Hot Home & Garden Posts
How To: Avoid detergent residue on your high efficiency washer
If you are finding white or colored marks on your clothes, it's more than likely going to be detergent residue. These unsightly stains can ruin your clothes and be a sign that something is wrong with your washer or with what you are using.
How To: Refill a disposable Bic cigarette lighter
Everyone knows how to refill a Zippo or butane lighter, but what about the Bic disposable lighters? Believe it or not, you can actually refill those, too! All you need is some lighter fluid and patience. Make sure that you do not accidentally crack the lighter while you refill it - you can prevent cracking by letting the fluid enter in short bursts and then letting the gas out. This will normalize the pressure inside the lighter and help prevent cracking and breaking (because no one wants lig...
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: Install a gas line for a propane generator
In this two part video, Big Tony The Plumber shows you how to install a gas line for a propane generator.
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: Iron sheets
In this series of home laundry videos, you will find out the best way to iron your sheets from an ironing expert. Joyce Danielson shares her insider tips on when to leave out the starch and how to tame fitted sheets as well as those heavily creased new sheets fresh out of the package. She also discusses folding tips, how to iron and fold pillowcases, and shares her insights on how to pass the time while ironing.
How To: Replace an Oven Thermal Fuse
If your oven will not heat, you will probably have to replace your oven thermal fuse. You can follow the steps in this video to help you do this easy repair.
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: Attach Timber to Concrete Using Concrete Anchors
How to install concrete anchors.How to attach timber / wood to concrete or any other SOLID masonry surface using masonry anchors / DynaBolts. DynaBolts (that's the name for this particular anchor in Australia. They are know by other names in other countries) are the ideal anchor for attaching almost anything to solid masonry such as concrete. This video will look at attaching timber to a concrete floor.
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: Install Laminate Flooring on Stairs
Installing Laminate Flooring on Stairs Laminate flooring can be installed on a flight of stairs, and this process can also be used when installing laminate on a floor and having to drop down a step to a sunken room.
How To: Open a supra combination lock box
The supra combination lock box has been one of the most trusted door locks for the past forty years, and is commonly used by real estate agents for protecting their houses. Generally a supra combination lock operates with a four-digit password.
How To: Install the shower base and connect it to the drain
Before you whip out your iPhone and call your neighborhood plumber for a job that's sure to cost you a pretty penny, check out this video to learn how to do some impressive plumbing yourself. Using a few tools you probably already have lying around your house, you'll learn how to install a shower base in your shower unit and then connect it with the drain - effectively, you'll be setting up a plumbing system.
How To: Install or move a shower valve
This two part video show you how to remove an old shower valve, preparation and installation of a new shower valve. Also, you'll see how to clean, cut and connect copper plumbing pipes. Don't forget to watch part two and always make sure to shut off the water main first!
How To: Build a beautiful cedar log bench using a chainsaw
For the normal woodworker at home, the table saw, router and lathe are the prime tools used for making fine furniture, but when you hit the outdoors, the backwoodsman's tool of trade is the chainsaw. Mastering furniture-making with a chainsaw is the key to being a great woodworker, and in this three-part video, you'll learn the techniques to chainsawing your way to a beautiful log bench.
How To: Convert an old fridge into a meat smoker/cooker
Have an old fridge (or, like the creator of this video, easy access to a scrap metal yard)? Convert it into a meat smoker! This DIY guide will teach you how to repurpose a disused refrigerator for smoking meat. For complete, step-by-step instructions on how to make your own cooker from an old metal-body fridge or freezer, watch this free video tutorial.
How To: Install patio doors in a brick wall
If you've got a brick wall and you're thinking of installing a door, you may have thought you were out of luck. Not so! This helpful how-to walks you through the steps so you can see how it's done. First off, know that this is not a simple task, so be prepared to wield a brick cutter, which is a serious tool in itself. After that you'll be framing out the door, shimming it up, and installing the door. Go for it!
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: 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: Use a cordless drill and taper tap to cut a threaded hole in steel
Trapping a hole is the process by which you give them threads so that they can accommodate a screw, and doing it to a lot of holes quickly can be a major pain. Fortunately, you can actually do it with a cordless power drill much more quickly and easily than manually. This video will show you how to do it.
How To: Pick the lock on a garage door
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to pick the lock of a garage door. It is not recommended for users to learn this technique to use to open other people's garage doors to break in someone's home or steal their possessions. The tools needed for this technique are a L-key and a diamond pick. Put the L-key at the bottom of the lock hold and fiddle around with the diamond pick on the top part of the hole. Do this until your able to rotate the lock. This video will benefit those viewers wh...
How To: Replace the fan oven element in a Belling cooker
Is your Belling cooker on the blink? Fix it with this home appliance repair tutorial, which demonstrates how to remove, and change, a Belling fan oven element in a typical Belling cooker. For more, including detailed, step-by-step instructions on the repair process, take a look.
How To: Replace the charcoal water filters in your Cuisinart coffeemaker
If you love coffee in the morning, then you probably have your own Cuisinart coffee maker at home. But like anything that gets used everyday, it will wear out, and in the case of the Cuisinart coffeemaker, the filters will need replaced. This video will show you how to replace those charcoal water filters in your Cuisinart coffeemaker with the Cuisinart DCC-RWF replacement filters.
How To: Build a Passive Solar Garage Door and Keep Your Garage Warm During Winter
I hate being cold. That's why I live in Los Angeles. But, there are plenty of folks who are experiencing some pretty chilly temperatures this year, despite global warming, and one of the worst places affected is the garage. C'mon, who has a freakin' heater in their garage?
How To: Pick a door lock using only a paper clip
In this video, we learn how to pick a door lock with a paper clip. First, make sure you have a door lock that has a pinhole on the outside. Now take your paperclip and open it up so it's straight and flat. Once you've done this, stick your paperclip into the pinhole and wait until you feel a small hole on the inside of the lock and twist the paperclip. Keep twisting the paperclip until the door becomes unlocked, you will hear and feel the lock opening. If the paperclip slips, just stick it ba...
How To: Remove an Oven/Cooker Door
When cleaning your oven, you'll want to take your oven door off its hinges first to give you more room to maneuver. Plus, take the door off makes it easier to clean the door itself, especially the glass areas. The following video from Nathan Cox talks about how easy it is to remove an oven door off, and it's very similar from brand to brand.
How To: Fix a faucet leaking from around the handle
This video is a do it yourself project which will show viewers how to fix a leaking kitchen faucet which is leaking water from around the base of the handle. This problem is most likely caused by a broken cartridge, a Moen 1225B cartridge is used to replaced it. The first step which should be taken is to shut off the flow of water from the sink using the shutoff valves under the sink. Then, remove the handle and its adapter depending on the style of the handle which is leaking and remove the ...
How To: Clean cut using a table saw, mitre saw or power saw
This short video tutorial Bob Schmidt will show you how to make clean cuts in wood. The blade rotation of any pretty much dictates the best way to run your material through. To get the cleanest cut possible remember these tips: Whenever you run wood through a Table saw, always make sure that your finished side is up. Do the exact opposite when you are using your Power saw. The finished side of your wood must be at the bottom. When you use a Mitre saw, make sure the finished side of the wood i...
How To: Use your broiler drawer on a GE oven
Have you ever tried cooking a meal and came across a recipe that asked to broil something and had no idea what it was? Well then, this video should make things clearer.
How To: Join copper pipe without solder using "Just for Copper" pipe glue
Tired of soldering? Well, there's a solder-less solution to joining pipes together. Check out this handy video tutorial on how to join copper pipe with "Just For Copper" pipe glue. Just For Copper is a solderless bonding solution for copper pipes and fittings. This is very useful in areas where a blowtorch cannot be used.
How To: Replace the filter and lightbulb in a Neff cooker hood
Watch to learn how to replace the filter and lightbulb in a Neff cooker hood. You'll remove and replace a Neff cooker hood filter and a blown cooker hood bulb. Replacement bulbs and replacement filters are common cooker hood spares that need replacing. Banish cooking smells and give your hob light with this cooker hood maintenance video clip.
How To: Fix a Dyson DC25 vacuum cleaner that won't suck
If you're trying to vacuum around the house, but realize that nothing is being picked up, you have a big problem on your hand. There are numerous reasons for why your vacuum isn't sucking, and it can be confusing for where to start.
How To: Fit an external expansion vessel into a boiler
An expansion vessel is a small tank used in water heating systems that performs the important job of absorbing excessive water pressure. If the expansion vessel in your plumbing is not working, you could call up the plumber and get it fixed - for a very huge sum.
How To: Remove a threaded stud from a threaded hole
Ultimate Handyman demonstrates how to remove a threaded stud from a threaded hole. You will often find threaded studs when you are doing car repair. First, remove the nut from the stud. Then, spray it with lubricant. Next, screw the nut back on the stud. Screw another nut on top of the first nut. Grip the bottom nut with a wrench while tightening the top nut. Grip the bottom nut and turn it in a counter clockwise direction. The stud should then pull out of the threaded hole. It may be difficu...
How To: Replace a Dryer's Thermal Fuse
The thermal fuse in your dryer is a safety device designed to prevent the dryer from overheating. The fuse is heat sensitive and when the dryer becomes too hot it will blow. If the fuse has blown then the dryer will either stop working or there will be no heat when the drum is turning. A blown thermal fuse is simple to replace. With a few tools, a do it yourself warrior can save valuable money from being wasted on a service call. Here is a detailed set of instructions on how to replace a ther...
How To: Install a three way Lutron Diva dimmer switch
If you're looking to set a mood with your significant other or are trying to find a way to limit how much light you have, dimmer switches are the way to go. They're easy to use and are perfect for anybody who likes to have different lighting options available to them. This video will show you how to install a three way dimmer switch from scratch. When installing be aware that you need to turn off the electricity before doing so, otherwise you may be electrocuted. Be careful and good luck!
How To: Keep a portable generator quiet by building an enclosure
Having a portable gas-operated or diesel-operated generator available for your home can be very helpful, but can also be very noisy. If you want to quiet a loud electric generator, take a look at this video to soften that sound on a budget. With a little wood and a few other materials, you can build a fan-cooled 'doghouse' to keep a generator quiet.
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: Install carpet transition trim between vinyl & carpet
Mark Donovan shows how to install carpet transition trim between vinyl and carpet flooring. A new transition strip can be placed over an existing strip to both dress up and freshen up the look of the doorway. Watch this video tutorial and learn how to install a carpet transition strip between vinyl and carpeted flooring.
How To: Hate Ugly-Looking Power Strips? Make This Sleek DIY Power Outlet Box for Your Desktop
One of the biggest downsides to having so many gadgets is that you never seem to have enough outlets to power them all. Most of us have a power strip or two to solve this problem, but Instructables user dlewisa wanted something a little nicer looking, so he built this DIY desktop power outlet. For the housing, dlewisa put together a small wooden box using a nail gun and wood glue. He used a sander to round off the corners, then filled in the gaps with wood filler and painted it. You could als...