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It’s been more than twenty years since I graduated from high school, which means more than twenty years since I last washed and waxed a car by hand. Back then, on the last few warm weeks leading into the summer break, lots of us headed home from school on Friday, dragged out the hose and a five-gallon pail, assembled our soaps, sponges, waxes and towels, turned on some tunes and started scrubbing our cars in the middle of the driveway....

Realtors generally agree a finished basement adds value to a property, but what exactly do they mean by “finished?” Does every basement with drywall, ceiling and flooring qualify? To clear up the uncertainty, I checked in with a group of realtors, lawyers and financial advisors. The consensus? To be considered finished, a basement needs to include the following: A permanent staircase leading to the upper floor. Covered walls and ceilings with no visible pipes and wires....

I love white towels. They’re attractive, easy to clean and I don’t have to think about picking a color when I buy them. My hot water laundry routine can’t keep up forever, though. And with four animals and a gardening habit, I recycle dingy towels a lot. But what if I didn’t have to? Could I bring them back to their bright, glorious beginnings? TikTok says I can, with a trend called laundry stripping....

I love work boots. I’ve gone through a few brands over the 10 years I’ve worn a pair of them daily, and all of them have been heavy and stiff. The hard soles, steel safety toe and all that leather give you a workout with each step. Keen Utility came up with a different kind of work boot. Their Red Hook Boots are a cross between a work boot and a pair of sneakers....

It’s almost dinnertime and you haven’t been to the store. Perfect time to see what the freezer holds. You look inside and start the internal negotiations. What is this? Was this chicken good when I put it in here? Did I buy that bag of green beans during this decade? If you clean your freezer regularly, these questions are easier to answer. But cleaning the freezer is easy to put off....

If you’re planning a kitchen remodeling project that involves a stainless steel backsplash or sink, you might need to consider alternatives. There’s a national shortage of stainless steel. Production of stainless steel fell sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic and hasn’t kept up with post-pandemic demand. Harry Moser and C.J. Nord, writing for the blog MetalMiner in November 2021, explain it this way: “Our nation is still under-informed about the shortage of this type of steel … This is a long-term, painful shortage....

If you’re a diligent DIYer who lives where temperatures drop below freezing, you’ve undoubtedly experienced more than your share of winter driving. One of the simplest but most important aspects of safe driving involves removing ice from your windshield. Sounds easy enough, but don’t be fooled: Removing ice can be a serious enterprise. Assembling the right tools and materials is the first step. Read on for eight of our best tips and strategies for keeping your windshield clear and ice-free this winter....

via Clopay Let’s face it, your garage door is huge. Quite possibly, it’s your home’s largest architectural element. And if it’s not looking its best, it drags down the home’s overall first impression. But, there’s good news! Increasing your home’s curb appeal by improving or replacing your garage door is easier than you might think. And, according to a 2018 study done by Remodeling magazine, a great-looking garage door gives a 98....

Foxy burrow/Shutterstock Technology gets smarter every day. At work, in our homes and even in our cars, we are giving up some of our privacy by staying wirelessly connected. In fact, have you ever thought about how your car data is being used? If your goal is to keep your car in great shape, don’t even consider doing any of these things or you’ll regret it. Car data is one of the many ways company’s learn about us....

I got my first taste of car detailing while living near a certain Rolls-Royce-loving spiritual teacher in the 1980s. He had a whole fleet of luxury vehicles (no one really knows why), and it took a team of workers to keep them in pristine condition. My job was to polish the metal trim after someone delivered it to the carpentry shop where I worked. Most car detailers — like my brother, a Jaguar fanatic — don’t go to nearly this much effort....

Chickweed is so adaptable it can be found in all lower 48 states. Many homeowners want to know how to get rid of this grass and garden weed. Here’s what you need to know about chickweed, how to get rid of it and how to make use of it. Types of Chickweed There are two types of chickweed, common and Mouseear. On This Page Common chickweed is an annual weed, living for only one year....

Shedara Weinsberg/Shutterstock Getting a puppy is a major life event. And, there are things you can do to help make the transition go smoothly. If you’re wondering when is the best time to get a puppy, there are some important things to keep in mind. Here’s why dogs kick up your lawn after they pee. “Let’s say it straight out, late fall and winter are the worst times to get a puppy and it has nothing to do with Christmas,” says K9 Possible Dog Training, in Oliver, British Columbia....

Isn’t the point of wallpaper to avoid having to actually paint a room, especially with intricate designs? So what’s the deal with paintable wallpaper? What Is Paintable Wallpaper? Paintable wallpaper is a fun way to add texture to any room. You simply apply the paper, then paint over in the color of your choice. Paintable wallpaper is a thick wall covering with a raised pattern, and it can be painted over with flat or glossy paint....

Cat litter does more than just fill in your cat’s litter box. It can play a big role in maintaining your cat’s physical and behavioral health. The best cat litter boxes have the right kind of litter. Cat litter helps you keep track how often your cat urinates, which can alert you to potentially dangerous issues like urinary tract infections. Having clean cat litter on hand can also prevent your cat from picking up bacteria from their litter box, or urinating elsewhere to avoid a dirty box....

Amazingly cooperative, impressively diligent and annoyingly invasive, ants are complex and fascinating creatures. There are an estimated 22,000 different species of ants worldwide. Nearly 1,000 varieties live right here in the U.S. From their characteristics to their behaviors to their habitats, our guide contains a wealth of information about how to co-exist, control and, if need be, get rid of ants simply and safely. What Do Ants Look Like? Not to be confused with termites, ants are between 1/16-in....

How to Prepare for Winter Camping Winter camping is much different than warm weather camping, but it doesn’t need to be cold or uncomfortable. With the right knowledge and equipment, it might even become your favorite type of camping. You can experience beautiful snowy landscapes while avoiding typical camping annoyances like a lot of bugs and humidity. On This Page However, even the most seasoned camper should take certain precautions and be open to learning how to better deal with everything that comes with winter camping....

Leaks in any part of the house can be unsettling, but none more than roof leaks. This is personal experience talking. Our house was constructed in two parts, each with a peaked roof sloping toward a flat area between them. As you might expect, that was a pretty bad design. Leaves collected there and got soaked by rain, eventually rotting the roof decking. Things got so bad the drywall in the kitchen eventually collapsed from all the moisture....

Everyone knows The Home Depot is a one-stop shop for everything you need for your yard or patio. They’ve got all the essentials to give your outdoor space a face lift, even if you don’t have a lot of time or money to spend. Even small projects, like summer pest control or pruning that neglected shrub, will eventually transform your yard into the outdoor space of your dreams. So no excuses — just get started!...

An organized kitchen creates the perfect atmosphere for any and all aspiring cooks. When things are easy to find, your imagination will run wild. With a little creativity and the right storage and organization products, any kitchen can be organized to work like a dream. Check out some of our tried-and-true kitchen storage and organization products we use in our homes. Easy-to-See Expandable Spice Rack Organizer Organize your spices with this expandable spice rack organizer....

You may have seen security professionals on the news suggest two-step verification (2FA) as a way to protect yourself from hackers and identity theft. It sounds like something that only a tech-savvy person would understand, but it’s actually really simple. Here’s what you need to know. What is Two-Step Verification? Two-step verification simply adds another step to your logins. In addition to logging in with your password, you also may need to enter a code sent to your phone or email....