Custom shirts, hats, T-shirts, bags, water bottles and other objects of all kinds are the most popular options for branding your business, and advertising in a unique way. Screen printing is a stencil printing technique that passes ink through a mesh “screen” to apply a desired image onto an object.

History of Screen Printing

Screen printing was first used over 2000 years ago by the Chinese. The screen, now made of polyester was formed by stretching human hair across a wooden frame. They would attach a stencil to the screen, often made of leaves, and imprint it on a desired object. Years later, the Japanese adopted the process of screen printing, but used woven silk to create the screen rather than human hair. Through the years, various screen printing techniques have led the process to be called several different names. The technique is generally the same, but has traditionally been known as screen printing or silkscreen printing because of the materials used prior to the invention of polyester mesh.

Screen Printing Today

Synthetic threads are the most common material used in modern screen printing processes. In addition to polyester mesh, some screen printing materials also include the use of nylon and stainless steel. The various types and sizes of mesh ultimately determine the finished look and design of the final product.

Screen Printing Applications

Used for more than just advertising, screen printing is a widely popular technique for general branding applications. When you purchase a CD from the store, the image on the disc is screen printed. Cotton, silk and polyester fabrics can all be screen printed directly onto for name personalization, family reunions, and adult football or softball leagues. Beyond fabrics, screen printing can produce posters, flyers, signs, bus advertisements, and even watch dials. The possibilities are as vast as your imagination. Imprinting images, logos, names and designs onto customized merchandise, give-aways, or handouts, is a proven method in free advertising, and a marketing technique that leaves a lasting impression.

Identity theft, fraudulent charges and false authorization are common things that almost everyone has a story about. Whether it’s noticing a $500 charge on your credit card, or learning for the first time that you authorized a specific activity, your personal information can be used by the wrong people all too easily. Security experts recommend you shred all mail and financial statements as a precautionary measure for protecting yourself from theft and damage to your identity.

Tips to Shred Your Document at Home

Once your information leaves your possession, you have lost full control over what happens to it. Shredding your personal documents at home is the greatest method in ensuring your information is securely handled before being transferred through multiple stages of garbage disposal. At home shredding solutions are easy, but it is recommended that you don’t take shortcuts in destroying your private statements. Purchasing a paper shredder at the local office supply store is the most popular option in safely disposing of your personal information. Household shredders are often the size of a small trash can, and take up minimal room in your kitchen, home office, or loft. These affordable household options come in cross-cut shredders, and strip cut shredders. Experts suggest using cross-cut shredding over strip-cut because it is more secure in destroying all traces of the initial document. If purchasing a paper shredder is not an option for you, an age old solution for destroying personal information is burning it. For safety reasons, we recommend you only burn documents in a controlled and safe burning environment like a wood-burning fireplace, your grill, or a contained fire pit. This option can be messy, and often takes longer than feeding paper into a shredder, but if it is convenient for your lifestyle, burning your documents before disposing of them is an at-home option for shredding personal information. Community shredding events are great for disposing of any amount of personal documents. Local financial institutions and community organizations often hold weekend events with a certified shredding company. Some people save private documents for months at a time in boxes in their home. Dropping those boxes at a community shredding event can save you time and money. No matter which approach you take, it’s imperative that you ensure the most secure handling, storing and disposal of your personal information.

Garbage disposals are one of the most underrated appliances in your entire household. They tirelessly work away to grind away your food debris with little to no attention, but they do it anyway. About one of the only times the garbage disposal grabs your attention is when things become stinky. Luckily though you don’t need to call a plumber to take care of the sink, you can do it by yourself. Here is how to make garbage disposal cleaning pods with items already in your household.

How to Make Garbage Disposal Cleaning Pods

You Will Need

• Baking Soda
• Coarse Salt
• Dish Washing Liquid
• Parchment Paper
• Metal Baking Sheet

Your Essential Oil of Choice

1. Dump ¾ cup of baking soda into a large mixing bowl.
2. Add in a ½ tsp of dish washing liquid
3. Add in a ½ tsp of coarse salt
4. Add 10-15 drops of your favorite essential oil for scent. You can use peppermint, lemon, or whatever scent you want.5
5. Add about a quarter of a cup of water to the mixture.
6. Stir it up! You can use a whisk, spoon or whatever else is on hand. Keep mixing until the mixture is the same consistency as wet sand. If your mixture is too dry, add small amounts of water until your get a wet sand consistency.
7. Scoop up a handful of the mixture, there are no real size requirements but the pod should be small enough to fit in your garbage disposal.
8. Squeeze your hand together to shape the pod. If the pod just crumbles, add a little water to your hands and try again until your get a pod that will hold its shape.
9. Mold the pod until it is relatively uniform in shape.
10. Deposit the pod onto parchment paper placed over a baking sheet.
11. Repeat steps 1-10 until you have used the mixture.
12. Allow the pods to dry overnight.
13. Store the pods in a large mason jar to stay fresh.

Congratulations, you have made your own garbage disposal pods on the cheap. To use, simply place in your garbage disposal and turn on. The grit of the salt will work to clean stuck on debris, the baking soda will help deodorize and your essential oil will leave your otherwise stinky garbage disposal smelling fresh and clean!

Ceramic tiles are a very popular material for American bathrooms and have been for decades. Ceramic tiles are waterproof, come in many varieties and look great, but they do crack and break over time. Damaged tiles are an eyesore and they can also allow water and moisture into areas where they shouldn’t be. Luckily, you don’t need a handyman every time one of these tiles cracks, with a little knowledge you can fix it yourself. Here is how to repair cracked or broken ceramic bathrooms tiles.

How to Repair Bathrooms Tiles

You Will Need

• Grout saw
• Power drill
• Masonry drill bit
• Chisel
• Hammer
• Metal spackling / putty knife
• Notched trowel
• Ceramic tile adhesive
• Matching grout
• Sponge / towel

First you need to remove the cracked or broken tile and prep your work area using the following steps. Note: Be careful of waterproof membrane behind the tiles during these steps.

• Use the grout saw to remove the grout surrounding the damaged tiles
• Use a drill with a masonry bit to drill several holes in the damaged tile. This will make it easier for removal.
• Use your hammer and chisel to break up and remove the damaged tile. Be careful of adjacent tiles during this process.
• Use the spackling knife or other tools to remove any leftover adhesive. The cleaner the working surface, the better.
• Double check that the water proofing membrane is intact.

Now that the work area is cleaned and prepped, you can replace the damaged tile using the following steps.

• Use a notched trowel or spackling knife to apply ceramic tile adhesive to your work area.
• Carefully inert your replacement tile. Double check to make sure the tile is lined up correctly with the other tiles and it is flush against the other tiles.
• Allow the ceramic tile adhesive to dry.
• Add grout around the new tiles, use a wet sponge or towel to remove excess grout.
• Allow the grout to dry before getting the new tile wet.

Just like that, you’ve repaired a ceramic bathroom tiles without costing yourself a service call. Use this knowledge to take care off all of your ceramic tile issues moving forward.

Grilling is one of the best ways to make a variety of meat and seafood. Whether you enjoy a good Ribeye steak, a fresh ground hamburger or veggies grilled to perfection, learning how to grill can be tricky. Depending on where you live in the country, what type of grill you have and what type of meat or seafood you use can determine the overall outcome of your meal. We’ve put together some great grilling instructions to get you started right.

How to Grill

For smaller grilled items, like hot dogs, kabobs and pork chops, you want to use the grill hot and fast. This means cooking on high, which may not be something you’re used to doing when grilling. Even when a recipe calls for you to cook on a lower heat, if you’re not doing anything special to the meat, cook it on high. If cooking fish, chicken or veggies, avoid the high heat. These items should be cooked over a medium flame. They’ll take longer to cook but they’ll be delicious on your grill. Indirect grilling creates a wonderful flavor on the grill when done right. This is where you only cook on one side of the grill and keep uncooked food on the other side. You move food back and forth during the grilling process and the uncooked food slowly cooks, much like baking in the oven. This works best for ribs, roasts and whole chickens. Don’t forget to flip your meat. Some recipes say not to, others say do it too often. You should always flip your food to cook it evenly on the grill. When flipping, you want to move it to another section of the grill to keep it hot. When you flip and place the piece of meat back on the same grill spots, it actually cools down the meat slightly which can affect the overall outcome. Meat is done when it’s best done for you. While many recipes will give you time frames, it really depends on the type of grill, the flame, how often you flip and how attentive you are. One day you may cook the perfect steak, the next not so much. Grilling takes practice and learning to live with the frustration of a bad piece of meat here or there while you’re learning the ins and outs of your grill.

If you’ve been reading the news or if you live in California, you will know that access to water is becoming a serious issue in some areas. One common tool to combat excess water usage is the simple low-flow toilet. As the name implies, low-flow toilets don’t use nearly the amount of water per flush as the traditional household, but they are definitely more expensive, so are they right for your home? Let’s look at the some of the uses, benefits and drawbacks to the low-flow toilet, so you can decide whether or not these water saving toilets are right for you.

What is a Low-Flow Toilet

A low-flow toilet is a toilet that uses drastically less water than a traditional toilet to flush away waste. Traditional toilets can use up to 3 and ½ gallons per flush while a low-flow toilet may use as little as just ½ gallons. Low-flow toilets became popular in the United States during the 1990s in response to water conservation efforts and have becoming more popular ever since.

Benefits of a Low-Flow Toilet

• Reduce water usage. Obviously the number one benefit of a low-flow toilet is its water conservation properties. Low-flow toilets can use less than half the water or a traditional toilet so every time you flush, you’re helping to conserve water.
• Reduced utility bills. If you’re using less water, you’re spending less money. This can be a nice benefit in drought-stricken areas where water bills can get a little steep. Certain cities, states and jurisdictions may offer credits for low-flow toilet use as well.

Disadvantages of a Low-Flow Toilet

• Low-flow toilets are more expensive than their traditional cousins. However, many homeowners can make up this difference in reduced water bills in just a couple of years.
• Low-flow toilets may have troubles with excessive waste that traditional toilets have no issues with. Low-flow toilets may require extra flushes because to whisk away waste.
• If you live in an older home you may have to have your plumbing retro-fitted to work well with a low-flow toilet. Any additional work on your plumbing will of course cost more money out of the gate.

Our Take

If you have a large household, tend to use a lot of water and can afford it, low-flow toilets are a fantastic option and will pay for themselves in just a few years. If you are still unsure about the toilet itself or your plumbing, talk to a local plumber to get extra advice.

Unless you live in a sprawling 10,000 square foot estate, you will likely have issues with storage and organization in your home. Where to put things so they are out of the way yet convenient at the same time is an issue that virtually every homeowner has to contend with when it comes to their living space. There is a simple organizational tool, found at every big box store around the country that could be the answer to many of your organizational needs, the shoe organizer. Let’s look at 7 unique ways in which you can use the show organizer for more than just your pumps and heels. 7 Ways to Use a Shoe Organizer

1. Wrap up the gift wrap. Gift wrap haunts attic corners and the backs of closets and always seems to get bend. Utilize a deep shoe organizer to store your excess gift wrap and hang it on the back door of your utility or storage closet.
2. Find a home for bulk items. That 100 pack of toilet paper for 5 bucks seems like a heck of a deal, but you need room for all that. Use a shoe organizer to store bulk items like toilet paper, paper towels, and any other bulk items to keep them out of the way.
3. Chargers and electronics. In today’s wired world, everything seems to come with a cord. These often end up in tangled messes all over the house but not with a show organizer. Label and store your cords and chargers to keep them accessible and out of the way.
4. Kitchen confident. Loose items like candy bars, snacks and juice boxes can wind up all over a kitchen but not with a show organizer. Keep ready-to-grab snacks and items in a shoe organizer for quick access.
5. Hats and gloves. Those who live in colder climates know the frustration of trying to find your favorite pair of gloves. Use a shoe organizer to organize gloves, caps, beanies, scarves and other winter accessories. Keep it on the back of the closet door nearest your favorite entryway.
6. Cleaned and organized. Stow your cleaning supplies in a show organizer on the back of your utility closet for quick grabbing and cleaning.
7. Craft corner. Art supplies, sewing supplies, balls of yarn can end up all over the place without some organization like a shoe organizer. Keep all your crafts in place.

This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the versatility of shoe organizers. Try some of the ideas listed above or make something up on your own to make items accessible but out of the way at the same time.

The only thing that changes when a new baby comes around is everything. Yes your new bundle of joy is the most important thing in your life so you should be doing everything you can to protect them, and that calls for babyproofing your home. An entire home is a lot to work with but babyproofing doesn’t have to be such as headache as long as you follow these four tips for babyproofing your home.

4 Tips for Babyproofing a Home

1. Get down on their level. Obviously a baby or small child’s world perspective will be much lower than yours. That’s why to protect the baby, you need to think like baby. Get down on all fours to get a better understanding of what issues may face your child such as electrical outlets, sharp corners, countertops and more. You may be able to see something you missed the first go-around when you put yourself on your child’s level.
2. Do a kitchen sweep. The kitchen is one room that holds plenty of hazards for babies and small children and will be one of the most important areas for babyproofing. Here are some things to look for in the kitchen.

• Objects on counters within a baby’s reach such as pots, pans and of course dangerous utensils.
• Lock the dishwasher.
• Get a childproof lock for kitchen cabinets or move hazardous chemicals well out of reach.
• Remove any oven or range jobs that are within reach.

3. When it comes to babyproofing your bathrooms, it’s all about mitigating hazards. Here are some things to watch out for I the bathroom.

• Lid lock for the toilet.
• Childproof locks for bathroom cabinetry.
• Medicines and cleaners should be kept locked away or well out of reach.
• Never leave standing water in a tub.

4. All other rooms. Make a methodical, slow sweep of all other rooms in the house. Look for:

• Sharp corners.
• Furniture that can be tipped over.
• Objects within reach on table surfaces.
• Drape a towel over doors to prevent doors from fully closing and crushing little fingers and toes.

Babyproofing a home can be a slow and time consuming process but is worth every second to know your adorable little tyke is safe within your walls.

One of the simplest tasks a homeowner can do to freshen up their home’s appearance is touch up their interior paint. For a large repainting project it is likely you will hire a painting company but most touch ups can be taken care of easily by the homeowner. If you want the job to look great you need to follow the same steps as the professionals. Luckily, we’ve outlined those steps to make sure your paint retouch goes according to plan. Here are some tips on touching up the paint in your home.

Tips for Touching Up Paint in Your Home

1. Clean the work area. Paint will have a hard time adhering to a dirty surface. Use a soft cloth or sponge and a soap and water combination to wipe down your work area. Allow the area to dry completely before moving to the next step.
2. Take this time to make any repairs in holes or cracks in the while. Sand the area around the hole or crack with a fine grit sandpaper meant for home surfaces. Use a putty knife and spackling compound to fill in the area. Feather the putty knife at a 45 degree angle for best results and until the hole or crack is filled. Remove excess spackle with your putty knife. Allow the patch to dry before sanding it again to make the hole flush with the wall.
3. Prime the work area. Use primer that matches your current paint type or the new area could stand out. Allow the primer to dry.
4. If you already have leftover matching paint you should use that for touchups. It also helps to use the same type of brush as was used in the first place. If you don’t have leftover paint, take a small flake of paint to your local hardware store to have them match it.
5. Use as little paint as possible to cover the touchup area. Avoid getting paint on spots that were not primed. Allow the paint to dry.
6. Once the paint is completely dried, check it from multiple angles to make sure it blends right. Even with these steps it may not be a perfect match and that’s ok. Consider retouching the wall again if the new area sharply stands out.

Congratulations, you have fresh paint on your home. Don’t worry if no one notices, that’s kind of the point!

For most homeowners, the next project or repair is always around the corner. The need to improve the environment in which you live is definitely a powerful one which can be both exciting and frustrating at the same time. With a little practical knowledge, homeowners can make the most of their home improvements and that knowledge includes these 10 tips for home improvement.

10 Tips for Home Improvement

1. Get on top of time-sensitive projects. This is just a matter of prioritizing. If summer is right around the corner, you should be sprucing up your backyard instead of fumbling with a broken water heater. Learn to prioritize to make your life easier.
2. Gear up. It’s hard to tackle home improvement projects if you have to keep running to the hardware store so take some time to assemble a basic toolbox and supplies for DIY projects.
3. Have a detailed plan. The old saying goes that preparation prevents poor performances and that’s especially true when it comes to home improvement projects. Knowing the right materials, timeframes, dollar estimated and more will save you plenty of time, hassle and money.
4. Choose your DIY poison. Not every home improvement project should be taken on by the homeowner. Choose your battles and don’t be stubborn about using a professional when needed.
5. Keep learning. Buy a few home improvement DVDs, check out some DIY books from the library and continue to grow your home improvement knowledge.
6. Choose high return projects. If you are deciding between two projects, try to go with the one that will add the greatest dollar value to your home’s net worth. Projects like extending a deck can be much more valuable than planting a few shrubs.
7. Get some inspiration. Browse sits like Pinterest, doityourself.com or look at other pictures of homes in your area to get ideas on what to tackle next.
8. Get the dough. Funding home improvement projects is usually the biggest hinderance. Look for tax deductions, alternative methods to paying for home improvements and low cost projects.
9. Know where to spend your money. Home improvement projects can often be tweaked to not only suit your home better, but save you money as well. Choose your dollars wisely.
10. Get the right people. Not all projects are DIY so you will need to be calling on different contractors. Choose these contractors carefully, choose a local and reliable company with positive reviews.

There are of course more tips out there than just these 10, but these steps are a great way to get on the right track when it comes to home improvement projects.

Moving to a new place can be very exciting, but it can also be very frustrating. Organizing, labeling and packing your life’s work is an undertaking even for a one bedroom apartment. That’s why we want to help you out with some tips for moving straight from the pros.

14 Tips for Moving

1. The little things can often be the most difficult when it comes to moving. Try using the $20 in 20 minutes rule. If you can find the item again in the future in under 20 minutes for less than 20 bucks, leave it behind.
2. Color code your boxes with tape such as green for kitchen, yellow for bathroom and so on. It will help both you and the movers to know where to put things without asking around.
3. Don’t pack things that don’t need packing. You can just move the entire DVD shelf or carry out an entire drawer or a desk. Avoid packing things that simply don’t need to be packed again.
4. Take plenty of pictures to have a physical reference of where to put things. No more, “Honey, where was this paperweight?”
5. Use toilet paper rolls to neatly wrap up cords on power strips and laptop chargers.
6. Make your own box handles by cutting triangles into the sides of boxes, makes for much easier handling.
7. Pack items together in layers. Don’t throw assorted stuff into assorted boxes. For example, if you are emptying out a desk, pack individual drawers in layers, just use cardboard to separate the layers.
8. Use your rolling luggage as a convenient way to haul larger and heavier items.
9. Designate a small box for small items such as keys, nails, screws and more so you don’t have to search for everything later.
10. Create a packing toolbox with tape, scissors, labels and other moving items. Having a convenient toolbox for moving helps you not scramble around the house every time you need a pair of scissors.
11. Prevent spills by putting a layer of plastic wrap underneath caps and lids before screwing the cap back on. Double protection against spills.
12. Throwing a garbage bag over groups of hanging clothes makes moving them out a breeze.
13. Use your stuffables (towels, bedsheets etc.) as cushioning for fragile items. Two birds, one stone.
14. Always keep your cords and chargers with the items they are meant for, just tape them together.

Moving can certainly be a hassle, but if you use these tips you’ll find that moving doesn’t always have to be so difficult.

Every homeowner has this simple yellow box sitting in their refrigerator or cabinet. What yellow box? Well, good old fashioned baking soda of course. Many homeowners know that baking soda can be useful around the home for more than just cooking but not many know just how versatile baking soda can be. Here are 9 ways to put that old box of baking soda to work for you.

9 Ways to Use Baking Soda Around the House

1. Drains and disposals are usually the culprit when you can’t find the source of a smell in a kitchen. Mix together about a quarter cup of baking soda and vinegar, add a pinch of kosher salt and toss the mixture down the drain followed by running hot water.
2. Scrub your smelly food containers with a mixture of baking soda and hot water to rid them of yesterday’s lunch stench.
3. Mix together a solution of 1 cup of water with 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Microwave the solution for 3 minutes followed by a thorough wipe down to clean and deodorize your microwave.
4. Add a cup of baking soda to your dishwasher and run it empty on the rinse cycle to eliminate leftover odors.
5. Ovens are often ignored and chemicals to clean them can be harsh and caustic. Ditch the cautic spray and wipe down your oven with paste of ½ a cup of baking soda plus a few spoonfuls of water. Let the paste sit overnight then scrub away to a clean, fresh oven the next morning.
6. Baking soda can even be used to prevent smells. Soak any raw fish in a quart of water and 2 tablespoons of baking soda for an hour to eliminate that fishy odor.
7. Composting is great for the garden and the environment but not for noses. Add a layer of baking soda at the bottom of your compost bin and regularly toss in handfuls to mitigate some of the more offensive odors.
8. Use the same step above for your recycling and trash containers.
9. All that gunk that builds up on your oven’s hood can also lead to offending odors. Wipe it down with a paste of ¼ of baking soda, a smidge of dishwashing detergent and hot water to clean and freshen.

Where there’s odor, there’s baking soda to eliminate it. Use these tips to get everything in your home smelling fresh and look for other uses around the house as well.  

If there’s one thing that every homeowner needs in their house, it’s a reliable toolbox or toolkit. Building your perfect toolbox will make sure that issues around the home can be taken care of quickly and effectively. For those without much handyman experience, it can be a little daunting to fill out your reliable toolbox. Take a look at the following list to help yourself assemble the best toolbox.

25 Items for Building a Homeowner’s Basic Toolbox

1. Claw Hammer. For pounding, nailing and extracting nails.
2. Nail Set. When you need to drive the nail in deeply.
3. Adjustable wrench. For different sized nuts and bolts around the house.
4. Locking pliers. Useful for a variety of tasks in which you need to lock on to nuts, bolts and other items.
5. Combination pliers. Their strong grip makes them useful for pulling and twisting.
6. For when the power goes out or you need to see into dark spaces.
7. For starting nail and screw holes.
8. Flat-headed screwdriver. For flat headed screws.
9. Cross-headed screwdriver. For most all cross faced screws including phillips-head.
10. Electrical detection screwdriver. For finding out if electricity if flowing through items.
11. Utility knife (box cutter.) Very sharp blade for precise cuts.
12. Putty knife. Useful for everything from tile repair to drywall patching.
13. Tape measure. Locking and retractable tape measures are recomnded.
14. Useful for tile repair and many other applications.
15. Hardware variety pack. Purchase a hardware variety pack to avoid going to the hardware store for a handful of nails or screws.
16. Used for checking the level or angle on objects.
17. Plumbers tape. Used for plumbing.
18. Electrical tape. Used for electrical applications.
19. Painters tape. Keep your lines clean with painter’s tape.
20. Duct (duck) tape. Every house needs a roll of duct tape for a variety of applications.
21. Combo stud/cable/pipe finder. To figure out where things run through your house.
22. Safety equipment. Eye protection, gloves and dust masks for keeping yourself out of harm’s way.
23. Calculate measurements and more.
24. Wooden pencil. For marking, lining up.
25. Cordless power screwdriver. Trust us, you’ll get some use out of it.

There are of course some items that you will add to your toolbox but this is a good starting point. Assembling these 25 pieces will help you get a head start on just about any DIY project around the house.

There is nothing quite like the feel and warmth of a traditional wood-burning fireplace. The crackle, the warmth and the ambiance of wood-burning fireplace is something that modern electric or gas fireplaces just can’t recreate. Unlike modern electric and gas fireplaces, wood-burning fireplaces require a little bit more attention to keep them at their safest and most efficient. Here are some tips on properly maintaining your wood-burning fireplace.

Tips On Maintaining Your Wood-Burning Fireplace

Always Have a Preseason Inspection

If you want true peace of mind it’s important that you have your wood-burning fireplace inspected every year before you put it to use. Just use the phonebook or internet to find a local reputable fireplace inspector. They will check your fireplace itself, the chimney and the chimney cap. Fireplace inspectors will not only check to see if a fireplace is functioning correctly, but that it also is completely safe for use.

Get the Right Wood

Proper wood for your fireplace should be completely dry and you should try to find wood that was chopped at least 6 months ago. Don’t just grab any wood for your fireplace, make sure you have wood that is designed for use in an indoor fireplace. When not in use, wood for your fireplace should be kept completely dry and out of the way of elements. Place your woodpile in a dry location at least one foot off the ground and drape a watertight tarp over it.

Check Your Fireplace Regularly

You should perform your own inspections regularly on top of your annual inspection. The more often you use your fireplace, the more often you should inspect. Use a flashlight to look up into the fireplace to check for buildup of creosote, soot and any potential clogs at your chimney cap from birds or other animals. If you see buildup in your flue or chimney, have a professional clean it before attempting another fire.

Keep Your Fireplace Clean

Excessive ash or half-burned logs are never good for your home. Clean your hearth and fireplace regularly to avoid ash and other fireplace exhaust from travelling around your home. Following these easy steps will insure that you have a happy, healthy hearth with less chance of fire danger or exhaust getting into your home. Here’s looking forward to the cold season and sipping cocoa by your wood-burning fireplace.

The garbage disposal is one of the most convenient but least talked about appliances in your house hold. Garbage disposals can make quick work of food scraps and other debris to keep your sink pipes open and running smoothly. Just like any other appliance, garbage disposals need a little tender, love, and care to keep them operating efficiently. Here are some basic tips on how to maintain your garbage disposal.

How You Can Maintain Your Garbage Disposal

Note: Never reach into a garbage disposal unless it has been powered off. Even with the power off you should use caution and wear thick gloves. Use your garbage disposal regularly. This can prevent the disposal from rusting, gumming up and gathering excess debris. Keep your blades sharp. You don’t need to physically pull out your garbage disposal to sharpen the blades but a little tough cutting such as very small animal bones or egg shells will actually help and sharpen the blades. Always avoid putting non-food items in your garbage disposal such as plastics, metals and other foreign material. These materials could quickly leave you with a costly bill to replace your disposal. Always flush your garbage disposal. After you have turned the garbage disposal, allow water to run for several seconds to flush away all food and debris. Try to use cold water and not hot water. Hot water can liquefy and grease or fats, causing your sink and pipes to clog. Avoid dropping large items into the garbage disposal. Disposals are meant to break up smaller items, large items may cause clogging or breaking. So if you have large food debris, toss it into the trash instead. This includes common items like chicken legs and corn cobs. Never pour grease or fats into the garbage disposal. Your garbage disposal can’t do much when it comes to eliminating fat or grease so they will just end up clogging your drain.

Cleaning Your Garbage Disposal

Try cleaning your disposal at least once a month but preferably more often. You can pour dish soap into a running garbage disposal with running cold water to clean. If you want a deeper clean you can let baking soda sit on the disposal overnight before flushing it with vinegar, this line of cleaning will have the added benefit of deodorizing. Maintaining your garbage disposal is simple as long as you follow these simple dos and don’ts. A garbage disposal on a healthy maintenance regimen will merrily grind and flush away food debris for years.