Hot Housekeeping How-Tos « Housekeeping

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: 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: 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: 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. Those few items in your closet that have to be dry cleaned cause you an extra, sometimes expensive trip—and then you have to remember to pick them up. But some items that say "dry clean" on the label can actually be washed at home if you're careful with them. Certain garments can't be put through a cycle in the washing machine, but they're not so delicate that you can't still wash them yours...

How To: Remove Oil Stains from Fabric

Remove oil stains from fabric. Oil and grease stains in fabric can cause ugly marks. Fortunately, they don't need to be very difficult to get out of your clothes. Oils respond well to most soaps and can often be easily lifted if you catch them in time. First, try dabbing at the stain with some liquid laundry or dish detergent.

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: Turbo charge a toilet flush

Some toilets just don't have enough flushing power. As in, when you flush the toilet not all of the, er, stuff, goes down. As a result you have to flush the toilet twice, wasting water and your time.

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 rush, and having to wipe down your mirrors after your shower is time wasted. Since most people like to shave or clean up after a shower, the need for a clear mirror is prime.

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: Remove rust stains caused by ironing

Your ironing skills are rusty, and so is your iron. Now you’ve got rust stains on your blouse. What to do?

How To: Remove water spots from chrome

In this video, we learn how to remove water spots from chrome. This is one of the hardest surfaces to get water stains off of, but it can be done easily. First, grab an empty spray bottle, vinegar, water, a rag, and a paper towel. Now, mix two parts of vinegar to one part of water and spray it onto the chrome item. Use the rag to wipe off the mixture, then continue to spray on once more. Do this around five times total, then use a paper towel at the end for the finishing look! You can use thi...

How To: Clean wretched vomit smells from carpet with baking soda, water and a vacuum

No sane person likes the smell of vomit. Vomit is especially annoying when the smell lingers and wont leave your carpet. Fortunately, there is a way to get rid of disgusting carpet aromas. It involves the use of baking soda, a vacuum, and a flat tool.

How To: Clean an iron with Martha Stewart's REAL SIMPLE

What's the best way to clean an iron? It is inevitable that it will eventually need a good cleaning. Your dress shirts look crisp, but over time your iron might look the worse for wear. This simple technique gets rid of mineral spots on the iron's plate and cleans out caked steam vents. Learn how to clean an iron with the folks from Martha Stewart's REAL SIMPLE.

How To: Fold a traditional fitted sheet

This video demonstrates how to fold a fitted bed sheet neatly. For this, first spread the bed sheet on a flat surface like a bed. The outside of the bed sheet should be facing down and the inside should be facing up. Make sure all the corners are visible. First take the right corner over your hand like a puppet with the inside facing out. Then take the left corner over your hand in the same manner with the inside facing down. Repeat the same with the other two corners of the bed sheet. Once y...

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: 10 Reasons Why Your Freezer Is Perfect for Doing Laundry

Your freezer is no one-trick pony. While it does excel at keeping your food fresh for as long as possible, it has a few secret talents it doesn't want you to know about. Like making soda slushies and pyro-friendly smoke mix, as well as reviving dead hard drives. Even better—it can help you do laundry.

How To: Get grease stains out of fabric

Don’t panic if you spill grease on your clothes or the couch. Start tackling it instead. Learn how to get grease stains out of fabric with this how to video.

How To: Make your own vacuum space bags for extra storage

Have you seen commercials on TV for vacuum sealed storage bags? They can be expensive, but you can replicate this space age technology in your own home! All you need is a water bottle, some trash bags, a box cutter... and a vacuum!

How to Kill bed bugs: Difference between bombing & fumigation

Jeff White from Bedbug Central TV says that bombing and fumigation are two different techniques which are quite often considered to be the same even by pest Control technicians are used to control and kill bed bugs

How To: Keep your granite countertops clean and shiny

Granite countertops are a beautiful addition to any kitchen or bathroom. Unfortunately it can stain, but you can prevent stains easily by following the instructions in this video. They will teach you everything you need to know about cleaning granite countertops.

How To: Clear a choked basin

Suffering from a clogged drainpipe? In this video tutorial, you'll learn how to clear a choked basin the smart way. Keep in mind, however, that this method requires that you confront the things clogging your sink. As such you should be prepared to dirty your hands and smell and see terrible things! To learn how to clear a choked basin, watch this simple plumbing how-to.

How To: Make a sock organizer out of paper cards

Do you lose your socks all the time because you don't know how to organize them? Try making this sock organizer from paper. You'll never have to worry about them disappearing again.

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 wrinkles from polyester

One of the great things about polyester is that it doesn't wrinkle as easily as cotton and other natural fibers. It still can though, and you can't iron it, so watch this video to learn how to get the wrinkles out of any polyester item.

How To: Clean a pair of white Nike Air Force Ones

Those genuine Nike Air Force Ones might look stylish in white, but once they get dirty, they start looking less than fresh. Fear not, there is a way to keep them looking brand new. You will need bottled water, a bleach pen, and a toothbrush. Watch this video housekeeping tutorial and learn how to clean a pair of white Nike Air Force Ones.

How To: Remove stains from wood furniture

Learn how to remove stains from wood furniture. Make your wood furniture look like new again by getting out rings and spots.

How To: Fold towels for display

Throw on the mints and make your towel folding way cool and pro.

How To: Kill bed bugs by using boric acid

Boric Acid is often used to treat or eradicate bedbugs. However, it doesn't work particularly well. It has to be ingested to kill them, but they don't necessarily consume it. There would need to be a bait that they can ingest that contains boric acid. Unfortunately, people are the bait that they respond to. Cockroaches, on the other hand, ingest it, because they clean themselves. Therefore, it gets ingested in that way.

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: Remove permanent marker stains with toothpaste

This shows viewers how to remove permanent marker stains using toothpaste. First, you will want to do this in a bathroom or kitchen. Fill up a cup just barely with water. This should only be about 1 cm deep or full in the cup. Next, you will need to different kinds of toothpaste, preferably one a gel and another the average paste. Now, put the toothpaste into the cup, about quarter size, and use your finger or any tool to mix this with the water. Next, you'll want to put this mixture onto the...

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: 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: Wrap cords neatly

The goal: a way to wrap up cords (headphones, power, etc.) without ties or velcro straps that's fast, doesn't come undone, and is quick to undo. Wrap cords neatly.

How To: Get the wrinkles out of silk or satin

Silk and satin are notoriously hard to take care of, and when they get wrinkled you may think your life is over. It's not. Watch this video to learn what you have to do to get wrinkles out of silk or satin at home.

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: The Best Way to Hang Dress Pants and Jeans So They Actually Stay on the Hangers

If you don't have hangers with clips, hanging up jeans and dress pants can be frustrating. They never stay straight and constantly slide off the hangers. You can always MacGyver your own pants hangers by using clothespins, but if you don't have any, there's another way.

How To: Polish your silver with Martha Stewart's REAL SIMPLE

Learn how to polish silver with the folks from Martha Stewart's REAL SIMPLE. Beautiful silver pieces shouldn't languish at the back of a shelf. Removing tarnish might seem like a time-consuming task, but some simple household products make for an easy clean? no backbreaking scrubbing required. Watch this how to video for tips on polishing your silver. Take care of your silver, so you can pass it down for generations to come.

How To: Kill fire ant beds naturally

This method works to prevent ants from crawling off and starting new colonies. Works everytime and requires no chemicals or harmful store bought sprays. Kill fire ant beds naturally.

How To: Fix a Wash Machine That Won't Spin Repair Agitator

This video will show you how to fix, repair, replace a broken agitator in your wash machine. If the agitator stopped turning, this is an easy way to fix it.

How To: Clean and sanitize the kitchen

Looking to give your kitchen a good cleaning this spring? Don't go out and spend a ton of money on sanitizing sprays and cleaning equipment. Cleaning and sanitizing your kitchen is easy, effective, and inexpensive, because everything you need is likely in your kitchen!