Archive for April, 2008

Cleaning and Caring for Your Carpet the Green Way

Everyone loves the feel of clean carpet. But clean carpet requires regular cleaning and not all cleaning methods are green friendly. In fact, some of the chemicals used by professional carpet cleaners are very toxic and non-green. You want to minimize any chemical detergents, solvents, or cleansers as much as possible so that you can clean your carpet the green way. Let’s look at a few ways to do that:

Remember that what you are removing from your carpet can be hazardous. You might be using a home deep cleaning machine that uses hot tap water but it makes no difference if what you are removing out of your carpet is not green friendly. So this means that you should not dump the waste water from the cleaning process into the ground or down a storm drain. If you want to maintain a green carpet cleaning focus, give your public water treatment works utility a call and inquire where you can bring this waste water. It might mean taking the time to pour the waste water into plastic jugs but you will be doing the right thing for the environment.

Keep your carpet clean to begin with. That way there is less of a need to do a big job so often. People living in Asian countries really have a good idea by taking their shoes off before entering a house. It takes a little getting using to but in the long run you’ll be glad you did because you will rarely track anything in from outside.

Another way is to allow no eating or drinking in living areas except for special occasions. Other family members may not like this rule but it will significantly cut down the accidental spills. Plus, it is great for controlling pests like cockroaches. You will also need to get yourself a good vacuum cleaner and change the bag before it gets stuffed and begins blowing dust.

You might also consider using several inexpensive washable throw rugs to keep areas soil and stain free. You can use more throw rugs in heavy traffic areas. These will serve to protect the carpet. If you want to display your full carpet on special occasions, it is a matter of picking up the throw rugs.

Tap the power of vinegar and water. Distilled white vinegar is a versatile green stain removal and color restoration agent. Plus it is inexpensive. All you have to do is mix two tablespoons of distilled white vinegar and a quarter cup of baking soda into a paste and rub it into the carpet. When it dries, you just vacuum it up. Or, instead of a paste, you can take two thirds cup of water and one third cup of distilled white vinegar and blot the area with a sponge soaked with clean water. You can also mix one cup of vinegar with a gallon of water and use it in a home deep cleaning machine to bring out the color in your carpet. Make sure that you always test your solutions in an inconspicuous area before full use. And, never rub a stain—always blot.

Freshening Up Your Garbage Disposal

Many times if you do not periodically clean your garbage disposal it can start to smell. Many times you do not clean their garbage disposal often, hey its no fun, and because of this you will start to notice those odors. Even after you clean your garbage disposal there are some things that you can do to freshen it up and make it less likely that it will smell. Many of the things that you can use to freshen up your garbage disposal will already be found in your house. (more…)

Ladie’s You Can Change Your Own Flat Tire!

There’s no good time to have a flat tire, but the worst time is either late at night or when there’s no one around to help you with the job! But, ladies you can learn how to change your own tire and prevent yourself from being stranded in the middle of nowhere!

Sure most of us carry cell phones now, but what if you just happen to have a flat some where that you can’t get a signal? Or, what if the person that can come to you and help, is an hour away?

And, unless you belong to an auto club, what if you just happen to not have the money to call a tow truck for help? Knowing how to change your own flat tire could come in very handy!

Make sure that you get the car off the road far enough that passing cars aren’t going to be a problem. A well lit area would be nice, but chances are you’re not going to have that luxury. Carrying a flashlight with fresh batteries can be a life saver in cases like this!

It’s safer if you block the wheels to keep the car from rolling as you jack it up. Large rocks or anything will work that you can place behind the tires. It’s best to block all three wheels, but if you can’t find anything to put behind them all block as many as you can. I’d also recommend putting your emergency brake on.

The hardest part of changing a tire for us ladies is removing the lug nuts. Often they’re put on with air tools, have been on the car so long they’re rusted and loosening them is no small feat! If you’re lucky enough to have a can of spray lubricant in the trunk, spray them and let it set a few minutes to help make it easier to loosen them.

I have literally had to hold the lug wrench on with one hand and use my foot to push the wrench to loosen the lug nuts! If you have a four way lug wrench, it helps to place a small pipe over the end of one of the arms. You can get better leverage and it’s easier to get the lug nuts loose.

The other problem might be the jack placement. Every woman should find out where to put the jack just in case she needs to change a tire! If you have the owner’s manual for your car, it will show you exactly where to put the jack.

At first you just want to get all of the lug nuts loosened, don’t completely remove them. Place the jack under the car and raise it enough to get the flat tire off of the ground.

Now you’re ready to remove the lug nuts and pull the tire straight off of the wheel studs. Place the spare tire on the car and put the lug nuts back on as tight as you can with your fingers.

Once you’ve gotten the lug nuts all back on, use the lug wrench to tighten them a bit more. Now lower the jack and let the car all the way down onto the ground and then tighten all of the lug nuts as tight as you can get them.

Congratulation’s! You’ve just changed your first flat tire! Now you’ll want to stop at your nearest garage and have the tire checked. Have a mechanic check to make sure that the lug nuts are tight and there’s no danger of the tire coming off!

If your spare was one of the small “donut” tires that normally come with most vehicles, it won’t last long. Those types of tires are basically a make shift tire to get you to the nearest garage or home!

Sometimes having a flat tire is unavoidable, if there’s something in the road that you can’t see there’s no way to prevent flats. But, often flats are caused by bad tires that are just worn out.

Having your tires checked regularly for flaws, tread wear or any other thing that may cause the tire to lose air is very important. Keeping the air pressure in your tires at the right amount for the size and type of tires that you have can help extend the life of your tires.

How To Keep Your Roses Disease Free

One of the main problems in growing roses is insects and diseases. Roses are especially susceptible to aphids, although the newer hybrid roses are more resistant than the general garden roses.

The three most usual diseases that roses suffer are rust, powdery mildew and black spot. Knowing how to diagnose your roses and treat them can keep them from dying out.

During cool or wet weather roses may develop powdery mildew. The mildew is around in the air all of the time, but when the weather and temperature meet certain conditions it will attack the plant.

It appears as powdery patches on the roses leaves, but may also be seen on the plants stems. The plant will begine to loose it’s leaves and the buds won’t open to bloom.

Planting your roses where they’ll receive full sun can help deter powdery mildew. You can usually spray the mildew off with a water hose. But, if it’s gotten really serious then you’ll need to prune the infected leaves. Keeping the plant free of infected leaves will keep it from spreading to other parts of the plant.

The weather conditions also produce rust on your roses. Once again, cool and moist days are the culprit! Removing all of the infected sections of the plant is about the only way to get rid of rust.

Another problem with rust is that it continues to thrive in soil and on the leaves that have fallen from an infected plant. If you replant in the same area that an infected plant grew in, then the new plant can also get rust from the soil.

Rust will usually shows up early in the growing season and will appear in bright orange places on the leaves and stalks. After the plant has been infected for awhile, the spots will start to turn black.

Black spot is another disease that often attacks roses. Although this disease occurs under moist conditions much like the others, instead of cool temperatures, black spot develops in warm conditions.

It will appear as a black or sometimes dark brown blotch on the plants leaves and they will begin to turn yellow and soon fall off. If the disease isn’t controlled it will spread and eventually kill the entire plant.

At the first sign of black spot, remove the affected leaves. You need to also remove any leaves that have fallen on the ground. And, spreading a layer of mulch several inces thick around your rose bush can also help prevent the disease.

One effective home remedy for black spot is to mix equal amounts of fat free milk and water. Apply the solution to both sides of the leaves and the stem with a spray bottle. The mixture will actually cause the growth of a fungus that prevents black spot fungus!

There are some precautions that you can take to keep your roses healthy and growing beautifully! Make sure to plant them in a sunny spot so that the leaves and stems can dry quickly after a rain or watering.

Try to water the bases of the plant, taking care not to get the leaves wet. And, always water your plants early in the morning so that they’ll have plenty of time to dry. It’s very important that you begin treatment at the first sign of a problem.

The best way to control insects on your roses is with organic treatments. The less chemicals that you apply, the healthier your plants will be and the better they’ll grow.

One way to naturally treat insect infestations is with other insects! Many insects such as lady bugs will actually pick your plants clean of any so called bad bugs!

A few aphids aren’t a major problem, but they will quickly multiply! Aphids literally suck all of the sap out of the plant and this can be devastating to a younger plant.

They can easily be removed by spraying them off with the water hose. If there’s a large infestation of aphids, you can add a few drops of liquid soap to some water and use it to spray the plants.

Many roses are now disease resistant, read the packaging or talk to a knowledgeable person at your nursery to select the right ones. With a little attention and loving care your roses can be both bug free and fungus free.

Tips for Lowering Your Room Air Conditioner’s Energy Usage

Nobody likes to get their energy bill. Many times it is very high with all the things we use in out home that use energy. There are many things that you can do in order to conserve energy usage. One of the main things that you can do has to do with your air conditioner. There are a lot of things that are simple to do that will lower your energy usage, which will lower your energy bill. (more…)

How to Change the Brake Pads on Your Car

There are a lot of things that you can do in order to keep your car tuned in the right way. Some of these things that you can do are change the oil, change the transmission fluid, rotate the tires, and change the brake pads. It may seem hard to change brake pads, but if you follow a few easy steps it is pretty simple. (more…)

Various Types of Nails for the Job

Going to the hardware stores can sometimes be frustrating if you do not know exactly what you are looking for. A lot of people are surprised to know how many types of nails are available. You need to know what type of nail you need for the job in order to make picking them easier. (more…)

Spotting Signs that Your Car Battery is Dead

Your car’s ability to run properly will depend on the life of the battery. If the battery runs out of power or has reduced power then the car might not start or it might have reduced performance. Even though it may be the case that your car does not start, it does not mean that it is only your battery. It is important that you know the signs to look out for to know if you battery is either dead or losing its power. (more…)

Caring for Your Car the Green Way

One of the major contributors to the wasting away of our environment is the automobile. The best way to promote the green environment is to conscientiously change the way you maintain your vehicle. Here are a few tips on how to care for your car the green way:

Try to wash by only using a bucket. If you were to travel to other countries you would find that many take nothing but a bucket with light soapy water to wash the car and then another bucket of clear water to rinse. After the rinse, just polish and buff. This helps care for the green environment by not wasting water (you use only what you need) and no excessive dumping of harsh detergents down city drains.

Just give your car a quick wipe if that is all it needs. If all your car has is some spotting from rain or puddle splashing then all it should take is a quick wipe with a clean, damp, and soft rag. This helps care for the green environment by using very little water if any.

When you care for your car by waxing the exterior, it is much easier to clean. That way the water that accumulates overnight can just be wiped off quickly. No need to get the garden hose.

Change all filters at regular intervals. The important ones are the fuel and air filters. Proper maintenance and care of filters keeps your car running efficiently and helps the green environment by saving fuel.

Keep your car tuned up. Although newer cars do not need tune-ups quite as often as their predecessors, you still need to do it per the manufacturer’s specifications. Newer cars have computerized control systems and tune-ups are best done by a certified mechanic.

Buy re-treaded tires. If you buy re-treaded tires from a reputable company, you can get quality at a fraction of the price. It takes oil to make tires and you obviously help care for the green environment by re-using them. Re-treads are best if most of your driving is in the city. In other words, you don’t do a lot of high speed highway driving.

You don’t need to change oil every 3,000 miles. That oil change place you took the car to last time probably put a sticker on your windshield saying to come back in 3 months or 3,000 miles. Take a look at your car’s owner manual and you might see that the recommendation is to change oil every 5,000 miles. You save money plus you help care for the green environment by using less oil.

Use green oil. Petroleum-free oil products for your car’s engine are beginning to appear on the market. You might want to read a little on the product and get all the information you can before using it but it appears to hold promise for the green future.

Care for your tires by inflating to the correct levels. When your tire pressure drops too low, you may not notice it visually but you will feel it as harder steering. The low pressure makes it harder for your engine to move your car resulting in fuel waste. Plus, if tire pressure is too low, you will notice that the outer edges of the surface that touches the road begin to wear first. That abnormal wear can mean that you have to replace tires sooner causing waste and not helping care for the green environment.

Making Your Bathroom Safer for Small Children

Generally bathrooms are designed for adults, but not for children. Small children and toddlers face many safety issues when they are in the bathroom. In looking at the potential safety hazards, from the point of view from a small child, it can help in making a bathroom that is safe not only for small children, but for your whole family as well. (more…)

Tool Shopping on a Budget

No matter what job you are doing having the right tool is important for the successful completion of the job. Many times good tools are very expensive. Knowing where to find cheaper tools will let you have more money on the project you are working on. (more…)

Easy Ways to Go Green Around the House

For way too long we’ve used up the earth’s resources without really considering the consequences. Now, even major retailers like Wal-Mart are doing their part to create a green environment and help to reverse the effects of pollution and waste.

There are many things that you can do to promote a healthier world. Walk whenever you can, participate in car pooling and recycling are just a few of the ways you can help.

Save on Water

Using a dishwasher actually uses about 35% less water than washing dishes by hand. And, if you skip the drying cycle and let the dishes air dry you’ll use about 15% less electricity.

But, always make sure that the dishwasher has a full load before running it. Although a dishwasher saves on water, running several half loads per day will end up wasting more than it saves.

If you have a lot of plants indoors or out, catch some rain water whenever possible. Not only will you save a little more on water, you’re plants will love it!

You can also save up to %30 a month on your water bill just by installing the spray aerators. All you do is unscrew the old one and attach the new one, it will create a shower like spray in your sinks!

Adjusting the ballcock on your toilet will make a difference to. You can usually just twist them a little so that the tank won’t have to get as full before the water shuts off. Another trick is to fill some plastic pop bottles with water and just sit them inside the toilet tank.

The popularity of bottled water is another huge problem. Not only are people paying four and five times the price for bottled water as opposed to tap water, plastic bottles are not bio degradable.

Adding a water filter to your faucet or under you sink will save you tons of money and give you great tasting water. Neither types of filters are hard to install and depending on how much bottled water you buy, the filter may pay for itself within the first month or so.

Limit your bubble baths! Filling the tub takes a lot more water than running the shower long enough to bathe. You can also purchase a water saving shower head to save even more!

Save on Electricity

Changing the filter in your furnace and air conditioning units can save save at least $50 per year on electricity. And, you can save at least another $30 or $40 just by insulating your water heater and keeping the temperature at 120 degress.

Using a higher wattage light bulb can also save on your electric bill! A 100 watt light bulb uses about 17% less electricity than two 60 watt bulbs do! Plus with the 100 watt you’ll have more light!

Close to 90% of the electricity used when you wash a load of clothes is from heating the water! Wash clothes in cold water as often as possible, you can find detergents made especially for cold water and they will still get your clothes nice and clean.

Line dry clothes when the weather is pretty! You’ll save on the electricity from the clothes dryer and also help keep your air conditioning from working over time to combat the heat of the dryer! And, line drying saves on the wear on your clothes and linens plus gives them a wonderful fresh smell!

Switching to flourescent bulbs will result in about a 75% savings over using regular light bulbs. Once up on a time, to use flourescent lighting you had to have the big bulky fixtures. But, now you can buy florescent lights that fit your regular lamps.

It may surprise you to know that your appliances and electronics still use electricity even if they’re turned off! It’s referred to as phantom load. Even though you’ve turned something off electricity continues to “leak” and can add up to as much as 75% of the home energy consumption!

How To Build A Storage Bench

Seems like space is always a problem no matter how big your home or yard is. We’re constantly looking for places to put things and it’s even better to have a place to hide things away that’s nice looking!

A storage bench is a great item that will serve two purposes! You’ll have some where to store things and you’ll have a great looking bench to add to your yard, flower garden or deck!

A rustic bench is the perfect design especially is you’re a beginner. Why? Well, because the whole idea of rustic is that it looks old and is pretty much meant to not be perfect! So, slight flaws and imperfections won’t be a major deal!

Of course, if you’re a little more experienced with making things, you can add cut-outs, scallops or whatever you want to the bench!

You can build a heavy duty bench out of 2 X 4’s or you may want to use 1 X 6’s. I prefer the 1 X 6’s because the 2 X 4’s add a lot of weight to the bench and will make it harder to move.

First of all you need to decide how long you’d like to make the bench. A bench that is four feet long is a great size, it will easily accomadate two people. Just remember the longer you make it the heavier it will be to move.

I also recommend that if you’re going to place the bench in an area where it will be open to the elements, make sure you either buy treated wood or treat it yourself.

You’ll also have to decide how high you want the seat of the bench to be. If you’re using 1 X 6 boards and don’t want to do any extra cutting, then you’ll have to leave the height at either 12 or 18 inches.

You also have to consider that you’re going to be putting legs on the bench and the lid will add another inch. But, your storage space will depend on the height of the bench, so you have to weigh the options.

I’m going to give you the directions for a bench that is 4 foot long, 2 foot wide and and the storage area will be 12 inches deep. No matter what size you want to make yours, the basics are the same. You’ll just need to add the extra inches when you cut your boards.

You’ll need to cut two boards for the front and two for the back that are four feet long. Then you’ll need four boards that are each one foot and ten inches long for the ends of the bench.

The reason the end boards aren’t cut at two feet is because you’ll be using some one inch boards for the legs and this will make the width two feet.

These boards will be put together just like a box. You can either use nails or screws, either will be fine because they will be covered with the legs. You can also use wood glue to strengthen the joints.

Once you’ve gotten your bench frame together you’ll need to cut some of the boards in two inch strips. Measure along the outside of the bench and cut enough boards to attach all along the bottom.

Attach these strips all around the bottom with wood screws or nails. Once the bench is done you’re going to attach a heavy duty wire mesh to them. This will allow you to store water hoses or anything else and keep the bench from holding water.

Now that you’ve gotten all of that done, you’re ready to attach some legs. The legs are just made of strips cut from the 1 X 6’s. Decide how high you want the bench to be and cut eight pieces that are three inches wide.

Remember that the bench we’re making is going to be 12 inches deep. So, if you want it to be 18 inches high, your leg boards will need to be cut at 18 inches.

You will need to attach one piece to the front and on piece to the side of each of the four corners of the bench. These pieces can either be left squared on the bottom or if you’re brave you can angle the bottoms for a more finished look.

Now it’s time to make the bench lid! We need to add a few inches to the lid to make it match up evenly with the legs. So, the lid boards will be four feet and two inches long and you need to cut four of them.

The best way to make the lid is to cut some bracing boards to attach it to. These braces should be cut eight inches long and need to be at least two inches wide. For a four foot bench three braces should do just fine, but you can add four if you’d like.

What you are going to do is lay the boards for the bench lid on a flat surface, lay them out against each other. If you’re using three braces, you’ll lay one right in the middle and screw it into each of the four lid boards. Then do the same with the other two braces towards the ends of the lid.

Make sure that you don’t put the braces right on the ends, you won’t be able to shut the lid. Also, make sure that you don’t attach them in the place that you’re planning on adding your hinges.

Measure the little ledge that you made around the inside bottom of the bench and use wire cutters to cut the mesh to fit. You can  attach the mesh with half inch long heavy duty staples, the kind that holds electrical wiring in place.

Now you’re ready to attach your hinges! This is where you have to be sure to make exact measurements, if the hinges aren’t attached right the lid will end up offset on the bench.

Just decide where you want the hinges, on a four foot bench hinge placement should be around twelve inches from the ends. Measure exactly and mark where the end of the hinge will fit with a pencil. Attach the hinges to the lid and then attach them to the inside back of the bench.

All that’s left to do now is to decide whether you want to just stain your bench or if you want to paint it. Just make sure that if you didn’t purchase weather treated wood that you buy some weather treatment and apply it yourself before painting the bench.

Now, you’ve got a wonderful bench that doubles as a storage place for a water hose, garden tools or any other items you want to hide away! And, you’ve also got a great spot to sit and enjoy your flower garden or the view from your deck!

This type of storage bench is also great for a kid’s room to hold toys. You may even want to add one to a hallway, it’s a great place to hide jackets, hats, gloves or anything else!

Caring For Your Hand Tools

Using the right tool makes a job much easier. Many people have hand tools for home use, garden use, or both. Hand tools can sometimes be pricey and if you care for them properly it can make it so you can use the tools for longer periods of time and they will still be useful. (more…)

Go Green and Repair Sources of Water Waste

If you have an old home, more than likely it is a leaky home causing water waste. It does not help the green environmental goals. Plus, it can get expensive on the wallet. There are obvious potential leak points in your home and those not so obvious. But you want to be aware of them and repair them as quickly as possible so as to avoid water waste and help your home go green.

In an older home not built for green, there is more than likely much water waste occurring behind the walls. The most common place for waste to occur is around the bathroom which makes sense because they are fed so much water. Many times there is an access panel located on the other side of the bathroom or shower that will expose the water feed pipes. More than likely, these feed pipes are made of copper which has a tendency to corrode indicated by a green color and tiny pinhole leaks. It will have to be replaced.

It takes a little patience to solder copper piping. You’ll need to purchase a propane soldering torch, copper pipe cutter, copper piping, joints, tees, and elbows (depends on your pipe arrangement). You will first cut out the leaking section and replace with a new copper pipe section. Use the joints, tees, or elbows as necessary.

To solder the joint, coat the surfaces with flux and then super heat the joint once you have inserted the replacement. Place the solder on the superheated joint and the heat/flux should suck it in creating a good seal. There cannot be any water running inside of the copper pipes or else they will not get hot enough.

In older houses not built for green, a problem often exists where even though the water main is shut off there is still slow seepage into the line. The solution to this is to stuff some regular white bread into the pipe to stop the slow water flow. Solder in your replacement pipe and when you turn the water main back on, the bread will dissolve. Plus the bread is biodegradable keeping in line with your green goal. Also help the goal of going green by taking the old copper piping to the metal recyclers.

Go green and find those underground leaks. There are two good signs that you have an underground water leak between the main city water meter and the house. You’ll hear a constant sound of water running and your water bill will spike extremely high all of the sudden. It can be an incredible waste. Leak detecting cameras are not always 100% successful in finding the wasteful leak point. You can save a lot of money by just trenching the area where the line is yourself until the leak is revealed.

Then there is the problem of freezing. Some older homes not built for green have additions where the builder might have been the homeowner at the time and did not bury a water line or junction to a hose bibb deep enough resulting in it bursting and incredible waste each year during a hard freeze. This is simple to fix. Just get one of the frost-free hose bibbs, dig up the area where it leads to the water feed, and install the new hose bib. While you are at it, wrap some pipe insulation that you can find at any home store. Then, cover the area with dirt (assuming the bibb is going into the ground).

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