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Use Cooking Spray Instead of WD-40When bothered by squeaky or rusty hinges, you probably have the quick cure right in your kitchen. Any cooking spray will work just fine, and most of us have a can of that on hand.

 

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Schedule Home Maintenance Using Electronic CalendarWe all have things in our homes that require maintenance. Keep on top of things by scheduling periodic tasks on your phone (or laptop/tablet) electronic calendar. Most have a repeat feature, so setup is easy.

 

gloved hand washing siding

Hand Washing Vinyl SidingThe weather has been humid and rainy for the past several days. This morning, while checking the gutter for pecan blooms, I noticed that I could wipe the mildew off the vinyl siding with my finger making it just right for cleaning and not having to wet it down. I decided to give it a try.

 

Use a Tube Sock to Bind Your Extension Cord

Bind Your Shop Extension CordI couldn't find a rubber band or any kind of tie to bind up my cord so I used a tube sock. First I cut off the toe end of it and stretched it over the cord that I had rolled up. It fit perfect and held it together without any problems of it snapping or falling off.

 

soft bristles wash brush

Keeping Gutters and Vinyl Siding CleanVinyl Siding is easy to wash by hand except for reaching the high spots and getting up on a ladder is not for old folks like us. We needed a brush that we could attach to a pole for cleaning the gutters and other areas that are high.

 

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Becoming Your Own Handyman"Bill, before you go, would you look at my toilet? It's been running for weeks."Soon after the bathroom debacle, Marilyn enrolled in a continuing education class: Basic Repairs that Anyone Can Do". She figured she could save time and money (and avoid inconveniencing relatives and neighbors) by learning how to repair or replace toilets and other household items on her own.

 

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Question About Using Vinegar in a HumidifierHas anyone heard of undiluted distilled white vinegar? I have a humidifier that calls for cleaning with this. All I can find in the store is the diluted to 5% acidity distilled white vinegar.

 

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Rust Preventative for MachineryFarm machinery and other machinery used outdoors will last a great deal longer if protected from rust. To make your own rust protector, melt together 5 pounds tallow and 1 pound of turpentine.

 

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Reuse Laundry Detergent Bottle for Rock SaltRock Salt, used to melt ice on pavement, is very harsh to the skin. For an easy, and safe dispenser, I empty the bag of salt into a old laundry detergent bottle.

 

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Smooth Wall Spackle With a Block of WoodFor home repairs on wallboard done easily and inexpensively, you might want to try this technique as many of us have a block of scrap wood available to do this job.

 

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Preventative Maintenance for Your AppliancesWords of advice from my service tech husband; preventive maintenance is always the cheapest maintenance!

 

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Use Talcum Powder for Sticky SealsTo prevent refrigerator or freezer seals from sticking and cracking, wipe the seals with talcum powder on a rag every 12 months. This will also saves money on replacement.

 

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Spray Snow Shovel with SiliconSnow was sticking to my snow shovel until I coated the blade with silicon. The silicon spray I used was for my knitting machine but I've seen cheaper silicon spray at the hardware store.

 

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Schedule Your Chimney Cleaning As Early As PossibleNow that fall is upon us, this is a good time to check out your fireplace. If you need to call in a chimney sweep, do it now, before he is in big demand. In our area, we only have one chimney sweep.

 

How To Clean Your In-Room AC Unit

How To Clean Your In-Room AC UnitIf the air blowing from your air conditioning unit starts to smell bad, you may have mold growing in your AC Unit. This should be taken very seriously as the stagnant water can lead to fungi, molds, mildews.

 

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Furnace Filter TipsSave on heating/cooling costs by maintaining your air filter. A heating system repairman told me to use the cheapest, blue filter, and to change it at least monthly or when soiled.

 

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'Fix A Chip' to Repair Chipped Counter TopMy son dropped a hammer on our counter in the bathroom (new home). It chipped the counter top. Most places I called (home repair, hardware stores) said I would have to replace it. It was too much money for a small chip.

 

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Using A Ladder On The Roof Without Crushing GuttersWhen using an extension ladder in cleaning gutters or going on the roof of the house, etc., your weight on the ladder can damage, crush, or even tear off your gutters when you put the ladder up against the gutters before climbing.

 

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Antacid Tablets and Vinegar Drain CleanerYou can unclog your sink, shower or tub with 3 antacid tablets and 1 cup of vinegar. Works wonders!

 

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Use Water When Sandblasting BrickIf you are sandblasting your home's brick to remove paint, use a garden hose over the output to eliminate dust by 95%.

 

Girl Hammering Nail into Wall

Daddies Teaching Daughters: Easy Home...This is the second part of a series of articles about life skills a Dad can teach their daughters. In this changing world, the more that we can empower our daughters to be self sufficient, the stronger a woman we will build.

 

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Shoveling SnowInstead of lifting snow, try to push it as much as possible. When you need to lift a shovel full of snow, be sure to bend your knees and keep your back straight.

 

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Inspect Your Crawl SpaceIt's not fun, but it's worth doing at least once a year. If your home has a crawl space, crawl around down there and look for bugs and moisture. Be sure to crawl under the bathroom and kitchen and look up at the sub-flooring for watermarks.

 

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Inspecting Your FoundationCheck the grading around your house and make sure that the ground is sloping away from your house. Make sure that no plants or dirt comes into contact with the wood siding of your house. Inspect your foundation for cracks and patch any that you find. Also, check the siding of your home for mildew.

 

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Keep the Chimney CleanClean your chimney at least once a year so there's no build up which can cause a fire.

 

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Repairing Rips in ScreensSew tears in a screen with clear nylon thread or dental floss.

 

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Do It Yourself Home RepairI encourage anyone who can to learn how to work on their own appliances. It cost us $40 just to have a repairman come out and tell us we had a kink in a drain hose on our washer.

 

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Have Your Home Inspected TermitesHave your home inspected annually for pests such as termites, etc. Most insurance companies will not pay for damage to your home caused by pests so it is worth the money to have an inspection done so you can find a problem and fix it before it's too late and major damage is done to your home.

 

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Use a Leaf Blower for SnowTo keep snow off of your porch that isn't wet or packed down use your leaf blower. By Melanie

 

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Clean Your Home's Siding with a Hose and Push BroomAn easy way to clean your siding on your house is: Tape a garden hose to a wide push broom, using duct tape at 2 or 3 places along the handle. Position the nozzle near the top of the broom head, just above the bristles.

 

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Fix For a Squeaky Ceiling FanMy ceiling fan was making a squeaking sound when turned on. My husband said we needed rubber bands that they sell to put around the base of the light fixture.

 

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