Hot Home & Garden How-Tos « Home & Garden

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: Hang Curtains Without Making Holes in the Wall

For anyone who lives in a space that may frown upon making holes in the walls, or for anyone who may not want to take on such a task, there's a simple alternative to hanging curtains or drapes. And the answer is brilliantly simple.

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: Hang heavy art on lath and plaster walls

This Home and Garden video tutorial shows how to hang heavy art on lath and plaster walls. This is really very easy and simple to do. Heavy objects of art will need big size nails for hanging. Hammering big size nails on lath and plaster wall is not possible. The nails just go in after a little distance. Then what do you do? There’s a really very simple and easy method of hanging heavy art objects on lath and plaster walls. You just need to screw in. Take a screw, hold it perpendicular to the...

How To: Remove and repair a Neff oven door

Watch to learn how to remove and repair a Neff oven door. You'll remove and replace parts on an oven door, as well as how to remove the oven door. This oven maintenance video demonstrates removal and replacement of the oven door outer glass, oven door inner glass, door hinges and door handle. Use a professional oven cleaner and ceramic scraper to remove burnt on stains from the oven inner door glass.

How To: Prune a Bramley apple tree

The Bramley is a large, heavy-cropping cooking apple popular for baking, making apple sauce and other apple dishes. In this two-part how-to series, Stephen Hayes of Fruitwise Heritage Apples demonstrates how to properly prune a Bramley apple tree and other apple trees with a similar habit of growth. Watch this instructional video to learn how to prune your own triploid and tip-bearing trees.

How To: Fit and replace a Bosch and Neff fan motor and fan blade

Check out this home repair tutorial video that demonstrates how to fit and replace the fan motor and fan blade on a Bosch and Neff oven. Follow the step by step instructions in this domestic appliance repair video to fit and remove your cooker's fan motor and blade. Please note that all work should be performed by a qualified person. Make sure to take the necessary precautions to ensure a safe removal of your Bosch and Neff oven's fan motor and blade.

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: 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: Use a Paslode impulse framing nail gun

The Paslode Framing Gun is operated by a gas cartridge and battery so an air compressor is not needed. The tool also has a large range of nails available for different job requirements from 50mm To 75mm. Watch this video tutorial for a demonstration on how to use a Paslode impulse framing nail gun.

How To: Fold an eco-friendly shopping bag into a tiny pouch

Shopping bags are an ecological nightmare, so many modern shoppers use eco-friendly reusable shopping bags. If you have a stash of eco-friendly bags and want to store them more easily, watch this video to learn a novel way to fold these bags that turns them into a tiny pouch, which you could even still use to hold things if you wanted.

How To: Fold a hoodie

In this clothes folding how to video, the Beverly Hills Organizer, Linda Koopersmith demonstrates how to fold a hoodie or hooded sweatshirt. The storage of your shirts and sweaters 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 hoodies in no 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: Remove a Shark Bite Fitting Without a Special Tool - Adjustable Wrench Trick

Here's a fast easy way to remove and disconnect your Shark Bite quick connect fitting, without a special tool to do it. We'll show you a awesome little trick using an adjustable wrench. This will work an all different size Shark Bite fittings.

How To: Easily Replace a Damaged Laminate Floor Plank

Laminate floor planks look beautiful and add elegance to a home. However, if a plank gets damaged, it detracts from the beauty of the flooring. Do you call in a professional and pay tons of money to replace the plank? Thankfully, no. There actually is an easy way to replace a damaged laminate plank if you are ready to spend some time and have a little bit of patience.

How To: Identify the switched live wire in a lighting circuit

Before undertaking any electrical project, it is imperative that you know precisely what it is you're doing and to keep in mind that electricity can kill. With that said, this electrical tutorial presents a guide to identifying the switched live wire on a lighting circuit and also explains how to rewire a ceiling rose. For detailed, step-by-step instructions on completing this home project, take a look.

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: 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: 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: 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: Replace a toilet ballcock with a fill valve

Most older toilets have older-style fish and ballcock for toilets. But they are prone to fault, like running and constant water. Replacing them with a newer-style fill valve will save water and frustration now and later on. Watch this plumbing video tutorial to learn how to replace a toilet ballcock with a fill valve. It's a little more efficient and it's pretty straightforward, so see how to replace your valve!

How To: Fit and replace a Bosch grill element

Check out this home repair tutorial video that demonstrates how to fit and replace your grill oven element in a Bosch and Neff. Follow the step by step instructions in this domestic appliance repair video to remove your oven grill element. Please note that all work should be performed by a qualified person. Make sure to take the necessary precautions to ensure a safe removal of the Bosch oven grill element.

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: Build and install a cheap dumbwaiter in your home

Home improvement expert Danny Lipford shows how to build and install a cheap dumbwaiter in your home in this video tutorial.

How To: Replace a laminate floor threshold that has popped up

Sometimes, due to wear and tear from age or frequent use, your laminate flooring will start to give way. The glue will loosen and you may find your laminate threshold popping up. While you can call a handy man or floor expert to come in and fix the problem, why waste hard earned money when you can do it yourself?

How To: Replace the brushes in a corded DeWalt power drill

Removing and replacing the brushes in your DeWalt power drill doesn't have to be a costly repair. You can do it yourself, and it doesn't require a lot of time or effort. Simply unscrew and take the casing off your corded DeWalt power drill to expose the brushes. The model in the video has spring-loaded brush holders. It's as simple as taking the old ones out, and dropping the new brushes in. Learn from a pro to efficiently and correctly restore the brushes in your corded drill.

How To: Apply TEFLON TAPE. The EASY WAY!

How to use Teflon tape for plumbing applications. I know it sounds simple but there are a few tricks to applying the Teflon tape. Teflon tape is also known as PTFE Tape.

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: Build a laminar flow nozzle for fifteen dollars

This video tutorial shows how fifteen dollars and a half an hour of assembly can produce a working bare-bones laminar flow nozzle that attaches to a garden hose for a makeshift fountain.

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: 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: Use a power drill to unlock a lock

Some locks are easier to drill through than to try and pick, especially if you need to get through them in a hurry! You will need one large power drill and an assortment of drill bits to be able to use this method. First, drill a 1/8 inch pilot hole just above the keyhole. Then follow through with a 1/4 inch or larger drill. After just a minute or so of drilling, you should be able to get through the lock!

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: 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: Polish church appointments, like a chalice and candle

Watch this video tutorial from the Polish Guy to see how to polish church appointments, like a chalice and candle. In this demonstration we use a Church Polish & Cleaning Kit that includes Simichrome and Flitz to polish a brass chalice and candle stick. The tutorial includes detailed work instructions and best practices.

How To: Make an All-Natural Insect Repellent with Cacao Leaves

Science investigatory projects suck, or at least seem to at first. But you shouldn't let school drag you down. Instead, use your homework assignment as an opportunity to solve a problem you've always been interested in. And it doesn't hurt if the end result is eco-friendly, either.

How to Build a Shed, Part 15: Installing Exterior Wood Trim

In this video Henry shows you how to finish all the exterior trim on the shed. This video includes lot of tips to make the finish carpentry in this video easy and accurate.

How To: Clean an oven spill quickly using salt

Like all appliances, the oven has a tendency to get dirty inside. Unfortunately, unlike most appliances, the oven is extremely difficult to clean out. Many ovens have a clean selection that will burn off all the excess items in there, but even those left over ashes can sometimes be difficult to wipe away. If your oven does not have the clean function, the method most people use is to clean it out with an oven cleaner. It will most likely consist of spraying the cleaner on all dirty parts of t...

How To: Swap an old ceiling rose with a modern light fixture

Modernize your home with a new ceiling light fixture. That old, traditional ceiling rose with the decorative chandelier or light fitting might just not look right anymore, with all of your modern furniture and appliances. The best thing… replace it.

How To: Get Rid of Plant-Eating Pests Using 100% Natural Solutions from Your Home and Garden

Navigating through row after row of plants, my tiny fingers would reach into the leaves to pluck all the vile little creatures from their homes and deposit them into a can of gasoline. Potato bug duty, my least favorite gardening chore. Growing up, my family had a small garden every year. And every year, I was recruited to help plant, maintain, and eventually harvest the vegetables from it. There were some tasks I didn't mind, but the ones I hated most usually involved bugs (have you ever see...