How-To Guides about Home & Garden

Does your kitchen smell like a landfill? Try these simple steps to clean out the culprit. This video will show you how to clean a garbage disposal safely.

There are countless methods and cleaners for eliminating stubborn stains from clothing, carpets, and furniture. But completely removing every last trace of a stain doesn't require an arsenal of chemical cleaners or repeated cycles in the washing machine. Most stains can disappear in a matter of minutes with a dose of alcohol.

You may frequent hotels that treat your towels like your toilet paper, but some upscale hotels take pride in their towel presentation; therefore, they borrow some skills from master origami artists and apply them to folding towels and washcloths for memorable and decorative effects. But towel origami is not just for fancy hotel rooms — it's for your own bathroom — right at home! You just have to learn the art, and this video will show you how to fold ordinary bathroom towels into fancy and...

If you don't work in construction or are a woodworking master, you probably aren't entirely sure what all those marks are on a tape measure. Sure, you likely know the basics, like there are 12 inches to a foot, but what are all those little tick marks for? Don't let all those little lines dissuade you from using a tape measure. Follow these guidelines to help you read all those little ruler marks.

Recycling your garbage is noble and, in many places, mandatory. But it also can be very confusing. This guide will clear up the rules.

If you've ever gotten super glue stuck to your fingers, you know what a pain it can be to get it off again! Don't worry - there's a simple household item you probably already stock that can take care of your super glue super mess!

Here's a great homemade remedy to fix that pesky scratched CD, DVD, or game disc. Who knows when that old Rush album you found between the couch cushions might come in handy...

The tools required for this project are: an electric hand drill, a drill bit of the appropriate size and goggles to protect the eyes from falling debris. You will also need a ceiling hook kit, available in most major home stores. In the kit, there is a hook; a spring-loaded anchor; a threaded shank or screw, which is threaded on both ends; and another threaded shank or screw, which is threaded on one side and has screw thread on the other side for wood installation. To install in a sheetrock...

To prevent bed bugs from entering your suitcase, you will need to pre-treat it, with diatomaceous earth. Bed bugs often hitchhike home with you when you stay overnight in hotels or on long trips. They will normally stow away in your suitcase. To prevent that from happening, dust your suitcase with a diatomaceous earth (DE) compound. For this, you will need a paintbrush, diatomaceous earth, and a large plastic bag. Sprinkle a little onto your suitcase, and use a dry paintbrush to spread the...

Silk flower arrangements never die. Make something that you can have forever with this free floral arrangement video series about arranging silk flowers.

This video tutorial demonstrates how to mix a base coat for plastering. When mixing up a batch of base coat, use a bit of vegetable oil in the plaster gauge/mixing pot to help keep it clean.

Tiling always looks so easy when you see it done on a straight wall! But how do you do it with a crooked wall? Use a Measureright Pro to get the angle right. So if you've tiled from a straight right angle and you're just reaching the 'odd' shaped spaces between your last row of tiles and your crooked wall, you can use the tool to mark your final row of tiles so that when you cut them, they will fit right into the irregular shaped spaces between your final row of tiles and the slanting wall. The...

Cabinets that open straight out and shut to close make so much ruckus, especially when you've got someone who's angry in the house. Sliding doors, meanwhile, are super chic, classy, and easily draw open and close without a fuss. Not to mention that most sliding cabinet doors are made of glass, which means you can show off your newest Wedgewood dinnerware set and Rosenthal cups.

Getting hot and steamy can be awesome, as illustrated in the 1997 smash hit Titanic.

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.

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.

G'day Knuckleheads. In this Owner Builder Episode we look at laying the timber floor. You'll see in this video the team showing you how to lay a timber / wooden floor. The timber or wood l used for the floor was a species of timber called Blackbutt. It's a solid 19mm x 130mm board which is very hardy and should stand up to a fair bit of abuse…which it will get at my place :-) Timber floors really give a warmth to your property and are well worth the effort.

G'day Knuckleheads and welcome to Episode 35! With the wall and floor tiling completed it's time to grout the tiles. In this episode Justin takes us through the tips and tricks of applying the wall and floor grout. Grouting really finishes the job off and is a job that any DIY'er can do by themselves. Check it out and let me know what you think :-)

One of the most difficult things about owning a home is being consistent with how you organize things around the house. Some have perfected and see it as a science, others have a hard time putting things in the right place and that can lead to confusion. When you have kids, organizing your home is especially important since nobody wants a cluttered home with unsafe items laying about. This tutorial shows you how to organize your home with kids. Enjoy!

In order to sand and repair drywall, you will need the following: 100 grit sanding sponge. After you have applied mud to the walls evenly, you will need to sand the walls until they are smooth. Hopefully, you minimized or mitigated most of the need for sanding in the application of the mud, by using feathering and thin layering. When the mud is completely dry, you will need to choose a good sander. It is recommended that you use a 100 grit sanding sponge. Place the sponge against the wall, and...

In this episode of Mechanical Mashups, Dave will show you how to keep your tools organized by cutting tool shaped spaces out of foam floor mats. Never let a wrench or hammer slip out of place again with this genius way of organizing your garage.

The bee population is in trouble. Colony Collapse Disorder is a mysterious malady that is decimating bee colonies all the country and could kill them completely, which would leave all of the plants and honey-loving people of the world in serious trouble. This video will give you some tips for encouraging the bee population, which is really one of the most green things you can do in this, the bees' time of need.

Toilets are one of the greatest boons to public health of all time, but they do use a ton of water when they flush. If the old adage "If it's yellow, stay mellow. If it's brown, flush it down," disgusts you, but you still want to find a more green way to flush, then watch this video. I will show you how to modify your toilet at home, making it use less water without sacrificing flushing efficiency. Don't waste money on a low-flow toilet or destroy the planet. Watch this video.

Cockroaches are one of the most durable and and irritating forms of life on Earth. Many turn to toxic chemicals to get rid of them, but that's not very green is it? This video will give you some eco-friendly tips for preventing infestations, trapping insects, and disposing of them once you've caught them. Yes, cockroaches are part of nature. No, that doesn't mean we're not going to kill them.

This video will show you how to bleed trapped air from a baseboard heater. If your baseboard heat is cold with the heat turned on, this might work for you.

Learn how to replace the sash lock on window. This repair will help fix a drafty window, or may even help to fix or prevent a window from rattling or shaking in the wind.

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.

Ok, let's pretend that you just got back from the store with a $200.00, maybe $300.00 silk blouse. You put it on, it looks perfect. You go out on the town, everyone else loves it, you're the center of attention. Then you come home, you go to hang it up, and there is a huge stain on the back. This how to video tells you how can save that $200.00 blouse for only $1.50.

An outfeed table is a device to catch the workpiece after it's been machined. This how to video shows you how you can build an outfeed table for your tablesaw.

Prior to painting, pour some vanilla extract into the paint. The vanilla doesn't stain the paint, and the room won't smell like paint fumes.

Stephanie and Julie teach us how to unclog a toilet the correct way in this video. First, remember to turn the valve off on your water that goes to your toilet. This will help prevent unwanted floods in your bathroom. You will also need a plunger, making sure to take the lip out for better suction. After you stick the plunger into the toilet, plunge rapidly around twelve times. If this doesn't work, try adding more water and plunging again for around twelve times. If it still doesn't work, you...

The most basic way to to cut back energy costs is to keep your house from losing heat in the winter or getting too hot in the summer. Curtains, awnings, ventilators, and weather stripping are all simple changes that can keep the heating costs down, while florescent bulbs can last longer and use less power than traditional light bulbs. Watch this video home improvement tutorial and learn how to save energy at home.

Want to bring some light to your garden and make it look fabulous at night? You may want to consider installing garden lights. As for what sort of lights to install, that depends on your garden and the type of effect you wish to achieve. For detailed instructions on choosing the right garden lights for your home, watch this video guide.

If you want to propagate plants from cuttings, this horticultural how-to will show you how. Make certain you prepare your pot with a propagating mix and make a small hole with your finger. Take the cuttings and strip your leaves. Next, dip your cutting into a hormone gel or powder before putting your cutting into your pot. For more, including complete step-by-step instructions on the propagation process, take a look.

It's always a pleasure to grow your own herbs and vegetables. Start with good, healthy soil and add lots of organic material. To grow your herbs and vegetables: you can use either seeds or seedlings. Seeds are more cost effective but take longer to grow whereas with seedlings you'll have an instant garden. For more information on starting a vegetable garden, watch this friendly DIY home gardening tutorial.

After finishing up your paint job, you're going to want to clean the paint of your brushes and rollers to save money on replacement. Depending on the paint you used, either oil-based or water-based, you're going to need either water or turpentine to clean off the paint. Watch this video home improvement tutorial and learn how to clean paint off of paint brushes and rollers.