Housekeeping

Oobleck is one of the many incarnations of slime that parents have had to deal with over the past 20 years. It’s the homemade version of slime, and as a result, often ends up staining things left and right. Unlike gak, oobleck is one of those things that can pose a serious problem to clothes and carpets. So, how can you clean it up without causing serious damage to everything around you?

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?

Your Airbnb guest won’t leave a kind review if the bathrooms and kitchen in your home are dirty. Clean bathrooms and kitchens go a long way in making a great impression on your Airbnb guests. Deep clean these rooms as if you’re showing your home to potential buyers. 

This pointer might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but when it comes to small spaces, it’s a game-changer. Remove closet doors and replace them with curtains. Here’s why.

Having a garage is a plus for any homeowner no matter how many vehicles you have. You can use your garage for storage for your tools, yard and garden items, or even to park your car. But what do you do when your garage won’t close all the way? This can be frustrating, as you don’t want someone to gain access to your garage.

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.

When boxer George Foreman decided to make a grill, many people laughed at him. I ought to know; I was one of them. However, I’ve become a huge fan of the grills and now regularly find myself using one when I’m at my friend’s place. Cooking it up is a cinch, but actually cleaning it? Well, it was baffling for me at first, but I got a hang of it…

When you have a dog or a cat, letting them roam around your yard just makes sense. They need fresh air, after all. Unfortunately, if you have a gap under your fence gate, the safety you are trying to offer them through your fence just won’t be there. A gap under a gate doesn’t have to be a major issue, though. All you need to do is know how to fix it.

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.

One of the main reasons trash leaks is due to what’s inside the trash bag. Trash is meant for solids, not liquids. If you are dumping too many liquids in your trash, don’t be surprised if it leaks. All it takes is one tiny hole near the bottom of a trash bag to cause the contents to leak.

Around 90 percent of homes within the United States are wired electrically using ROMEX, the trade name for non-metallic (NM), sheathed cable. This type of wiring system is simple to run and very convenient. However, it’s essential that you do not have any exposed ROMEX in your home and the wiring should be completely covered.

Ortho Home Defense is great for keeping bugs and killing off any nasty critters that may be taking up residence in your home. But like just about any other bug killer on the market, there will no doubt be questions about its safety of use around kids and pets.

Trying to unlock a locked bathroom can be stressful and even frightening. No matter if you’re locked in a room or outside of it, getting to where you want to be is key. Thankfully, bathroom doors usually have privacy locks, instead of security locks. 

You’ve finished installing your new set of tiles. and applied your grout. Now comes the question. How long should I wait before I can use the room with the newly grouted tile? How long does it take for grout to dry?

Bath mats are among the list of easily neglected household items. They dwell below us, mostly out of sight, and definitely out of mind. If you ignore them long enough, all kinds of smelly bacteria, mold, and mildew taint your tub.

It’s perfectly normal for your furnace to be making a little bit of noise while it’s running. Most appliances emit a low buzz or a soft hum while they are in use. However, if your furnace is making a loud humming noise, you might need a maintenance specialist. 

Summers seem to be getting hotter every year. It’s hard to imagine sitting in a mobile home that is baking in the sun all summer, unless you are sitting in a mobile home baking in the sun all summer. Air conditioning is essential for summer comfort in your mobile home just about anywhere in the USA.

You might love Fido, but there’s something Fido loves more than you. Fido loves pooping all over your yard, and sometimes, he’s so active in that department that you just can’t pick up all the poop in your yard. It’s a nightmare, but there might be a shortcut when it comes to getting rid of dog poop in your yard. You might be able to dissolve it.

Whether it is the moldy smell or that feeling of stickiness in the air, humidity is annoying and can even be unhealthy. The choice of whether to use DampRid or a dehumidifier depends on what the situation is. It’s not a case of one being better than the other, but rather knowing when to use what product.

Are you having issues with starting up your riding mower? When you go to start it, does it crank over but not completely startup? Thankfully, riding mowers aren’t very complicated pieces of equipment, and the owner can quickly resolve most issues. This will help save you money and time on bringing it into a shop. However, if this happens to you, what do you do?

Be it gas or electric; the oven is every kitchen’s mainstay appliance. Whether making London Broil, cooking a casserole, or simply baking bread, our ovens provide the foundations upon which we prepare our family’s food. Gas ovens are still considered superior, but every now and then you might smell an unnerving odor and wonder why your oven smells like gas.

There’s nothing like that first cup of coffee in the morning to get you going for the day. For 64% of Americans, this little ritual is absolutely necessary for us to function properly. The average person in the United States drinks 2.7 cups of coffee a day.

Heating a house is something that requires either a central heating unit or individual heaters for each room. Federal laws require that every habitable space has access to heat.

Fireplaces are the central gathering place in most peoples’ homes. A fireplace can provide warmth, comfort, lighting, and more. Although they are relatively simple to operate, the fireplace damper can be a source of confusion for some people.

Do you let your pets sleep or spend time on your bed? If so, then your bedding is likely full of loose hair and oil that your pets excrete through their skin. There is nothing wrong with that, that is, unless you wait too long to wash your bedding. 

Stainless steel fixtures, appliances, and cutlery are welcome inside most homes because of how easy they are to clean. They even resist certain kinds of stains better than other materials.

Having a porch is one of the fastest ways to add value to a home, but only if it looks nice. The easiest way to give a porch a facelift is to add a fresh new coat of paint to it. Of course, that means that you will need to know how to paint your porch properly. If you have an aluminum screened porch, it quickly becomes an “easier said than done” matter.

A leaking shower is never good news. More often than not, a leaking shower is a dead giveaway that you are about to have to spend a lot of money on your home. That is, if fixing your leaking shower entails removing tiles.

Not many people have a kitchen sink rack, but those that do know that its both a lifesaver and a major pain. A great way to protect your sink from scratches and rust, if you can fit it in the dishwasher than its easy to clean. If not, you are going to be scrubbing and scrubbing and trying to get inventive to cut back on your cleaning time.

One of the main contributors to all sorts of mold in the home is humidity. When your home has a lot of moisture, it makes it easier for mold to form. This is also true for mold on leather. You must remember that leather is a natural material. 

I don’t know about you, but I despise vacuuming. Thankfully, in the effort to live like the Jetsons, someone invented the Roomba. Now we can have a hands-off approach to cleaning our house!

When choosing the perfect pots and pans for your home, the options seem endless. With so many home chefs around the world, the choice of cookware options has increased in recent years. In addition to the cookware brand, you also need to choose the material, whether you want steel, copper, or another type of cookware. Copper cookware is often considered top-tier, but is it right for you?

Deadbolts help secure our homes from any potential intruders. They’re strong and reliable, which is why it’s a good idea to have them installed on your front door. Unfortunately, deadbolts do have times when they fail to operate properly. Your deadbolt can get stuck in a locked position, preventing you from entering or exiting through that door.

If your home has a guest room, then there is a good chance your houseguest will spend the majority of time in this room. Therefore, the bulk of your energy should be focused on making this a pet-hair and dander-free area.

Back in the 90s, having a satellite dish was a quasi-status symbol. It meant you had all the channels, and that means that you had money. These days, streaming and cord-cutting are now the thing to do. Throughout many parts of America, this shift has created a landscape that is littered by satellite dishes that no longer work. You will need to pay someone to get rid of that dish, but how much will it be?

The products produced by Thermos are excellent for keeping food and beverages hot or cold all day long. But, how do you properly care for a Thermos tumbler, mug, or water bottle? Are Thermos products dishwasher safe?  

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.

Imagine the following scenario. You and your neighbor have been living next to each other for years, and you never really had any issues. Yet, one day, you notice a construction crew near your yard. They’re putting up a fence! You’re confused because you’re not really sure whether or not they are allowed to do this. Is this even legal?

While it may not initially seem like there is much of a difference between stationary and handheld showerheads, it can actually feel like the difference between night and day. Stationary showerheads limit where the water can flow; hand-held showerheads allow you to take the water wherever you want. Plus, you can even find handheld showerheads that attach to a tub faucet.

Are you thinking about installing an underground propane tank? Propane is clean, efficient, and fairly inexpensive to use; underground propane tanks have many benefits, but they also come with risks. First, you need to know the pros and cons of underground propane tanks before you commit to buying.

Having a jetted tub can be an awesome addition to any home. The ability to soak and relax during a bath can completely change the way that you view your tub. But there is a chance that something could go wrong, and the jets will stop working.

A sump pump relocates water from a basement away from the home. According to Oxford’s Dictionary, a sump is a pit in which liquid collects on the floor of a basement. This pit, more commonly referred to as a basin, is where the sump pump is stored.

I grew up around smokers and am used to living in a house full of smoke. When I got older, I ended up smoking too. As an avid hookah smoker, I know how bad it is for my health and my walls.

Leveling a yard is a process that is crucial to the aesthetics of your landscaping. Leveling your yard can save you from damage and foundation repairs. How much will you pay to level a yard you may ask? Let’s take a close look at the costs of the operation.

With their delectably sweet interior, papayas are great in an assortment of recipes including salads, smoothies, jams, and even milkshakes. This delicious fruit offers a number of health benefits when incorporated into your daily diet. Although papayas taste best when they are fresh, you can also store and savor them at a later time. Since they tend to be less common than other tropical fruits, you may be wondering how to store papaya. Well, we’re here to help!

Most people who buy trampolines do so because they have children. That doesn’t mean adults can’t enjoy trampolines, but you must at least consider your children. Their age, size, experience, and physical ability are all important safety factors. 

Fireplaces are a great centerpiece, that adds ambiance, and warmth, to any room. Since the fireplace is a focal point, you should try to keep the fireplace glass, as clean as possible. We have an unusual method for cleaning it, which makes it easy!

Your oven is essential for everything from an elaborate Thanksgiving dinner to a simple frozen pizza. You can bake cookies or broil vegetables with relative ease as long as your oven is functioning properly. In order to ensure your oven cooks consistently and evenly, you need to make sure it is clean and free of burnt debris. But exactly how do you know when it is time to deep-clean your oven?

Kerosene is known for being one of the most pungent types of fuel on the market, and if you are like many people out in the country, you sometimes have to carry it indoors during winter months. The only problem? Kerosene can spill, and when it does, it can reek and also stain your carpet something awful. So, what can you do if you’re faced with a kerosene spill?

One of the best ways to upcycle your old books is to donate them to a charity of your choice. There are dozens of charities you can choose from, as many charitable organizations are looking to improve their libraries.

One of the most important parts of many people’s work clothing is a good pair of steel-toe boots. Not only do the boots protect your feet from falling objects, but they can also support your ankles and arches as you go about your day. Work boots are often subject to water in various ways and come home wet. Many people wonder if you can put your steel toes boots in the clothes dryer.

Technology is great but sometimes it can be a problem. For example, if your washing machine has a lid lock sensor that locks automatically, that is awesome, right? But what if your washing machine thinks the lid is open when it is shut? The washing machine will not work until you convince your machine that it is shut.

If you’re a fan of Moscow mules, you definitely want to have a set of those majestic copper mugs in your drinkware collection. Not only do metal cups add a rustic flair to your bar, they are excellent thermal conductors. This means that they’ll keep your drinks chilled during the summer and warm in the fall.

If you struggle with squirrels running all over your roof, you know how annoying and distracting it can be. With the risk of squirrels chewing through your roof, there are steps you’ll need to take to keep the little critters at bay. Though their fluffy tails may be cute, we don’t want them gnawing their way into our attics. 

Ceiling fans are an important part of our homes that often gets overlooked. They keep us cool in summer, warm in the winter, and circulate air when we need it most.

Dusting your home is a chore that never goes away. Some parts of your home likely get dustier than others, and it can be quite difficult to keep up. Many homeowners have asked themselves the question: why is my bedroom so dusty?

Owning a fish tank is rewarding, even if it takes a lot of work. However, it’s easy to forget about how your fish tank can affect the rest of your house. So, can a fish tank cause mold?

Regardless of the size, type, brand, or age of your refrigerator, it won’t be completely silent and may even make some popping noises from time to time. This is simply due to the fact that there are a lot of mechanisms continually working within and around your refrigerator.

Who doesn’t like a good plate of pasta or spaghetti? This culinary classic is not only delicious but super easy to prepare. On top of that, it is an inexpensive meal to boot. For those reasons and more, you would be hard-pressed to find a home that hasn’t enjoyed this Italian delight at some point.

The air conditioning of our home can play an integral role in daily life. Especially in warmer climates or during the hotter months of the year, air conditioning that is working properly can make life a lot more comfortable. Perhaps you have begun noticing that your air conditioner is leaking water. So, what do you do? How do you fix this?