Housekeeping

Brita has been one of the most popular go-to’s for people who want to enjoy the taste of crisp, clean filtered water. The most common Brita device to get that delicious crispness is the Brita pitcher, a pitcher that comes with a built-in filter that you can replace. Of course, getting clean water isn’t going to happen if you don’t clean your pitcher.

Preparing to welcome a baby into your home involves self-reflection, careful thought, and planning. It’s easy to fall behind on household chores throughout this time, but doing so can make the situation unnecessarily stressful. That’s why we put together a list of household cleaning tips to consider before your baby is born.

It is quite rewarding to look at your fish tank, especially when the fish are healthy. The only downside of having a fish tank is that it requires lots of maintenance. Changing the water isn't fun, but it's necessary. So, how often should you change the water in a fish tank?

The water coming from our faucets may be purified, but that doesn’t mean it is pure. City water often has fluoride in it, and the pipes in your home can put other minerals in your water, too. Sometimes this can cause water discoloration, especially if you turn the water off for a period of time.

If you live along the coast, or in a region prone to severe weather, then you are likely aware of the danger of hurricanes and tropical storms. They can completely demolish homes and entire communities in their path. In some cases, you might even be ordered to evacuate your home when a hurricane is expected to hit. In other circumstances, it is your responsibility to hope for the best but plan for the worst. As you begin preparing your home and gathering emergency essentials, you might wonder exactly what you should buy at the grocery store to properly prepare your pantry for a hurricane.

Natural disasters affect 160 million people worldwide each year. While things like tornados, wildfires, and hurricanes are inevitable for some regions, it’s a good idea to prepare your home. If you live in an apartment, it can make these events seem a lot more frightening. 

If you’re like the average renter in my area, your landlord has a lease that stipulates that you need to have your carpets shampooed at least once a year. And let me tell you, shampooing your carpet is not exactly the easiest thing to plan out. This is doubly true when you realize you can’t actually step on the carpet until it dries. But…how long does that even take?

Whether you already have latex paint on the walls, or you need to paint over latex for another reason, you might be wondering if it is possible to cover them. Typically oil-based paint is a great option to choose for painting, but if you have latex down already, then it is not really a great decision.

Whether it's the drain in your kitchen sink or the one in your bathroom or shower, you’ve probably dealt with some annoying clogs. Clogs always appear at inconvenient times, especially if you don’t work hard to prevent them. You can avoid stubborn clogs if you keep up with a monthly drain maintenance routine.

A homeowner’s association (HOA) can be a great asset when living in a community full of diverse cultures. Although the HOA is not allowed to discriminate against anyone for any reason, they can help keep the neighborhood safe and comfortable. The HOA is an organization in a community that creates and enforces rules for the properties as well as the residents. The members of the HOA are those who live in the community.

When it comes to comfort, no other mattress beats memory foam mattresses. This is due to the ability to adapt to your body size and shape. However, memory foam mattresses can also get dirty, and if you’re looking to clean them, one question will cross your mind; can a memory foam mattress be steam-cleaned?

There simply is no substitute for 100% pure maple syrup. Many companies and brilliant minds have tried to replicate the nuanced sweetness that originates from maple tree sap, but you just can’t recreate nature. This is why pure maple syrup is commonly found in so many refrigerators. But if you only eat pancakes once in a great while, like around the holidays, you might wonder if your old opened bottle of sweet sappy syrup is still edible. After all, how long can maple syrup last in a fridge before it spoils?

No matter where your dryer is located, venting it is just as important as setting the dryer up itself. A dryer’s vent directs moisture and heat away from the dryer and out of the house. If you install a dryer without a vent, you run the risk of moisture building up, leading to mold, mildew, and water damage.

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?

The idea of spring cleaning always sounds like a good one, but when it’s time to do it, you’d rather be doing anything else. Most likely, it’s because you’ve put things off all year, envisioning pushing this giant reset button in the spring. But that’s when things become overwhelming, so why not get a head start?

A sprinkler system can be a multi-faceted tool that you can use for not only home protection but for properly watering gardens and landscaping. They are meant to make things easier but there are times where they simply won’t turn off and an adjustment doesn’t work.

Dealing with a broken window can be very frustrating. It can ruin your ability to control your home’s temperature and ruin your sense of security.

Carpet on stairs presents a few extra challenges when it comes to cleaning. It’s not like you can quickly run your vacuum across the steps. However, knowing how to clean carpet on stairs doesn’t take a lot of specialized knowledge or tools.

Ask any professional cleaning crew what kind of homes they can’t stand, and they’ll tell you it’s a hoarder’s house. Hoarders compulsively store everything they possibly can, including old food, pets, and trash. A hoarder house is always a threat to a person’s safety and health. Unfortunately, someone has got to clean those kinds of homes. If you’re stuck with the job, there are a lot of things you need to know…

Electric skillets are handy gadgets in the kitchen. Versatility is the name of the game with modern electric skillets. No longer just for frying, many new electric skillets allow you to pan fry, sauté, deep fry, or steam foods easily and quickly. However, many cooks wonder if they can put their electric skillet in the dishwasher.

A pressure washer can be a highly useful tool for a variety of projects around the house. You can use it to keep your patio clean or get nasty stains off of the concrete, plus many other different projects. But just like anything else, it can break down and stop working from time to time, and an annoying issue is when the pressure washer shuts off when the trigger is pulled.

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.

Blinds serve an important function in our home. With them, we have privacy and the ability to control how much light gets into each of our rooms.

A washer and dryer combo is an essential in any homes. Stacking a washer and dryer takes up less space than having them side by side, and it is quite common.

On-demand running water is a fantastic convenience that many of us could not imagine living without. Unfortunately, sometimes the system can have problems that cause the water to run at unexpected times. The sounds of running water in your walls and the threat of a leak can be very nerve-wracking. Here are some things you can do to identify and fix the issue.

Have you ever had mice activity in your home? If so, you know that their urine can leave an unpleasant odor behind. Mice can set up shop in just a few days, and they leave their droppings wherever they go. Not only can the smell be offensive, but their urine can also pose a health hazard to humans.

No matter how hard we try, wood kitchen cabinets can take a major beating over time. Nicks, dings, spills, and drips can build up over time to really wear down the once bright and shining cabinets. When that happens, it can make the entire kitchen feel worn and outdated.

Popular grains like rice, corn, and wheat are farmed and modified constantly and have been for more than one hundred years. These species are constantly being altered for various reasons, including lasting longer in the pantry, and higher yields. 

Borax is a naturally occurring mineral, one that’s mainly used to soften water. Water that includes calcium, magnesium, and other particles is classified as hard water, and borax is what turns hard water into soft water by way of exchanging sodium ions.

Of all of the pests homeowners face, bed bugs hit where it really hurts the most. The last thing that any sensible homeowner wants is to feel unsafe in their house. Unfortunately, bed bugs excel at making it difficult to get comfortable or feel safe in your own home.

It’s hard to get comfortable at home when your house smells musty. This is even harder when you struggle to track down the cause of the problem. So, what should you do when you can’t get rid of the musty smell in your house?

One thing to consider when you make a large batch of soup is whether or not the ingredients will freeze well. The main types of soups that don’t freeze well are creamy soups and those with delicate ingredients.

There are many different components to your fridge. When one of them goes bad, there is a chance that your fridge may not work efficiently and could stop working altogether. Identifying the various components can be difficult, particularly if you don’t know what to look for.

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…

With the weather quickly taking a turn to the colder, the topic of heating quickly becomes a priority. If you’re like most people, having a furnace that’s going bad might be an issue you want to take care of sooner rather than later. One of the more common issues people deal with is a bad HVAC blower motor. But, how can a casual DIYer figure out if a furnace blower motor went bad?

Some items with gluten are obvious, like bread and pasta. Fewer people know that soy sauce and other condiments contain gluten. If you love Asian cuisine, but can’t have soy sauce, then opt for coconut aminos. 

Salsa is the most popular condiment in America, beating out ketchup and mustard. Did you know that? Well, it’s true. And knowing that, it’s fairly easy to see why salsa stains have become commonplace in dining rooms. What many people don’t know is that there’s a chance that you can remove the stain before it actually sets. But…how?

Toilet bowl cleaner is a powerful disinfectant that leaves your entire bathroom smelling fresh. With such great results in your loo, it’s impossible not to wonder if using toilet bowl cleaner in the shower is appropriate, too (my apologies for the cheesy rhyme!)

There are many moving parts to any air conditioning unit, and when one goes bad, the whole system does too. One often overlooked but important part of an air conditioner is the capacitor, and it provides electrical energy. An AC capacitor is an integral part of your home’s air conditioning, but how much does it cost?

Laminate countertops are a great addition to any kitchen. They’re durable, look great, and are long-lasting. Just like anything else in your home, it can be affected by water damage. 

If you’re a frequent party host, parent to a big family, or simply store many cold beverages at home, you probably have an extra refrigerator in your garage. Often referred to as a “beer fridge,” garage fridges are a handy way to store the overflow from your kitchen fridge or bulk items that you’d like to have cold and ready to pop open. Some people even use garage refrigerators to freeze meat throughout the winter or store frozen meals for days when you don’t feel like cooking.

Power outages can throw a wrench in your plans and create a potentially dangerous environment at home. Generators can give any homeowner peace of mind when the power goes out to know that you can still run an important appliance. With that said, what will a 1,000-watt generator run?

Keeping your home cool provides improved comfort but it can also lead to an increase in electric bills each month. That can facilitate the need for homeowners to implement additional measures of cooling a home. Whole house fans are a common way of doing this, but some people worry that a whole house fan causes mold.

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.

Human beings have been drinking tea for thousands of years, which means the tea kettle is one of the oldest water-boiling devices. With a tea kettle, you can boil water without having to expose the water to a flame.

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.

Space heaters come in handy for all homeowners, especially during fall and winter. The majority of space heaters you’ll come across run at 1,500 watts, and that is likely what you have. Now that it’s getting cooler outside, your heater will run all day, but how much will it cost?

So many people struggle with dry air and have difficulty maintaining the perfect indoor humidity. That’s why many homeowners want a humidifier, but figuring out the best one can be tricky. So, what’s the difference between a whole-house humidifier and portable humidifier?

There are over 51,000 residential electrical fires every year. This results in around 500 deaths, over 1,400 injuries, and $1.3 billion in property damage. One question people often ask is, can an outlet catch fire with nothing plugged in?

Cold weather can be a nuisance for any homeowner between expensive heating bills and snow. Freezing temperatures can cause your pipes to freeze,  and that can lead to thousands of dollars worth of damage in some cases. So, how long does it take for pipes to freeze?

It is ideal to know exactly what you’re doing when you buy or fill a propane tank. That is especially true for a large, 100-pound propane tank which is quite useful but can be tricky to understand. So, how many gallons are in a 100-pound propane tank?

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

Freezing leftovers and any perishable food item you don’t plan on using immediately is a great way to preserve freshness. Food lasts longer in the freezer than it does in the refrigerator, and often tastes just as good once it is properly thawed. While food might last for upwards of months in the freezer, it doesn’t last forever. How long should you store food in the freezer before it goes bad?

Buying a new couch is an endeavor that’s filled with mixed emotions. It’s exciting, daunting, and nerve-wracking all at once. A new couch is a major investment, with many top brands charging thousands of dollars for a quality piece of furniture, and that’s before delivery. Since a couch is a significant and long-lasting investment, it’s essential to take the time to consider all the key factors involved in selecting the perfect one. 

Selling your home is a monumental task, full of things to do and boxes to check (and pack). Getting your house into tip-top shape increases your odds of a more successful sale. A solid checklist to prep your home before you list it keeps things from falling through the cracks.

If you’re looking for your mobile home to count as real property, you may be required to have a permanent foundation. Having a permanent foundation will broaden your financing options and make selling your home a whole lot easier.

Granite is a popular high-end material for sinks. While it looks beautiful and luxurious when you buy it, it can be hard to keep it that way.

This is a common misconception that we want to clear up straight away. Dryvit is actually the brand name for a specific EIFS manufacturer – not a type of siding itself. For clarity, throughout this article, Dryvit and EIFS will be used interchangeably to match the common parlance.

A ceiling fan can be an excellent addition to any home for both aesthetics, comfortability, and saving energy. In the wintertime, you can have the benefit of enjoying warm air being pushed down into your living areas. Whereas, in the summer, the fan will draw the excess warm air up and away.

High heating bills are among the most dreaded parts of winter. However, it is posible to turn the furnace off without sacrificing warmth and comfort. Staying warm at home during the winter without heating is much easier than you may think.