The winter season is here and you know the drill: four to five months of heavy clothes and generally freezing every time you venture outside. This is especially true for people who live in the Northeast or Midwest. Regardless of where you live, don’t get caught unprepared if Old Man Winter stops by for an unexpected visit as severe weather conditions could cause real damage to your car or home....
Everybody loves their laundry to be sparkling white and using bleach is a common way to achieve this. But, bleach is not the only or the best option. Bleach can be harmful to your health and the environment. Why is Bleach a Bad Option? It can be dangerous. Curious kids will sometimes spill or even drink bleach—check out these tips for making your home safer for young children. If bleach is mixed with other substances (such as vinegar), it produces toxic fumes....
As a professional gardener, Tami Gallagher has spent a lot of time working with a lot of different tools. Gardening is tough, dirty work, and Gallagher knows exactly what she needs for each task. Here are some of her favorite gardening tools for everyday use. FAMILY HANDYMAN, VIA MERCHANT (6) Husky Tool Pouch Being a gardener means Gallagher doesn’t use a traditional “toolbox.” Instead, she relies on this Husky Tool Pouch to keep everything organized and within reach....
Maybe Santa didn’t bring the tools you wanted this year, or maybe your New Year’s resolution is to get a head start on DIY projects that require new gadgets. Either way, tool deals are the perfect excuse to pick up new equipment at a low price. From drills to saws, these tool sales make stocking the workshop easy on your wallet. The Best Tool Deals DeWalt Screwdriver Bit Set via merchant...
Security cameras are a great addition to your home security system. They can be placed outside to alert you to intruders, on your door to identify visitors, or inside your home to keep track of pets or small children. While security cameras have lots of uses, there are also many kinds. Here’s a guide to how they work and the different types you may come across while picking out a security camera for your home....
The year 2020 was the year of toilet paper shortages, and the year Americans realized there’s more than one way to clean up after using the restroom. Enter: the bidet. Bidets are a bathroom standard in Asia and Europe, but until recently few Americans chose to clean themselves with water instead of toilet paper. That is, until COVID-19 hoarding made toilet paper hard to find. Kohler Co., a U.S. based plumbing product manufacturer, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel back in March its bidet sales were up eightfold over March 2019....
Motorcycles weren’t designed for winter use. Cold starts are hard on engines, salted roads can corrode paint and metal finishes and motorcycle tires offer poor traction on snowy, wet roads. Many people choose to store their motorcycles during the cold winter months to prevent these damaging effects. Unfortunately, failing to properly prepare your motorcycle for winter storage can damage it as well. Make sure you take the following steps to keep your motorcycle safely stored until warmer weather returns....
Question: My gearhead neighbor keeps telling me I should quit using my 12-point sockets and buy a set of six-points. Is this really necessary? Answer: It’s true that 12-point sockets are fine for most lightweight repairs, but heavy wrenching calls for a six-point socket. A six-point socket is much less likely to slip off a stubborn fastener or round over the corners. Here’s why: (1) Six-point sockets have thicker walls, so they’re less likely to flew....
What could be more relaxing on a winter’s day than a long soak in the bathtub, accompanied by the flicker of flames from a bathroom fireplace? In the past, this level of luxury would have necessitated an extensive bathroom remodel. That’s no longer true according to Michael Clarke, founder of the app Pulled, dedicated to design and construction resources for homeowners. Many newer prefab fireplaces are basically plug-and-play, and even those that are not still only require minimal installation....
If you’ve been on social media or watched any cable news lately, you might have noticed some hysteria about the federal government possibly banning gas stoves. There’s even been some heated rhetoric about authorities marching into homes to remove gas stoves. That’s not actually happening, nor is it going to happen. As usual with these situations, the reality is more nuanced. There are health risks associated with gas stoves, but nobody’s coming to take away anyone’s appliances....
dedek/Shutterstock Are you a wood lover? If you can’t imagine why anyone would cover the beautiful grain in a maple table or the vibrant color of a cherry stair rail, and if you long to restore wood to its natural beauty, keep reading. We’ll tell you where to find the best paint remover for wood and the best way to remove paint from interior and exterior wood and furniture. Tools and Supplies You’ll Need to Remove Paint from Wood Before beginning any paint removal project, you want to assemble all the tools you’ll need....
Richard P Long/shutterstock Backyard feeders offer a food source for neighborhood birds when wild pickings are scarce, especially in winter. Birds could get by in any season without your offerings, no doubt, but it’s clear they enjoy the sun flower seed buffets. During the summer months, however, when bugs and plants are prevalent, many wonder: Should I be feeding the birds? The short answer is that it’s perfectly fine to feed birds year-round, with proper care....
Introduction Battery-powered yard tools are taking over, but it’s not quite the end for gasoline and small engines. You can keep yours running smoothly for years with regular maintenance and some inside knowledge. On This Page I talked with Dave Cheney of DC Carb and learned gallons of tips on small engine maintenance. Plus, he showed us how to rebuild a carburetor, which is not as scary at it sounds....
What is Recessed Lighting? Recessed lighting refers to lighting fixtures built up into a ceiling, rather than hanging from it. The bulb can be enclosed in a tubular can to focus the light straight downward. There are also canless recessed lights. On This Page Recessed lighting can be retrofitted, but is most often done during construction. It’s ideal in rooms with low ceilings, or where you want to add directional light to a focal point....
Isn’t it annoying when you’re snuggled in for the night and your car alarm goes off? At first, you worry someone is messing with your car, so you jump up to check on it. After a few nights of false alarms, though, you learn to keep your key fob on your nightstand and don’t even check. Those false alarms defeat the purpose of having a car security system in the first place....
images72/Shutterstock Why Choosing the Right Toilet Paper Matters Toilets clog for a number of reasons, but one reason few consider is the type of toilet paper they use. While all toilet paper dissolves eventually, the speed at which it breaks down is what matters. Slow dissolving toilet paper can get caught in your pipes and build up over time, creating a potential clog. If you have an old toilet, bad pipes, a septic tank, or a kid who loves to watch toilet paper disappear down the toilet, it’s even more important you buy the right toilet paper to avoid disaster....
Andriy Blokhin/Shutterstock You may know Costco as a pretty popular wholesale grocery store, especially since their prices sometimes can’t even beat the major grocery store chains today. But have you ever considered taking advantage of the Costco gas prices as well? If you haven’t, it may be time to consider it. Costco Named No. 1 Brand for Low Gas Prices In a survey collected by the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) in March 2017, Costco was named the number one brand for the top-low prices among the Fuels 50 brands....
Humans have relied on cultivating plants for at least 12,000 years. But these days, growing indoor plants is getting downright trendy, thanks in part to our windowsill companions and mainly our growing desire for food independence. Scientists are proving that bringing these splashes of green nature inside our homes lightens our moods and lowers our stress. But as the seasons change and the days grow shorter, sometimes our leafy buddies also need a little boost....
The first time I got passed by someone riding an electric bicycle, I quietly cursed the person who zipped by without peddling. “That’s not biking, that’s just being lazy,” I thought. The second time I got passed, I realized I was actually jealous. Lots of people are embracing the convenience, accessibility and environmental benefits of e-bikes. Cities, such as Denver, are offering rebates to encourage people to buy them. But, buying a brand-new e-bike isn’t the only option....
It is frustrating to order a door and find that the swinging door hinges are on the wrong side when it arrives. Ordering the wrong door is an expensive mistake. The terms that describe the hinge position on a door are confusing: left-handed and right-handed. However, they make sense if you follow the guidelines shown in the photos. Stand with your back to the jamb that has the hinges. If the door is on your right, it’s right-handed....
