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Household Hints
This category contains questions relating to all the odd or unusual problems that occur during everyday life. These are primarily how-to's or fix it issues pertaining to household tasks.
1,297 Questions
How do you restore an oil skin jacket?
"To clean your jacket, brush off any dirt then wipe or sponge the fabric with COLD water.
NEVER use hot water, detergents, solvents, soap, dry-cleaning or machine washing, as these will remove or damage the proofing.
After cleaning or after wearing your coat or jacket in the rain for prolonged periods, it is VITAL to allow the coat or jacket to dry fully and gradually before storage.
Because the fabric is a natural fibre it will take much longer to dry fully than synthetics, and allowance should be made to ensure that the jacket is hung in a sufficiently airy place while drying takes place. Never attempt to force dry or expose the coat or jacket to naked flames".
Would clothing and bedding made in China need to be washed before using to remove insecticides?
Probably.
How many yards of wall paper border do you need for a 12 feet by 12 feet room?
Well lets see there is 3 feet to a yard 12 divided 3 is 4 so there is 4 yards for each wall. 4 yards times 4 walls is 16 yards of border needed.
What are the different types of ironing board?
There are a few different types of ironing board on the market today. They include:
- Free Standing Y or T shaped ironing boards, which are the type most people are familiar with. The Y or T just represents the way in which the cross-beam is positioned on the legs and is ultimately meaningless.
- Over the door ironing boards which, as the name suggests, hook over a door and fold down so you can iron and fold up again to lay flat when you are done.
- Tabletop ironing boards which are mini sized ironing boards which have a smaller ironing surface and short folding legs. These are designed to fit on a table, bench, floor area or bed, basically anything with a flat stable surface. They are made for people who are lacking in space to store anything bigger.
- Folding mini ironing boards, which are the same as the above, but the top folds in half for an even smaller footprint for storage. These are small and light enough to fit in your luggage for travel.
- Sleeve ironing boards which are small and narrow and designed for ironing the creases out of sleeves.
- Wall mounted ironing boards, which fit neatly inside a small cupboard on the wall and fold down when you want to use them only to be folded back up again and neatly hidden away afterwards.
There are also some alternative options like an ironing blanket which is basically just a heat proof mat which can be used to iron anything, anywhere.
How do you install a vent into kitchen sink drain so that it will not gurgle?
By properly sizing the vent by fixture units and developed lengh and pitching it up from the fixture it serves
Why should you squeegee the shower?
If you have hard water, it reduces the residue on the tile and glass. The tile and glass will look better longer.
Can cedar balls be used in kitchen cabinets?
You can use cedar balls in kitchen cabinets that contain canned goods only. Cedar balls have a strong scent that you don't want clinging to your dishes, or polluting your spices or bagged items like bread or chips. But I don't know the advantage to keeping cedar balls among your canned goods. Best you keep them in a closet with clothing or in your dresser drawers.
How often should a home air conditioner cycle?
That depends on a number of things including: how hot is it outside, inside, is it functioning properly, is it sized properly?
Do you need a pee trap with a garbage disposal?
Most plumbers would say yes, of course . . . but I have my doubts. The purpose of the pee trap is to prevent sewer gas leaks into the home and to catch your engagement ring when you drop it in the sink. It provides a low point to trap water and accomplishes both purposes. It seems though, that the disposal itself should accomplish both missions--it should provide a low point and sewer gas seal, and crunch that engagement ring before it gets to the sewer rats. Depending on your investment, the wrecked disposal might be more to replace than the ring. The trap itself is not a big deal to install, but it does take up room under the sink (already limited by the disposal) and it could inhibit the flow from the disposal after the small chunks exit the unit. For these reasons, I am tempted to ignore the advice of the plumber and just angle the drain pipe to provide maximal flow into the drain stand pipe. It would be easy to install a trap later if needed, and I get the basement drains roto-rooted once a year anyway due to tree roots that collect in the old tile drains from the yard that connect to the sewer. The pee trap seems pointless to me with a disposal. It takes up space, is a pain in the ass, and is very likely to inhibit flow from the disposal. Your local codes may mandate it, unless you install it yourself (blame the installation on the local plumber to save face if needed). But beware, fiber materials from your disposal (celery, bananas, peanut shells) could clog your standing drain pipe. But since these materials are soft, they should be easily snaked out if that happens. I plan to grind everything in the disposal and take my chances. Martha Stewart would disagree, but she seems unhappy to me.
Well that's my take on it. Good luck!
a clamp in the shape of a c where you tighten it by twisting the end.
Do you have to fold underwear?
You don't *have* to fold any of your clothes, but it's usually a good idea. It is rather silly to fold underwear, but it won't hurt anything.
How do you prevent ice cubes from sticking in a tray?
Leaving the tray of ice cubes out for a while before popping them out.
#1. This sounds good; however, in real-life the ice cubes melt.
cooking oil
Excellent suggestion; except, the ice cubes then incorporate the taste and smell of the "cooking oil". Which, may upset those who enjoy a Martini on the rocks!
You can also pour a little bit of hot water over the ice, and it will unstick.
Please see the results for #1 above.
When you refill the tray , let the tray sit until it comes to room temperature, then return it to the freezer. The next tray of ice won't stick.
I like this one, and will try it. Altho, the water I fill the trays with is already at room temperature as is the tray.
Why do ice cubes stick in the trays?
I have chosen not to have an icemaker with water dispenser etc... since they eventually spoil. I make my own ice cubes in traditional trays. Lately, when I twist the trays for the cubes to fall out, they stick and break up rather than fall out as before. What causes this? Are my trays getting old? I have heard suggestions of using cooking oil. How is this done? Even if you apply a light coating, won't the cubes come out with oil residues? Any comments will be appreciated. Eugenio
- Yes, you can. There should be a setting on your iron for it. It is moderately high heat. Iron on the reverse side to avoid a shine on the linen , and it would not hurt to use a pressing cloth .
- Yes, linen can be ironed. Most irons have a setting for linen, usually at the high end of the temperatures. Note that the setting is generally meant for pure (100%) linen. If the fabric isn't pure linen, it may be wise to use a lower setting. For more detail on how to iron linen, check this article: http://www.ulsterlinen.com/iron.htm
How do you remove pet stain from carpet?
The most often shared advice is to clean with either vinegar or ammonia. However, this is probably the worst advice that could be given to anyone who owns a pet. Both vinegar and ammonia are acidic in nature. Because of this, they are good at breaking down stains. There is no arguing this fact. The level of acidity is just high enough to break down stains without damaging carpet or upholstery. Both are also inexpensive, making it a staple in many homes for cleaning. The problem with either as a pet urine cleaner is that they are acidic. Both are comprised of some of the same compounds found in urine. Animals can smell these similarities much more so than humans. The similarity in the scent of vinegar or ammonia can draw your pet to that spot as a desired location to do business. While you may have removed a visible stain using vinegar or ammonia, you have also laid down a perfect foundation as to where your dog should be going to the bathroom. With the progression of time, the accidents will continue and your frustration will be maddening. Cleaning With Enzymes Enzymes line the aisle of every pet store. There are countless numbers of enzymes and cleaners that claim to be miracles.
Enzymes are often praised for their natural ability and are hailed as being a green cleaner. This is because they operate on the principal that they biologically break down stains using rapid decomposition upon their introduction. In theory, it sounds simple enough. Allow the bacteria from the enzyme cleaner to be introduced to the stain, and watch it break it down. If only it were that simple. Being a biological process, it is far more complex. Often, to simplify the explanation of how enzymes work, they are compared to a lock and key situation. A lock requires a specifically cut key to open it. There could be a thousand keys around, but only the correct key will open the lock. All the other keys could be right there, but if used, nothing will happen. Enzymes are like keys, while stains are like locks. For them to interact, there has to be a perfect match. Too many variables prevent enzymes from working. These include temperature, the surface of the material being cleaned, the introduction of any other previously used cleaner, the health of the pet, the acidic levels of the urine, the food found in the waste... the variables are endless. To find the right enzyme to react favorably with a stain is very much like finding the right key to a lock. Generally, enzymes seem to remove the stain upon first using them. However stains typically reappear after a number of days. In addition to the stain, the smell also tends to linger, and in some cases worse when enzymes are used. Because enzymes are really a form of bacteria, they do not remove any odor permanently. Nor do they kill any bacteria that may be in the carpet. In the first few days after using an enzymatic cleaner, the area may seem clean, but it does not take long for your dog to find the spot and start all over.
Household cleaners are probably the most readily available tools in combating pet stains. Everybody has some sort of carpet cleaner under the kitchen sink, and they are usually the first thing used in the attempt to clean pet stains. This can be a terrible mistake for several reasons. These cleaners are typically designed to clean small surface areas. Pet stains do not just stain the surface of carpet, they get below the surface and can even spread into or under the padding. A traditional spray type cleaner will not get deep into the carpet. They might remove some visual staining, but they will not impact the odor created. There is also a possibility that the chemistry in the cleaner may cause staining or discoloration. They are also soap based. The soaps will actually promote stain buildup. Rather then break apart the stain, they can trap stains in the carpet fibers. In the photo to the right, several attempts were made to combat pet accidents. These accidents did not just include urine marks, but also marks where food was regurgitated by pets and the dye from the food left marks. For the most part, the traditional spray cleaners did remove colored stains, but in the wake of cleaning, they left gray blotches of their own. They made no impact on the scent coming from below the surface at all, and the odor was intolerable.
How do you clean very dirty cloth vertical blinds?
You can easily unclip the blinds from the rod and then clean or replace them. Using a mild soap and warm water in a bathtub, you let them soak and gently scrub them. Rinse. If they are not quite clean enough to use, try a stronger cleaner--or spot clean them and then wash again in the bath tub. Most big box hardware stores sell replacement blinds that are inexpensive. You could get the vinyl ones which are cleaned more easily.
Give you tips on how to clean your black gloss kitchen units?
After cleaning with soap and water, 409 or other cleaner - Windex them...or use my favorite Zep glass cleaner.
How do you insulate solid walls?
To insulate solid walls, explore the possibility of using an External Wall Insulation system, full details available in "The Complete Guide to External Wall Insulation" currently available via Ebay
How do i stop ants getting into your refrigerator?
To keep ants from even approaching the fridge, its best to always be sure that any spills (e.g., milk, broken egg, etc.) or food deposits of any kind are wiped up immediately and that the floor around the fridge is always clean. Ants follow a food trail. If there's no trace of a food product, ants won't go near a fridge.
What do you need and how do I raise the height of copper outside pipe water faucet?
Measure your pipe and measure height you want then purchase additional pipe of same size to reach height along with a sleeve and or elbow depending how far up you want to raise it. You will also so need to clean existing pipe. Get some flux and solder with a torch to apply solder. Compression fitting connections are the more expensive but easies way to connect plumbing without solder and a torch. With compression fitting parts you will need pipe wrenchs. Since these pipes are outside get some pipe insulation to help prevent pipes from freezing.
What does a household scale do?
A household scale is a universal, globally recognised scale for measuring the size of households (defined as a building or structure under which people may live). The Household Scale (named after Paul Household, a 20th century American demographist) has the following grades: 9 : A palace, habitable by upto 150 people
8 : A large mansion, habitable by between 10 and 20 people
7 : A house (for three to six people)
6 : A bungalow (for three to six short people)
5 : A caravan (for two people intent on causing traffic buildups)
4 : A shed (for dirty uncles and their 'special' private hobbies)
3 : A tent (for two people who like it moist)
2 : A cardboard box, or newspaper arrangement (for single tramps)
1 : An iron lung (for single people for whom mobility is not important)
