In today’s hyper-connected world, you can find just about any product with smart functionality, from washing machines to cat litter boxes. If you’re in the market for a new bathroom scale, you’ll probably find quite a few smart scales among your search results. But do you really need smart functionality with this product? Here’s what you need to know about the value of these gadgets. What Does a Smart Scale Do?...
First off, cleaning is different from sanitizing. Cleaning removes dirt and debris; sanitizing kills germs. Both steps are vital in keeping you and everyone in your home from getting sick, especially in cold and flu season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends cleaning the surface first with soap and clean water. Next, sanitize with either a homemade solution made from household bleach or alcohol, or a store-bought solution....
If you’ve ever considered how adding a filtered showerhead could impact the quality of your water, you’re not alone. Think about it: We dedicate time and money to guarantee the safety of our drinking water, but when was the last time you tested your shower water to make sure it’s good for you and your skin? If that’s concerning to you, we get it. Luckily, there are quick fixes—like introducing a filtered showerhead into your bathroom—that you can make to upgrade your water situation....
FotoDuets/Shutterstock Your mattress is used every single day, and so naturally stains and spills will happen. You can’t just throw a mattress into the washer, so what’s the best way to clean it? Here are a few simple tips on how to get stains out of a mattress. How To Clean Mattress Stains Whether it’s a new spill or an old stain you just noticed, follow these simple steps to remove the spot....
However, if you go the EV route, you’ll have to make specific modifications to your garage to care for and charge the battery. Make Space You’ll need easy access to the charging port door on an ICE vehicle and plenty of space to keep the charging cable from kinking. That means organizing and cleaning your garage if it’s full of clutter. Keep the area around the charging outlet clean and free of dirt and debris....
The jaw-dropping elegance of the Japanese maple’s vibrant colors and graceful appearance has inspired Japanese poets and artists for centuries. In Japan, the annual pilgrimage to view the tree’s stunning autumn colors (called momiji-gari, or “maple tree viewing”) is an event with spiritual significance. Although they’re most well known for their fall foliage, richly colored leaves emerge in spring and remain, often evolving throughout the growing season. What Is a Japanese Maple Tree?...
If you have a turf lawn, you almost certainly have lawn grubs. These destructive pests are present during certain times of the year in most parts of the U.S. Your healthy grass can sustain a little lawn grub damage and be OK. But when grubs proliferate, they can really wreak havoc. Take action before it’s too late. Read on to learn what you need to about lawn grubs, including how to prevent and eradicate them....
There’s so much good information online now that DIY car repair has never been easier. By visiting the right car forums, you can get help diagnosing the problem, learn how to do the repair and find the correct parts at good prices. And if you get stuck, you can even get advice from fellow owners and professional mechanics. Meet the Expert: Rick Muscoplat, gearhead I volunteer on several auto repair Q&A sites, helping DIYers diagnose and repair their own vehicles....
The Sony Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones automatically sense your environment with dual noise sensor technology. Whether you’re in the yard, the gym or the office, they’ll deliver the best noise canceling performance to fit your needs. What Does This Noise Cancelling Headphones Deal Come With? These Sony headphones have an impressive 35 hours battery life, so you can use them all day long and then some. And all-day wear is not a problem....
Is it better to remodel a basement or add a second story? Well, it all depends on where you live and the type of house you have. To be sure, both projects cost a lot of money and time. You might live in an area where houses don’t have basements so adding a second story is really the only way to add additional rooms. Plus, in order to remodel a basement, it’ll have to be finished already....
A well-appointed smart home is built one product at a time. Whether you’re looking to boost security, add an A.I. assistant or automate your lights, there are plenty of smart home devices to choose from. But, what’s the best? We’ve outlined some of the top options on the market today for a variety of needs. Smart Home Mission Control Plus, the following products all work with the Echo Dot to automate your home....
Solar panels are tough. A few years ago the Denver area experienced the most damaging hail storm in its history, yet the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and its 3,000-panel array escaped with only one cracked panel. More than 150,000 vehicles scarred by the golf-ball-size hail weren’t so fortunate. While residential solar panels can withstand some force, they do sometimes break. They also require maintenance to keep up their efficiency and prolong their lifespan....
In addition to celebrating the achievements of American workers, Labor Day weekend is when we say goodbye to summer and hello to all things pumpkin spice. Stores also start to empty their warm-weather inventory to get ready for fall merchandise, and you know what that means—discounts! Read on for the Labor Day sales worth shopping. Some Labor Day sales are already in full swing, making it the perfect time to buy patio furniture, mattresses, outdoor grills and power tools with prices that can’t be beaten....
All you want to do before drifting off to sleep is finish the last chapter in that great book you’re reading. But there’s a problem: The bulb in the lamp on your bedside table is flickering. What should you do? Ignore it? Switch to an e-reader? Take your book to another room? All are viable options, but there is a better solution — one that may even allow you to keep reading right where you are....
Your car key fob is a small but mighty device. Have you ever wondered what would happen if it died while you were, say, at the grocery store? How do you start your car (or even get into your car!) with a dead key fob? Luckily, there is a way. How To Use Your Car Key Fob When It’s Dead Okay, your key fob is dead and you don’t have an extra battery....
Fragrant, edible and pleasing to the eye, an orange tree may be the perfect addition to your landscape. The blossom of the orange tree is the citrus sinensis—the Florida state flower—and it’s extremely fragrant. These white flowers perfume the surrounding air during orange blossom season. Here are 10 great trees to consider planting in your yard. Florida State Flower Facts Citrus sinensis, or orange blossom, is the white blossom of the orange tree....
The city of Des Moines, Iowa, recently proposed changes to their zoning codes that would have required, among other things, that all new homes be built with basements and one-car garages as well as meet specific square-footage minimums for living spaces. Some of those changes have now been dropped after local homebuilders argued that the requirements would negatively impact the construction of new single-family homes, with some builders saying they would stop development in Des Moines altogether....
Nadya Kubik/Shutterstock ‘Tis the time of year to gather with family, decorate the Christmas tree, and then watch said decorated tree eaten/scaled/played with/tipped over and possibly destroyed by your beloved pets. While it may be a cute photo opportunity, it can also wreak havoc on your nerves and give you a never-ending sense of dread that you’ll come home to destruction in the form of broken ornaments and a tangle of tinsel....
When you hear the word “mullet,” you smirk, right? Business in the front, party in the back. The Oxford English Dictionary asserts that the mullet hairstyle was “apparently coined, and certainly popularized, by American hip-hop group the Beastie Boys”, who used it as epithets in their 1994 song “Mullet Head.” A mullet may have been at its peak in the 1980s, but it’s never completely gone away. You can actually trace it back to the sixth century, when Byzantine scholar Procopius wrote that some factions of young males wore their hair long at the back and cut it short over the forehead, though it was termed the “Hunnic” look at that time....
More than half of U.S. homeowners have updated their homes to combat climate risks, according to a Redfin report. The web site surveyed approximately 1,000 U.S. homeowners in August, with 58% reporting they “invested in making their homes more resilient to climate threats.” One-third of responders said they spent $5,000 or more. Homeowners’ Biggest Climate Concerns Combating extreme heat received the most responses at 26%. The top five: On This Page...
