not many homes are good with tornado wind speeds. While mobile homes are not exactly lauded for their wind hardiness, there has to be some point that they are built to withstand wind, right? What’s the limit?

There’s nothing quite as good as a home-cooked meal. They can bring you comfort, be used in celebration, or just fill your tastebuds with joy. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell you that preparing meals can take quite a bit of work.

Sometimes you just do not need all those sprinkler heads in a specific area. Or maybe they are too close together and are overwatering your lawn in one spot. It could be an area that you just do not have anything to water. So, in this case, it’d be a great idea to cap off the sprinkler head, but how do you do that/

It really is incredible to think how far something as simple as laundry has come. Thanks to washing machines, we can now handle a week’s worth of dirty clothes in just a few hours. Moreover, modern washing machines have made it easier than ever to simply start a load and go back to our day.

Designing your home is fun and exciting! Laying new carpet, purchasing new furniture, painting the walls— we understand, you’re anxious to see how the finished project looks. However, there is one thing that you should know. You must wait to put your furniture on your new carpet.

While in the middle of preparing dinner, you suddenly had to step out to handle an emergency at work. Because of that, you had to leave some raw chicken inside the refrigerator. After getting home, you’re left wondering if you can still cook the thawed chicken.

If you are having trouble opening your garage door or getting it to close properly, the problem could be linked to a faulty garage door cable. Cables are often installed incorrectly, a problem that leads to the garage door cables either being too short, too long, or out of balance. If your garage door issues are caused by cables in need of adjustment, here is how to fix the problem.

Flour can last anywhere from just two or three months or upwards of a year in your pantry. The exact expiration date depends on a few factors. Generally, white and all-purpose flour (the flour people buy the most) lasts between ten months and one year in the pantry in its unopened container. Once it is opened, the shelf life goes down by half, to about six months.

If you live in a multiple story home, you may have found yourself questioning why your second floor is so much hotter than the first. Unfortunately, a warmer second floor may not be noticeable until the summer months when the heat really starts coming in. And when it happens, you’ll start to feel extremely uncomfortable.

Patios are a great opportunity to extend the aesthetic and feel of your home to the outside while adding space. Outdoor spaces, such as patios, add value to a home, but they also are exposed to the elements which can do them harm. Because of that, many homeowners choose to install a patio cover over their patio to protect it and add visual flair.

The easiest way to tell if tea is expired is to check its sell-by or expiration date. Most boxed tea and store-bought loose-leaf tea should have an expiration date. If your tea is months (or years) beyond this expiration date, it shouldn’t be consumed. Instead, opt to use it in some other way.

Pet allergies tend to become amplified in the winter months. This is due to breathing in recycled air and the fact that people and pets spend more time inside in the winter. Therefore, it is entirely possible to have a pet allergy that you never notice in warmer months, only to struggle with it throughout the winter.

Hard water has a habit of leaving behind stains on plenty of surfaces. For those unsure how to deal with it, hard water stains just become a part of life. Those pesky stains show up on top of taps, on mirrors, on silverware, and, often, annoyingly, on glass shower doors. How do you remove it when it’s on your glass shower doors?

Whether you’re preparing to purchase a home or need to know your current home’s worth, you need an appraisal. A professional appraiser looks at a home inside and out and comes up with a value for the property. As part of their job, appraisers look at all aspects of your home, but do appraisers look inside of closets?

You come home ready for a nice shower.  After a few seconds in the shower, you notice something just isn’t right.  What could be going on in your shower or bathtub?  What could cause your shower to work poorly or not work at all?  How do you know if the diverter valve on your tub or shower is bad?

Ants are not a big deal when you see them outside but having them crawling around in your house is not so great. Nobody wants to open up a box of cereal and see ants in their breakfast. And if you have fire ants, their bite is painful, so you want to get rid of them fast.

You should tell your landlord that your apartment is dirty if you just moved in. It’s a great idea to take pictures and even videos of the mess before you talk to your landlord. This will come in handy if they try to dispute your claim. 

One day you wake up and discover that when you flush your toilet, the kitchen sink starts gurgling. Or maybe the kitchen sink gurgles when the water goes down. Your kitchen sink gets more use than any other faucet in your house, so this is typically where you end up noticing the issue. But the problem may have started somewhere else.

The clean light on a Mr Coffee machine turns on to let you know that your device needs some TLC. But a light that simply does not go off can turn the whole coffee-making experience into a nightmare. The good news is there’s an easy fix, and you can turn off the blinking clean light on Mr Coffee.

A faucet aerator is a great way to conserve water usage and save a bit of money on your water bill. Faucet aerators mix air in with the water stream, saving up to an extra 16 gallons of water per day! It’s essential to clean your faucet aerator regularly and replace it every year to ensure continued efficiency.

The first method you should try to remove stains from your cutting board involves your kitchen sponge, soap, hot water, and elbow grease. Use the same method you would use to wash your other dishes, only apply extra effort to the stained area.

It’s an open secret that Americans love fried food. So if there’s an upcoming celebration, there will certainly be lots of frying to do in your kitchen. Nonetheless, this doesn’t mean that the odor of all those fried delicacies should linger in your house for days on end. On the contrary, the scent can be a source of great embarrassment, especially if you have guests in the house.

In many homes, the sink is the heart of the kitchen. It’s where people gather while cooking, washing the dishes, and washing their hands. It’s why many feel that the better their sinks look, the better their kitchens look.

Whirlpool makes a ton of different household appliances. From stoves to refrigerators and everything in between, you can walk into millions of homes across the United States and find a Whirlpool product somewhere.

Is there anything better than getting a stack of pancakes for breakfast? Those sweet and fluffy treats often covered in butter and syrup are regarded as breakfast favorites all over the world.

A well-functioning toilet flapper is necessary to the function of any toilet. There are only three main toilet flapper types available: tank ball, seat disk (or disc) and rubber.

If you have a recipe that calls for potatoes, and the only potatoes you have are growing buds, these will probably be safe to use. In most cases, it is safe to eat potatoes that are growing new roots on their exterior, but there are steps you need to take to ensure eating them is safe and delicious.

Hipster homes love industrial looks. This is a fact we all know. Pallet furniture has been a staple of hipsters for ages, and truthfully, it’s a good look. Pallets can be turned into tables, beds, and, yes, freestanding walls, too. If you’ve been looking for a cheap way to make a freestanding wall, the answer might just be found in a pile of pallets.

Your ceiling fan has two jobs: to circulate air and light your room. When your ceiling fan stops doing one of these jobs, it can be a major frustration. A flickering ceiling fan light is not always something to worry about, though it can indicate larger electrical issues. 

In the unfortunate event of a fire, you will find yourself with a lot to clean up. Fire causes smoke, and smoke turns to soot. You might find soot stains around for other reasons, too. If you smoke cigarettes or burn candles or incense, you could leave behind soot stains.

Keeping your stovetop clean and free of food residue is an important step in kitchen maintenance. A dirty stovetop not only looks unsightly, but it can cause mold, damage the stove and even attract unwanted pests. If you have a coil electric stove or any stove with drip trays, you will notice that they look worse over time, But how do you know when it is time to replace your drip trays, and how often should you plan to switch them out with new ones?

Many homeowners invest in humidifiers, with approximately  eight million sold in the U.S. every year. Humidifiers are an important part of maintaining proper air quality in your home. These machines add moisture to dry air, which makes a big difference, especially for colder months.

Home security is super important; after all, it protects you, your family, and your most significant investment – your house. Nowadays, there are multiple options available on the market to help automate your home’s protection. 

Dyson makes quality vacuum cleaners. To keep them working, you need to do proper maintenance, such as cleaning the filter out. We’re going to show you how to clean a Dyson filter, the easy way.

If you’ve been working on a home addition or a garage as part of your DIY work, you’re probably aware of the fact that your house needs drywall. It’s just a must. The problem is that most of us haven’t attended a class that tells you how many screws you will need in order to properly secure.

Kids are attracted to all sorts of objects, but mostly those that are glittery, shiny, bright, and colorful. So, chances are, you may find yourself trying to figure out how to get highlighter stains out of your carpet at some point in your life. However, there’s no need to worry! We are here to help.

Even the most professionally painted rooms in the home will need a touch-up eventually. This is especially true for high-traffic areas such as bathrooms, hallways, and living rooms. The spots on walls that are around light switches are also subject to heavy wear, necessitating a refresh once in a while. Additionally, if areas have become damaged or were missed during the initial paint job, a touch-up is absolutely necessary.

On UpgradedHome, we talk about a *lot* of home improvement projects and tools. One of the better tools to have on hand is Flex tape. It can tape things up while locking water out, making it an ideal pick for people who have stubborn faucets or need to tape up a vent that just won’t stay put. Flex tape is so popular, it’s pretty easy to find. But, where do you go for this quality fixer-upper fave?

Even if you’re someone who never turns on the stove, you will need to chop and slice items from time to time. This makes a cutting board is essential. Cutting boards help protect your kitchen counters from damage, and they also can help keep your knives sharper for longer.

Apartment living can be fraught with issues. Noise is perhaps the greatest source of friction between apartment neighbors across the globe. Luckily, there are ways to soundproof your apartment door and many are relatively inexpensive.

Much as we would love to have it, central air conditioning is not always an option. In a pinch, purchasing a window air conditioner can allow for cool, crisp air to permeate your space. But there are things to be aware of with these units.

One fruit that most people know not to put directly in the refrigerator is a banana, and its relative, the plantain. Bananas are usually picked from banana trees weeks before they are ripe. They often feature a bit of green, which is a telltale sign they need time outside the fridge to ripen.