Housekeeping

Ever had that experience of getting gum on your clothes? Before you try anything else, here are some helpful tips.

Hardwood flooring makes a beautiful addition to any home. Stains and blemishes on the floor can diminish the appearance of the entire floor. A burn mark on a hardwood floor is no exception....

Many hardwood floor cleaning supplies contain ingredients that are unhealthy for people, as well as the planet. Less toxic alternatives are available, but they can be expensive. The good news is...

Lamp oil may be kerosene, paraffin or a vegetable oil, such as corn oil or olive oil. Some lamp oils have coloring and/or scent added. No matter what lamp oil is made of, spill clean up is the...

Furnishing a home can be expensive, making it important to care for and maintain furniture for as long as possible. This may eliminate the need to purchase new furniture every few years, since you...

Mold can be cleaned naturally without the use of harsh chemicals. No matter what the season, mold always finds its way into the most inconvenient places, beneath sink, inside walls, in shoes, and...

It only takes a little oil to create a large eyesore on your concrete floor. Not only are oil stains unfortunate to look at, but it can make your entire floor look and feel unclean. If you have...

Bitumen is a black, petroleum-based, tar-like substance that's typically referred to as asphalt. Because bitumen is an oil-based material, you can't use hard-core degreasers to remove oil stains...

Biting flies are troublesome insects that attack both humans and animals. When the flies land and bite, a sharp sting is felt. Redness, itching, and irritation commonly are associated with the...

Oil on the driveway is a true eyesore. Anyone who drives by can see the oil stain; it just stands out and looks out of place. Tractor oil is not much different than car oil when cleaning it up off...

Pine-Sol cleaning solution is a multipurpose cleaner and disinfectant for general household use. Popular as a floor cleaner and disinfectant, Pine-Sol is also used to brighten laundry and clean...

Eco-Friendly Green clean recipes are all the 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...

Concrete is commonly used for constructing driveways due to its durability and strength. Concrete, however, is also very porous and can stain easily. If a car leaking oil is parked on a concrete...

Creosote is an oily residue that is produced by burning wood. Essentially, it starts as a vapor and sticks to the bricks inside your chimney. As it dries out it becomes flaky and smelly. There are...

Potpourri is a combination of dried flowers and barks that is enhanced with either scented or essential oils. Regardless of the quality of the potpourri at the time of purchase, all potpourri...

Aromatherapy is the perfect, natural, way to help keep bugs out of the house without having to use harsh chemicals. Below are the most effective aromatherapy treatments you can use to keep bugs...

Wooden cutting boards are attractive and functional. They are also more sanitary than plastic boards, according to Dean O. Cliver, a University of California professor. To keep your wooden cutting...

Homemade laundry detergent can save money. Homemade detergents are a good alternative to more expensive store-bought varieties, but they often come without that laundry-fresh scent to which people...

Most people want to start at the top, yet, as in business, you must start at the bottom to effectively clean a wall. When you start at the bottom of a wall you are less apt to cause “streaking” if...

Cooking spray, a mixture of cooking oil and lecithin, was invented in 1957. The lecithin thins the oil enough so that it can be sprayed. And while cooking spray keeps cakes from sticking to the...

Cutting boards are a necessary item in every kitchen for chopping vegetables and trimming raw meat. Wooden cutting boards are safe to use and can have a long life when you care for them properly....

It is not hard but very time consuming and takes a lot of patience to get candle wax/dye out of your carpet.

Keeping a cutting board clean and lubricated is important for both the health of your family and for maintaining the condition of your cutting board. Wooden cutting boards require more maintenance...

Many people look to homemade, natural cleaning solutions for a variety of reasons. Some would prefer to use retail cleaning products, but cannot afford the high price tag. Others are aware of the...

Cat urine leaves a strong, unpleasant odor. This can be very upsetting if the cat has urinated on your wood furniture. Simply wiping up the urine does not eliminate the smell, because cat-urine...

Removing red wine stains from wood can be very difficult. If the red wine spill only happened a few minutes ago, it's much easier to deal with than a spot that isn't noticed for a day or two. If...

Cutting boards made of wood are never really fully cured. Curing is an ongoing process that involves the re-application of specific oils to prime the surface of the wood, protecting it from germs...

Oak countertops are often constructed similarly to butcher blocks and they should be treated in a similar way in order to keep them looking good and to prevent cracking or seam splitting. Properly...

my 2yr old son got a hold of diaper ointment and well let just say it was everywhere, i tried looking for help online, and there was very little clean up help! one web site said industrial oil......

Cutting boards are a basic necessity in the average kitchen. Cleaning and protecting your board is of the utmost importance as it can quickly become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria. The...

Stainless steel is a popular element in pots and pans. The best way to keep them clean is to wipe them out while they are still hot, just after cooking. However, if vegetable oil in the pan has...

Slate is a common material used in the building of fireplaces because of its resilience, durability and ability to withstand high temperatures. If you have a slate fireplace, everyone who enters...

Grease pencils are used as waterproof markers for plant identification tags. These pencils, made of opaque colored wax encased in rolled paper, have actually been around for decades, used by...

Plug-in scented oil warmers come in the shape of a night-light with a stiff plastic cage mounted in front of an electrical plug. A small reservoir of scented oil goes in the plastic cage; when the...

If you have ever gotten oil on your suede shoes, jacket, suede furniture or any other suede you have, you know how unsightly the stain is. Some oil or grease stains need to be dealt with by a...

Many manufacturers place rubber mats on the bottom of rugs to prevent them from slipping. While this is a very innovative solution to a pervasive problem, it does tend to create problems on the...

Cleaning the concrete off our homes driveway, garage and walkways can really add to how nice the house looks. Many find it a bit confusing as to how concrete should be cleaned and maintained. This...

Oil and grease stains on the carpet are probably the hardest to remove simply because the oil is very difficult to dissolve. The main point to remember with an oil or grease stain is to remove it...

Stains on the carpet can be distressing. Oil-based stains on carpet can be tough to remove but not impossible. The key is breaking up the oil with a cleaner to remove it. Getting the oil out...

Squirrels commonly gather in attic spaces, where they gain easy access from a small opening in the roof and move freely with no disturbance from household activity. Fortunately, squirrels can...

Cedar oil has long been a remedy for getting rid of problems with flea infestations. While there are a number of medicated flea treatments that will effectively eliminate fleas, these can be...

Marble is a natural stone that adds elegance and charm to any home. Whether you have marble countertops, floors or shower surrounds, the beauty of marble is like no other. Marble is a relatively...

Peppermint oil's most common use is its ability to aid in digestion. In addition to aiding the healing of stomach problems, peppermint oil soothes muscles, relieves colds, and alleviates one's...

Cooking oil stains on hardwood floors are not just visually unpleasing--they make your floors slippery. Cooking oil can penetrate into the cracks and seams of hardwood floors, attracting bacteria...

Peppermint oil is a great alternative product for getting rid of an ant problem in your home. It's non-toxic, unlike many ant sprays found at the local grocery store, easy to get at most health...

Limestone is a porous natural stone used for flooring and other building projects. Limestone tends to be light in color; tan and light gray are common shades for the stone. Oil stains are absorbed...

Finding oil stains from food can always be disappointing. The greasy marks left after a meal can be gross and, at times, hard to remove. Isopropyl alcohol, a kind of rubbing alcohol commonly found...

Fish oil is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids and can help to reduce triglycerides. Fish oil has several medicinal purposes, from lowering blood pressure to reducing the chance of heart...

Any oily substance can leave an unattractive stain on a granite counter. Unlike solid surface counter tops, granite is porous and thus able to absorb liquids. For this reason, professionals...

Reed diffusers add aroma to a room without heat, flame or smoke. The reeds wick oil from their decorative container and scent from the aromatic oil is lightly dispersed throughout the area. If the...