House & Garden 2024, November

This article shows you how to thoroughly clean an optical mouse. These pointing devices use a laser optical sensor to track movement and detect movement. Cleaning your mouse at least once a month helps prevent (or reduce) problems with buttons and the motion detection system.

If you have noticed that your cactus has recently turned a lighter color, is drying out or shedding leaves or other bits, there are several reasons that may be causing this. First of all, it is advisable to recognize the nature of the problem and provide immediate care, then take the necessary measures to ensure a lasting life for the cactus using suitable soil, light and environmental conditions.

There is nothing worse than noticing that there is a stain on your favorite white shirt. When a garment is immaculate white, the dirt looks even more evident and there is no way to hide it from view. Fortunately, however, there are several methods to be able to remove the stains;

Dracaena marginata is a hardy and low-maintenance indoor plant. If you live in a warm area with extremely mild winters, you can even keep this beautifully colored tree outdoors all year round! Make sure you provide the plant with a mix of sun and shade, as well as enough water (but not too much!

All the lucky owners of a swimming pool know that to have the water always perfectly clean and crystalline it is necessary to carry out constant maintenance of the system. To have crystal clear water, you must use all the necessary chemicals correctly and perform appropriate filtration.

Often, when an electric motor fails, it is difficult to understand why just by looking at it. An abandoned engine in a warehouse may or may not work, regardless of its outward appearance. With a simple tester you can do a quick check of the engine, but before you can actually use it, you need to get and evaluate more information.

Keeping your monitor clean can extend the life of your computer. LCD screens are made from a type of plastic that can be easily scratched by abrasive chemicals, brushes, and even wipes, so it's important to use a gentle cleaning method. Here are some tips on how to clean your monitor without damaging it.

If you want to cultivate in a sustainable way, there are some measures to take to make this goal concrete. And if you are looking for a farm that practices sustainable methods, you can use these steps as criteria to find it. Steps Method 1 of 2:

Disposophobia (pathological accumulation disorder) is a compulsive disorder characterized by the irresistible tendency to accumulate a large mass of useless things, to the point of making one's home unusable (or potentially dangerous because it is occupied by a mountain of stuff crammed with no construct).

The ecological footprint corresponds to the amount of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities carried out by human beings. Many think this is contributing to climate change. You can reduce your ecological footprint at home at little or no cost.

Most parents end up with lots of clothes because children grow up visibly in the first few years of life. Some decide to sell clothes that are too small, while others prefer to keep them for any children they will have in the future, or even their own grandchildren.

Isopropyl alcohol, or even isopropanol, is a terrific substance. It can be used as an antiseptic, cleanser and even a survival tool. It is not intended for human or animal consumption, and if it is accidentally ingested, a doctor should be contacted immediately.

Having a power generator on hand in the event of a power outage can make life a lot easier and can save the lives of those who need electricity for medical reasons. Even if a portable generator fails to power an entire home, it provides enough electricity to comfortably carry out normal daily activities until power is restored.

When you find yourself in an emergency situation with no clean water on hand, it's important to know how to filter the water so you don't make the situation more complicated by getting sick. Obviously, if you enjoy the luxury of a preventive preparation, you can choose the most comfortable solutions for your camping trip or you can even decide to install a permanent filter at home.

With time and use, all scissors lose the thread and cutting ability they had at the time of purchase. If you have trouble cutting due to blunt scissors, then you should consider buying a new pair, as this is not a particularly expensive tool.

Having your clothes dry cleaned can be expensive, especially if you have a lot of clothes that require specific care. Most of the clothes that bear the word "dry" on the label can still be washed at home with a kit. Learn what you can clean at home using a dry kit and get a professional result.

Aluminum, like many other metals, can blacken when not in use. Small objects, such as pots and pans, must first be washed with soapy water and then polished with a specific product or cream of tartar based paste. If you have to treat a panel, make sure it is clean and dry before sanding it;

From time to time it is necessary to clean the refrigerator from top to bottom. The shelves must be washed to eliminate small liquid leaks from the containers and throw away the expired food. While not the most exciting of activities, knowing how to clean a refrigerator efficiently and effectively will save you time and effort.

Using a wood stove is a way to heat a room without being dependent on oil. It can create a welcoming atmosphere by using an inexpensive renewable energy source. Adding a wood stove to your home shouldn't be done without the help of a professional or without knowing the building construction and design requirements.

In the past, food gauze was used exclusively during the preparation of cheeses to separate the curd from the whey. Nowadays, they are also used to make dried fruit drinks, Greek yogurt, ginger juice and other food products. With all these applications, it can be useful to keep the gauze and reuse it, rather than buying new gauze every time.

Growing ginger is easy and rewarding. Once planted, it needs nothing but water and patience to become the spicy and delicious root used in cooking. This guide is mostly about the edible variety, but there are many other ornamental ginger plants that can be grown similarly.

Chives are part of the onion family, but unlike most of these plants, the green leaves are harvested instead of the bulb. Compared to normal onions, chives have a much more delicate flavor. This little herb is often added to soups, salads and sauces for its light flavor and pleasant appearance.

If you have a rosemary bush in your garden, pick it up and let it dry: it's a great idea to keep it and have it conveniently always at hand for cooking. Steps Step 1. Cut the rosemary The best days to harvest rosemary are those that are clear and dry.

Parsley is a very common herb, used to flavor various dishes and also commonly used to decorate courses. It is known for its property of neutralizing bad breath: after a meal you can chew the twig that decorates your plate to freshen your breath.

To grow a pineapple plant all you need is a fresh fruit. The next time you go to the supermarket or the greengrocer, buy one, then separate the leaves from the fruit and dip the base in water. In a few weeks, roots will sprout and you can bury the plant in a pot and then enjoy it for a long time.

Sooner or later, you or a friend of yours will feel sick and throw up. Don't worry about cleaning; it's not as difficult as it sounds. Steps Step 1. Put on latex gloves or disposable gloves Step 2. Remove as much vomit as possible with dry napkins Step 3.

There is nothing more annoying than the buzzing of a mosquito around the ear and the knowledge that, soon, you will be stung where the skin is exposed. Mosquitoes plague very humid areas around the world and are responsible for the spread of some diseases.

Even if you are very scrupulous in maintaining your hookah, a thorough cleaning is required from time to time to make sure you get the most taste out of each use. It is best to proceed with one section at a time: the tube, the small components, the stem and the base.

When mined from the ground, quartz crystals do not have the same shiny, semi-transparent appearance as what you can buy at a gem store. Crystals or clumps of crystals that have just been collected in the mines are often covered with clay or loam encrustations and the surface of the mineral is opaque with an oxide film.

Money is constantly passing from hand to hand and you can never know where the bills and coins have been before it comes into your possession. As a result, dirt and in many cases a swarm of bacteria tend to accumulate on the money. Coins can become sticky if you store them in the car glove box under your takeout drink cup, while bills tend to discolor and accumulate dirt and germs as they pass from hand to hand.

20% of the electricity used in the United States is used in air conditioning systems. If you want to save the expense of an air conditioner or protect the environment, you can build one using a fan and a cooler or a fan and a radiator. Steps Method 1 of 2:

Many decide to build their own kitchen cabinets to give it a personal look without breaking the bank. Even without overdone renovations, adding cabinets can profoundly change the look of the room. Try combining different styles and shades of color to create the kitchen of your dreams.

Many people dream of having beautiful parquet floors in their home. However, what many forget is that to keep the surface in perfect condition you have to subject it to periodic treatments, and in some cases redo the sanding. The sanding of the parquet, however, is an operation that cannot be done too frequently.

Acrylic paint spreads evenly and dries quickly, but it can be painful to take it off your skin if you've had a little "inconvenience". Fortunately, the skin is oily and non-permeable, which means that the acrylic paint cannot adhere easily.

Acrylic paint is typically used to make art or craft projects. Even though it's water based, when it sticks to your hair it's a big hassle. It also dries quickly, so it's best to wash it off when it's still fresh. Below you will find some ways to get acrylic paint out of your hair without damaging your scalp.

Sooner or later someone will spill something on your pool table! Unfortunately, the cloth can get dirty, and droplets from drinks, chalk marks and dust, dirt build-up and food accidents are just some of the causes. Regular cleaning is important to keep the cloth looking its best and prolong its life.

Learning to lock a door is a real lifesaver when you lose your keys or stay locked out of the house. The most common lock models, the cylinder ones, can be opened with simple tools, patience and a little knowledge; you have to prepare yourself by recovering the tools and lubricating the mechanisms.

A well-laid synthetic grass lawn requires no maintenance except an occasional sprinkle to keep it clean. The installation is a complex and intense job, especially if it involves large surfaces; "recruit" then some robust friends to help you.

Thefts are one of the things that worries most homeowners. What is the best way to have a safe home? No doubt you will already have an alarm system (if not, install it now) and perhaps you have a dog to protect you. Statistics show that most thieves enter through the front door or the back door.

Shock treatment for swimming pools is also known as super chlorination. It is a way of making pool water healthier by adding 3 to 5 times the normal amount of chlorine or another disinfectant to the water to dramatically increase the chlorine level for a short period of time.