Hot Housekeeping How-Tos

How To: 10 Ways to Whiten Clothes Without Using Any Bleach

Whites are the hardest color to keep looking bright and new after just a few months' time. Your sweat and oils quickly become stains, and colors from other clothes will eventually bleed into the fabric, discoloring your bright whites into something merely whitish. But before you reach for the bleach, the ultimate chemical cleaner, try some a few of these safer, less-toxic DIY solutions out instead.

How To: Separate Two Glasses That Are Stuck Together

Learn how to separate two glasses that are stuck together with this Howcast video tutorial. You nested two glasses when you put them away — and now they're stuck! Gently pry them apart with this system.

How To: Remove A Very Tight Lid

How to... Remove A Very Tight Lid? Use Items You Have Around The House! Step 1Want to remove a very tight lid? Do you have a weak grip or arthritic pain in your hands? Have you already tried tapping the lid with a spoon? Thumping the bottom of the jar with the palm of your hand, and it still won‘t come off? An easy, quick way to remove a very tight lid is to put on rubber gloves! Yes. Ordinary household rubber gloves. Hold the jar in one hand, then use the other hand to twist the lid off. Thi...

How To: Use Dryer Sheets to Clean Soap Scum Off Shower Doors

How often do you fight with your shower doors? Maybe not literally (although my elbow has smacked the hard glass many times), but when it's time to clean the bathroom, getting a few weeks' worth of soap scum and grime off the shiny, clear surface becomes an insurmountable task. Whether you use a special cleaner and squeegee or a carefully selected wipe, chances are you still battle the streaks and grit left behind. Although it might not make sense to steal cleaning supplies from the laundry r...

How To: The Secret to Washing Your "Dry Clean" Clothes—Without Going to the Dry Cleaner

Unless your work clothes require dry cleaning, you probably only go to the cleaner a few times a year. And for those few items in your closet for which you do, you have to then find the time and extra budget to make a trip all the way to the cleaners and back again. In the end, it can be quite the hassle.

How To: Laundry Symbols Deciphered! Here's What the Care Labels on Your Clothes Really Say

Frankly, I never cared about the care labels on my clothing. They supposedly held some secret key to keeping clothes clean and bright, but who wants to look at little icons and a bunch of fine print for every single garment they wash?

How To: Easily clean your coins with clr

How to easily clean your coins with CLR

The Duvet Burrito: How to Put a Duvet Cover on Your Comforter the Easy Way

Making the bed is a challenging task, but trying to put a duvet cover over top your comforter is a challenge on a whole different level.

How To: Get Rid of Spiders Naturally

Spiders are common pests that typically prefer to live outdoors. However, insects and warmth will eventually attract them into our houses. They like to spin their webs in corners, crevices and unused areas of your house. Most species are harmless and even act as a natural repellent for getting rid of other insects. However, in some cases, spiders can be very dangerous. Whichever the case may be, they are scary and people are always looking for natural ways to get rid of them.

How To: Remove marker from of a compact disc safely

This video shows viewers how to remove permanent marker from the top of a compact disc without damaging it. In order to do this, you will need some hand sanitizing gel and some facial tissues. Apply some gel onto the marks you want to remove by squeezing the gel out from the bottle. Rub the gel in a bit with your fingers. Take a facial tissue and wipe it gently around the CD, using it to remove the gel and the marker from the top of the CD. The marker will now be entirely removed from the top...

How To: Remove Almost Any Stain Using Alcohol

There are countless methods and cleaners aimed at eliminating stubborn stains from everything to clothing, carpet, and furniture. But completely removing every last trace of a stain doesn't require an arsenal of chemical cleaners and repeated cycles in the washing machine. Most stains can disappear in a matter of minutes with a dose of alcohol.

How To: Make a Homemade Cat Repellent - Home Remedies for Repelling Cats

Are you searching for a homemade cat repellent solution? This article will cover natural indoor and outdoor deterrents for every scenario where cats are causing trouble. The first part will cover home remedies for training cats to stay away from furniture and other restricted areas inside your house. The second part will cover outdoor repellents for keeping cats away from your garden, plants and yard. Step 1: Indoor Repellents for Training Cats

How To: Tie a slip knot in a plastic grocery bag

Have you ever wondered how to tie a slip knot on your grocery bags? When we go to the grocery store, the clerks always tie the bags in a carrying knot. With this easy to follow video, tying these knots is made easy. Knots always seem perplexing, but now they are easy to do. This is a must watch video for anyone who goes shopping.

How To: Make Your Own Febreze (And Save Up to 97% Per Bottle)

If you're a Febreze fanatic, you're well aware that the "odor eliminator" can be pretty pricey, and that's reason enough to stop buying it.

How To: Change the Light Bulb Inside a Whirlpool Microwave

This video will show you how to easily change the light bulb inside of your Whirlpool Microwave. MODEL MH1160XSB-3

How To: 5 Simple Ways to Keep Your Bathroom Mirror from Fogging Up

Getting hot and steamy can be awesome, as illustrated in the 1997 smash hit Titanic. But having the bathroom mirrors fog up during a nice hot shower can be very annoying. Getting ready in the morning can already be rushed, and wiping down your mirrors after your shower wastes time. Since most people like to shave or clean up after a shower, the need for a clear mirror is prime.

How To: Unlock A Privacy Door Handle

When owning a home one type of lever set you may have in your home is a privacy lever. In a privacy lever set, the main feature is that the door can only be locked from the inside. Sometimes a kid might get locked in or someone may accidentally lock the door behind them. It's really easy to unlock it in an emergency.

How To: Clean a diamond ring with Martha Stewart's REAL SIMPLE

A diamond ring is probably one of your most prized possessions. Like most possessions, it requires care to keep it as good as new. Learn how to clean a diamond ring with the folks from Martha Stewart's REAL SIMPLE. Diamonds are made to shine! But daily wearing can result in a less-than-sparkling stone. There's no need for a professional cleaning: Polish your gem at home using common household products.

How To: Stop odors when a refrigerator is switched off

Fortunately, you do not have to face this horrible smell problem when you turn off the fridge. To easily stop it, simply put some crumbled-up newspaper inside before you have to turn off the fridge, or at least shortly afterward. Watch this video to learn more.

How To: Keep Denim Jeans Clean & Smell-Free Without Ever Washing Them at All

Even if you decode the laundry symbols on the tags of your clothes and follow them perfectly, using the washing machine tends to change their shape and fade colors over time. And whether you spent $20 or $200 on them, there's nothing worse than having your favorite pair of jeans ruined.

How To: Unlock A Door In Case Of An Emergency

Materials Needed! Video: Undo a door's chain lock from outside with string, yarn or shoelaces.

How To: Treat bed bugs & get rid of them

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to find bed bugs and how to get rid of them. When users are aware that their home is infested with bed bugs, it is critical for users to locate all of the bugs. There are many areas where bed bugs inhabit. Bed bugs can be found on the bed, headboard, electrical sockets and telephone jacks. Bed bugs may also be found in cracks. The best treatment to remove bed bugs is to use Delta Dust, bed bug spray or any other bed bug products. This video will benef...

How To: Repair Nasty Carpet Burns for a New Carpet Look

In this tutorial, we learn how to repair carpet burns. First, take some tongues and ruff up the surface to break up the burnt pieces that are inside the carpet. Next, take some Resolve and spray it onto the spot, then brush it with a handheld brush. After this, blot the area with a towel until it's nice and dry. Next, cut out a small piece of spare carpeting and then open up the area that was burnt. Cut it out with scissors, then replace this with the new carpet.

How To: Use old tennis balls

Tennis balls aren't just for playing tennis, so when you are getting ready to trash those tennis balls… DON'T. There are many different uses you can find for them, from donating them to fluffing up laundry. Recycle them using these 7 helpful tips.

How To: Unclog a toilet in 11 seconds like a pro plumber

In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to unclog a toilet in 11 seconds. Users will need a plunger. It is recommended to use a pleaded plunger, instead of the regular plunger. When clogging a toilet, the rubber of the plunger is filled up with water, pushed down and squeezes out the pressurized water. The force from the pressured water will remove the clogging of the toilet. Slowly place the plunger into the water and let it be filled with water. Align it with the toilet hole and then push...

How To: Unclog Your Toilet the Right Way

Stephanie and Julie teach us how to unclog a toilet the correct way in this video. First, remember to turn the valve off on your water that goes to your toilet. This will help prevent unwanted floods in your bathroom. You will also need a plunger, making sure to take the lip out for better suction. After you stick the plunger into the toilet, plunge rapidly around twelve times. If this doesn't work, try adding more water and plunging again for around twelve times. If it still doesn't work, yo...

How To: Use Diatomaceous Earth to kill bed bugs in your home

There's a new way to kill bed bugs and it's with Diatomaceous Earth - a naturally occurring, soft, siliceous sedimentary rock that is easily crumbled into a fine white to off-white powder. Get those bed bugs out of your home with help from this video presented by Canada Bedbugs on how to get rid of those trespassing pests!

How To: Clean items with bed bugs you can't put in a washer

Do you have bed bugs hiding throughout the home? If they've gone from your blankets and bedding to say, you're child's toys... you might be a tad clueless as to how about cleaning items you can't throw in a washing machine. In this video presented by Bed Bug Central, learn how to clean those items with bed bugs you can't throw in a washer.

How To: Detect bed bugs with tape

Rick Steinow shows how to detect bedbugs using tape. Rick shows that obvious signs would be fecal matter and blood stains. If you're still unable to detect bed bugs, you can purchase a roll of double-sided carpet tape. You're also going to need a roll of painters tape. Apply a strip of the double-sided tape all the way around the mattress. Place another strip of tape around the head board. Make sure to add a strip of painters tape first when doing the headboard. You'll do this because the dou...

How To: Quickly fix a skipping DVD with toothpaste

How annoying is a skipping DVD? Picture it: you're in the middle of your favorite flick, and suddenly the characters freeze and seemingly melt away right before your eyes. Sure, you can skip ahead and start watching again at another point in the film, but that's no fun. And it always seems like the disc skips at the best part, doesn't it? Well, this tutorial will show you how to do a quick fix with a tube of toothpaste. It's not just for your pearly whites anymore!

How To: Get rid of bed bugs with silica gel cat litter

How to eliminate bedbugs using cat litter * You can use the silica gel in cat litter to eliminate bedbugs.

How To: Fold a towel into an elephant shape

These elephant-shaped towels are so cute and easy to create that you’ll never want to use them for drying.

How To: Make towels fluffy and absorbent again

Learn how to ensure that your towels feel new, clean and fluffy after every wash. Using a Soda Crystal Pre-wash technique and adding white vinegar to your wash, you can easily make towels fluffy and absorbent again. Watch this video tutorial to learn all about it!

How To: Deal with termites

Driven creatures undermining the very structure of your life – it might sound like a sci-fi flick, but it's all too real when these pests go after your home. Watch this video to learn how to deal with termites.

How To: Remove blood stains with Martha Stewart's REAL SIMPLE

Blood stains can be tough. These tips will help you remove the toughest blood stains. Learn how to remove blood stains with the folks from Martha Stewart's REAL SIMPLE. Ideally, you'll tackle blood stains while they're still wet, which makes them easier to get out. But they're definitely a challenge. Here's the best way to treat them.

How To: Fold sweatpants

In this how to video, the Beverly Hills Organizer, Linda Koopersmith demonstrates how to fold a pair of sweatpants for neat and compact storage. The way you store your clothes makes a huge difference in the appearance and longevity of your garments. Watch this organizing tutorial and you will be properly folding and storing your sweats in no time.

How To: Fold a slip or a night gown

In this how to video, the Beverly Hills Organizer, Linda Koopersmith demonstrates how to fold a slip or a night gown. The storage of your clothes or lingerie makes a huge difference in the appearance and longevity of your garments. Watch this organizing tutorial and you will be properly folding and storing your slips or night gowns in no time.

How To: Fold a thong

In this how to video, the Beverly Hills Organizer, Linda Koopersmith demonstrates how to fold a thong for compact storage. The storage of your clothes and underwear makes a huge difference in the appearance and longevity of your garments. Watch this organizing tutorial and you will be properly folding and storing your clothes in no time.

How To: Change a roll of toilet paper in a public place

This is an instructional film on replacing the toilet paper roll in an office or other public place. The people after you will thank you for following this easy tutorial.

How To: Polish wood furniture with a banana

This wood polishing trick might seem a tad crazy, but if you watch the how to video you can see that it works. Watch it and polish your home wood furniture with a banana. It is an eco-friendly alternative to any aerosol wood polish out there. Yes even rotten bananas work.