Housekeeping

It is hard to imagine how cold water could prompt hot water to move through your water lines. Hot water heaters are a very simple appliance that does this very thing, giving your home access to hot water when you need it most.

When you have no clothespins, but you have a home office with supplies, then you’re in luck. Binder clips are great for keeping documents together and can work just as well as clothespin alternatives.

Pets help make a house a home. They provide unconditional love, companionship, and are proven to make people happier. While pets have endless benefits, they can also leave a lot of hair all over your home. This can cause severe allergies for some, and can leave your house looking dirty all the time. If your home is always covered in pet hair, you’ll want to find ways to cut back on how much hair your pet leaves in the house.

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. 

If your neighbor just moved in, there’s a good chance they haven’t settled in and made their house feel lively yet. In that case, you can help inject their house with personality if you give them a houseplant or two. That said, the last thing your neighbor wants is a houseplant that’s demanding and hard to take care of.

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?

Basil is a popular herb used in kitchens around the world, known for its intense flavor and sweet smell. Although originally found in tropical Africa and Southeast Asia, this member of the mint family has given birth to several varieties that we use worldwide. Sweet basil, or Genovese basil, is more commonly used in our kitchens today. Basil is easy to grow in your home or garden, but beware of any basil leaves turning black.

This article isn’t to stop you from your dreams of creating an organized refrigerator. By all means, sort and categorize your food to your heart’s content, so meal prep or grabbing a snack isn’t a hassle. But know that fridgescaping goes beyond simple organizing and could actually be counterproductive.

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.

Indoor plants are a fantastic way to bring color, life, and even oxygen into an indoor space. They help cleanse the air and give a natural feel to an otherwise man-made space. Often, indoor plants require very little maintenance and need water once a week or even less. But from time to time, just like with any item in your home, indoor plants get dusty. This can give your otherwise green and vibrant indoor plant a dull and dirty look. But what do you do when your indoor plants start to collect dust?

Pex manifolds are a fairly new way of running plumbing in your home. Pex is an acronym for cross-linked polyethylene. Rather than using the typical old rigid piping system, the Pex tubing is a more forgiving and flexible material that has a variety of incentives for using it over copper pipes.

A dehumidifier can be a great addition to any home in climates that are particularly humid. Not only can it be quite uncomfortable to live in that kind of humidity, but the added moisture can be a major detriment for the health and cleanliness of your home.

Recessed light fixtures are often a significant part of interior design. Home inspectors and electricians recommend that all recessed light fixtures carry an IC or IC-AT rating. Without paying someone to come to look at your lights, how do you tell if recessed lighting is IC rated?

You cannot legally leave your old furniture on the curb. It’s considered a hazard to put furniture on the street, and you can receive fines in some states and municipalities. There are exceptions to the rule if you call your trash collection service and request a large item pickup.

Moving blankets protect your furniture from scratches, dents, and any other damage during the moving process. Whether you recently rented a moving blanket or invested in one, it’s useful to know how to care for it.

Rugs make for a great complimentary design feature in a home. They come in a ton of different color and fabric options, allowing for mixing and matching to create the perfect design aesthetic. Braided rugs are often handmade, providing that one-of-a-kind look to a room.

Gutters serve the important function of directing water away from your house, and they are a fixture of every house. Every builder-owner knows the importance of good gutters and the trouble that having them can save.

Hail can cause a significant amount of damage to your home and your property. It may look relatively unharmful, but it can pack some power upon landing.

Tune in to any weather report during the fall or winter and you’re likely hearing something about wind chill. If you live in a part of the country famous for having icy conditions, you’re probably very familiar with that term already.

Wondering why you should devote extra time to designing your home office? For one thing, you’ll get more done and be less stressed when you do it. Your work environment shapes how you feel and approach things, so if it’s chaotic, you’ll likely feel the same way.

If you’ve spent a lot of time cultivating a beautiful garden, you don’t want pesky invaders taking over your space. Invasive species like the Virginia creeper steal resources from other plants in the area. This can easily lead to a dead garden.

If there’s one thing that has always stood out to me, it’s the popularity of sheepskin rugs. They’re rustic, retro, and oh, so soft! I have a sheepskin rug, but I’ve never really used it for much. Why? Because for the longest time, I had no idea how to clean it. Thankfully, I found out how fairly recently…

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?

Have the lights in your home ever flickered out? The fear of a power outage is real. However, a solar generator can put your mind at ease. They are quiet, efficient, and portable. Whether you reside in the country or city, solar generators are a useful tool. It may seem like solar generators are super high tech – while they are cool, a portable solar generator can be built by any motivated person. 

No home is complete without a refrigerator. While modern refrigerators are impressive, they are not infallible and are prone to many problems. We all want our refrigerators to be cold, but not cold enough to freeze the food. Many homeowners have asked themselves the question: why is my refrigerator freezing my food?

A silicone sealant, also known as caulk, is used to provide a waterproof seal between bathtub or shower and the wall that it adjoins. Without that waterproof seal, moisture can get into the gaps and lead to mold growth if left unattended.

Bathroom ventilation is essential to prevent mold growth, mildew, and odors from lingering. However, it is easy said than done to vent a bathroom when you have no outside access. So, how can you vent a bathroom with no outside access?

The number one reason why clothes contain detergent residue when you take them out of the wash is that you used too much detergent. If you use double the amount of detergent you should, it can be hard or impossible to remove all the soap from the water before the cycle completes.

If you are leaving your house for the summer, there are quite a few things that you should do. The temperature inside the home is as important as the temperature outside. Making sure that it stays in the correct range will lower your risk of any problems.

A propane heater is a valuable and versatile investment that can heat your house or warm your mobile home or camper. Also, it can operate in a power outage, making it a boon during emergencies or natural disasters. But, you need to make sure you have enough propane, so how much propane does a 30,000 BTU heater use?

Having kids is equally fun, stressful, heartwarming, and fulfilling, but it comes with a lot of work. Keeping the house clean while simultaneously tending to all of your child’s needs takes a lot of coordinating and experience. You’re not alone if you’ve ever struggled with keeping your house clean with kids, especially if they’re young.

Wallpaper from the late 70s might make you nostalgic for grandma’s house, but it can make your home feel seriously outdated. If you’re looking to update your home, it might be time to remove that old wallpaper. But what is the best way to remove the wallpaper? You don’t have to buy expensive equipment. You can use vinegar and fabric softener!

If you get a rush every time you enter HomeGoods, you might already know exactly when to snag the best deals and find unique items. But what if you can’t find what you’re looking for to complete your latest home design dreams? When does HomeGoods restock so you can get your hands on that prized bookend or cushy throw pillow set?

There’s nothing like a cozy evening spent by the fire. It’s why so many of us prioritize purchasing homes with fireplaces in them.

A flooded septic tank is nothing to mess around with. Your septic tank is responsible for draining all the wastewater from your home, so a flooded one poses a problem. A flooded septic tank can cause sewage to back up into your home’s drains and emit a foul odor. This is a stinky problem you’ll have to deal with sooner rather than later.

Just like most household appliances, using a microwave oven for several years often leads to wear and tear inside the cavity walls. Due to consistent usage, the inner walls start to rust, resulting in the interior paint peeling.

Yeti is one of the most trusted brands when it comes to reusable drinkware. With their quality and effectiveness, this shouldn’t come as surprise. But there’s one important question that is shared by many Yeti cup users: are Yeti Dishwasher safe?

Water softener systems remove minerals from water that would otherwise lead to hard water. Hard water is when too many minerals build-up, and it can leave residue and weaken detergent. Because of that, homeowners use water softeners, such as the WaterBoss 900, to remove excess minerals from their water.

We often don’t understand how essential electrical outlets are to our daily lives until one stops working. If you’re experiencing only one outlet that’s dead and the others are unaffected, you may simply have a dead outlet. An outlet that isn’t functioning is not only inconvenient, but it can also be a fire hazard. That’s why it needs to be addressed as soon as possible and if you ever feel uncomfortable with the tasks you’re doing, call a professional.

A Sealy Posturepedic mattress gives the benefits of fabric, foam, and coil construction, all working together. Almost all mattresses made nowadays are one-sided, meaning that there is no need to flip them.

One popular dog breed for those who are prone to canine allergies is the Maltese. This pooch may be known for its flowing white hair, but don’t let it scare you off. This dog breed sheds very little, and hanging on to most of its coat also prevents dander and allergens from spreading around your home.

You’ve emptied your schedule, gathered supplies, and are ready to pressure wash your driveway when — nothing happens. Your pressure washer won’t start. What gives?

As the coldest months of the year are approaching, owning a heated mattress pad becomes a necessity. They are ideal for cuddling up after a long chilly day, as they deliver maximum warmth on days that are so cold that you just want to stay in bed. Not to mention, they can help you remain at a consistent, comfortable temperature overnight thus improving your quality of sleep.

Fleas are a nightmare for any homeowner whether you have pets or not. Sometimes, flea activity stays local to a single room or area in the house without spreading. So, can you flea bomb one room and stay in the house?

Mice are small, fuzzy members of the rodent family that can cause just as many issues as the closely related rats and other large rodents. Not to mention, the bubonic plague, or Black Death, that occurred during the Middle Ages was carried by mice. It’s because of them that around half of Europe’s population perished from the plague.

How many times have you caught yourself getting ready to set that hot pan on your laminate countertop? And you probably have cringed every time you see one of your kids do exactly that. Even though you tell them not to. While laminate is a nice and inexpensive countertop material, it is not known for being the strongest one.

In life, most things are not free, but sometimes you can get lucky. When you can score something for free it always feels good, and often the product seems to work even better than if you bought it. 

If you are looking to build or repair something, then liquid nails are a fantastic tool to use. When using real nails, you have the possibility of hurting your hands by hitting them with a hammer. This can be tiring, cause pain, and be all-around frustrating. There are also times when a space is too tight to get into with a hammer and a nail. In cases like these, we recommend using liquid nails!

The simple answer is that you should clean everything when you move out, but it’s more complicated than that. We’ve put together a cleaning checklist for moving out that isn’t meant to be done in any specific order. Instead, you can use this checklist as a guideline to clean up and get your deposit back at your pace, depending on your move-out schedule.

When you book through Airbnb, you need to realize the host, not the company, dictates the cancellation policy. This means some reservations are nonrefundable from the moment you book, while others you can cancel up until the night before.

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a sauce more versatile than tomato sauce. It can be used in all kinds of savory applications. Use it to stew meat, simmer beans, and of course, tomato sauce also pairs splendidly with pasta.

Have you ever driven through the countryside, through farming areas? You may have passed by farms with vast fields set far apart from the barn. How do farmers contain their animals in a setup like this? How did the electric fence span the whole area of the field when the barn so far away? Doesn’t an electric fence have to create a loop for it to work?

In the world of construction, whether concrete, brick, or steel, the SDS rotary hammer drill is one of the highest-caliber drills on the market.  Because of the design, however, the drill requires unique drill bits to accomplish the job.

Fall marks not only the end of unbearably hot weather, but also the start of pumpkin season. In addition to pumpkin spice everything at your local markets and cafes, fall is a season where you find fresh pumpkins and squash in nearly every grocery store and garden center. With so many of these iconic fall vegetables to choose from, you may find it difficult to choose the perfect pumpkins and squash to bring into your home.

Kitchen cabinets can take quite a beating throughout their lifespan. They are constantly exposed to temperature fluctuations, dirt, dust, and grease. Not only is it difficult to keep them clean, but it’s hard to prepare them before you repaint or stain them. What is the best degreaser for kitchen cabinets?

Cats, like many animals, have a strong sense of smell, which you can use to your advantage. Many smells deter cats, such as thyme. Many people love the smell, but cats dislike it enough to avoid your counters altogether. 

When you buy a home with a septic system, you should first know what that septic system entails. There are things you can and cannot do when you have a septic system. Just like there are things you can and cannot use in your sinks and toilets if you have a septic system. It is important that you know these things before deciding to buy a home with a septic system.

Vaseline is considered to be one of the most useful household products on the market. It can moisturize your body. It can help lubricate items that squeak. It can also be turned into DIY lip gloss and more. Unfortunately, petroleum jelly is not one of those things that works well with carpeting. Ask anyone who’s spilled it on their carpet, and they’ll agree. How do you even lift this type of stain?

Bugs are a pesky invader anywhere in your home. If you find bugs in your kitchen, it can be especially horrible. This can spell trouble for all the food you’ve got in the pantry! 

We all heard Elvis Presley’s “Blue Suede Shoes,” but what about your blue suede couch? Suede is one of the hottest options for couches as well as couch covers. It’s satiny, leather, and absolutely gorgeous. It’s a good choice for matte looks. But, how do you wash suede couch covers, or at the very least, keep it clean?