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Cleaning & Laundry : Home & Garden
How to Troubleshoot Orbit Sprinklers
Orbit, a major manufacturer of sprinkler systems, offers a wide variety of sprinkler heads. The most common type is the pop-up sprayer, which uses water pressure to lift the sprayers above the surface. These sprayers can become damaged by a lawnmower or car or become clogged with dirt. There are a f
How to Remove a Lift-Up Type Shower Diverter
The lift-up shower diverter, also known as a gate diverter, is a popular type of diverter valve for shower and bathtub combinations. Unlike three-handle faucet assemblies, which feature a third handle as a diverter valve, gate diverters are mounted on the tub spout with single- and dual-handle fauce
How to Prune Viburnum Tinus
Viburnum tinus is a flowering shrub that throws pink buds which turn to white blooms in the late winter and early spring. The shrub has dramatic, clumping fruit the is a deep, nearly iridescent, blue to black. Viburnum tinus thrives in sun to partial shade, and can even withstand salty coastal air.
How to Clean Damaged Travertine
Travertine tile makes for beautiful floor or counter top finishes throughout the home. Travertine is not as dense and hard as marble or granite, however, and must be cleaned with care. It is important to repair damaged travertine as soon as possible to prevent cracks and holes from spreading due to
How to Get the Musty Smell Out of Records
Record collectors encounter a couple of different issues when they are purchasing used albums, 45 or 78 speed records at yard sales or estate sales. Outside of the obvious issues of scratches and warped albums is the odor of sitting. Musty odors can penetrate the cardboard covers and record sleeves
How to Clean the Cast Iron Grates on a Gas Range
Gas ranges use cast iron grates over the burner, which you set your pots and pans on when cooking. Whether they are porcelain-coated or not, cast iron grates heat evenly. Just like any other part, you should clean the cast iron grates on a gas range regularly -- ideally, at least once a week, and as
What Is a Natural Rabbit Repellent?
There are many natural ways to repel rabbits and keep them from eating crops. Too many of these rodents in an area can raise the potential for diseases spreading to domestic stock. For many people, natural repellents are the only options.
How to Cover Holes in Fiberglass
Fiberglass is a material often used for bathtubs and showers in many newly constructed homes. Fiberglass is impervious to water, lightweight, durable and less expensive than cast-iron tubs or tiled showers. But fiberglass is not indestructible, and it can get damaged. A common fiberglass repair job
How to Clean Tan Suede
Suede is a textured material made from leather. Typical leather has a smooth side and a rough side, while suede is made by splitting leather two or three times, making it much softer and thinner than the original. Suede's absorbency, matte finish and velvety texture make it difficult to clean. Tan s
How to Clean a Metal Plate With Washing Soda
Washing soda is commonly used to clean laundry, and is generally found in the grocery store with laundry detergents. This is a natural cleaning substance that can be used to clean a variety of surfaces, including metal plates. Some retail cleaners claim to clean these plates effectively, but instead
How to Remove Candlewax From Wood Floor
Favored for their numerous fragrances, colors and styles, candles add a luxurious, artistic touch to any home. Burning candles, whether they are votives, tealights or pillars, creates a warm, calming atmosphere. Nonetheless, accidents occur when hot candle wax spills or drips onto wood floors. Hot c
How to Remove Nails from Concrete Flooring
Concrete nails are used to secure or hold objects onto concrete surfaces, such as flooring, framed walls and bracing. Concrete nails are made with harder metal materials than wood nails, making them more difficult to remove. A convenient way of removing a concrete nail is by using the blunt force o
How to Cut in Around Ceilings
Whenever you decide to take on a major paint project, whether it's brightening up that dull paint the previous owners left behind or to get a fresh, new look for the room, you need to complete the job the right way. The preferred method to paint large areas is by using a roller, but first you need t
Steam Clean Vs. Chemical Dry
Cleaning a carpet or a hard-surface floor can be a nightmare without the proper tools. Inexpensive, bottled carpet cleaners are frequently ineffective at removing stains and dirt. Therefore, it is often necessary to resort to using a steam cleaner or a chemical dry unit.
The Proper Way to Pot Annual Plants
As the name suggests, annual plants are those plants whose entire life cycle, from germination of the seed to flowering to propagation and finally death, takes place in one year. Many annual plants are grown in containers. Potted plants are easier to transport from one spot to another, so it is easy
My Carpet Smells After a Cleaning
You've gone through all the trouble of vacuuming the carpet, pre-treating spots and giving heavy traffic area extra shampoo, but instead of a sweet-smelling carpet you're left with a musty sour smell. The problem may be that you've done too a good a job of saturating the carpet and the pad with clea
How to Make Homemade Rust Stain Remover
Rust stains on your clothing may magically appear if the garment was laundered accidentally with a metal object that rusted during the wash cycle. Or the stains can result from hard water buildup, or even if your washer or dryer happens to have a rusted part that comes into contact with the clothing
How to Clean Dirty Vinyl Records
Playing vinyl records regularly leaves them susceptible to dirt from the environment and from the turntable. Unplayed vinyl records, however, face a similar fate as dust builds inside the shallow grooves, causing damage when the record finally is played. Although machines are available for cleaning
How to Prevent Rust on Slate
If you are using slate for roofing or flooring, then you probably are not expecting any problems with rust. However, slate often contains high amounts of iron, and the darker the slate, the more iron it contains. As a result, slate can develop rust when exposed to moisture. Fortunately, there are se