House & Garden 2024, April

Cleaning your room may seem like an impossible task, but it is probably faster and easier than you imagine! Listen to music, write a to-do list, treat yourself to rewards, and turn it all into a game to keep motivation high. Start with the most demanding activities, then move on to actual cleaning, dusting, vacuuming and washing all surfaces.

Cleaning a phone's silicone case is very important, as its surface can be contaminated with germs and dirt residue. To clean this material, you can use soap and water. Aggressive cleaners should instead be avoided. For lack of anything else, disinfectant wipes are quite effective at removing bacteria from the case.

Many household cleaners are composed of harmful chemicals that can cause respiratory problems, cause skin irritation, and pollute the air inside the home. Instead of using these products, you can make a natural disinfectant based on vinegar, denatured alcohol, and essential oils to reduce your family's exposure to chemicals and keep your home as clean as if you had used a store-bought disinfectant.

Washing machines are incredibly comfortable and simple to use appliances, but sometimes it is necessary to adapt to the characteristics of the various models. If you have just bought your first washing machine or are looking to do your first laundry, don't worry:

Realizing that the colors of one garment have shifted to another during the laundry may throw you into a panic, but you can remove them in a few simple steps. Just be careful not to put the clothes in the dryer, otherwise the dye becomes permanent.

Iron-on transfers are an excellent way to express your personal style and add cute images to different pieces of clothing. However, after a while you may get tired of looking at the same thing over and over again. Unfortunately, most iron-on transfers are permanent, but don't despair - you can try removing them using the methods in this article.

Even after washing it, the floor with dirty joints looks bad. You can restore it to its original splendor by cleaning the spaces between the tiles. Depending on the type of coating and the grout color of the joints, there are several effective cleaning methods to make the floor really clean.

Preserving the whiteness of whites can be a difficult task even with intensive washing cycles. Fortunately, when they are very dirty, there are several ways to get them back to their original splendor. Steps Part 1 of 4: Special Pre-Soak Treatment Step 1.

It may happen that you do not have the opportunity to use the washing machine, but have to wash dirty and smelly clothes or to have clothes that can only be washed by hand because they are too delicate. In these cases, first choose a detergent that is not too aggressive on the fibers, then use the water and the product to gently wash the garments;

It is not difficult to load the dishwasher, but doing it correctly improves the quality of the wash; Furthermore, it allows you to save time, electricity and obtain the best results with each use. Steps Method 1 of 2: Load the Dishwasher Efficiently Step 1.

White Converse are beautiful when brand new, but wearing them the white canvas can quickly take on an unsightly brownish tinge due to the dirt that builds up on top and sides. Cleaning them is quite simple, and allows you to keep your shoes in excellent condition for a long time.

It happens to even the best: you inadvertently threw a sweater or a pair of jeans in the dryer on the high heat setting and it shrunk by one size, if not more. Technically speaking, it is impossible to "re-widen" shrunken clothes. However, you can make the fibers relax enough to allow them to regain their lost shape.

The toilet always seems to get clogged in the least opportune moments; Thankfully, you can clear most of the blockages yourself without having to hire (and pay) a plumber. Generally, you can clear the drain with a plunger or household drain cleaner made from boiling water, vinegar, and baking soda.

Chrome plating is technically superficial layers of chromium, a very hard but brittle metal that is used to plate other metals. This coating is often found on fenders, rims and other parts of the car, but also in the bathroom, in the kitchen, on bicycles and in many other places.

Some items of clothing need to be ironed to look neat. It is a fairly simple job, although in some cases it can put people who have never done it in difficulty. To iron, you need to sort your clothes in advance, as different types of fabrics require different ironing techniques.

When there is vomit on the car interior, it is very important to remove it. If you don't clean the area properly, you risk leaving stains or a lingering odor that will be difficult to get rid of later. Vomit is an acidic substance that can damage upholstery and seats if not removed promptly;

Cleaning car mats, whether rubber or textile, is one of the quickest ways to improve the overall appearance of the interior. The car will also smell good! Steps Method 1 of 3: Preparation Step 1. If possible, remove the mats (rubber or textile) from the car Open all the doors one at a time and remove them, if they are removable;

Minimalism is a lifestyle that aspires to rein in consumerism and focus on reordering one's life. A family may decide to adopt it in order to save money, have fewer things and spend more quality time together. This can be put into practice by developing and implementing a plan.

If you opened a package of flour and it was swarming with small parasites, it is probably wheat calenders; they are small insects that are reddish-brown in color and able to fly. Since they can lay a few eggs every day for months, the pest control process can take some time.

Treating a cast iron pan is essential to recreate a non-stick treatment and prevent rust. To preserve this treatment, you need to take some precautions when cleaning. With the right attention, your cast iron pot will improve over time and use, becoming the queen of your kitchen.

While cooking, it can happen that you lose track of time, forget to turn off the oven or choose the wrong temperature; as a result, the food burns and the smell spreads throughout the house. Fortunately, you can get rid of it quite easily by using some common household items.

It can be very frustrating to be locked out of your door, bedroom, or bathroom, especially when you're in a hurry. Fortunately, simple household locks can be cracked with two common bobby pins and a little practice. Steps Method 1 of 2:

If you have a tree stump in your garden that is sprouting again, you have to kill it or it will keep growing. A half dead stump of a tree is an ugly obstacle to look at that won't go away on its own. There are many methods of killing it: you can wet it with a saline solution, burn it, constantly deprive it of sunlight, or cut it into pieces.

For the umpteenth time, you have lost your car keys and cannot find them. In addition to being frustrating, you may have to pay the consequences in the workplace if you arrive late. However, keys or other lost items can be recovered if you take a few minutes to calm down and follow these steps.

In order to escape a fire, it is essential to be prepared, have an evacuation plan and do exercises. Design the plan taking into consideration the layout of the house and the characteristics of the family members. Address this issue in advance and make sure you know what to do in whatever environment you frequent, live in, or travel to.

Freshly cut wood contains about 50% moisture, and does not burn well in the fireplace or stove: it must first be seasoned (let it dry). In fact, the drier it will be, the better the heat yield will be. The wood is ready to be burned when it reaches 20% humidity.

It only takes a few minutes for a pan with oil forgotten on the stove to catch fire. In fact, when the cooking oil gets too hot, it catches fire easily. When it heats up, it first starts to boil, then it starts to smoke and finally it catches fire.

Roses are beautiful fragrant flowers that feature an infinite variety of colors and sizes. With proper care, they can stay fresh for up to 10 days or more after being cut. If you want to prevent your roses from wilting too soon, make sure you change the water every 2 or 3 days, put them in a very clean vase and keep them in a cool place.

Proper chemical water balance is absolutely necessary to keep a pool safe and clean for its users, and maintaining concentrations of certain chemicals can save the pool owner time and money. By following these steps, any owner can maintain their pool with the same results as an expensive professional cleaning service.

If your gas or electricity bill doubles in winter, you should adapt your home to the climatic conditions of this season. Preparing the house for winter includes insulating the attic more, sealing the windows and doors that have drafts, cleaning the gutters, heating systems and wood stoves and protecting the water pipes.

A swimming pool offers opportunities for fun and is great for playing sports during the summer, but maintenance can be expensive. Cleaning the filter instead of replacing it can be an option for those who want to save some money or reduce waste.

When the well submersible pump stops working, who to call? You can go to a well-digging company, but it will cost a lot of money. With the system illustrated in this article, you only need a little muscle or even better with a vehicle to further facilitate recovery.

Changing the duvet cover seems, in theory, an easy task, but it can be a real challenge to be able to fit a puffy, fluffy duvet into the small open space of the cover. The process is not that different from stuffing a pillow into the pillowcase, except that the duvet isn't as stiff as a pillow, so it tends to twist and twist.

There are many models of above ground pools on the market that offer families a way to exercise and spend time having fun when the weather is too hot for other activities. The installation technique depends on the type and quality of the pool you decide to buy.

Properly closing your pool for the winter will save you a lot of time and money when it reopens in the spring. Close the pool as soon as it gets cold to make sure you protect it well from freezing damage. This article describes the steps you need to follow to defend your pool for the winter.

The term hard water refers to the concentration of certain substances in it, such as calcium and limestone. If the water you use contains calcium, you can boil it to get rid of the strange taste. To remove other contaminants, you can use filters.

House fires are responsible for thousands of injuries and deaths every year, and they take away their precious possessions and memories from many more people. Here are some steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of your home becoming part of this statistic.

Installing outdoor surveillance cameras is a great way to monitor a property when you are not around. You may need to hide them to prevent someone from breaking or damaging them. Fortunately, there are several products and methods to disguise them.

Plastering is one of the last stages of finishing an internal or external wall. Applying plaster (or putty) is an extremely technical procedure that is usually best left to professionals, but each owner can do it himself as long as he follows some basic guidelines.

You have decided to design your new home. Surely you will already have a clear image in your mind. However, finding an existing property that fits your wishes is rare. There are many things to consider. And that's why we show you how to make your dream home come true.