Ninja blenders are amazing! They work so diligently to chop up your favorite fruits and blend them into a great tasting smoothie. They can also double as a food processor, chopping up onions or celery to put into your favorite salads. The downside? The cleanup that comes afterward. They’re not fun to wash by hand. 

You likely understand by now all of the dangers that are associated with mold growth in the home. They can present health hazards that cause issues as minor as enhanced allergy symptoms or as serious as major lung damage. Aside from the health risks for home occupants, elimination and remediation of mold can be costly and very overwhelming.

This is a common misconception that we want to clear up straight away. Dryvit is actually the brand name for a specific EIFS manufacturer – not a type of siding itself. For clarity, throughout this article, Dryvit and EIFS will be used interchangeably to match the common parlance.

When searching for a new house to live in, one of the most important things to consider is which direction it’s facing. The direction of your home will determine many things like the amount of sunlight it receives as well as other weather considerations.

When water is backing up out of your basement floor drain, it could be the result of many different issues. However, it usually isn’t the fault of the floor drain itself. A common time for back-ups is during heavy rain, but why is your basement floor drain backing up when it rains?

Abnormal noises that come from a refrigerator can be off-putting, especially when you don’t know what they mean. It can be disconcerting when your refrigerator makes knocking noises, especially if it happens constantly. So, what does it mean when your refrigerator makes knocking noises?

Intex pools, also known as above-ground pools, are popular because they’re affordable. However, they’re not without their problems. They’re more prone to breaking and they also tend to be at the mercy of the ground around them. One of the biggest issues is obviously going to be the slope of the ground around the pool. One might even wonder how much slant is too much…

Bathroom vanities can prove very useful as a versatile piece of furniture. Use them to stay organized in the bathroom while also touching up your appearance. They even work as a functional piece of bathroom décor.

Do you somehow keep ending up with a yard full of branches, even though you don’t have any trees? If your answer is yes, then you’re likely the victim of an oblivious or inconsiderate neighbor. But, if the branches are from your tree, that’s a different story.

Finding out that your home contains asbestos can be frightening and shakes things up. If the asbestos has been disturbed, it must be removed, and that can be nerve-wracking. Removing asbestos comes at a price, but it is worth it to eliminate the threat that it poses.

It’s not uncommon to have water damage on your drywall, whether it be ceiling or walls, especially if you live in an area that experiences heavy rainfall. If you have water damage on your ceiling, you have probably wondered if painting over the problem area is a practical solution. After all, simply applying a couple of coats of paint is far easier than replacing ceiling material.

During the hot summer months, there’s nothing better than a cool airflow from your ceiling fan. While ceiling fans are known for being an excellent addition to circulate air, they may also cause a bit of stress. One constant issue with them is that they produce a barely audible humming sound that can drive you insane.

Ferrets are cute little animals, but they produce a musky odor that some people find unpleasant. If you keep a ferret in your house as a pet, the entire space could have a strong odor, especially if you fail to keep its cage clean. Failure to wash the animal and its litter box and bedding could also contribute to the musky smell in your house.

A kitchen does not have to have a pantry. Although it’s standard in most homes to find at least a small pantry in the kitchen, it is not a requirement. However, it would be remiss not to point out that the absence of a pantry would likely be a disadvantage when you want to sell your home.

Wood-burning stoves can save you hundreds of dollars every winter. We all know that running the heat can make quite the dent in our wallets. One of the last stages of installation when it comes to a wood stove is putting in the chimney. 

It’s not unusual for there to be several gallons of water inside the water softener at any given time. However, there is certainly something wrong if your water softener is overflowing. If you are experiencing this, you want to know how to fix it and what is causing it immediately. Delaying this issue could cause thousands in damage and hours of work to clean.

If you need to have wood waterproofed, then chances are you’ve applied Thompson’s Water Seal to it. This waterproofing stain is known for being one of the best in the home improvement world when it comes to keeping your materials looking great. Of course, many of us want to make our projects look even better with a fresh coat of paint. But, is this actually doable?

Both The Salvation Army and Goodwill are popular choices for donations of clothing and other belongings. Thanks to their significant charitable contributions, these organizations have been well-known for decades. However, hardly anyone knows the differences between them, making it difficult to know which is the better option for donations.

When it comes to comfort, no other mattress beats memory foam mattresses. This is due to the ability to adapt to your body size and shape. However, memory foam mattresses can also get dirty, and if you’re looking to clean them, one question will cross your mind; can a memory foam mattress be steam-cleaned?

If you’ve just moved into a new home in a rural or suburban area, chances are you have a septic system. But don’t worry! A septic system shouldn’t be a deal-breaker, though you might be wondering how long it will last. 

More and more homeowners these days are choosing gas fireplaces over traditional wood fireplaces due to their convenience. The truth is both types can make for a great focal point to any room. Unfortunately, gas fireplaces still come with their downfalls. One of the most common issues people deal with is when their gas fireplace won’t start but the pilot light is on.

Your washing machine, when working optimally, makes keeping your clothes clean easier than ever before. But like any machine running on a variety of components, there is a chance that it could break down over time.

If you’re looking for an alternative to traditional flatware and cooking utensils, bamboo is an excellent choice. Not only is it more affordable than silver flatware, it is also durable, lightweight, and incredibly eco-friendly. In fact, the environmentally-friendly nature of bamboo is the main reason why bamboo kitchen utensils have become so popular in recent years.

If you have ever felt a hot or cold spot in your house, your HVAC system is likely unbalanced. Air balancing is the process of testing the outputs of your HVAC units and adjusting them to provide even airflow. This improves air circulation, ensures your system operates at peak efficiency, and creates even and comfortable temperatures.

Pinesol has been around since the late 1920s and has made its way into every household in America at one time or another. People use it as an all-purpose cleaner to clean their showers, toilets, floors, and countertops. But, are you able to use this on your carpet? That’s the real question.

If you disposed of your Kenmore Elite dishwasher’s manual and are suddenly in need of some guidance, you’ve come to the right place. No need to worry, as it is relatively easy to troubleshoot a Kenmore dishwasher, regardless of the model. Thankfully, Kenmore dishwashers are outfitted with fully integrated reset sequences for when the appliance starts to malfunction or operate out of the norm.

If you live in a house, the odds are good you prefer it to be clean. So, you likely have a regular cleaning routine and maybe even do a mega spring cleaning every year. Perhaps you devote time each day to tidying and cleaning specific areas.

Leather couches are beautiful additions to living rooms and give a classic touch to the aesthetic. If proper maintenance isn’t carried out routinely, leather can wear and tear quite quickly. This material is often prone to large holes and cracks when it’s not regularly conditioned. 

If you were recently placed under a boil water advisory, this means that there’s a concern that your local water supply may be contaminated with pathogens. When this happens, you can no longer trust the water that comes out of your tap, including any appliances that are connected to your water supply. This includes your refrigerator and ice maker, but what about your dishwasher? Can you use the dishwasher during a boil water advisory?

A fence can really enhance your property, but it can also cause arguments with your neighbors. Chiefly because many fences are supported rails and posts on one side of the fence and a smooth surface on the other. And this generally means only one person gets the side with the smooth surface often known as the good side.

Over the past several decades, more and more kitchen appliances are surfacing. At one point, the coolest new thing to hit the shelves was the salad spinner. Now, the latest kitchen gadgets and gizmos have a lot more features than a simple spinning device. 

Boilers play an important role in any home. These units work by heating water and the house with steam. The steam travels through the house in pipes and radiators. Boilers are expensive to install, but have a long lifespan and are energy efficient.

Grout is a fantastic mortar used for tiling. The downside? It can be frustrating to remove! Are you remodeling your shower? Maybe you’re merely replacing stained grout. Either way, one thing is for sure: You’re met with the task of pulling up hardened grout. How do you soften it to make things easier?

Living in a poorly-finished house can be pretty difficult, especially when you start noticing that there are sanitary issues afoot. One of the bigger problems that can arise is a gap between a baseboard and a floor. Along with being a visually jarring issue, gaps like this can become a safe haven for critters like bedbugs and roaches. So, what can one do?

Having a sprinkler system for your yard can be a beneficial thing. Keeping your garden and landscaping looking lush and healthy is a difficult job and a sprinkler can ease the burden. It can be especially helpful for larger properties.

Owning a Honda self-propelled lawnmower makes it easy to cut your grass quickly. However, over time, your mower will need routine maintenance and care. One of the most crucial elements to pay attention to is the drive belt. In some cases, this belt can come loose, which means that you’ll have to adjust the tension by tightening it.

As technology advances, more and more people are starting to use apps rather than traditional cable TV. Entertainment can be found on Netflix, YouTube, and even Hulu. Due to this, many media consumers prefer to digest their media through multiple devices.

The HVAC unit is responsible for your home’s cooling and heating as the weather changes. However, many factors influence the system’s efficiency, including duct sizing. Using ducts that are too large or too small can render your HVAC system pretty useless, so it’s important to know duct sizing rules of thumb.

Picture Juliet stepping out onto her balcony to speak with Romeo, and you have the perfect image of a French balcony. There was just enough room for Juliet on her small perch. In fact, these balconies are often referred to as “Juliet balconies.”

Bugs are a pesky invader anywhere in your home. If you find bugs in your kitchen, it can be especially horrible. This can spell trouble for all the food you’ve got in the pantry! 

It’s a new house, and you don’t want to mar those beautiful ceilings by drilling holes to hang your plants. Or, you are in a new apartment, and the landlord is explicit about no holes in the wall or ceilings. So, how do you hang plants from a ceiling without drilling holes?

Dryer vents are notoriously hard to clean. All that grit and dust just seems to pile up, no matter what you do. There’s no end in sight, is there? For the longest time, it sure seemed that way. However, a recent lifehack started to appear on the internet claiming that you can clean your dryer vents with a leafblower. But, is this really true?

When I’m in the kitchen, I often have to grab a saucepan’s handle while it’s been firing up food on the stovetop. It’s a classic part of cooking. Without fail, the handle on my saucepan will heat up. How much it heats up can vary, but it’ll be warm to the touch at the very least. Have you ever wondered what the deal was with this?

While they may be cute to some, rats can be a real pesky problem. When they’ve gained access to your home or have settled in your backyard, it can be challenging to get rid of them. Whether you’ve got one rat or a whole infestation, it is vital to quickly and carefully deal with the issue.

A solar cover is a great addition to your heated or non-heated pool. If your pool has a heater, you will have to retain all the heat you can. If it is heated, saving heat with a solar cover is a great way to save money.

If there’s one thing I enjoy doing, it’s a fresh batch of laundry. I even have luxury laundry detergent and wool balls to keep my clothes all nice and fluffy. That’s why I know, first-hand, how depressing holding a bunch of wool dryer balls that are clearly spent can be. Most people assume you have to throw them out, but that’s not true. You can recharge your dryer balls pretty easily.

Coffee machines are super convenient to have in your home, especially cause so many of them come with timers now, so you don’t have to remember to turn the coffee pot on in time before heading to work or starting your day. However, one thing that gets super annoying is the need to descale it. But, it needs to be done! But what if you have a Breville Coffee Maker? How do you descale that?

Cleaning your toilet can be a big pain, but it’s one of those chores that you must do on a regular basis. Thankfully, bleach can make the job a whole lot easier and a lot less gross. If you’ve had to deal with stubborn stains that won’t seem to fade in the past, you may have found yourself wondering if you could leave bleach sitting in the bowl to do the hard work.

Chandeliers are a worthy addition to dining halls, atriums, entrances, and other places around the house with high ceilings. They brighten the room and considerably raise the aesthetic appeal.

Of all of the pests homeowners face, bed bugs hit where it really hurts the most. The last thing that any sensible homeowner wants is to feel unsafe in their house. Unfortunately, bed bugs excel at making it difficult to get comfortable or feel safe in your own home.

Have you ever taken a moment to inspect the back of your pedestal sink and noticed the small hole underneath the faucet? This small hole is referred to as an overflow hole and generally goes unnoticed, but you need to clean a pedestal sink overflow. The purpose of the overflow hole is to provide ventilation and collect any excess water that could cause your sink to spill over.

If there’s one thing that has become a popular wedding registry gift in recent years, it’s a dutch oven. These are gorgeous pots made for baking, casseroles, and just about everything else. Most commonly made out of cast iron with a nice enamel touch, dutch ovens are often called “the new stock pots.” However, these things aren’t the same. One is clearly different from the other. But, what’s the difference?

Resin furniture, also known as Polywood, can be an attractive and versatile addition to a patio. Affordable and with a wide variety of styles to choose from, you can furnish your outdoor living space with tables and chairs, which will last for years. However, in common with other materials, unless they are correctly and regularly maintained, they can deteriorate over time. Your furniture can start to look dirty, chalky, and worn. So, how do you clean them when this happens?

Fiberglass is one of those materials that many craftsmen have a hard time with, at least when they first start working with it. This is especially true if you want to decorate it and add your own personal touch to your project.

Ah, new joys of parenthood. Lots of bottle filling, lots of new stains to get rid of, and tons of new things you never knew about keeping a good house. One of the first new stains you’ll run into as a parent is the awkward spill that happens if you drop diaper cream on a carpet. So, how do you get this stuff out of your pre-baby carpet?

Even if you aren’t a plumber by trade, you’ve likely seen the u-shaped section of piping underneath your bathroom or kitchen sink. This specific piece of plumbing equipment is referred to as a P-trap and is considered a vital part of your home’s plumbing system. If a P-trap is improperly installed or maintained it can cause a number of issues for the sink it services, as well as other universal problems.

You finally locate that strange squeaking noise.  The noise, a high-pitched squeaking sound, is coming from your gas meter.  What causes a gas meter to squeak and what should I do about it?

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a sauce more versatile than tomato sauce. It can be used in all kinds of savory applications. Use it to stew meat, simmer beans, and of course, tomato sauce also pairs splendidly with pasta.

Fleas are a nightmare for any homeowner whether you have pets or not. Sometimes, flea activity stays local to a single room or area in the house without spreading. So, can you flea bomb one room and stay in the house?

Discovering blackened copper wires is a mysterious thing. What happened to these wires? Is this dangerous? Keeping a close eye on your electrical system helps you avoid future disasters. Over 20,000 house fires are started each year due to an electrical fault. This article will tell you why your copper wires turned black, if blackened wires are a hazard, and what you can do about it.