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alisafarov/Shutterstock So, the question is: Can you recycle CDs and DVDs? Despite the fact that CDs and DVDs are made of plastic, your local curbside recycling program is unlikely to accept them. That’s because most of these media discs are made of a mixture of plastic resins. Since they don’t come with a specific resin identification code, which is used to help recycling centers sort materials, there’s no way to know how they should be processed....

Ask people how to do laundry, and you’ll likely hear conflicting opinions. My mom strictly separates whites, colors and delicates, washing them in hot, warm and cold, respectively. She’d be aghast at the idea of tossing everything in together. My friends with young kids and full-time jobs don’t have that problem. Is it washed? Good enough! And here’s a new one: One guy I know separates his household’s clothes by person....

Hardwood floors have been in style almost continuously since their introduction in the 1600s, making them a terrific option for homeowners seeking to add a classic, timeless look to their homes. Engineered hardwood flooring, invented in the 1960s, provided a low-cost alternative to the traditional solid hardwood flooring. Nick Yahoodain, CEO of Advanced Builders and Contractors, has extensive experience with both types. He says both are viable options with distinctive pros and cons....

Until that future day when we’re all driving electric cars, most drivers need to purchase gasoline on a somewhat regular basis. So any little trick to improve gas mileage and get the most out of a tankful is welcome. But can you save on gas by sweating it out in the heat of summer and not using your car’s air conditioning system? It’s possible. But the more you dig into this, the more you realize you won’t save enough to make much difference....

Mary Rice/Shutterstock Buttered popcorn, juice, peanut butter. No, that’s not your grocery list; but it may be a list of stains lurking on your microfiber couch. If you have kids, you can likely add several more items to the stain list. The good news is microfiber is durable and one of the easiest fabrics to clean. Read on for tips on how to clean a microfiber couch. Find out how to clean other types of upholstery with baking soda!...

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just point to a spot that you want your dog to go to the bathroom, and they would just go? It would make potty training a lot easier, and would probably save you a ton of money after cleaning out all of those stains in your carpet. Or even save the health of your lawn, which by the way, you should pick up your dog’s poo before mowing the lawn next time....

What is a brad nailer? A brad nailer is a powered nail gun that shoots 18-gauge brads (small nails). Brad nailers are used by woodworkers and especially finish carpenters to install casing and base trim up to 3/8 inches thick. For reference: larger guns, called finish guns, shoot 15-gauge and16-gauge nails and are used to install thicker trim (1/2” and up). When working with dainty trim, finish carpenters use a gun called a pinner which shoots tiny 23-gauge pin nails....

Walmart and Angi recently announced they are teaming up to provide in-home services to Walmart shoppers. Through this partnership, Walmart customers can hire certified Angi professionals for services that include more than 150 common home projects. “Since the start of the pandemic, the home is in focus and people across the U.S. are doing more home improvement, maintenance and repair work and they are often turning to Walmart to find the tools and materials needed to start those projects,” said Angi CEO Oisin Hanrahan....

A gazebo offers an excuse to be in the garden no matter what the weather. A convenient roof keeps off the rain, yet wide open expanses allow cooling breezes. What better spot than a gazebo to enjoy your backyard? What Is a Gazebo? A gazebo is a covered outdoor structure, usually freestanding, that is open on all sides. A gazebo differs from a pergola in one important way: A gazebo has a covered roof for full protection from sun and rain, while a pergola is slatted, offering only partial coverage....

What Are Smart Light Switches? Smart light switches are WiFi-enabled buttons on or in your wall that allow you to customize how you control lighting in your home. How Do Smart Light Switches Work? When you press buttons on smart light switches, they send wireless signals to control your smart lights (typically via WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee or Z-Wave). Smart light switches can turn lights on and off, adjust brightness or cycle through your presets (often called scenes) with your preferred color and brightness combinations....

Invented in China more than 2,000 years ago, the toilet seat has evolved from crude cut-outs in stone benches to the Western-style seat we know today. Designed for comfort and hygiene, they’re no longer limited to just a ring and a lid. Now some toilet seats even come with high-tech functions like electronic cleaning, built-in nightlights and even stereo speakers. Here’s what you need to know. What Are Toilet Seat Sizes?...

Family Handyman Top 10 Tips for Preventing Mold After Water Damage: A flooded basement, moldy drywall and mildewed grout are no fun to deal with. Here are tips to help you prevent water damage and mold growth from happening in the first place, and tips for handling these situations if they do occur. Tip 1: Control Indoor Moisture to Prevent Mold The key to stopping mold and mildew is controlling dampness....

If you’ve never tried wood turning, you should. Woodturning projects are so different from other types of woodworking projects. It’s an easy and relatively quick way to be creative. And to be honest, it’s oddly satisfying to create a rounded shape from a square piece of wood. Once you make the leap and purchase your lathe and turning gear, you’ll approach a heavily debated crossroads. Most traditionalists recommend buying conventional turning chisels and a sharpener, but maintaining sharp tools will take a lot of time....

The first modern oil furnace with a high-voltage system for self lighting was unveiled in 1918. By the mid-1920s, demand for oil furnaces was high and rising. Being a liquid, oil flows and can be pumped, which made it inherently more convenient than the only practical heating alternatives at the time — wood or coal — both of which had to be moved by hand or shovel. Today, oil heating is less popular than it used to be because of the low cost of natural gas....

There’s no denying swimming pools require a lot of water, especially during the summer months when heat and sunlight cause increased evaporation. And with droughts and water shortages in many parts of the country, you may feel just a wee bit guilty splashing around in your backyard pool. But take heart. There are plenty of ways to conserve swimming pool water and be a responsible pool owner! We asked the experts at Leslie’s Pool Supplies how can pool owners can conserve water, even as the summer sun tries hard to drink it up....

If your lawn needs a little love—whether you have bare spots or are starting a lawn from scratch—you have options. While sod can be pricey and grass seed may not take in all areas, a third option to consider is hydroseeding. Try these cures for a patchy lawn. What is Hydroseeding? Hydorseeding involves spraying grass seed mixed with water onto a specific area. The mix may also contain fertilizer, mulch and other additives to help the seed take root....

Since the start of the pandemic, many of my friends and family purchased or built wood fired pizza ovens, smokeless fire pits, and extravagant backyard bonfire setups. For many of these, you can’t simply toss on any old logs and expect it to burn. You need a well-constructed fire to ensure consistent oven temperature or bonfire longevity. While surfing the web, I came across a photo of a neat-looking, cast iron log-splitting contraption....

“It’s alive!” Imagine this line from a horror movie describing what’s beneath your feet. If the soil in your garden is healthy — meaning it’s not drenched in chemicals, eroded or over-tilled into a powder — it most definitely is alive. In fact, a teaspoon of healthy soil has more microorganisms in it than the Earth has people. And those microorganisms play an important role in plant health, so we should always keep them happy....

Hurricane season brings endless internet hacks and tips to get us ready for potential disasters. September is Disaster Preparedness Month, so what better time to mine the suggestions for gems? Some preparedness advice is common sense: Stay alert to the news, stay away from windows and evacuate when told to do so. If you’re not in the direct path of the storm or you’re unable to evacuate, protect yourself and your family with these good ideas....

Buying a home has always been a prime part of the “American Dream.” You know, white picket fences, red door, tire swing hanging on that tree in the front lawn? The typical clichés go on and on. But what doesn’t go on and on are the number of millennials lined up to fulfill this major part of the original “dream.” According to the National Association of Realtors, down payments are typically around 20 percent, and taking on a mortgage loan along with student debt seems financially irresponsible....