Household Tips

Here are some simple household tips that may save you some money and aggravation.

1.Remove broken light bulb with potato. (make sure the electric is off)

2.Use Empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords.

3.Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry quickly and streak.

4.Unclog a sink drain without harmful chemicals, just drop two Alka Seltzer tablets down the drain. Then dump a cup of white vinegar down the drain, allow it to work for about ten minutes, then run the hot water until drain is clear.

5.Spray your favorite perfume on the light bulb in any room to create that scent in the room when the light is turned on.

6.If a wooden door is scraping on its threshold,
Use sandpaper on top of a stack of magazines, just
put the stack of magazines and sandpaper under the open door. Use enough magazines so that the door hits the sandpaper snugly wile working the door back and forth over
the sandpaper.

7.Use Vaseline jelly instead of oil on door hinges. This will keep the drips of oil off of your carpet.

8.A squeaky hardwood floor is usually caused by floorboards
rubbing against each other. By sprinkling talcum powder or liquid wax over the boards and sweeping or rubbing it into the cracks, this will usually take care of the squeaks.

9.When drilling holes into a ceiling, you can avoid an eye full of dust by using an aluminum pie pan with a hole through the center. Hold the pie pan under the area to be drilled, and put the bit through the hole in the pie pan. This way the pan will catch the dust.

10.To remove fresh carpet stains, sprinkle dry cornstarch or baking soda on carpet wait ten minuets and vacuum.

11.You can make homemade furniture polish by combining 1/2 cup lemon juice to 1-cup vegetable oil or olive oil.

12.To loosen a rusty screw, apply a squirt of vinegar or hydrogen peroxide.

13.Keep bathroom mirrors from fogging by waxing them with liquid car wax.

14.Heating the window jams with a hairdryer can loosen old wooden windows that are stuck. Once the window is opened, rub an old candle in the window jams.

How Long Will This Last? (By Request) Part 2

Here are some tips on how to determine your overall home maintenance plan for the next five to 10 years by knowing the longevity of your home appliances and various components of your home .
APPLIANCES
Clothes dryer 14
Clothes washer 13
Dishwasher 10
Microwave oven 11
Range, electric 17
Range, gas 19
BATHROOM FIXTURES
Cast-iron tub 50
Fiberglass tub/shower 10-15
Toilet 50
COUNTER TOPS
Ceramic 15-25 years
Granite lifetime
laminated 10-15
Wood 20+
DOORS
Exterior, protected by overhang 80-100
Exterior, unprotected and exposed 25-30
Garage door 20-50
Garage-door opener 10
Interior, hollow core 30
Interior, solid core 30 to life
Screen 25-50
FLOORS
Oak or pine lifetime
Slate flagstone lifetime
Vinyl sheet or tile 20-30
HEATERS and AIR CONDITIONERS
Heat Pump and Central Air Conditioner: 15 years
Furnace, gas- or oil-fired 16
Water heater, electric 11-14
Water heater, gas 11-13
LANDSCAPING
Deck, wooden 15
Driveway, asphalt 10
Fence 12
Patio, brick or concrete 24
Walkway, concrete 24
Walkway, gravel 4
ROOFING
Asphalt 15-30
Sheet metal 20-50
Slate 50-100
Tile 50
Wood shingles and shakes 15-35
SIDING
Aluminum 20-50
Metal 50 to life
Vinyl 30
Wood 30-100


According to The HomeTeam Inspection Service/HouseDoctors Handyman Service, in conjunction with the National Association of Home Builders, these numbers represent the maximum number of years you can reasonably expect various components of your home to last. Life expectancy may vary greatly depending on quality of material, installation, maintenance, environmental factors and use.

How Long Will This Last? (By Request)

I think that most everybody checks expiration dates on items they purchase from a grocery store, especially if it is a bulk item. Knowing the longevity of your purchase will dictate how you use it. For example; you may not buy a bulk item if your family cannot finish the entire item before the expiration date, that would be a waste of money. The items you buy from a grocery store are small ticket items compared to the purchase of a home, but how many people check the expiration date of their home’s components and appliances? The answer is very few people know the longevity of their home’s components and appliances, unless they have had a handyman work on their house or have had a home inspection. As a homeowner, knowing the longevity of your home’s components and appliances can help you budget for repairs, and help avoid expensive surprises. As a home purchaser, knowing the longevity of the home’s components and appliances can help you make the best deal on your purchase. For example; If you are looking to purchase a home that is fifteen years old, and all components and appliances are original, you can expect to replace the appliances soon and other major components in the next five years. This house may not be for you, if you cannot budget twenty to thirty thousand dollars or more for repairs in the next five years. Or maybe this information can help you negotiate a purchase price that reflects the cost of the anticipated repairs.

Tune in tomorrow for a guide line list of the maximum number of years you can reasonably expect various components and appliances in your home to last.