House & garden 2023, December

Cleaning a room

Cleaning a room

Tidying up your room is probably not your favorite thing to do, but neither is it as bad as you'd like to tell yourself! Turn on music, write a checklist, and turn it into a game so it doesn't get so annoying. Go to the big construction sites first and then take care of the fine work, such as dusting, vacuuming and mopping.

Cutting Stair Strings: 15 Steps (with Pictures)

Cutting Stair Strings: 15 Steps (with Pictures)

Stair stringers are the basic structure of every staircase. They carry the steps and provide the structural support for the staircase. In order to perfectly trim the stair stringers, you need to take the time to measure and lay them out correctly.

Open the cable tie

Open the cable tie

There are two types of cable ties, single and reusable. But easy-to-use cable ties can also be opened and reused if you know how to do it. However, it is a bit of fiddling and you have to keep a few things in mind. Cable ties are also often used in crime novels to tie people up.

Take the glasses out of a pair of glasses

Take the glasses out of a pair of glasses

If you want to thoroughly clean your glasses or need to replace a lens, you may have to remove a lens yourself without damaging the glasses. In some racks, the jars are screwed down and you will need a small screwdriver to remove them. If you have a plastic socket, you can heat it up.

How to Pick a Lock on a Mailbox: 8 Steps (with Pictures)

How to Pick a Lock on a Mailbox: 8 Steps (with Pictures)

Losing the key to your mailbox can be frustrating, especially if you can't get an important letter out of it. Fortunately, most mailboxes can be cracked with fairly simple tools. You have the best chance of success with a special set for picking locks, but if necessary, you can also use hairpins or paper clips.

Tie an apron

Tie an apron

An apron can be a messy tangle of cord and fabric when you have to tie it for the first time. If your apron has a bib, you have to tie it at the neck first. Then decide whether you want to knot the straps behind your back or in front of your stomach - depending on what your employer may have specified or just feels more practical.

Clean geodes

Clean geodes

A geode is a rock that contains crystals in a cavity. When geodes are split open, the crystals can be seen inside the stone. Once you've found a geode, you'll need to clean it to make it shine. Cleaning a geode is easy and can be done with a few household items, such as laundry detergent.

Unclog a toilet

Unclog a toilet

Toilets tend to get clogged at the most inopportune moments. Fortunately, you can clear a clogged toilet yourself without paying a plumber. Most clogs can be removed with a good suction cup or homemade drain cleaner made from hot water, baking soda, and vinegar.

Caring for Orchids: 14 Steps (with Pictures)

Caring for Orchids: 14 Steps (with Pictures)

Orchids are beautiful, but also very delicate flowers that come in a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes. There are over 22,000 species in total, so conditions and care requirements vary widely. However, there are some simple guidelines that apply to all types of orchids.

Making a Bed: 12 Steps (with Pictures)

Making a Bed: 12 Steps (with Pictures)

Your mother probably said it to you a million times: Make your bed in the morning! As a result, the entire room simply looks tidier and more attractive and it is much easier to slip back into bed in the evening. It is not at all difficult or time-consuming once you have a little practice.

Removing Wax From Clothing: 8 Steps (with Pictures)

Removing Wax From Clothing: 8 Steps (with Pictures)

If you need to remove wax from clothing, scrubbing and plucking will likely be unsuccessful. However, there are some fairly simple methods you can use to remove wax (such as candle wax) from clothing and other textiles. method Part 1 of 3:

Removing Prints From Clothing: 14 Steps (with Pictures)

Removing Prints From Clothing: 14 Steps (with Pictures)

There may be a couple of reasons why you might want to remove the printing or writing from an item of clothing. You might like the clothing, but you don't like the print. It could also be that the print is out of date and no longer looks so nice and you just want to get rid of it or replace it with something else.

Mopping Floor Damp: 12 Steps (with Pictures)

Mopping Floor Damp: 12 Steps (with Pictures)

When the floor starts to get sticky, it's time to wipe it. It's actually not that complicated, and with the right tools and technology, wiping is more effective and less of a hassle. method Step 1. 1 Preparation. Eliminate annoying objects such as tables, chairs, carpets and other obstacles.

Removing Bad Odors From Leather: 8 Steps (with Pictures)

Removing Bad Odors From Leather: 8 Steps (with Pictures)

Leather is a material made from tanned animal hide. It is used to make jackets, furniture, shoes, bags, belts and many other products. Although leather is a very durable material, it is harder to clean than natural or synthetic fabrics. The grain of leather can absorb strong odors such as smoke, food odors, sweat, perfume, mold or the "

Wash clothes yourself instead of dry cleaning

Wash clothes yourself instead of dry cleaning

Manufacturers label their garments with washing and drying instructions to help ensure that the garment lasts as long as possible. However, if you have a closet full of items that are labeled "Dry Clean Only", you may want to look for a cleaning option that is cheaper and more convenient.

Remove fresh and old grease stains from clothing (with pictures)

Remove fresh and old grease stains from clothing (with pictures)

Grease stains are easy to come by, but difficult to remove. If you're frustrated with splattered fat on your clothes, try a few new ways to get rid of them. Whether your stains are fresh or already slightly soaked in, there are a number of ways you can use to get them out.

How to wash a Kånken backpack: 6 steps (with pictures)

How to wash a Kånken backpack: 6 steps (with pictures)

Fjällräven's Kånken backpacks are known for their excellent functionality and durability, as well as for their wide range of colors to match your style. However, on outdoor adventures, it's only a matter of time before your backpack gets dirty.

Remove the double-sided tape

Remove the double-sided tape

Double-sided tape is a very useful product for the home, but removing it completely can be a real problem. The best way to remove double-sided tape depends on the surface it is stuck to and may require a little trial and error. Read on for some helpful suggestions on how to remove double-sided tape.

Drying a wet book

Drying a wet book

Moisture can be quite harmful to books. Pages tear, stick together or even start to go moldy if they are not treated as quickly as possible. Fortunately, the world's librarians and archivists have come up with some helpful tricks on how to dry wet books and minimize damage.

Removing urine from a couch

Removing urine from a couch

Whether it was the wet stain or the smell that got you on the right track, you likely dread urine from your couch. Fortunately, you can easily remove the stain and odor from your sofa with a few simple ingredients that you likely already have.

Remove scratches from sunglasses

Remove scratches from sunglasses

With scratches on the sunglasses, it can be difficult to see through the lenses and can even affect the polarization of sunglasses used for sports such as skiing or golf. There are several ways to remove scratches from sunglasses, for example using toothpaste, baking soda or an oily substance to polish or fill in scratches.

Remove the smell of spoiled milk from the car

Remove the smell of spoiled milk from the car

Spilled milk can soak into the upholstery of your car and leave a lingering odor. Whether you are dealing with old stains or brand new ones, there are methods that can help the interior of your car to smell pleasant again. They can also prevent the stale milk odor from reappearing the next time milk is spilled.

Check a backup (with pictures)

Check a backup (with pictures)

A fuse is there to protect the important parts of an electrical system from overheating and the associated damage. In the event of a supposedly dangerous current surge, the wire melts inside the fuse and thus interrupts the electrical circuit.

Using a Multimeter to Check a Fuse: 5 Steps (with Pictures)

Using a Multimeter to Check a Fuse: 5 Steps (with Pictures)

Cars and older houses without modern fuses have to be checked to see whether they are still in working order. A fuse can be checked with a multimeter. A multimeter is a measuring instrument that measures electrical current, voltage, and resistance.

Preserve magnolia leaves

Preserve magnolia leaves

Magnolia trees have beautiful flowering branches in spring and they keep their leaves all summer. If you want to preserve these leaves for a wreath or flower arrangement, you can easily do this with the help of glycerin. With this method of preservation, the water in the leaf is replaced by a chemical compound called glycerine, so that the leaves look beautiful for months or even years!

Build a mosquito trap out of a plastic bottle (with pictures)

Build a mosquito trap out of a plastic bottle (with pictures)

You can easily reduce the number of mosquitoes on your property with a plastic bottle trap that attracts and kills mosquitoes. The fluid in each trap will last for about two weeks and can then be easily replaced. For optimal effectiveness, set up multiple traps in your home or on your property.

To Change A Fuse: 15 Steps (with Pictures)

To Change A Fuse: 15 Steps (with Pictures)

A fuse is connected to an electrical circuit and is there to interrupt the flow of current in the circuit in the event of overvoltage, arcing or short circuit. Occasionally, however, these fuses break and you need to know how to change them.

How to Pick a Padlock: 9 Steps (with Pictures)

How to Pick a Padlock: 9 Steps (with Pictures)

Are you standing in front of locked doors in the middle of the night? Have you lost the keys to the padlock to your garden shed? Before you call the locksmith pick your lock yourself . Most of the locks that you use around the house are simple cylinder locks and can be opened very easily using special tools (picks) and tensioners.

Keeping house warm without heating (with pictures)

Keeping house warm without heating (with pictures)

Maybe you are a student with limited resources or just thrifty. Whatever the reason, it's cold and you're looking for ways to keep your home warm. Here are a few tricks for that. method Part 1 of 3: Heating without heating Step 1.

Sealing a Bathtub: 10 Steps (with Pictures)

Sealing a Bathtub: 10 Steps (with Pictures)

If you don't take precautions on your bathtub, water will seep into the bathroom walls and cause costly damage to your precious home. You need to make sure that you properly seal your bathtub to avoid such a water disaster. method Step 1.

How to make a bonsai out of a normal tree (with pictures)

How to make a bonsai out of a normal tree (with pictures)

The ancient art of bonsai is over a thousand years old. Although it is mostly associated with Japan, the art of bonsai has its origins in China, where it has been linked to the religion of Zen Buddhism over the centuries. Nowadays, in addition to their traditional function, bonsais also serve as a decoration and hobby.

Planting Hydrangeas: 12 Steps (with Pictures)

Planting Hydrangeas: 12 Steps (with Pictures)

Between late summer and early autumn, numerous front gardens are adorned with lush hydrangeas. This perennial perennial makes large pink, blue, purple, or white inflorescences made up of numerous small flowers. Hydrangeas bloom well into autumn.

Building a Butterfly Garden: 7 Steps (with Pictures)

Building a Butterfly Garden: 7 Steps (with Pictures)

A butterfly garden is a great project to attract all kinds of colorful moths to your garden. Not only do butterflies look graceful and beautiful, they also pollinate plants and are therefore very important to the ecosystem. When choosing plants for your garden, find out beforehand which plants the butterflies in your area particularly like.

Mucking Out Your House: 12 Steps (with Pictures)

Mucking Out Your House: 12 Steps (with Pictures)

Are you moving to a smaller home? Over time, many things will accumulate and the drawers will be full. We hoard gifts that we have never used (and never will use), furniture that we never use but keep just in case, and other things that we have become used to and find difficult to part with even though we have them do not need.

Coloring metal

Coloring metal

Metal can be colored using several different methods, depending on the type of metal and what look you are hoping to achieve. You can make an item look newer with a layer of fresh paint, create a vintage patina, or change the color by anodizing the metal.

Painting a House: 12 Steps (with Pictures)

Painting a House: 12 Steps (with Pictures)

Painting the outside of a house is much more important than just getting the facade looking better. A good coat of paint also gives your house a protective barrier against wind and water, as well as against other weather conditions. Sufficient time and money should be devoted to this project.

Mending a Concrete Floor: 12 Steps (with Pictures)

Mending a Concrete Floor: 12 Steps (with Pictures)

Despite the best efforts of the floor layer, the end product often has significant defects. Even a piece of carpet or vinyl cannot cover up every flaw. That is why repairing the concrete is the best option for the homeowner to fix the problem.

Keep your vegetable patch weed-free

Keep your vegetable patch weed-free

A weed is a plant that can cause harm or be a nuisance. Weeds can grow in lawns, fields, gardens, or other outdoor areas. As a rule, weeds are invasive and rob the vegetable plants of nutrients for growth, water and sunlight, among other things.

Repair vinyl floors

Repair vinyl floors

Sometimes normal wear and tear can cause your vinyl floor to get small cuts or cracks, and even peel off at the corners as the adhesive dries out. Or your floor has suffered water damage or bubbles have formed in different places. If your vinyl floor has major cracks, scuffs, or burns that cannot be repaired with a sealer or glue, you may need to replace the affected areas on your floor.

Use a generator (with pictures)

Use a generator (with pictures)

If you have a generator that you can use in the event of a power failure caused by a natural disaster, your life will be a lot easier. For hospitals and other care and rescue facilities, an independent power supply can save lives. With a mobile generator you will not be able to supply your entire house with electricity, but you will have a pleasant time until the power grid is restored.