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Tuesday, October 14, 2008 Tip of the Day Categories » General Household Tips Tip of the Day Articles: General Household Tips Title Read Listen "Fall back" to do list When it's time to inspect, alarms aren't all you should check. 50 Uses for Baking Soda You can even use it for baking! A "Slick" Idea How Vaseline petroleum jelly lubes, protects, seals and cleans. A Key Clue How to end fumbling for the right key. Airing Out Vinyl Fumes When vinyl fumes are overpowering you with pungent odors that can last for days, take the source outside and lay it out in the warm sunshine. Allen screw stuck – quick fix Read our "hex" to unstick your stuck Allen screw. Always Losing Small Parts? How not to lose small parts using free stick-to-it refigerator magnets. Anti-bacterial Hand Soap Does your anti-flu bag of tricks include anti-bacterial soap? Will it help? Anti-static freshener Keep carpets clean, fresh and like new... and prevent static shock in autos too! Appliance Floor Protector How to protect your floor when kitchen appliances go in and out the door. Baking Soda ? It's not Just for Baking Anymore Baking soda can be your No. 1 household defense because it's got at least 50 different uses around the home. Better Seal For Paint Cans The next time you paint, stretch a heavy-duty rubber band across the open top from side to side anchoring each end where the handle attaches to the can. Bicycle Tune-up and Safety Bike safety measures can help avoid injury! Bid Grease Stains Adieu How to remove a grease spot with a brown paper bag and something hot. Bird Bath Mosquito Control How to prevent bird bath mosquitoes when you're out and about! Broken Plate Breakin' Your Heart? Too often we're too quick to throw away a broken piece of china before attempting a professional-quality repair. Broken Plate Breakin' Your Heart? Too often we're too quick to throw away a broken piece of china before attempting a professional-quality repair. Buckle Up, Buckaroos Tired of getting down from the ladder to get tools or paint brushes? Here's how to buckle up for big-time convenience. Button-down Tape-end Finder Tape: Handy to have (if you can find it -- then find the end so you can use it). Buying a Ladder? If so, remember these uplifting words when you go. Cabinet Door Hinges How to tighten-up screws... so cabinet doors look and work as good as new! Candle-wax Removal How to handle a wax-y "mess"... when it drips anything made of "glass!" Candlelight Helper A cool trick to extend the time you bask in the glow of candlelight! Candles and Bright Ideas Screws and nails with wax applied to them are driven into wood more easily. Candles and Bright Ideas Screws and nails with wax applied to them are driven into wood more easily. Carbon-Monoxide Poisoning To be on the safe side, install a carbon-monxide detector in every bedroom in your home. CDs "Blowin' in the breeze" A few CDs "Blowin' in the breeze" saves plants and trees. Cellphone Protector How to keep your phone clean from paint splatters, water, sawdust and grease. Changing a Lock-set Changing a lock-set to a shiny new, safe-and-secure late model is one of the most cost-effective and user-friendly projects you can undertake. Cheap (Tape) Tricks Getting out of a sticky situation--learn how to organize your Tape. Closet organization Organize your closet (and clothes) with a place and space where everything goes. Closet rod U What you should do when telescoping closet rods become a "U?" Coffee Grinder Minder How to brew a gentler and kinder cup of gourmet Joe! Colds vs. Flu/Which Has You? What is bugging you? Is it just a cold or a nasty bout of flu? Column Collars Collaring a support post. Crayon Quick Fixes How your kid's crayon set... is a "quick-fix" solution... you shouldn't forget! Cutting Wood ? "Sco-o-o-ore!" How the competitors score! Damaged Screens Got You Bugged? It might be time to change to fiberglass screens! Daytime Soap Superstars Soaps are not just for washing anymore! Decoding Fruits And Veggies Those little stickers... are they for ads, for pricing, or is there a hidden message there? Designing the Modern Kitchen The most efficient kitchens contain a work triangle with a total length of not less than 23 feet and not more than 26 feet. Dishwashing Liquid vs. Detergent There is a difference, and never the twain shall meet. DIY Dripless Candles How to make any candle dripless, and eliminate candle wax mess. Double-duty Shower Caddies Double your pleasure, double your fun with two shower caddies -- instead of just one. Doubling -- The Rule of 72 If you’re wondering how long it’ll take to double your money at various rates of interest, you don’t have to hire someone like Barnaby Jones. Drains vs. Brains A simple smart precaution...keeps small parts from going "down the drain!" Dropped A Small Part? Learn how to find itty-bitty parts... that are tiny and small... after they fall! Duct tape "New and Improved" Think it couldn't possibly get any better? Well, duct tape has gone and done it again! E-cycling While pursuing all that's new, remember: old electronics are a growing problem too. Electric dryer no-no What happened to make it not go?It's an electric dryer no-no. Entry Organization Here's how to bring new order to your family's "loading and unloading zone"! Extension-ladder Extension Here's how to extend each rung... to take everything you need right along! Exterior Check-up Winter's come and gone...and Summer's here at last! Time to check your house! Fall cleaning 1: Selling stuff A new trend for wallet ‘greening’? yard and garage sale ‘fall’ cleaning? Fall cleaning 2: Buying stuff Yard and garage sale shopping? Pre-plan and start early to save the most. Fall-proof your Home Avoid nasty falls and trips…with simple stairway safety tips. Faucets and Pipes that "Sing" How to be the only shower singer. Fire "Smarts" for Children How a few precautions and education can lower the risk. Instruction hang-ups Free up counter space, avoid stains from spills, and read with ease too. Fixing a Crook Rejecting usable lumber because it is warped along one edge is a crime. Fog, steam and shaving cream Mirror and glasses fogged up after a shower? Clear up your image and your vision? Food Storage/Vacuum-sealed How to vacuum-seal almost anything without a vacuum-seal machine. Forget to Remember? Here's how NOT to forget to remember... when it comes time to assemble. Friday the 13th Appliances A few things you can do when appliances act up and trouble you! Fridge Factoids And Insights How to keep veggies fresh, crisp and bright (and other useful "cool" insights!) Garage Gear / What's New? How (and why) the Freezerator turned the old garage fridge upside down! Garage Goodies How to have a state-of-the-art, high-tech, and beautiful place to park! Get on a "Home Makeover" Show How to improve your odds, and why some homeowners get the "nods." Glass -- Score, Cut, Run Glass-cutting is an art! Good Day for a Re-hanging Screws in door hinges tend to loosen after years of opening and closing. It's a reality you can't escape. Good Ideas for Golden ?Years? Make things better at your house with good ideas for the "Golden Years"... Got Lipstick Stains? Remove ?Em! How to save any white cotton upon which lipstick you've gotten! Got Solar (Yet)? Home solar products are good...and getting better every day! Grease Stained Wallpaper? Remove a greasy spot... with a brown paper bag... and something hot...! Grout and Cault Stop Water Damage Prevent water damage by checking bathroom seams and joints — immediately! Gutter Clean-out How to clear gutters with ease…when they’re all clogged up with leaves. Hands free - extra lite where you need it An empty soup can can shed light where it's needed. Handy(Man) Hand Cleaner There's an endless supply in your workshop that's always close at hand! Hardware Communicator Yellow Pages "let fingers do the walkin'" ? Digital cameras let pictures do the talkin'! Heavy load: top or bottom? How "load weight" shifts when stairs and ramps are part of your lift. Hole-free Picture Hanging How to hang 'em high without a telltale leave-behind sign. Home "Clean" Home Got kids, pets and a handyman? Trim down dust, dirt, pollen, mildew, germs, etc.! Home "owners manuals" Lost the operating manual? How to get yourself a new one. Home Insurance Savers Ways ti reduce premium costs...without reducing your coverage! Home Insurance: Get a CLUE. How insurance companies keep track of you (and why you should get a CLUE). Home Pre-Inspection What to do before you call in an expensive professional home inspector! Home Repair Scams Some of the oldest tricks in the book...and some new ones (for which to look)! Home Repair Smarts Pull the plug on unscrupulous repairmen that are scam artists and rip-offs? Home Value Boosters Here's the perceived value of some things and what experts say they bring! House Plants Bring the Beauty of the Outdoors, Indoors Makeshift filters will prevent a mess. Housewarming Gift Ideas Instead of plants (or something mundane), they'll more enjoy something you made! How Long Will it Last? A guide to the lasting quality of some home products. How Measurements Measure Up Two dollar bills end-to-end measure one foot in length. How Old? Knowing Helps Investigative tips to help gauge the age of household appliances? How to Find Wall Studs ? 1 Six ways to find wall studs: Hi-tech; low-tech; and even no-tech! How to Find Wall Studs ? 2 Still another way to locate wall studs? that s(h)aves guesswork! Interior Redesign Get a whole new "look" for Spring... without "buying" a single thing..! It's a "Bounce" World Insect repellant? Cleaner-upper? An all-purpose answer is in your laundry room! It's A Ring-a-Ding-Thing The old soap-and-dental-floss ring-removal trick! Jeanetics/Denim Science Wash the stiffness out of new jeans without washing out the color. Jetson Lifestyle? Here's what experts say is coming to homes of the (near) Future. Keep Attics Cold! Water runoff (from warm attics) causes roof leaks... from "ice-dam" buildup. Keys Connect the Dots Key clues in color! Laundry Dots For Kids Clothes Hand-me-downs and who-wears-what-now a problem? Dots make it easy. Let There Be (Candle) Light A simple birthday candle can burn big and bright for hours! Like Old Decor? Old stuff that's real just might be your very best deal! Lint (and other stuff) removal Pick up lint (and all sorts of stuff)'that's making life messy or rough? Lipstick Stain Remoooooval How to save any white cotton on which lipstick you have gotten! Literature and the order It's important to make manuals part of your contractor's order? Loosening stuck fasteners How to free-up tough stuff, whether a stripped or frozen screw, bolt or nut. Lost Ring? No Big Thing... A simple measure to recover a lost trasure. Lost-luggage Land There's a special place in Alabama where your lost luggage may have landed. Low Ink (It's Not What You Think) Low-ink indicator flashing? Read on before you put in a replacement. Lumber-buying Basics Every type of wood has features that eliminate it for some uses, while making it the right choice for others. Lumens / See the Light Fluorescents... halogen... regular bulbs... what's best (and why)? How to compare... Magnetic Personality The solution to picking up little metal doo-dads is in the bag! Mailinator.Com How to keep your e-mail address out of the hands of others. Make a Grand Entrance A beautiful door with gleaming hardware is a warming sight, and a top-quality doormat really says “welcome.” Mattress Police Don't buy a mattress without checking custom mattresses first. Mattress Police Don't buy a mattress without checking custom mattresses first. Mayonnaise and pecans are not just for eating! Measure Once, Cut Once Hit the nail on the head! Measuring Cup H2O Helper Getting the measure of butter. Metric Mayhem/Easy Answers Metric conversion rules of thumb. Microwave Popcorn Update To pop or not to pop? that is the question. Heard about dangerous chemicals? Mind Your Gutters! April showers bring trouble -- if you've got clutter in your gutter! Mini-paper Towels How to double your "measure"...to double whats done! Mirror Mirror — Repair Tricks Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the cleverest of all? Misleading Advertising Learn to spot "bait and switch" -- a sneaky advertising sales pitch. Mission: Ice Check Power off? Was it off long enough to thaw frozen foods? Here's how to tell. More home “gym”-provement Who says you have to “work out” to get exercise? Work-out by “working in”… Move Plywood and Paneling It can be frustrating when you want to move a 4x8 sheet of plywood or paneling and you have no helpers. Multiple Uses for Baking Soda Baking soda is one of the most versatile and helpful household items. Nail polish removal A nasty spill on fine furniture? Wiping it up could remove the surface too? NASA Brings It Home Wonder what things you and I get out of the space program? Tang? Velcro? Natural Air Filters A surprising way to "clear the air"...with a natural filter you'll love having there! New Sink For One-piece Lav Tops What to do when your sink develops a major crack or a serious ding. New Year's Resolution (Take 2) It’s day four of the New Year, and by now you’ve probably broken all your resolutions. So much for losing weight, exercise, quitting smoking, getting organized and bringing about world peace. New Year's Resolutions (Take 2) Have you broken your New Year's resoutions? Some alternative solutions we call ?second chance? resolutions? Nonstick No-nos How to keep nonstick pans from going to pot. Nostalgia design trends Nostalgia has taken hold with products that are inside now and outside old. Odor removing lite bulbs! Can a lightbulb really remove odor? These can... Oh what a relief it is…! “Plop, plop, fizz, fizz.” You know what it is… and what it does (or do you?)…. Oh, Tannenbaum... (Christmas Tree) Putting up a Christmas tree this weekend? Here's our annual advice on doing so! Old PC Disposal Got an old computer? How to get your money's worth and help save the planet! Paper Towels How to get two towels from one! Part I – Reality Hits Home Do reality shows reflect remodelling realities? Part II – Reality hits home More reality show realities. Patterns: This side up How to avoid a common goof just by knowing what side to use.