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If you’ve noticed it’s harder than usual to find bleach online or in retail stores, you’re not alone. But it’s not the only option for cleaning your home. Here’s why bleach is in short supply, and what experts say you can use instead. Why Is Bleach in Short Supply? The short answer is COVID-19. The global pandemic continues to disrupt the supply chain, with a shortage of essential workers (many of them out sick) contributing to shipping delays....

Family Handyman Adding a Colored Finish If you want to apply a colored finish to new furniture, choose one that you can renew fairly easily, because no finish is likely to last more than three to five years. We recommend either a semi-transparent or a solid exterior stain. The solids will protect the wood longer than the semi-transparent stains. Use either an oil-based or water-based formula. Latex (water-based) is easier to clean up and will usually last longer....

Jet Cat Studio/Shutterstock Caring for Poinsettias, Christmas Cactus, and More Plants are popular gifts, but novice and experienced gardeners alike can use some tips on how to care for them after the holidays have ended. Here are some of the most popular Christmas plants as holiday gifts and how to care for them. Poinsettia Many people simply keep their poinsettias around until they’ve lost their colored leaves, and then throw them out....

Skylights are a fantastic way to bring natural light into a room. But they’re not that energy efficient, and make it difficult to darken a room during daytime. That’s where skylight shades come in. Types of Skylight Shades Skylight shades are typically custom-made to fit a skylight’s precise dimensions. They come in all kinds of materials with varying degrees of effectiveness. On This Page Densely-made room darkening or “blackout” shades will completely block sunlight from entering a room, even during the brightest times of the day....

In any cabin or vacation home, good windows in the right locations offer more than just glorious sunrise and sunset views. They also let in natural light and cooling breezes. The right windows also help save on energy costs and contribute to the homeyness of your cabin. When choosing cabin windows, keep these tips in mind. Walk Around Your Property Determine where you want your windows and consider their impact inside and out....

Burdun Iliya/Shutterstock Have you ever been taking a relaxing bath, only to look up and notice black mold growing on the ceiling? Yuck. It’s a problem no one wants to deal with, but unfortunately is a common occurrence in bathrooms—especially if your home is located in a moist climate. The good news is, you don’t have to live with that mold forever. Find out how to clean black spots in the bathroom with a few supplies and a little elbow grease....

I couldn’t wait to dig up some of my dad’s peonies to plant in my own garden. I don’t know where he got them, but when I dug them up, they had already been in his garden for close to 40 years. And now they’ve been in my garden for more than 20 years! In every one of those 60 years, late in the season, powdery mildew showed up on the leaves....

Lowe’s recently announced its new MVPs Pro Rewards and Partnership Program, a revamped shopping experience for professional customers. The updates to this program were based on insights from Lowe’s State of the Pro report, a study the retailer conducted to learn how to better serve its pro customers. “We’re deepening our partnership with Pro customers because when they succeed, we succeed,” said Tony Hurst, Lowe’s senior vice president of Pro, Services and International....

Just like people, pools should get regular health check-ups. By practicing some simple, basic maintenance, you can help maximize the life of your pool—keep it at the center of family activities for years to come. And why wouldn’t you want to? After all, according to some surveys, the average cost of an in-ground pool ranges from around $20,000 to more than $42,000, including materials and labor. That’s some serious coin—an investment well worth protecting....

Whether you’re after clarity on a work project or simply want to connect with your people, video calling apps deliver the virtual face time you seek. We rounded up 10 popular options, including a handy table outlining the benefits and limitations of each. They’re all free to some degree, so try out a few that look like winners to help zero in on the best video calling option for you....

What Makes Soil Types Different? Soil is a lot more than just dirt. Soil gives plants the nutrients and water they need to survive and thrive. It also helps them breathe, and provides an anchor for their roots to grow deeply. If your soil is lacking in any way, your plants could suffer. Knowing what kind of soil works best with different species of plants is the key to growing a healthy garden....

Thiti Sukapan/Shutterstock Grocery shopping can be really fun, but when you breeze through the aisles without investigating pricing, you can end up with a hefty bill at the end of your trip. To avoid a jaw-dropping number at the check-out counter, take advantage of unit pricing. This is the best day of the week to go grocery shopping if you want to save money. To really make the most of your grocery shopping, saving money is just as crucial as getting the goods you came to buy....

Rasps and files may not be the first shop items beginning DIYers think to acquire. But much like clamps, rasps and files seem to magically proliferate, and most accomplished woodworkers accumulate a wide array. In this article we’ll explore these unsung heroes of the woodworking world, explaining why rasps are so well-loved by woodworkers and what you’ll need to start your own collection. What Is a File? A file is a hand tool with rows of metal teeth across its face....

Car smog is the excess exhaust and other harmful health hazards and environmental pollutants that escape from your vehicle into the atmosphere. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. transportation sector annually accounts for 28 percent of all airborne pollutants released into the atmosphere. The introduction of On-Board Diagnostics, Second Generation (OBD II) considerably reduced the amount of smog (a derivative of smoke and fog) produced and released by internal combustion engines....

Gardening is a forgiving hobby. If you forget to water once, plants will usually bounce back after their next good soak. But there are a few bad habits that can hold a garden back. We asked two master gardeners to share some of the most common mistakes they see in the garden and how to fix them. Here are the things that master gardeners wouldn’t do in their own gardens — things you should avoid, too....

A Low-Vibration Sander There’s not one BIG thing we love about Rockwell’s new Vibrafree random orbital sander—it’s a lot of little things. The split disc has inner and outer rings (one turns clockwise, the other counterclockwise) that counteract each other for less vibration. The split-disc design also provides a larger opening for more efficient dust collection (using either the clear collector shown or the vacuum attachment included). The sander feels good in the hand, and we like the variable speed – not a revolutionary feature on an RO sander, but like we said, it’s the little things....

If you love the great outdoors, we’ve got a sale for you. Backcountry is offering huge discounts now during their semiannual sale! Quality adventure gear can be expensive, which is why this is the perfect time to get those spendier items you’ve been eyeing. You’ll save up to 60 percent on everything you need for camping, hiking, climbing, biking and more. Shopping pro tip: End of season sales are the best time to get discounted gear, like a winter jacket for 50 percent off....

Syda Productions/Shutterstock “Flooring matters tremendously when selling a home,” Stephan Burke, director of luxury real estate at Cassis Burke Collection with Brown Harris Stevens, told realtor.com. “It immediately influences if the buyer will like the house as they walk into every room and hallway, kitchen, and even exterior patio.” So, can the right flooring actually increase your home’s value? The answer is, yes. Wood Flooring When it comes to increasing your home value with new flooring, wood is your best option....

There are no shortage of “homeowner habits” that dictate the way we interact with our homes. Some are founded on solid principles. Others we pick up without thinking them through. One example is the common practice of running water when you use your garbage disposal. It seems to make sense, but does it really make a difference? In this instance, the answer is a definite yes! If your garbage disposal works great but the splash guard is crusty, here’s how to replace a garbage disposal splash guard....

Just ten years ago, cordless impact drivers were a specialty tool, rare on jobsites and scarce on store shelves. Today, you’ll see several models at any tool retailer and hear their machine-gun chatter wherever there’s construction. Here’s what you need to know when you’re looking to buy an impact driver of your own. It’s All About Torque Impact drivers have one overwhelming advantage over standard drills and drivers: enormous torque. Basically, that means you can drive a big screw (or bore a big hole) with a small driver....