Hot Housekeeping How-Tos


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: 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: Clean a glass coffee pot with salt, ice and vinegar
Properly clean the glass coffee pot part of your coffee maker using environmentally friendly household ingredients. It is a housekeeping trick that everyone will love. Use salt, ice and vinegar as an eco-friendly safe way of cleaning a glass pot.

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: 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 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: 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 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...

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: 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: 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: Clean a Butcher Block Table
A butcher block table (or counter) is a solid, wooden table. Originating in butcher shops (hence the name), this has become a popular household item. Butcher block tables and counters are durable and attractive looking. The downside of butcher block is that the wood is so porous it can stain easily. Butcher block can be sanded and refinished to get rid of stains, but that drastic step isn't always necessary.

How To: Build a fire with a Duraflame firestarter
Build a fire with a Duraflame firestarter. This video is going to show you how to do this. Crystal Whole from Duraflame is demonstrating the process in this video. First get your chimney cleaned and inspected. Keep all inflammable material at least 3 feet away from the hearth. Use dry wood that has been seasoned for at least six months. Or you can use stax logs in lieu of wood. Three stax logs are sufficient to keep the fire burning all evening. Open the flue of the chimney, put two stax logs...

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: Reheat food correctly
Turn your leftovers into another tasty meal by reheating them the right way. You Will Need

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: 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: Remove permanent marker from Legos
Lego owners sometimes decide to personalize their Lego pieces by drawing on them with permanent marker. If you've ever needed to remove permanent marker from your Lego pieces, here's a surprisingly easy way: You'll need a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a small bowl of water (only about an inch of water will be needed), and of course your marker-covered Lego piece. First apply toothpaste to the toothbrush. Next dunk the Lego piece in the water. Then place the Lego piece in your hand and lightly s...

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: Replace a Door Knob with a Handle Set
Need to replace your old door knob? Follow Milan Rosan as he takes you through a step-by-step, do-it-yourself approach to installing your own handle set in your home. Remove old door knob.

How To: Fix a sticky cast iron pan
If your cast iron pan is sticky, you will need to place the pan on top of the stove. Turn the heat on high for 30 seconds to less than one minute. Then, turn it down to medium heat. This will loosen up the oil. Then, you'll need to buff out the creases and the spots. Place a little oil in the pan, approximately 1 tablespoon. Spread the oil around with a paper towel. Continue smoothing the pan. You may need to get a new paper towel, if it gets to hot.

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: Remove ink stains
Ink stains are a very common stain that people get from an accidental pen mark on the clothing or when an ink pen bursts in a pocket or a purse. Start by putting a little cloth in between the ink stain and another part of the clothing. Get some glycerin and dab some of it on the stain using a cotton swab. Gently rub the glycerin on the stain. Rub it around a little bit and then let it set. Next take some gentle laundry detergent and pour a little bit into a bowl with some water in it. Stir th...

How To: Unclog vent pipes
Tim Carter explains why vent pipes are important and how a vent pipe works. These are excellent videos to watch if you need to learn how to prevent clogging in vent piping. If you notice a gurgle when flushing the toilet, it might be an indication that the vent pipe is clogged. Get up on the roof and put a garden hose down the pipe and turn on the water. Be sure to have someone inside checking for any leaks. The water from the hose hopefully will flush out the blockage and your gurgle will di...

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: 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: 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: Kill bugs in wall holes with Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous Earth may be useful for killing bugs in walls. Light sockets and phone jacks provide a highway for bugs to travel from one infested room to another or one infested apartment or another. They also function as a hide-out for them during daytime hours, when they might be more visible.

How To: Add Essential Oil to Toilet Paper to Eliminate Bathroom Odors
With fragrance-filled sprays, scented candles, diffuser sticks, and other air-freshening products, the scent lasts just a few minutes and doesn't always mask what you were hoping to cover up. When it comes to the bathroom, scented toilet paper might sound like a terrible (and silly) idea, but it's best at eliminating stinky smells over a long period of time.

How To: Get grease off a granite counter
A little elbow grease of your own can quickly take care of any stains and get your granite counters looking like new. Follow this Howcast guide to learn how to get grease off a granite counter.

How To: Clean a pan of hardened caramel
Love cooking desserts with caramel but dread cleaning up the hardened caramel left on the pot? Then watch this Cooking Light magazine how-to to learn the quick and easy way to clean your pan. All you'll need to do is add water to the pan and bring it to a boil. For step-by-step instructions, take a look.

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: Polish wood furniture with lemon and olive oil
There are so many furniture polish sprays out there that sometimes its difficult to choose one. This how to video demonstrates how to polish wood using only olive oil and lemon. Its a safer, greener and eco-friendly manner of polishing and cleaning your furniture.

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: Quiet Down a Squeaky Hamster Gerbil or Mouse Running Wheel
Here's a quick easy way to quiet down a loud squeaky hamster, mouse or gerbil wheel. This will enable you to finally sleep at night!