Homemaking

Frontier folk made their own soap from lye and soap-making was a skill that mothers taught their daughters at a young age. Most of us these days have no idea how to make soap, but more and more...

Many households have gas appliances that run on propane gas, such as gas heaters or gas stoves. Especially if you depend on gas for heat in the winter, it is essential for you know how to read a...

Vinyl fabric is used for many things such as upholstery coverings, tablecloths and certain types of outdoor clothing. It is also possible to paint over vinyl fabric if you want to add designs to a...

Many glass items have gummy labels that can be difficult to remove. For instance, mayonnaise, pickle or jelly jars often come with a sticky label. When you empty these jars, you may wish to...

You probably need to know how to get rid of mice in your house if you have ever been sitting on your couch and heard mice scooting around and squeaking in your walls. In fact, if you hear or see...

Boric acid powder is a less toxic way to kill roaches than using roach spray. Many people believe that boric acid is not a roach poison, but it is minimally toxic. It should not be left in areas...

A draft stopper can make a real difference in how much cold air comes in under a door or window, but if it doesn't fit properly, you'll still feel drafts and pay more than you need to for heat....

Nothing looks worse on elegant dinnerware than marks or scratches. These marks show up especially well on solid colored or light colored dinnerware. Often times the black marks are caused by a...

Whether you're hosting a backyard barbecue and using your picnic table or have invited a group of children over for a birthday party and must cover your dining room table, it is always smart to...

Steaming is great option for removing wrinkles from silk curtains. Silk is a heat-sensitive fabric whether it is used in garments or for home decorating uses. A direct heated iron scorches silk,...

If you have ever seen tiny, whitish gray insects in your cupboards, you know mealybugs have found their way into your home. These insects reproduce every few days, which is why they are so hard to...

Spring steel is strong, flexible carbon steel. This is a good steel for knife blades that must hold up to a lot of abuse without breaking; quality spring steel will bend significantly before it...

Even the most luxurious soap loses its appeal when it is worn down to a sliver. Simply throwing away these last bits of soap seems downright wasteful, but what do you do when no one will use the...

Velcro was invented in 1948 and ever since the patent for Velcro was secured in 1955, this handy product has been helping items open and close, and stay put with ease. All Velcro is composed of...

Keeping your home freshly scented is often more than just a matter of keeping it clean. There are a multitude of products available to help give your home a personalized fragrance, but they are...

Tempurpedic mattresses promise an amazing quality of sleep for both you and your partner without the fear of disturbing each other. The famous Tempurpedic sales gimmick features a woman jumping on...

The drive belt on your Oreck vacuum is a critical part. When it inevitably wears down or breaks, it will cause the revolving brush to slow down or stop working. Changing the belt is fairly simple....

If your area rug has previously been rolled up, when it comes time to unroll it, you may find that it won't lay as flat as you would like. Wrinkles in area rugs not only distort the appearance of...

The prices are increasing while your available cash is decreasing. Here are a few tips to help get the most bang for your buck!

When writing a letter or sending a package to a person anywhere other than her permanent residence, you'll need to address the letter with "c/o" (in care of) and the name of whomever lives there...

To save yourself the future difficulty of cooking with an old aluminum pan that has seen better days, you're going to need to take care of the pan right from the start. One great way of doing this...

Pillows can add the final decorative touch to beds, couches, bench seats and other areas of the home. The popularity of pillows as decorative items has caused pillow manufacturers to begin making...

As they age, windows tend to develop noises as they open and close. It may stem from a variety of issues: the window track may need grease, the window could have come off the track or it may just...

Flour moths infest kitchens or pantries. They will lay eggs in not only flour, but cereal boxes, noodles and any other type of grain. Flour moth eggs hatch into little worm like larvae that...

Fruit flies are a pain to get rid of, especially if they seem to have taken over your house. These annoying flies feed on rotting food, plants (like bouquets) or any other food left out around...

Pfaltzgraff is a 200-year-old company that got its start in York County, Pennsylvania. Begun as a family business with one potter's wheel and kiln, it now distributes its dinnerware, drinkware and...

Wood stained floors produce a dazzling shine when waxed. A quality liquid wax buffs the wood stain to a high luster, while protecting and preserving the wood with oils. In waxing and buffing wood...

Buying a shiny new saucepan or a gleaming frying pan can be a delight for cooks and aspiring cooks. Unfortunately, everyday use can easily leave those pots and pans with minor scorch marks. And if...

Are you worried about the Earth, but not sure of what to do to help it out? Here are a few steps on how you can do just that!

OPEN ANY JAR. REMOVE ANY LID. NO MATTER HOW STUCK. NO STRENGTH REQUIRED.

Soap making can be truly rewarding. Homemade soap makes a great gift, and it's easy to make, even for children. The term glycerin soap refers to clear soap. In most commercial soap, the glycerin...

Everybody knows the frustration when a bar of soap is reduced to a hard-to-hold sliver. It slips through the fingers and usually ends up getting stuck in the drain or tossed in the trash. How many...

It's easy to find the slowest line in any grocery store. It's the line you're in, right? Here's are some ways, to improve your odds of getting in a faster line next time you go to the grocery store.

Tablecloths can be made of a variety of materials. Aside from fancy fabric tablecloths, inexpensive plastic tablecloths are commonly used for parties, events or picnics. Many plastic tablecloths...

Moving can be an exciting time, but when you move into an apartment, this is a new place for you, not a new space in general. Those who believe that energy, either positive or negative, can remain...

It took you a long time to find a paper towel holder you like. You searched high and low for the perfect accessory to your kitchen. Now the rod that holds the paper towels is broken. Paper towel...

Do you have trouble keeping your throw rugs from lying flat? How about the smaller rugs: Are they sometimes so unmanageable that they are half-rolled or sloppily displayed everytime someone...

One factor of which many of us are in the habit with regard to meal preparation is in using traditional plates. Granted a good many of us have diswashers however it still takes a great deal of...

A clean home is a healthy home, right? Wrong. Harsh chemicals are dangerous for your health and hazardous for the environment. The true tools you need for cleaning are natural, inexpensive and...

Vacuum sealers allow you to seal food so that it lasts much longer and takes up less space in the refrigerator or freezer. There are many makers, brands and models. If you're thinking of buying a...

Now that you've cut your fresh pumpkin to make your Thanksgiving pies, you need to either can or freeze the remaining pumpkin to use in other recipes or for Christmas pumpkin pies. Fresh organic...

Enamel cast iron cookware pieces come in a variety of colors, patterns and styles. Decorative cookware pieces can go straight from the oven to the table. Some older, traditional enamel cast iron...

Moving can be a stressful experience, and while utilizing the services of a moving company should make the process easier, it can sometimes make the move more stressful. Dealing with a moving...

No. 5 plastics, such as Brita filters, have been tricky to recycle. Most curbside recycling programs do not accept these plastics, nor do many drop-off sites. Brita filter recycling programs have...

Oven is said to be the heart and soul of the kitchen.With festivals coming just round the corner and cooking dinners and baking ,it is very likely that the oven will get a lot more messy this...

Green clean recipes are the entire rave! Not only do you save money, which is essential in this day and age, but you also keep your environment clear of harmful chemicals that can cause health...

Clothing hanging in closets can become a disorganized mess if you don't keep everything well sorted, from dresses to skirts to shirts to suits. This can make it difficult to find the garments you...

Polishing marble can be done without harsh chemicals or cleaners. In fact, you can get your marble to shine and remove etching using simple household products. Commercial marble polish can be very...

If you have ever, for whatever reason, had the wrong size sheets for the bed you were trying to make up, you know how frustrating this is! If the sheets are too small for the bed, it will not be...

In these tough economic times, many people have found the worth of using coupons and matching them to weekly sales. While you save money, you obviously don’t save time. This is often a deterrent...