Would You Let This Man Into Your Home?

Gene provides so many reasons for doing repairs yourself. You never know what you are going to get from the local handyman.

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Home Repair Do and Don’t

This repair tip is definitely one of those “sounded good at the time” moments that you’ll immediately regret.

If you’ve found yourself in desperate need of doing a load of dishes in your dishwasher but realized you forgot to pick up some dishwasher detergent with last week’s groceries, resist the urge to do what comes to mind.

Repair Don’t: Do not substitute your regular dish detergent for your dishwasher detergent. On the surface, it makes sense – both products clean dishes so it seems reasonable to throw a tablespoon or two of regular dish detergent in your dishwasher and save you an extra run to the store.

Unfortunately, this will cause you a whole lot of trouble and a whole lot of extra mess.

Liquid dish detergents are not designed for use in a dishwasher and as a result, will bubble up too quickly and overflow on to your kitchen floor.

Repair Do: Only use ‘low-sud’ products in your dishwasher that are made specifically for dishwasher use.

Unfortunately the moral of this story is if you’ve unexpectedly run out of dishwasher detergent, your best bet is to run to the store and pick up some. You’ll be thankful you did.

Home Repair Do and Don’t

You’ve finally broken down in a moment of weakness and decided to clean your fridge. It’s one of those chores that nobody likes to do, but inevitably, no matter who you are, you will finally catch a whiff of month-old spilt milk, dried up tomato sauce and a bad jar of mayonnaise that got lost in the back and decide today is the day.

While you’re worrying about the possible illness you could contract from rotten food you didn’t even know you had, there’s one other thing you should remember that will save you time, money, and a lot of unnecessary frustration.

Repair Don’t: Don’t clean the glass refrigerator shelves while they are still in the fridge, especially with hot water. This is a sure fire way to break it and spend the rest of the afternoon trying to find replacement parts.
Repair Do: Do remove the shelves from the fridge and let them adjust to room temperature. Once they’ve warmed up, clean them with warm, soapy water and replace them in your fridge once dry.

This is one of the most common, and unnecessary, repair mishaps many homeowners encounter. Save yourself the extra work and frustration by remembering today’s Home Repair Do and Don’t.

10 Maintenance Tips You Can Do In Under 10 Minutes

Society today is full of consumers who buy stuff and then forget about it. They believe that if something breaks you should just replace it.

The thing is, appliances are pretty expensive to replace at the first sign of wear and tear. A little care and upkeep can actually add a few years to the life of your appliance. Take 10 minutes out of your busy schedule to do one of these 10 quick and easy maintenance tips that will help your appliances last longer and work more efficiently.

Check Your Oven Door Seal:
More than 20% of your oven’s heat can escape from a poorly sealed oven door.

• Open the oven door.
• Feel for any torn, broken or deformed spots on the rubber gasket that goes around the perimeter of the door.
• Close the oven door and visually check for leaks.
• Replace the rubber gasket if needed.

Clean or Replace Grimy Oven Vent Filters:

• Wash metal-mesh grease filters in soapy water or put them in your dishwasher.
• Replace paper or charcoal filters; they cannot be washed.

Clean Dirty Stovetop Drip Bowls:

• Wash your drip bowls immediately after spills for easier clean up. Burnt on spills may not come off.
• Remove drip bowls from your stovetop.
• Soak the drip bowls in soapy water or a cleaning solution for 5 minutes. Wash, dry and replace.

Clean Your Refrigerator Coils:

• The coils can be located on the back of your fridge or behind the kickplate.
• Vacuum up any loose particles.
• Repeat every 6-12 months.

Change Your Refrigerator Water Filter:
Dirty filters may not remove all impurities or contaminants and can potentially expose you to unsafe water.

• All water filters are different depending on their model, so be sure to read the instructions for your brand. However, most filters can be removed by turning the filter ¼ inch and popping it out. Turn the new filter ¼ inch in the opposite direction to lock it in place.
• Replace the filter every 3-6 months depending on usage and water condition.

Fix Rusty Dishrack Tines In Your Dishwasher:
Rust can stick to and damage your dishes and silverware.

• Check to see if your dishrack has rusty tines.
• Buy a tine repair kit.
• Fasten new tips over any rusty or chipped tines with a sealant.
• Refrain from using your dishwasher for at least 24 hours to let the tips dry.

Deodorize and Clean Your Garbage Disposal:

• Turn your garbage disposal off.
• Visually check the drain for large, stuck items. Do not put your hand in the disposal.
• Remove items with tongs or some other similar tool.
• Mix ice cubes and salt (or vinegar) and then pour it down the drain.
• Run cold water down the drain for 10 seconds and then turn the garbage disposal on.
• Deodorize by dropping a handful of citrus peels into the disposal, run cold water and then turn the unit on.

Clean Your Dryer Exhaust:
Dryer lint in the exhaust is a fire hazard; clean the exhaust once a year.

• Loosen the clamp so that you can pull the exhaust off the back of the dryer.
• Remove large clumps of lint from both the tubing and the hole in the back of the dryer.
• Use a wire to carefully remove any large clumps in the exhaust tubing that you cannot reach with your hands.
• Vacuum the small lint.
• Reattach the exhaust.

Examine Your Washing Machine Hoses:
Washing machine floods are typically caused by leaks in the hose.

• Remove your washing machine panel.
• Check for any leaks, cracks or weak spots on your hoses.
• Replace washing machine hose if necessary.

Clean Your Air Conditioner Filter:
Your air conditioner filter should be cleaned every 2-4 weeks.

• Remove the front panel of your air conditioning unit.
• Vacuum re-usable filters or replace disposable filters. .

Don’t Let DIY Disasters Happen To You

As the popularity of do-it-yourself repair grows among homeowners, so has a disturbing rise in serious DIY injuries. From decorating and renovating to remodels and repairs, homeowners have been taking on the roll of Bob Vila and opting to tackle home projects themselves rather than hiring a professional. While this can save time and money, homeowners don’t realize the real and present dangers of do-it-yourself home repairs.

In the US, home repair injuries are growing at an alarming rate. The most common repair injury is a ladder fall, which has risen 40% in the past decade becoming the leading cause of DIY death.

Power tools are also responsible for a large number of injuries with nail-gun related injuries up 200% since 1991 and angle grinders and power saws both causing between 15-20% of all injuries.

According to the Department of Trade and Industry in the UK, 200,000 people a year are injured in DIY accidents – that works out to almost 4000 per week.

Half of those are injured seriously enough to need hospital treatment and an unlucky 70 are fatally injured. Another 50,000 people managed to treat themselves at home without a visit to the doctor.

Surprisingly, power tools and heavy machinery aren’t the only things to worry about. Turns out even seemingly harmless items can be accidents waiting to happen such as glue and wallpaper, which collectively injured 4500 people.Other injuries include broken or fractured bones, eye damage, loss of fingers, burns, electrocution, sprains, and the list goes on.

If that doesn’t make you think twice, how about the fact that per year, do-it-yourselfers cause millions of dollars in damage to their homes from botched repair jobs. Homeowners can even risk invalidating their home insurance coverage if repairs or remodels aren’t done properly or may not be covered at all for the damage if they don’t add accidental insurance to their plan.

The most surprising part of about the rising number of DIY related injuries is that most are 100% preventable. 55 % of homeowners admitted to starting a DIY project without the proper tools and almost 50% said they started a project without knowing how exactly to do it.

If homeowners wore the right protective gear, made sure their equipment and tools were functioning properly and safely, took the time to educate themselves and were realistic about their own abilities, many of these injuries would never happened.

So, next time you’re weighing the pros and cons of doing a DIY home project, ask yourself a few questions and be honest about the answers. Is this something that is within your ability to do? Do you have the proper tools to perform the project? Do you have all the safety gear required and do you have the time to make sure the project is completed properly? If you have any doubts, ask for help. In the end, consulting a professional could actually save you time, money, and a few limbs.