Remove Hair from Bathtub Drain

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The number one problem with a slow bathtub drain is hair. To remove hair from a bathtub drain, a drain tool like The Drain Claw does the job with a simple push and twist.

The average person loses about 100 hairs a day. This hair gets caught at the crossbars of the bathtub and builds up until it slows or clogs the drain. If you use a tool like The Drain Claw every month, you can keep this hair from going further down the drain where you would need drain chemicals.

How to Clean a Dishwasher - Vinegar Cleaner

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Vinegar does a great job to clean a dishwasher. Use distilled white vinegar full strength poured into the bottom of the dishwasher. Run your dishwasher a full cycle on the hottest setting. Do this once a month to keep your dishwasher clean.

Vinegar is slightly acidic and strips away the buildup of soap. It will also kill most forms of mold, bacteria and odors.

Vinegar Shower Cleaner

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Vinegar does a great job of cleaning a shower. You can make a homemade shower cleaner by mixing a 50-50 blend of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray this in the shower every day or every couple days to prevent a buildup of soap and mold.

White vinegar will remove soap buildup on tile, shower doors, shower curtains and fixtures. It is inexpensive and safe around kids.

You can also use this cleaner for wiping up all around the bathroom. Vinegar kills germs, mold and odors.

Produce Wash - Vinegar Produce Wash

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Thousands of people get sick every year from food borne illness. A simple inexpensive way to clean fruit and vegetables of pesticides and bacteria is a produce wash of lemon and vinegar.

Our produce wash. Mix 2 cups of water with 4 tablespoons of white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of lemon and spray your fruit and vegetables. Next, thoroughly rinse then for at least 30 seconds.

The acid in the wash will neutralize many pesticides and kill most bacteria found on your produce.

Changing a Spark Plug on a Lawn Mower

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A great routine for homeowners is to change the spark plug on their lawn mower once a year.

This is an easy do it yourself project. You will need a deep set socket wrench. You can also buy a specialty socket wrench that has a padded insert to protect the spark plug.

All you need to do is remove the wire from the old plug. Unscrew the old spark plug in a counter clockwise motion. Install the new plug in a clockwise motion and replace the wire.
This simple yearly routine will help your lawn mower start easier and run smoother through the season.

Hot Water Heater Temperature

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I cover some thoughts on hot water heater temperature.
There are over 8,000 people who contract Legionnaires Disease every year. Over 5% of the people who contract Legionnaires Disease die. Hot water tanks that are kept around 120 degrees Fahrenheit or colder to save energy or prevent scalding can become a breeding ground for the bacteria that causes the disease. The bacteria is breathed in from the mist from a shower.
To kill the bacteria that causes Legionnaires Disease, the hot water tank needs to be kept at 140 degrees Fahrenheit, or 60 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, it will kill the bacteria. The problem with this temperature is the risk of scalding. thousands of people are scalded every year from hot water and many people die.
To prevent scalding, you can put anti-scalding aerators, shower heads and tub spouts on your plumbing.

How to Drain a Hot Water Tank

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A great routine for every homeowner is draining a quart or two of water from the tank every 3 months.
Sediment in water builds over time and can block the drain, cover the thermostat inside the tank and reduce the transfer of heat to the water.
A hot water heater can represent 15 to 20 percent of your energy cost. By flushing a quart or so of water once every 3 months, you can improve its efficiency and add life to your tank.
If you have an electric hot water heater, you should always turn off the electric to the tank. If you have a gas heater and are only removing a quart of water, you don't have to turn off the gas.
Connect a hose to the valve on the bottom of the hot water tank and drain the water into a floor drain or bucket. If you are concerned about hot water, you can turn off the tank and let it cool before you flush the water.

Rain X Rain Repellent

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The windshield wipers went out on my work car so I stopped into the local hardware store and picked up some Rain X. This rain repellent is designed to repel rain, snow and sleet from your windshield.
I wasn't able to get the wipers fixed for a day so I gave Rain X a try and was very happy with the results. I think this is a great product for keeping the side windows and mirrors clean in rain and snow. In an emergency, without wiper blades I was impressed.

Flush Valve Removal Tool

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A lock nut wrench is a good tool for the home. If you need to replace the flush valve on a toilet, it makes the job very easy. It is difficult to remove the lock nut on the valve with an adjustable pliers.
You can use a lock nut wrench on nuts from 1" to 3". It can be used on drain connections, sink strainers, slip nuts for waste pipe and toilet connections.
It easily adjusts to your size and then you can tighten it down with the wing nut to lock it to that size.

Flush Valve - Replacing a Flush Valve

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If you have a leak between the tank to bowl on your toilet, you may need to replace the flush valve, or the gasket on the flush valve. I show how to replace the flush valve.
You will need a large adjustable pliers or a lock nut wrench to remove the nut from under the flush valve. The lock nut wrench is available at your local hardware store. You can also use it for slip nuts on other plumbing projects.
You will need to remove the 2 or 3 nuts that holds the toilet tank to the bowl. If you have an older toilet, this is a good time to replace these bolts and washers.
There are 2 types of flush valves. The most common is a 2" valve. A new larger style was started around 2002. It is 3- 1/4" wide, measured from the inside diameter of the flush valve. This larger flush valve gives a better flush with less clogging. Look at your old model to see what you should pick up at the hardware store.
The flush valve that I show is a 2" valve with a larger flapper. It does a better job of flushing if you have a small tank or low volume toilet.

How to Change a Fill Valve - Toilet Fill Valve

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Replacing a toilet fill valve is a good project for any homeowner. You will need a large adjustable wrench, a sponge and a small pan.
This video shows the steps on a standard 2 piece toilet.
There are many good fill valves. I like toilet valves that are adjustable. The one I show can be adjusted from 9 to 14 inches in height. So it covers a wide range of toilet tank sizes.
You should be able to complete this project in 30 minutes or less.
This is a great basic skill that every homeowner can do.
The only problem you may run into is a bad shut off valve below the toilet or a bad supply line.
If you have a valve that starts to leak, in most cases you can just tighten the nut  just below the handle to stop the leak.
If the supply line is bad, it is easy to replace.

Graphite to Lubricate Locks

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One of the best lubricants for entrance and dead bolt locks is a dry graphite lubricant. Only a small amount is needed to lubricate.
We found that many locks where homeowners use liquid lubricants are gummed up and full of dirt.
Dry Graphite will keep the pins lubricated, and help protect against freezing.
The only place that dry graphite might not be the best choice is in very humid or damp locations.

Door Peep Hole - Installing a Peep Hole

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Installing a peep hole for your front door is an easy do it yourself project. I cover the steps on drilling through a wood door in this video.
You will need a drill, a drill bit sized for your peep hole and a flat blade to tighten the peep hole down.
In most of the remodels that I have done, I set the height of the peep hole at 4' 10". If this is for your home, take the height of the shortest adult in the house and use their eye height for your measurement.

Push In Wire Connector - Pigtail Wire Connector

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A push wire connector makes it easy to extend the length of a short wire.
Most companies make the electrical connector work for a wide range of wire sizes. The types I have used will accommodate wires from 12 to 22 gauge. You can also purchase push wire connectors that have from 2 to 8 ports.
Check your local codes, but in our area they are popular to extend short wires in a box or to create a pig tail wire.

Remove stains from carpet

An all natural way to remove pet stains from carpet is mixing baking soda and vinegar. It will work on most surfaces and also remove the odor.

Don't use on some stone, or marble.

Removing stickers from a car

I show an excellent product to easily remove car stickers without leaving an adhesive behind.

How to use a fire extinguisher

I show how to use a regular fire extinguisher and the new aerosol type fire extinguisher.

Drywall Square

A drywall square is an excellent tool if you are doing a lot of drywall installation. The drywall square will allow you to make fast marks for your cuts and then gives you a solid guide to make your cuts with a razor knife.

When to apply crabgrass killer

If you want to prevent crabgrass, it is important to get a crabgrass killer down early in spring. You want to get the crabgrass killer down before dandelions get to the puffball stage.

Do all your spring raking to expose the soil to the chemical. If the crabgrass killer doesn't get into the soil, it wont prevent germination of the seeds.

How to fix a leaking toilet tank

 

I cover the steps to repair a leaking toilet tank and some troubleshooting tips if you have bolts that don't want to come off.

Blackboard Paint

Blackboard Paint is easy to apply to almost any surface. You can roll it with a paint roller, brush it on, or use a spray can.

You can make a blackboard surface on kids tables, doors or walls.

How to remove a commercial entrance lock

Here are some tips on removing a commercial lock.