Hot Home & Garden How-Tos

How To: Use green techniques to get rid of ants

If you don't want to use toxic or environmentally unfriendly ant poisons and bug sprays to control your ant problem, you can make a greener bug repellent using household items and natural ingredients. Salt, chalk, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, white vinegar, oranges and petroleum jelly can all be used to keep ants out of your house, yard, garden or picnic.

How To: Make dried flowers

Drying a bouquet of flowers is an inexpensive way to give an elegant gift from nature or to make your home more beautiful. You can pick the flowers in spring and then press the blooms in a journal, or save the leaves and petals in a potpourri jar.

How To: Make gardening tomato stakes out of cedar or redwood fence boards

Keeping your garden tomatoes free from pests and insects is no easy task. Luckily you don't have to spend a lot of money to help your tomatoes grow to be their best. Staking your tomatoes will lift them off the ground, away from pesky insects, and protecting them from pests. In this video you'll learn how to make your own garden tomato stakes with cedar or redwood fence boards, which will save you a lot of money in the long run!

How To: Mend Wall Holes Bigger Than Nails

Do you know how wonderful toothpaste is? Here's the scoop. If you've hung pictures or other thing on the wall that required a molly or anchor bolt, and you have to move them and you have holes exposed in your wall. Well "FEAR NOT", toothpaste to the rescue. You will need household items like - toilet paper, or paper towel, or paper napkin, or Kleenex tissue, a utility knife, hammer putty knife, sponge, primer/sealer, paint of your choice and of course the toothpaste.

How To: Change a shower head and install a hand shower system

If you've been thinking about replacing your old shower head with a new model, or maybe even adding a hand shower, you'll be glad to know it's a pretty simple process. To replace the shower head, you don't even have to shut off the water supply. You just twist off the old one, replace the thread tape and twist on the new one. The hand shower system is a little more complicated, but Lowe's and Delta show you how.

How To: Install a new Delta single handle bathroom faucet and pop-up

Once you've removed your old faucet, it's time to install the new one. Many single handle faucets allow you to install them as either a single-hole mount or as a three-hole mount using an escutcheon plate, which fits into the two outside holes. This video from Lowe's and Delta shows you how to install the faucet with the three-hole mount. You'll need a channel lock pliers, adjustable wrench, thread seal tape, silicone caulk and a wrench.

How To: Install a new single handle Delta kitchen faucet with Diamond Seal Technology

These days, faucets are incredibly easy to install (removing old faucets is the hard part). And if you have a Delta brand single handle kitchen faucet with DIAMOND seal technology, this video will show you the steps to installing it. This is also very similar to other brands of single-handle faucets. This video from Lowe's and Delta will help you with your installation. You'll need a screwdriver, adjustable wrench and allen wrench.

How To: Completely remove an old bathroom or kitchen faucet and pop-up

The hardest thing about putting in a new bathroom or kitchen faucet is getting the old one out. For the most part that's true, only because today's faucets are so easy to install! Before you remove that old faucet, make sure you clean out the bottom area to prevent any unnecessary water damage. You'll need a paint tray, adjustable wrench, channel lock pliers, penetrating oil, putty knife, damp cloth and some old towels. This video from Lowe's is by Delta.

How To: Clean and replace an aerator on a faucet or filer screen on a shower head

The aerator on your faucet serves a very important function: by adding air bubbles, it helps to fuse the water and give it a softer feel. It also helps reduce the amount of water you use. So if you're faucet's water stream is acting funny (like a drop in pressure), it might be time to either clean or replace your aerator. If you're having trouble with your shower head, too, a little vinegar might do the trick.

How To: Flush the lines on a Delta kitchen faucet to stop unwanted noises

One of the main causes of noise in a kitchen faucet (when turned on or off) is from obstructed lines. And the only way to stop the noise is by flushing them. Lowe's brings you this video from Delta on just that: flushing your Delta kitchen faucet to silence the noise. You'll need a cloth, towel, 1/8" allen wrench, adjustable wrench, bucket or mixing bowl, white vinegar, channel lock pliers, screwdriver and an extra set of hands.

How To: Flush the lines on a Delta bathroom faucet to stop unwanted noises

If you're faucet is making noise, it might be time to repair it. Does it make the noise when you turn it on and off? The answer could be as simple as flushing the lines. Lowe's provides this video on flushing the lines of your Delta bathroom faucet to silence the noise. You'll need a cloth, towel, 1/8" allen wrench, adjustable wrench, bucket or mixing bowl, white vinegar and an extra set of hands.

How To: Prune rose bushes with bypass pruners

If you're looking for tips on how to prune roses bushes, there's no one better than rose expert Muriel Humenick to show you how it's done. First, she shows you the proper pruning tools you'll need for the rose garden, and the main tools are bypass pruners, but there are others, like loppers, goatskin gloves and an elbow and arm cover. Now that you know the pruning tools, watch and learn the rose pruning process

How To: Create makeshift laundry detergent from a bar of soap and boiling water

If you need to save your money for bills, then this laundry tip will help keep the costs of laundry to a minimum. It's a really simple and cheap tip if you happen to be out of laundry detergent during a load. Simply grab a bar of soap and cut a third of it off. Then place it in a pot of boiling water and let dissolve for about ten minutes. When it's done, transfer it to a large bowl and stir for about thirty seconds. Then it's ready! Makeshift laundry detergent!

How To: Remove a stuck drill chuck

If you have a stuck keyless drill chuck and need help on to repair it, check out this next video tutorial. In it you'll find out what tools you'll need for taking out the drill chuck. It can be a difficult job if you lack the right tools and are not careful. So check out the video tutorial above and good luck!

How To: Stop Bed Bugs from Entering Your Suitcase

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 di...

How To: Use Phantom Insecticide to kill bed bugs

In this Home & Garden video tutorial you will learn about Phantom Insecticide for bed bug control. You cannot buy this pesticide over the counter. You will need a license to purchase this. It is very effective in bed bug control. While evaluating a pest control company, check out whether they use this pesticide. It can take seven to fourteen days to kill a bug after it is exposed to this pesticide. So, if you are bitten by a bed bug after applying the pesticide, don't think that it is not wor...

How To: Kill bed bugs with a PackTite unit

A Pack Tite Unit is used to treat items that may be infested with bed bugs. It can be used to treat suitcases and other items that can't be easily washed in hot water. Be careful not to allow any items to touch the heating unit. Place your item in the center of the rack. Place the metal safety rack on top of your item. There are also side racks available. Zip it closed. Make sure it is zipped as far as it will go. This will kill bed bugs and eggs, because it will heat items up to 140 degrees....

How to Kill bed bugs: Climbup™ Insect Interceptor

The Climbup Insect Interceptor is a new monitor for the use of detecting bed bugs. This is a new monitor. It's a passive monitor. You can place the monitors underneath one of the legs of a sofa or bed or other suspicious piece of furniture. This will not rid your home of bed bugs. This is a way of letting you know where the infestation is or isn't. It is a monitor, but it does not control them. Once the bugs fall into the trap, they can't get out. You will need to properly dispose of them, af...