Housekeeping

When we think of a circuit breaker that keeps tripping, common wisdom would be that you’re dealing with a home that’s using up too much energy. So, if it’s happening to you, you might unplug some stuff. But, sometimes, the breaker just will keep tripping regardless of how much stuff you unplug. Clearly, it’s not energy consumption anymore. So, what gives?

Whether you are using propane for your BBQ cookout or heating your home, it can be challenging to know how much propane is left in your tank. Especially because most propane tanks do not come with a gauge, you may never know how to tell how much fuel is remaining. Suddenly running out of propane is a drag. Especially if you are using a 100 lb tank, you definitely want to know how much fuel you have remaining.  Luckily there are a few ways to check the level of propane anytime you need.

When I’m in the kitchen, I often have to grab a saucepan’s handle while it’s been firing up food on the stovetop. It’s a classic part of cooking. Without fail, the handle on my saucepan will heat up. How much it heats up can vary, but it’ll be warm to the touch at the very least. Have you ever wondered what the deal was with this?

Textured shower pans provide extra friction to help you not slip and fall in your wet shower. Unfortunately, they also create nooks and crannies in which soap scum can build up. The texture makes it harder to clean than smooth shower surfaces, so here are some creative solutions.

If nobody ever told you not to pour coffee grounds down your sink into the garbage disposal, now you know. Coffee grounds are not supposed to go down the drain. Throw them in the garbage or use them for your garden compost. They are good for your soil.

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.

The heat exchanger in your furnace is a group of tubes and coils. These tubes and coils heat the air that then shoots out into your home or workplace. There are many reasons why your furnace heat exchanger can go bad, and if this happens you need to act quickly.

Water softeners are necessary for homeowners with a high mineral content in their water. However, it can be off-putting to find brown water in the salt tank. So, why is it that your water softener salt tank has brown water?

Is there anything worse than going through the trouble of washing your towels, but they stink like a sweaty locker room? (Okay, there are probably lots worse things, but after you spend time doing laundry, nothing else comes to mind at that moment.) You should have fresh, clean linens, so why do your towels smell after washing?

Have you ever noticed how on the back of frozen foods, the microwave instructions are never “one size fits all?” You hope that they provide a wattage chart so that you can determine the amount of time the food needs in your particular microwave. Still, you need to know how many watts your microwave uses.

If there is one thing that homeowners dread, it’s water damage. Water damage can warp wood, destroy particle board, and also cause mold to grow throughout your home. That’s what makes flooding such a nightmare to deal with. If you have particle board cabinets that have been affected by water damage, it’s easy to panic and worry that you will have to replace them. Good news: you might not have to.

Double-sided tape is a tool used around the home for both repair and modification. It’s incredibly versatile and can prove helpful in a wide variety of situations.

There could be many reasons for needing or wanting to drain your Keurig coffee maker. It could be a move, or perhaps it’s being sold, or maybe it just hasn’t been used for a while and needs refreshing. Perhaps it is even that new shiny Keurig model that goes so well with your new kitchen remodel? Whatever the reason is, it inevitably leads to one question above all others, and that question is about how to drain a Keurig B60.

Pet owners often view their dogs and cats as their furry children and would do anything to protect them. That’s why finding fleas, ticks, roundworms, and other pests on your pet can make your home a stressful environment. So, can you stay in a house with fleas?

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!

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?

Mobile homes can make for a more cost-effective investment for homebuyers and investors alike. While they may offer smaller spaces to work with, they can be brought up to current, luxurious standards and be made into a smaller, space-effective home.

LED lights have revolutionized the energy efficiency of lighting fixtures. Integrated LED lights give homeowners a unique lighting setup that can last for a decade in many cases. So, can an integrated LED light bulb be replaced?

When non-stick cookware was first introduced decades ago, it was seen as a revolution in cooking. As time passed, people learned there were some serious health risks to the technology. While non-stick coatings are safer than when they first came out, they still contain “forever chemicals” and come with renewed skepticism, which may have you wondering if non-stick cookware is safe to use.

Why does my house smell like a permanent marker? This is the first question that will cross your mind when you notice the smell. However, before you start finding the reasons behind the smell, it’s best to remember that the odor is never a good sign, since it points to a problem somewhere in your house.

Refrigerators have a wide range of weights depending on capacity and conveniences. A refrigerator is one of the heaviest standard appliances in the home, and for many residents, it has gotten larger and larger. But before purchasing your fridge, it’s important to know how much a refrigerator weighs.

Most snow is tracked into the home from your shoes. Therefore, the best way to prevent it from reaching far into your home is to stop it where it enters. Most homes have doormats outside. In the winter, it’s wise to have mats on the inside of your home as well.

Ceramic mugs are great for a lot of reasons. One can customize a ceramic mug to make it unique, and often ceramic mugs hold sentimental value. And of course, ceramic mugs make it easy to drink hot liquids like tea and coffee.

For some people, too much dust in their house makes them self-conscious about their cleaning habits. But for others, excessive dust leads to constant sneezing, itchy eyes, and other health problems, as it triggers significant allergic reactions. Whether for your health, your home’s appearance, or both, there are easy ways to reduce dust in your home.

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. 

Having a wavy roof may sound like fun but it really isn’t. In fact, it can be a sign of something majorly wrong up there. Wavy roofs are not normal, and they do not happen on their own naturally. So, what are some of the reasons your roof can look wavy.

Unfortunately, urine can leave stains and smells on clothes even after they have been laundered. It can seem that the odor is an unpleasant permanent feature of the affected garments. However, various natural and chemical products can return the item to its original fresh-smelling state. 

Your water heater is an essential part of your home. It is responsible for heating all your water, from sinks to showers to the washing machine. 

It’s a new house, and you don’t want to mar those beautiful ceilings by drilling holes to hang your plants. Or, you are in a new apartment, and the landlord is explicit about no holes in the wall or ceilings. So, how do you hang plants from a ceiling without drilling holes?

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.

Concrete is considered to be one of the most affordable flooring options, also requiring very little maintenance. If you ever accidentally drip paint onto your concrete floor, it can be a time-consuming endeavor to remove. However, with the proper tools, knowledge, and patience, you’ll have that undesirable paint spill cleaned up in no time.

There are a variety of materials out there that present different advantages. We tend to like leather not only for its stylish look but for the fact that it is also quite durable. There is a substance known as Nubuck that is quite similar in nature to not only leather but suede as well.

Homeowners are rightfully worried about keeping their sewer systems in pristine shape, and that includes keeping an eye out for strange happenings. One of the more alarming occurrences that can happen to your sewage line is to see your cleanout cap pop off on its own accord.

The armadillo is a cunning creature. Though fascinating in body and build, the armadillo can become a backyard pest. If your yard is becoming the new armadillo vacation hub, you may be wondering: what makes my yard so inviting and what can I do to keep them away?

When it comes to keeping your home warm, oil remains one of the most reliable options on the market. It doesn’t short out during lightning storms, it is easy to operate, and it also is guaranteed to keep you toasty. However, when you first get a home with an oil tank, there can be a little bit of a learning curve. This is especially true if you aren’t sure what size heating oil tank you have.

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.

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.

It is okay for a washing machine to shake a little bit during the spin cycle. This happens when clothes move around and slap the sides of the drum. The combination of the impact of the clothes and the washing machine spinning makes it shake.

Streaks of rust coating your vinyl siding will harm your home’s curb appeal. In addition to being an eyesore, rust stains present a challenge when trying to clean the exterior of your home. Thankfully, there are several solutions to this problem. Below you will learn how rust stains happen, what you can do to remove them, and how to keep them away for good. 

For many homeowners, choosing the grade of oil they use in their lawn mower can be tricky. A common oil grade that people use in their lawn mower is SAE30. However, many people wonder whether or not they can swap out the SAE30 in favor of 10W30.

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.

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?

The last thing that any builder-owner wants to discover is mold, but it happens every day. Mold is quite common, and it grows due to dark and damp conditions. When you suspect that those weird looking spots are mold, it’s time for an inspection, but at what cost?

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/

On a cold winter night, it can be comfortable to cozy up by your gas fireplace, so much so that it may make falling asleep much easier. However, you may wonder, is it okay to leave it going during the night?

If you are relocating and taking along your gas dryer, you may want to know if you can convert it to electric. To answer this question, it’s important to know the differences between these types of dryers.

Clogged drains can cause problems in the kitchen and bathroom. The last thing anyone wants is their kitchen sink to back up or their clogged tub drain overflowing. Luckily, in many cases, white vinegar is the perfect home remedy for unclogging drains, depending on the cause.

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?

Modern homeowners rely on the convenience of electrical outlets to power household appliances. Unfortunately, electrical outlets go bad over time just like every other part of the home. So, how often should electrical outlets be replaced?

Brass is one of the most popular metals for home decor, especially if you are fond of the “old world” style. It’s coppery, yet a little more gold. Unfortunately, brass also happens to be one of the more high-maintenance metals, so it’s important to know how to keep brass from tarnishing.

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.

The average homeowner keeps bleach around to clean the house or even do laundry. There is no denying that bleach is an effective cleaner, but it is hard to get past the strong smell. So, what can you do if your house smells like bleach after cleaning?

Many people use humidifiers to solve a problem with dry air in their home. It's a great solution, unless you find something concerning in a humidifier. So, what is the black stuff in my humidifier?

Picture Juliet stepping out onto her balcony to speak with Romeo, and you have the perfect image of a French balcony. There was just enough room for Juliet on her small perch. In fact, these balconies are often referred to as “Juliet balconies.”

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.

Several variables influence how long tortillas stay fresh, including the type of tortilla, and how they are stored. Generally speaking, tortillas stay fresh for about one week when stored in the pantry, one month when stored in the fridge, and three months when stored in the freezer. To help your tortillas taste fresh and delicious for longer, you’ll want to follow the tips listed below.

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.

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. 

Knotty pine is one of the most classic natural materials used in home decor, lending itself easily to several styles. That often makes it hard to decide exactly how to design a room around it.

One downside of a wet climate is that dirt turns into mud, which can damage cars and dirty up houses. This doesn’t bode well for dirt roads or driveways primarily made up of soil and gravel. Luckily though, there are ways to fix your muddy driveway.