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New Africa/Shutterstock Between the sloughed-off dead skin cells, the crumbs and the dust mites that inevitably accumulate, your mattress is a hot bed of nastiness. But, it doesn’t have to be. Here’s how to deep clean your mattress. The handheld attachment on your vacuum is not just for cleaning hard-to-reach places. Bed manufacturer, Serta suggests using the attachment to deep clean your mattress every few months. Simply run the attachment across the mattress to suck up dirt and dust from the fabric....

Once you’ve enjoyed the benefits of a high-quality power generator, it’s hard to live without one. Where I live, in Northern Ontario, Canada, our electrical system seems to be less reliable than it once was, with at least a handful of power failures each year becoming the norm. Luckily, our portable gas-powered generator allows us to keep the lights and most of the appliances running. Generators are useful for short term power outages, and essential for long term grid failure, but having one is just the first step....

Research shows that we spend about 90 percent of our time indoors — and that most homes have more than one source that contributes to indoor air pollution. Common culprits include combustion sources like natural gas from your stove, formaldehyde emitted from certain kinds of pressed wood furniture and fumes from cleaning products. The good news is there are steps you can take to improve things. 11 Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality Get a Radon Test Radon is a colorless, odorless radioactive gas that’s present in soil....

Ken Tannenbaum/Shutterstock Dying indoor plants are easy to spot. A few clues: Drooping, dropping, yellow or crispy brown spots on leaves. Other clues include insects and fungus on the soil or foliage. Try these first-aid fixes for common problems with your indoor plants. With winter coming, check out these additional tips to keep your houseplants healthy. Check the Drainage The container must have bottom drainage for water to escape or your plant will drown....

Lately, I’ve noticed my local greenhouse bringing in more than just mums for replenishing fall container plantings. Among all these new flowers are several types of celosia. They stand out for their colors that are perfect for fall, including shades of red, yellow and orange. I love the idea of using plume-type celosias, whose flowers look like flames, to add height and fall color, all in one plant. Then there are the cockscomb varieties of celosia with flowers that look like little brains....

Lowe’s wants to expand the inventory of products sold in its stores and online in a novel way. The home improvement giant invited business owners and inventors to participate in a new product-pitching event called “Into The Blue.” Applicants have until August 14 to submit “ready-for-market products” on Lowe’s website. Finalists will be asked to pitch their products at a “Shark Tank” style event in Charlotte, North Carolina, Nov. 2 and 3....

The ultra-competitive real estate market has seen record-high listing prices in some regions, and some homebuyers are struggling to compete. Military veterans have been particularly impacted, according to a Business Insider Report. VA loans, a popular home loan option for many former military members, are losing out to other cash or conventional loan offers when multiple offers have been submitted. According to Business Insider, one military family went against the advice of their realtor and offered $60,000 above the asking price for a home in Durham, North Carolina....

Let’s face it, it can be hard to keep your house smelling like flowers. Or lavender, or peppermint, or ylang ylang or frankincense. Pet odors, cooking smells, furnace smells, lack of ventilation and other not-so-fresh daily occurrences can make it a challenge to keep our homes smelling great. Fortunately, there’s a better way than with aerosols, cone-shaped gels or even little cardboard trees. Head down to your utility room, wait until your furnace or air conditioning stops running, and take out your furnace filter....

If you’re thinking about DIYing a new well for your household, you probably shouldn’t. Most wells, like the one on our property, are between 50 and several hundred feet deep, and digging to that depth by hand is out of the question. Whether you’re contemplating a new well for drinking water or irrigation, or as an emergency water source, you’ll almost certainly be working with licensed well pros using specialized, heavy-duty drilling or driving equipment....

After decades of watching my garden survive some rather dry summers, I no longer run for the garden hose the minute we go without rain for a few days. Experience has taught me many established plants will survive for a long time without extra watering. However, I know newly planted flowers, trees and shrubs, plus the vegetable garden and the patio containers, do need water in between rains. Over the years, I’ve figured out what works and what doesn’t work....

No one likes cockroaches. Okay, maybe some exotic pet owners and entomologists. No one likes cockroaches in their kitchen. Better? Cockroaches are fast, they eat anything, they carry diseases and they’re just plain gross. They’re so ingrained in our collective nightmares that they’re the baddies of more than a few horror movies. So it’s no wonder social media is rife with tricks and tips to get rid of them. This latest anti-roach TikTok hack claims that after spraying lavender water in her client’s home, roaches hit the road and were scarce for a week....

RolfAasa/Getty Images While there are many different species of earwigs, they generally maintain quite similar life cycles and body structure. The average earwig’s lifespan is one year. They struggle in colder environments, which is why you will typically find earwigs in warmer climates. As with most insects, earwigs go through the stages of metamorphosis, as their bodies will develop throughout their life to acquire their fully functional physical features. Metamorphosis Metamorphosis is the process of transformation in an insect in which they grow from an immature form to a fully functioning adult....

In much-needed good news for the environment, sales of electric vehicles, EVs, are steadily on the rise. This spike in interest may be attributed to the new EV Tax Credit, which was implemented in August 2022 as part of President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) aimed at fighting the climate crisis. Whether you’ve already purchased a new EV and want to claim it on your 2022 taxes, or are hoping to take advantage of this tax credit in the future, it’s important to know everything about this complex policy to ensure you aren’t leaving money on the table....

How to Match Wood Stain I’ve refinished a number of furniture pieces and wood trim when matching an existing stain was important. I’ve had far better luck getting stains matched by the staff at the paint store than I’ve had trying to mix colors off the shelf myself. Just bring in a sample piece to be matched. Keep in mind that stain can look different on different pieces of wood. So if you’re doing trim, for example, don’t just bring in the piece that’s easiest to remove; choose a sample piece that has the color and tone you want....

Every once in a while you might notice a brick wall that serpentines instead of cutting straight across. These so-called crinkle crankle walls are more common in England, but are found here and there in the U.S. as well. Their jump across the Atlantic is probably thanks to Thomas Jefferson, who directed them to be built at the University of Virginia (UVA) in the 1800s. “Thomas Jefferson was such a genius,” says Gary Porter, technical director at the Masonry Advisory Council....

Helen89/Shutterstock Alright, DIYers, we already know Black Friday is going to be a big one this year. Between Harbor Freight’s deals, Home Depot’s deals, Costco’s deals, and even True Value’s deals, this year’s holiday shopping extravaganza is going to be wild. And don’t worry, these stores will be closed on Thanksgiving, so you won’t miss out on the deals during your meal. Enjoy it with your family. But as soon as Friday hits, get ready to head to Lowe’s because boy oh boy do they have the best steals this year!...

Are you still dragging a corded vacuum out to the garage to clean your car? There’s an easier way. Keeping a portable car vacuum in your garage, like the bestselling ThisWorx car vacuum, is one of those car cleaning tips you’ll wish you knew sooner. It makes frequent, quick car cleanups easier than ever. What is a ThisWorx Car Vacuum? A car vacuum is a smaller, more portable version of your home’s best vacuum cleaner....

Polyester is one of the most common carpet materials. Here’s why. And here’s how to know if polyester carpet is right for your home. What is Polyester Carpet? Polyester is a synthetic (manufactured) material derived from two chemicals — purified terephthalic acid (PTS) or its dimethyl ester, dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), and monotheluene glycol (MEG). This combination creates a polymer known as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a type of resin, or plastic. Traditional polyester carpet is made from this material....

Windows can be one of the biggest trouble spots when it comes to heat loss in your home. They allow precious warmth to escape outside and permit frosty air to seep indoors. Thermal drapes not only keep your family warm and toasty throughout long, dark winters, they can also save you hundreds of dollars on your heating bill. Here’s what you need to know about thermal drapes. What Are Thermal Drapes?...

A dead car battery can be disheartening, especially if it leaves you stranded. If it happens repeatedly, your battery or alternator may need replacement. Understanding what caused the battery to discharge can help you prevent it from happening again. Accidental Discharge Internal or external car lights left on by mistake can drain your battery. If your vehicle doesn’t shut these off automatically and you park your car out of sight — like in a garage — this could explain your dead battery....