10 Tips on How To Disinfect a Toothbrush

Rinse In Hot Water

The simplest way to disinfect your toothbrush is to rinse it with hot water before and after you use it. Hot running water removes contaminating material (bacteria, germs, blood, saliva and food particles) while softening bristles and releasing caked-on toothpaste.

Here’s the best way to do it:

• Turn on the tap and wait for the water to feel hot to the touch.
• Hold the head of the toothbrush under the faucet for five to 20 seconds while rubbing your thumb across the head. This opens spaces between bristles.
• After rinsing, shake off the excess water.
• Place the toothbrush upright (head up) and let it air dry.

Leslie Reichert, author of The Joy of Cleaning and a professional cleaning coach, stores her toothbrush carefully.

“I use a toothbrush holder that attaches to the mirror and has holes in the bottom so no moisture collects,” Reichert says. “Then I let the brush air dry.” Air drying is important because studies show toothbrushes kept in closed containers can promote microbial growth.

Article source here: 10 Tips on How To Disinfect a Toothbrush

Heat Things Up This Valentine’s Day with Hot Tub Sales

The Best Hot Tub Sales

Coleman Four-Person Inflatable Hot Tub

There are several benefits to purchasing an inflatable hot tub over a traditional hot tub. Inflatable tubs are easy to winterize since they’re collapsible. They boast lower prices, and most are travel-friendly for camping or vacations.

This Coleman inflatable hot tub is one of the best-rated inflatable tubs on the market. It offers a rapid heating system and cushioned floor with an easy-drain valve for fast emptying. Included is the 114-jet tub, a cover and everything needed to set up a bubbling spa right in your backyard—all for 48% off.

Shop Now

Article source here: Heat Things Up This Valentine’s Day with Hot Tub Sales

How to Install an Egress Window

Before You Start

Adding an egress window is a big job, and it’s important to plan your project to meet the building requirements in your location. Here are the steps I took before starting to excavate:

Apply for a permit

This process could take a few weeks. My city required detailed plans of the well, the dimensions of the window and rough opening, the size of the header and a drawing of the property, including the house.

Engineered drawing

The retaining walls that made up our well were tall enough to require an engineer’s approval. I sent my plans to a local engineer who gave me a new drawing with a stamp of approval to include with my permit ­application. If you buy a manufactured well, this step is likely unnecessary, but your city’s building department makes the final call.

Call the digging hotline

When you’re digging, even just a few inches, call to have underground utilities located and marked.

Digging is dangerous if you don’t know where the utilities are. If you skip this step and hit a gas, water, or power line underground, you’ll risk the lives of yourself and others, and you’ll be on the hook for the costly repairs. So be sure to call 811 before your project. The process varies by state, so call a few days ahead of your project.

Requirements for Egress Windows

Here are the minimum requirements identified by the building code: 

• The opening needs to be 5.7 square feet.
• The minimum width is 20 inches.
• The minimum height is 24 inches. 
• The well needs to provide a clear space of 3-ft. x 3-ft. when the window is open.
• From the inside, the sill height cannot exceed 44 inches

Dig the Window Well

Following my plans, I drew the window well location with marking paint. I rented a mini excavator to make the ­digging much easier. It was well worth the $450 to avoid hand ­digging.

Have a plan for the dirt you’re removing; it will be more than you anticipate. We took the nearly 10 cubic yards of dirt to a nearby compost site.

Article source here: How to Install an Egress Window

If You See White Streaks on Your Dishes, This Is What It Means

Dishwashers are great time savers, as long as they’re working properly. Growing up in a house where every dish was washed by hand, I have a particular appreciation for these miraculous machines. Trouble is, like most complex time-saving devices, they occasionally fail.

Sometimes these failures are big, and obvious, like your dishwasher not cleaning dishes. Other times they’re smaller, but still hard to ignore. White streaks on dishes after a wash cycle is one way your dishwasher might let you down.

Why Is There White Residue on My Dishes?

There are a couple of reasons why you might be seeing white streaks or residue on your dishes after a wash cycle, and it comes down to the type of residue you’re seeing.

• Dry residue that wipes away easily: Chances are this is a salt residue left behind by your dishwasher. Many dishwashers have a built-in salt container that introduces salt to the water and detergent mixture to soften hard water. If you add too much salt to the container, too much salt will end up in your dishwater. In this situation, white salt streaks could easily appear on your dishes and cutlery.
• Dry residue that doesn’t wipe away easily: Is your household water supply known for being rich in minerals (AKA hard water)? If so, white streaks left on your dishes after a cycle in the dishwasher could be limescale buildup. I’m all too familiar with this problem since my own household water comes from a drilled well and we live on an island made of limestone. Limescale streaking on our dishes is nothing new. Luckily, it’s not too difficult to remove. Just drizzle a little white vinegar on the dishes and scrub the streaks. If the vinegar works, limescale is almost certainly the problem.
• Fatty, greasy residue: Some homeowners report creasy white streaks of fat left on their dishes after a cycle—gross! If this happens to you, chances are your water isn’t hot enough to fully melt and wash away the fat left on your dishes.

Is White Residue on Dishes Harmful?

None of the common types of white streaks on dishes described above are dangerous. Salt residue, limescale buildup and residual grease are all harmless. You could ignore them if you choose, and suffer no ill effects eating off of white-streaked dishes. That said, I don’t recommend ignoring these symptoms. Even though the white streaks won’t hurt you, they usually indicate a problem with your dishwasher that could get worse if you don’t address it.

How Do I Stop White Residue from Getting on My Dishes?

• For salt residue streaks: Add less salt to your dishwasher. In fact, if you don’t have particularly hard water, you don’t need to bother using salt at all.
• For limescale streaks: To remove limescale, clean your dishwasher with vinegar. Fill a bowl with 1 cup of distilled white vinegar and place it in your washer’s top rack. Run a regular wash cycle with no other dishes in your washer. Chances are this will remove all the limescale streaking. If it doesn’t, repeat the process. When the limescale is gone, run one more regular cycle to flush any remaining vinegar from your dishwasher.
• For fat residue: Try increasing the temperature your dishwasher is set to. Most dishwashers have a main wash cycle temperature of 120 to 140ºF, then a final blast of around 150ºF to remove any remaining grime. Double-check your dishwasher is connected to a hot water pipe supplying water around 120ºF.

Article source here: If You See White Streaks on Your Dishes, This Is What It Means

Is It Safe to Plant Climbing Vines Around Your House?

Beautiful climbing vines can make your home look stately and refined. We’ve all seen photographs of vines on a house, from gorgeous brick homes covered in lush greenery to old manors framed with creeping ivy that look like something out of a storybook.

But what are the implications of letting these prolific plants grow on your house? If you’ve been dreaming of seeing vines on your home, you’ll want to know if it’s safe, both structurally and otherwise.

Should You Let Vines Grow on Your House?

Whether or not you should let vines grow on your house depends on a few factors. The most important one is how much upkeep you’re willing to put into them—vines are a lot of work. In most cases, you’ll find that vines on a house mean consistent care and pruning back.

When overgrown, a species of vines on house exteriors can mean imminent destruction. Vines left alone can take over your exterior, rot wood (from too much moisture) and seriously damage your home’s structure. This is the first rule of growing a climbing vine on your home—you must be willing to tend to them regularly, so they don’t overgrow, which means keeping them pruned and dry. If you can commit to their care, most vines are a safe, pretty landscaping feature.

How to Choose the Best Climbing Vines for Your House

Avoid Invasive Plants

Before you choose your future outdoor climbing plant, you should know which ones to avoid. Some plants aren’t ideal for the outside of your house simply because they’re hard to care for and prone to taking over. You should avoid choosing invasive vines. For example, Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) is invasive in USDA hardiness zones 4 to 9. If you live in one of these zones, your Chinese Wisteria could continue rooting at each node (the points on the stems where the plant’s buds, twigs and leaves grow from). If it continues to root, you could have serious spreading problems. Choosing American Wisteria is an easy solution to prevent overgrowing issues with the Asian varieties.

Pick Plants You Can Manage

When considering which vine to plant, don’t go with unmanageable plants that will take over, including “monster” vines. These infamously hardy plants include:

• Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)
• Japanese Wisteria (Wisteria floribunda),
• Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis)
• Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)
• Porcelain Berry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata)
• Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)

Also, double check the vine you choose is suitable for your USDA plant hardiness zone.

Consider Your Home’s Exterior

Consider the structure of your home. Is the exterior stucco, brick, stone or wood? You may want to talk to a garden specialist or landscaper to find a specific vine that best suits your home’s exterior. For instance, someone who owns a brick house with weakened or old masonry should beware of vines with tendrils, which could weaken and damage your mortar, per SFGate.

Other Tips for Protecting the Structure of Your House

You’ll want to care for your vines regularly to keep your house safe and sound. Here are some things you can do to keep your property undamaged and your beautiful vines harmless:

• Opt for a structural feature, like a trellis or a frame.
• Train your vines away from your home’s gutters, wires and downspouts.
• Use wires to encourage your vines to grow in a particular direction.
• Keep your vines dry and away from the wooden elements of your home’s exterior to prevent wood rot.

Finally, if you want to avoid the hassle of maintaining vines on your home, you may decide to plant them somewhere less risky, such as around a mailbox, on a shed or on a separate pergola or gazebo. If you need some inspiration, these garden arbor and trellis projects can help you imagine the perfect addition to your yard.

Article source here: Is It Safe to Plant Climbing Vines Around Your House?

How to Install an Egress Window

Before You Start

Adding an egress window is a big job, and it’s important to plan your project to meet the building requirements in your location. Here are the steps I took before starting to excavate:

Apply for a permit

This process could take a few weeks. My city required detailed plans of the well, the dimensions of the window and rough opening, the size of the header and a drawing of the property, including the house.

Engineered drawing

The retaining walls that made up our well were tall enough to require an engineer’s approval. I sent my plans to a local engineer who gave me a new drawing with a stamp of approval to include with my permit ­application. If you buy a manufactured well, this step is likely unnecessary, but your city’s building department makes the final call.

Call the digging hotline

When you’re digging, even just a few inches, call to have underground utilities located and marked.

Digging is dangerous if you don’t know where the utilities are. If you skip this step and hit a gas, water, or power line underground, you’ll risk the lives of yourself and others, and you’ll be on the hook for the costly repairs. So be sure to call 811 before your project. The process varies by state, so call a few days ahead of your project.

Requirements for Egress Windows

Here are the minimum requirements identified by the building code: 

• The opening needs to be 5.7 square feet.
• The minimum width is 20 inches.
• The minimum height is 24 inches. 
• The well needs to provide a clear space of 3-ft. x 3-ft. when the window is open.
• From the inside, the sill height cannot exceed 44 inches

Dig the Window Well

Following my plans, I drew the window well location with marking paint. I rented a mini excavator to make the ­digging much easier. It was well worth the $450 to avoid hand ­digging.

Have a plan for the dirt you’re removing; it will be more than you anticipate. We took the nearly 10 cubic yards of dirt to a nearby compost site.

Article source here: How to Install an Egress Window

The 5 Best Basement Sealers to Waterproof Your Space

Best Overall

Ghostshield Lithi-Tek Concrete Sealer

By combining a densifier and waterproofer in one product, Ghostshield Lithi-Tek Concrete Sealer penetrates and hardens while providing a surface barrier against moisture, making it our best basement sealer overall. The lithium (hence the “Lithi”) silicate has a smaller particle size than alternatives like sodium or potassium silicate, allowing it to penetrate deeper into the concrete.

This basement sealer might seem expensive compared to other gallon-sized products, but since it’s a concentrate, it actually covers up to 1,000 square feet when mixed with four gallons of water. It’s also mildew-resistant and cleans easily with just soap and water, which helps eliminate basement odors and smells.

Pros

• Exceptional value
• Resists water and moisture intrusion
• Can be used on new concrete
• Suitable for interior or exterior surfaces

Cons

• Not for cinderblock or pavers

Shop Now

Article source here: The 5 Best Basement Sealers to Waterproof Your Space