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Natural Homemade Bug Sprays That Work

Jordan Foster
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Natural Homemade Bug Sprays That Work

Winter is gone and we can finally enjoy the warm weather and the flowers and trees blossom. Well, there’s also a negative side of this time of the year – the pesky bugs come out, looking for food and a comfortable place to live.  In this article, we will share some natural bug sprays that you can easily and quickly make at home. We’ve tested all of them and can assure you that they are efficient and will keep the bugs away from your home and off of your skin. If you are dealing with ants, carpet beetles, flies, mosquitoes, ticks, fleas or wasps, you can try the following recipes recommended by the Fantastic pest control specialists.

If you’re interested in natural bug sprays, you may also be interested in these homemade natural cleaning wipes which are both cheap to make and chemical free.

Natural sprays against ants

  • Strongly scented sprays best repel ants: You can create a vinegar spray – 1:1 white vinegar to water and spray it onto their trails;
  • Essential oil spray – mix 25 drops of peppermint or eucalyptus oil and a cup of water; use it to spray where you see ants as well as near entry points to the house. Re-spray once the scent starts to fade away which is usually in a day or two.
  • Dishsoap and water: Extremely simple, easy and efficient solution. You can use empty liquid dishwashing bottles. Mix equal parts of water with dish soap. We recommend not to shake the solution because it will result in foam. Instead, you can stir it. Pour or spritz on ants to immediately halt them in their tracks. Wipe the massacre away with a paper towel and toss.

These solutions work miracles because they interfere with the chemical signals ants use to communicate. Ants use special pheromones to trail their way to food so when they pass through a sprayed area, their trails get disrupted. Moreover, passing ants get covered with the spray solution and bring it to their colony which, in result, confuses all of the remaining ants as well. This way you can keep them at bay.

Natural sprays against carpet beetles

  • Rubbing alcohol- Treating carpet beetles can be a real nightmare. These nasty vermins can be resistant to different strong insecticides. Anyway, rubbing alcohol is amongst the most efficient ingredient for any spray against carpet beetles. Alcohol can also control infestation as it kills the insects by freezing their cells. You can mix it with water and spray your bedding, furniture or around the window sills. You can be sure that carpet beetles won’t crawl or lay eggs on surfaces that have been sprayed with the solution.
  • Neem oil: Any stage of their lifecycle will be destroyed with the help of the neem oil. It works when you are battling carpet beetles because the substance will weaken the functioning of their hormonal system. The insects stop feeding, reproducing, laying eggs and even flying. Also, the laid eggs will fail to hatch and the population of carpet beetles will be eradicated. For the best results, you can mix neem oil with alcohol and apply directly on the bugs.
  • Essential oils: Many essential oils are proven to work against insects such as carpet beetles. For example, eucalyptus oil can kill them in no time. Carpet beetles consider the acid scent of eucalyptus oil as hazardous and avoid it. You can apply it on clothes, on your skin and as well as on pets. The eucalyptus oil is safe and can be used as a medicine when treating skin ulcers.

Natural sprays against flies

  • Eucalyptus essential oil spray: To make the spray you need to mix 1/4 cup vinegar, 30 drops eucalyptus essential oil, 2 tbsp dish soap. Flies, like carpet beetles, cannot stand the aroma and keep a distance from the sprayed areas. You can also apply the solution on your skin. If you have any allergies, please consult with a medical representative.
  • Wine-mango spray: Combine ½ coffee cup with wine with freshly pressed mango juice, mix them with water. The flies cannot bear the strong aroma of the wine and the solution acts as a powerful repellent against insects.
  • Lemongrass oil-based spray – mix half a cup of hot water with approx. 25 drops of lemongrass essential oil in a spray bottle. You can spray it around the windows, doors and other areas where flies live. Lemongrass is a strong insect repellent and flies will avoid it. Another way to apply the solution is by soaking cotton pads and place them around your house. Be careful with the excessive use of the oils on your skin as they can irritate it.

Natural sprays against mosquitoes

  • Garlic spray: Make a mixture of 5-6 garlic cloves, 2 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of lime juice and 1 tbsp of mineral oil. The allicin compound and the powerful scent of the garlic work perfectly against the mosquitoes and keep them away. Also, the bitter nature of the lemon enhances the repelling properties of garlic.
  • Cloves with lime spray:  You will need 10-12 cloves, 1 lemon. Mix them with water, leave it overnight so that the cloves can soak well. Clove is a herb that is quite efficient in confronting mosquitoes and other insects. It contains a compound called eugenol which provides a powerful odour that mosquitoes cannot stand.
  • Catnip oil spray: Nepeta parnassica, also known as a “greek catmint” is a member of the mint family related to catnip, and is amongst the most efficient mosquito repellents that will keep the insects away for two to three hours. What you have to do is to boil water and put several leaves from the herb, stir it for a while, wait for it to cool down and pour it into a spray bottle. You can apply it around the house or in the garden, especially when you spend time there during the warmer days.

Natural sprays against ticks and fleas

  • Tea tree oil spray: You need to mix water, vinegar and several drops of tea tree oil. Pour the solution into a spray bottle. For the best results, spray it over your carpet where fleas usually hide. Make sure no survivors are left by applying the solution on your couch, your bed, or furniture, as well.
  • Vinegar and water spray: What can be more simple and powerful homemade spray than diluting equal parts vinegar with water? You can also experiment with a different formula for the best repelling results. Apply the solution on carpets, beds, furniture and anywhere you found fleas.
  • Coconut oil solution: The lauric acid ingredient which is contained in the coconut oil is another fantastic strong flea repellent. This solution can be sprayed on your pet’s coat. But before trying this homemade spray, consult with a professional vet. It’s considered to be harmless but still, there’s a potential risk your pet to have to an allergic reaction.

Natural sprays against wasps

  • Spray with spices: Mix water, mint with ⅛ of tbsp of cinnamon or cayenne pepper. It works perfectly against hornets, that cannot stand the aroma of these spices. If you’re dealing with a lot of wasps at once, make a more concentrated solution of the spices.
  • Peppermint and baby shampoo spray: Another rapid wasps repellent is 1 tbsp. of peppermint extract and 1 tbsp. of baby shampoo, add water to the rest of the spray bottle. You can apply it on old nests which will prevent the stinging insects from returning.
  • Hairspray: If the above-mentioned homemade sprays don’t work for you, just buy a hairspray. It will freeze the wasps but be careful and protect yourself from the harmful fumes by wearing a mask.

Of course, there are many other natural insect repellents. The ones we’ve mentioned are tried and tested and worked perfectly against the spring/summer bugs. Anyway, before applying any of the recommendations, you should try them on a smaller area. You, your family or beloved pets might be allergic to any of the ingredients so it’s best to take care.

Have you tried any natural pest sprays or repellents? Let us know in the comments section below.

Simple Soakaway Size Design

Stephen Webster
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Simple Soakaway Size Design

Determining the optimum size for a soakaway can be a complex iterative calculation including many factors such as location, soil types, size and shape, maintenance etc.. This is particularly the case where space is lacking and the soakaway size must be minimised. In these circumstances a specialist software package is usually used, such as this Soakaway Design Spreadsheet. 

Pebbles and pebble areas are a great way to improve drainage in your garden, have a look at these awesome ideas to use pebbles to upscale your garden.

For small simple applications where space is not a major concern, an adequate size for a soakaway can be calculated for any location using this simple design process. An adequate storage size for a soakaway can be determined using only two factors, the size of the catchment area and the water infiltration rate of the surrounding soils. 

Working Out The Size Of Your Catchment Area

The size of the catchment area connected to the soakaway determines the amount of rainfall which will enter the soakaway during a storm. So if it is connected to the downcomers from your roof, the catchment area will be the plan area of the roof, ie the length of your house in metres multiplied by the width. Similarly if the soakaway drains a driveway, the catchment area is the area of the hardstanding. This area can be measured directly with a long tape or can even be estimated reasonably accurately from Google Earth. Note that soft areas such as lawns and soil do not contribute to the catchment area as the rainfall will soak into the soil. Also areas downslope of the soakaway will not contribute, water cannot run uphill!

Calculating The Volume Of Rainfall For Your Soakaway

When the catchment area is known the volume of rainfall entering the soakaway can be calculated. For large commercial soakaways this should be calculated using the Wallingford Procedure. For small soakaways this can be estimated to a satisfactory accuracy by multiplying the catchment area (in m2) by 0.05. This gives the volume of water in m3likely to fall during a typical heavy winter storm event.  This assumes a rainfall intensity of 50mm/m2which will be sufficient where the consequences of flooding will not be serious. At this design level it will overflow for around half an hour, once or twice a year depending on the precise location. 

This required storage volume value can then be modified to take account of the water infiltrating out of the soakaway during the storm. The below table shows the modification factors for different soil types;

Gravel0.1
Sandy Soils0.5
Loam0.8
Clay1.0
Silt1.0

Note that a percolation test is recommended for clay or silty soils as these soil types are not always suitable for a soakaway. A very simple test can be undertaken by digging a 1m deep hole and filling with water. If the hole does not empty by more than half overnight, the soil may not be suitable. 

Calculate The Water Storage Volume

Next simply multiply the required storage volume by the soil infiltration factor to estimate the water storage volume required. Next this value needs to be modified to account for the type of soakaway. Different types have different void arrangements, which means an open soakaway crate system can be smaller overall than a soakaway backfilled with rubble simply because the open crate is able to store a greater volume of water in the same size excavation.

 If soakaway crates are to be used, multiply the storage volume value by 1.1. If the soakaway will consist of a hole backfilled with rubble, multiply the water storage value by 3. This will give the required volume of the excavation in m3. 

Now the excavation volume has been determined, the soakaway can be installed. The excavation volume includes only the volume below the inflow pipe. This will prevent the pipe from backflowing during a storm event. 

This simple procedure will give you a conservative size of the soakaway you will require. For larger projects or where the size must be optimised, a more complex design procedure should be followed such as BRE 365 or professional help may be required. 

Have you designed your own soakaway for your home garden? Let us know your experiences and suggestions in the comments section below.

How To Replace An Old Or Damaged Shower Head

Michael Klements
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How To Replace An Old Or Damaged Shower Head

An old or broken shower head can be a frustration to use, spraying water in the wrong directions, leaking or frequently getting blocked up. Rather than continually struggling with the old one, you can replace it yourself in a few minutes and with a single tool.

Having decent quality and modern fittings in your home increases your home’s value and are often the first thing guests and potential buyers notice in your bathrooms and kitchen.

If your shower head is still in good condition but some of the holes have become blocked, try effortlessly cleaning out your blocked shower head.

If your shower door is leaking or leaving puddles on your bathroom floor, have a look at this guide on how to replace your shower door seals.

Be sure to check your local regulations before continuing with this replacement. In some areas or countries it is illegal to carry out unauthorized plumbing work on your home.

What You Need For The Replacement

How To Replace Your Shower Head

Old Shower Rose 2

To start with, you’ll need to remove the old shower head. You’ll notice that there is a small round nut which connects it onto the stem which protrudes from the wall.

If you find that your shower stem is loose, follow this guide to secure your loose shower stem again.

Nut Securing Shower Rose

Use your water or plumbing pliers to grab hold of this nut and turn it counter clockwise to unscrew the old head from the stem. If the nut is stuck due to mineral deposit build up, you may need to soak it in vinegar for a couple of hours to loosen it up.

Grab The Nut Above The Old Shower Rose
Shower Spout With Old Rose Removed

You’re now read to install your new one.

New Replacement

Some modern shower heads come with an optional flow restrictor which reduces the flow rate of water in order to save water while you are showering. This is usually a small plastic or rubber insert which is installed between the head and stem as shown below. The small holes limit the flow rate of water through the insert and therefore save water.

Water Saving Flow Restrictor Device
Water Saving Flow Restrictor

Screw the new shower head onto the shower stem by turning the nut clockwise onto the stem. Tighten the nut using your plumbing pliers, it doesn’t need to be very tight so don’t over tighten it or you’ll risk damaging the chrome finish on the nut. You can also use an old cloth or rag around the nut when using the pliers to further protect the nut from the teeth of the pliers.

New Shower Rose

Turn on the water and check that there are no leaks around the joint it is ready to use.

Have you changed your own shower head? Let us know your tips and tricks in the comments section below.

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How To Replace An Old Shower Head

Make A Sandblaster For Just $5

Michael Klements
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Make A Sandblaster For Just $5

If you’ve got some stubborn stains on your driveway, rust on your tools or your’re looking to remove some old paint from furniture then a sandblaster can really come in handy. Unfortunately they are usually quite expensive, but this sandblaster by Withered Perception works really well and costs less than $5 to make. Besides, if you’ve got an air compressor then you’ve likely got a blow gun anyway so you could make this sandblaster with things you already have lying around your home.

What You’ll Need

  • Blow Gun Kit With Extension Nozzle – Buy Here
    • Buy one from your local hardware store, it will be less than $5 otherwise use the link above.
  • Old Drink, Soda or Gatorade Bottle
  • A Drill and Drill Bits
  • Craft Knife
  • A File
  • Hot Melt Glue Gun
  • Your Air Compressor & Hose – To Use It Of Course

How To Make Your Sandblaster

Use a craft knife to remove the cap ring from the neck of the bottle. You’re going to use this freed up area to push your air gun extension tube through.

Cut The Ring Off Of The Neck Of The Bottle

Drill a hole through the neck of your bottle which is just large enough for your air gun extension tube to pass through. You want it to be snug.

Drill A Hole Through The Neck
It Should Fit Snugly Into Your Sandblaster

Mark the centre of the air tube section which sits inside the bottle, you’ll need to cut a slot into the bottom side of the tube.

Mark Your Air Hose

File a slot into the tube on your mark. The slot should be large enough to let your sandblasting media through but not too large that it floods the air stream. Turn the tube so that the slot faces downwards after you’ve filed the slot.

File A Slot Into It
Slot Filed Into It

Push the tube back into the hole.

Apply some hot melt glue around the edges of the holes around the tube to seal the bottle.

Seal The Sandblaster Bottle With Glue

Put on some safety goggles, respirator and gloves for safety and try out your new sandblaster.

Your Sandblaster Is Now Ready For Use
Test Blast
Cleaning Tools

Depending on what you’re trying to clean, you can select your own sand blasting medium. In this example, 20/40 crushed walnut has been used but feel free to experiment and see what works best for your application, like this abrasive media.

Have you tried making your own sandblaster? Let us know how it went in the comments section below. This post has been used and modified under the Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.

If you enjoyed this article, have a look at these 10 essential tools for beginner DIYers.

Remove Nails or Screws & Touch Up A Masonry Wall

Michael Klements
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Remove Nails or Screws & Touch Up A Masonry Wall

In this guide, we’re going to be looking at how to remove nails or screws from a masonry wall and how to properly touch up the hole with crack filler and touch up paint so that you can barely tell that there was a hole there to begin with.

If you need to hang pictures, decorations or mirrors, have a look at our guide to putting screws into a masonry wall.

Removing The Nails and Screws From Your Wall

What You’ll Need To Remove The Nails and Screws

  • Screwdriver – Philips or Flat depending on screws to remove
  • Claw Hammer – Buy Here
  • Long Nose / Needle Nose Pliers & Some Newspaper – Buy Here

How To Remove Screws

Removing screws and screwed on brackets should be fairly straight forward. You’ll need to use a suitably sized Philips or flat head screw driver and unscrew the screw.

In most masonry applications, the screw would have been held in place with a plastic or wooden wall plug. If you can easily grab onto the edge with a needle nose pliers, try pulling it out of the hole after you’ve removed the screw. If it won’t come out of the hole the gently use the tip of the screw driver to bend the edges into the hole and push it deeper into the hole such that no plastic or wood protrudes from hole.

hole in masonry wall

How To Remove Nails

To remove nails, you’ll need to either use a claw hammer if your nail has a head or a long nose/needle nose pliers if it does not.

Place a sheet of folded over paper or newspaper beneath the head of the hammer or pliers while prying the nail out so that you don’t damage the surrounding area of the wall as well.

Use the claw of the hammer to pry up on the head of the nail to remove it.

Removing a Nail From The Wall

If you nail doesn’t have a head, use a needle nose pliers to grip the nail and then pry it out by pulling up on the nail and using the tip of the pliers as a lever.

nail hole in masonry wall

Touch Up The Holes In The Wall

Once you’ve finished taking out the screws or nails, you’ll have an unsightly hole in your wall which you’ll need to fill and touch up with paint. The good news is that if the touch up is done properly, you won’t be able to see that there ever was a hole in the wall to begin with.

What You Need To Fill and Touch Up The Hole

  • Crack Filler / Spackling – Premix or Powder – Buy Here
  • Flat Scraper or Spatula – Buy Here
  • Sandpaper – 180 Grit – Buy Here
  • Large Paint Brush – Buy Here
  • Matching Touch Up Paint

How To Fill and Touch Up The Hole

To start with, you need to fill up the hole. Start by clearing out and remaining protruding pieces of the wall plug or damaged plaster surrounding the hole. The surrounding area should either be level with the wall of part of the hole, nothing should protrude from or around the hole.

Mix up from crack filler if you’re using a powdered mix, following the directions on the packaging. You want your crack filler to be stiff and to keep its shape but not dry.

Use your spatula or scraper to push some crack filler into the hole and over the surrounding area to fill the hole to the level of the wall around the hole. Don’t worry about over filling it or any high spots and you’ll sand these down in the next step. Make sure that you don’t have any low spots. Also make sure that you fill any areas which the brackets or pliers/hammer may have pitted or dented around the hole.

filling up the hole with crack filler
filling up the hole with crack filler

Allow the crack filler to dry completely before attempting to sand it. This usually takes around an hour or two but can take longer depending on the type of filler and the weather. The filled patch should not have any visible water marks or damp spots when it is ready to be sanded.

Now gently sand the filled in area with a larger piece of sandpaper and a sanding block, or by hand using even pressure across the surface so that the filled in area becomes smooth and level with the rest of the wall. Don’t press too hard, creating divots or low spots and don’t leave a bulge of crack filler on the wall around the hole. You can use the edge of a level or ruler to check that the area is the same level as the surrounding wall.

gently sand the filled in area
sanded area

Once you’re happy with the filled in area, you’re ready to touch up paint. Getting the right colour touch up paint is critical to getting the best finish. You should always keep a pot of touch up paint handy when you finish painting your walls in case you need it in the future. It may also be worth noting the mixing quantities or batch number of the paint you’ve used in case you need to buy some in future. Keep in mind that once it is applied to your walls it will fade with time so even using the same paint which you used originally, it probably won’t match 100%. This is where using the correct paint technique will help.

Apply a generous amount of paint to your brush and then start in the centre of the filled in area, covering the area and then brush outwards with large strokes to thin out the paint and lighten your strokes. You should land up with a “wet” area three to four times the size of the filled in area with a thicker coat of paint in the centre and a very light coat on the edges to blend in with the wall.

touched up area when wet
touched up area when wet

Allow the coat of paint to dry. If done properly you should only need a single coat unless you are using very dark colours. Once the paint has dried completely, you should barely be able to see that the area has been touched up.

touched up area once dry
touched up area once dry

Have you tried touching up holes in your walls? Let us know your tips and tricks or how it went in the comments section below.

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Successfully Incorporating Maximalism in a Small Home

Lilly Miller
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Successfully Incorporating Maximalism in a Small Home

For many years now, interior designers have been in love with minimalism and praised the effect it has. This was something that people with small homes particularly loved, as it allowed them to have modern designs without feeling like they have cluttered the space. On the other hand, minimalism is slowly becoming obsolete and professionals agree that the time of maximalism is here instead. If you’re afraid that statement colours, bold designs, and the mix of textures might be too much for your small home, guess again! We’re here to help you successfully incorporate elements of maximalism without making it look cluttered.

Make a Statement

First and foremost, you should look for a way to make a statement in your own home. The interior of your home should be a reflection of who you are and what you like, and thanks to maximalism, that’s exactly what interior design is all about in 2019. Try to pick an interesting (if strange) piece of furniture that’s going to add a touch of contemporary sophistication to your home. It can be something as simple as an antique armchair or a brightly coloured coffee table. A statement piece doesn’t have to be big in order to draw attention and make the space look more sophisticated.

Choose what to Accentuate

When you live in a small house or a tiny apartment, it’s a bit difficult to incorporate a lot of different accent and statement pieces. Why not turn one of your walls into a statement wall? Let it be the focal point of the room, a place where textures and colours will be intertwined to create a small work of art no one will be able to overlook. The same can be done with floors. You can cover them with colourful rugs and carpets, or you could even use stone pavers, a trend that’s been focused mostly on the exterior but designers have started using it indoors as well. It will make the room truly come together while still making it look natural and eye-catching. Such walls and floors will make any room look monumental, thus making us think of rustic castles and cabins in the woods.

Choose what to accentuate

It’s all About the Details

Details are what makes a home out of a house, and this year details are all about bright colours and eye-catching prints. You can use such details pretty much anywhere and everywhere – on soft throw blankets you keep on the couch, decorative bowls on the coffee or dining room table, throw rugs in front of the armchair… If your living room is very small, try to bring in a couple of big throw pillows instead of a half a dozen small ones. Such pillows can sometimes be used to make sitting on the floor more comfortable, and when it comes to the print, be as creative as you wish. Same-coloured pillows are passé, and different colours will brighten up the place considerably.

It’s all about the details

Mirrors and Lighting

Items that have always been considered the best décor option for small places are mirrors, because they can make any room appear bigger as well as brighter. When you strategically place them around your home, for example at the end of a long and narrow hallway, they can reflect the light and make the room brighter. Besides, maximalism celebrates creativity, and you can work with different shades and textures, which is convenient when you’re picking out frames for your mirrors. When you combine big mirrors with a variety of floor and table lamps, you can do wonders in a room. Shadows can affect people’s perception of space positively and you can adjust the brightness and play with different angles of light.

Mirrors and lighting

History teaches us that trends come and go in the blink of an eye, and you shouldn’t blindly follow them just because they’re popular at the moment. On the other hand, if you find a trend that you like, you shouldn’t hesitate to incorporate at least some of its elements into your home. Don’t be afraid to give maximalism a try, especially if you’re looking for a way to step away from minimalism and try something new. If you are willing to experiment a little bit and keep an open mind, you can make your small home look fabulous.

How To Make Your Yellowed Sheets White Again

Michael Klements
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How To Make Your Yellowed Sheets White Again

Do you have white sheets at home which have slowly become more and more yellow, no matter how often you wash or bleach them? Bleach isn’t the best way to get your sheets white again, so we’re going to share our favorite tips with you to get your sheets looking crisp, fresh and new.

If you’ve got yellow stains on your shirts or clothing, have a look at this guide on removing yellow sweat stains from shirts.

Don’t Use Bleach

While bleach may seen like the go-to solution for stained or yellowed sheets, its not the best product for the job. Chlorine based bleaches react with the proteins in sweat and body oils or fluid stains and this leaves a dirty yellow stain.

Our Whitening Solution

We’ve found that the best way to get your sheets looking white again is to use a whitening laundry booster like OxiClean (non-chlorine based) or borax. Soak your bedding overnight with a mild solution, following the directions on the packaging, and then launder them as usual in the morning. This process really makes a big difference in getting your sheets looking and feeling new again.

If you’d prefer a more natural route, you can use natural cleaners such as vinegar, baking soda or lemon juice. Pre-soak your linen in warm water and add a half cup of vinegar, allowing it to soak for an hour or two. Then launder with a half cup of baking soda or lemon juice along with your regular detergent. The lemon juice will give your linen a wonderful citrus smell which takes away the lingering odour from the vinegar.

Try Bluing

As a last resort, you can try a product like Mrs. Stewarts bluing solution. This adds a slight blue tint to your wash which counteracts the yellow to leave a crisp white. This really works well, but you need to be careful with it as it can also cause staining.

Keep Your Bedding White

Making some simple lifestyle adjustments can also go a long way to keeping your linen white, try making these changes:

  • Don’t eat in bed. Eating in bed is the easiest way to get stains from spilled food or drinks which can be really difficult to get out. Rather stay away from eating in bed.
  • Wash your face before going to bed. This applies to both men and woman. Woman, wash your makeup off and men, wash off the dirt and dust from the day.
  • Separate your whites. If you want your linen to stay white, only wash it with other whites. Don’t mix colours when doing your laundry.
  • Launder regularly. You spend a lot of time in your bed and even if you shower before going to bed every evening, you should still regularly wash your bedding. Try washing your bedding every week and definitely don’t go more than two weeks between washes.

Do you have any tips and tricks for getting stains out of your linen or keeping your sheets white? Let us know in the comments section below.

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How To Get Your Yellowed Sheets White Again

Keep Cool and Save Money This Summer With These Awesome Home Improvements

Cheska Martin
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Keep Cool and Save Money This Summer With These Awesome Home Improvements

Want to beat the sweltering summer weather? Cranking up the AC isn’t the answer, especially if you’d rather not exchange the high temperatures for massive power bills. Upgrading your home in pursuit of enhanced energy efficiency, on the other hand, is a great way to stay cool without breaking the bank.

How can home improvement make your abode more welcoming when the sun is beating down hard? Try these clever DIY hacks to redefine how you relate to rough weather.

Exterior Improvements for Cooler Interiors

Many exterior DIY improvements can help produce more moderate temperatures indoors. The best time to tackle these projects is before it gets too hot, so what are you waiting for?

Build a Green Wall

A green wall is a wall that features living vegetation. Since plants survive by being efficient sunlight absorbers, they’re great at soaking up the rays that would otherwise heat up your home. According to the American Society of Landscape Architects, green walls can have huge positive impacts on living conditions. Some lower temperatures by up to 10 degrees Celsius, or about 18 degrees Fahrenheit, and they may lower your energy bills by as much as 23 percent. They’re also great at blocking noise, sucking up pollution and improving privacy.

Even better, there are many tools for creating green walls, including permanent hangers that sit directly on existing walls and arbor-like structures that serve as trellises for vines. When building your green wall, remember to:

  • Try to plan the whole project out before you start digging and seeding,
  • Choose a structure or design that can withstand your local wind and weather,
  • Consider self-watering upright garden kits, palettes with hanging planters, self-supporting vertical gardens and other commercially available DIY options,
  • Pick native or well-adapted plants that require minimal care to keep alive, such as herbs and groundcovers, and
  • Manage drainage carefully to prevent water from accumulating around your home’s foundation.

Plant More Vegetation

Grow your own veggies! Certain vegetation can serve the same purpose as a green wall without all of the extra planning. For instance, if you live in dry regions, such as the deserts of Southern California or Arizona, you might plant shrubs like oleander, which is known for forming hardy hedges that can survive abuse and thrive in near-drought conditions.

Flex That Green Thumb

If you’re a gardener, then you can choose plants that fill your fridge and offer shade. For instance, cucumbers, squashes, melons, tomatoes and other fast growers can quickly branch out to block heat and light, keeping your home cool. This technique is particularly useful with raised beds, but if you’d rather not bother with replanting each spring, you can still do nicely with various elevated shade plants, such as primrose, lady’s mantle, spurge or fountain grass.

Go Even Bigger

Planting trees is also a smart move. Check your local garden center to find species that spread rapidly and are easy to prune, such as crepe myrtles or eucalyptuses. Although you’ll have to wait a year or two for these attractive shade-givers to get established, they’re well worth it in the long run.

Upgrade Your Building Envelope

You don’t necessarily have to replace all of your siding or roofing to beat the heat. Instead of attempting these expensive, stressful upgrades, you might get away with refinishing whichever exterior walls are the most exposed to the weather. For instance, some vendors sell heat-resistant exterior wall paint or insulating additives that you can mix into your favorite exterior colors to help reflect heat away from surfaces like wood and brick and keep them cool.

Keeping Things Nice and Cool Indoors

Don’t feel like subjecting yourself to the outdoors? Try some of these interior improvements to make your life a bit cooler.

Hang Thermal Curtains or Blackout Shades

The benefits of blackout curtains is clear…they help block infrared radiation that would usually pass through your windows and heat up the interior of your home. They’re relatively easy to install, and they come in a spectrum of colors and materials that make them ideal for any aspiring interior designer who wants to spruce up their surroundings. What’s more, these curtains are equally at home on patio doors and other notorious household hot spots.

Curtain-hanging Tips

When hanging thermal curtains, remember that some may be slightly heavier than standard window treatments are. Although the difference isn’t usually that extreme, it’s wise to check your mounting hardware. As with hanging any curtain, you should ensure that your brackets are firmly fixed to the wall beforehand.

Customize Your Shades

Installing blackout shades is another great way to upgrade your window coverings for improved heat blockage. Since they’re available in a wide range of dark, paper-like materials, they make great canvases for DIY art projects. With little more than a bit of inexpensive, non-toxic paint and a lazy weekend, you can give your kids something constructive to do — Let them personalize their shades. Pre-made stencils are a perfect choice for clean, fashionable designs.

Open Some Space with Spring Cleaning

Air circulation is massively helpful when you’re trying to avoid heat buildup. Clearing up the clutter around your house ensures that your AC or fan doesn’t have to work as hard to maintain the temperature you prefer. By letting air circulate freely, you’ll also feel more cool and comfortable and less prone to crank up the dial. Cleaning dust and debris also prevents it from getting sucked into intake vents and clogging filters, which might significantly lower your AC’s cooling efficiency.

Rearrange Your Household Electronics

It’s common for North American homes to develop “hot sides” due to the position of the sun during the summer months. The way you arrange certain electronics and appliances, like computers and clothes dryers, might make such tendencies even more extreme. If possible, reposition these items so that they take advantage of naturally cool areas in your building and don’t exhaust hot air into living spaces.

How are you planning on conquering the summer heat? Did we miss any of your favorite DIY tricks? Stay tuned for more great tips on keeping your surroundings comfortable year round.

Off-Grid Living – The True Cost Of Building A Self Sustaining Home

Michael Klements
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Off-Grid Living – The True Cost Of Building A Self Sustaining Home

Over the last few years, there’s been a strong shift in thinking, with more and more households becoming aware of their environmental impact. With this shift, living off-grid is becoming more and more popular as people are looking at ways to reduce their costs of living and their environmental impact. While it may come with some challenges initially, and requires a significant change in lifestyle, the potential for long term savings may make it worth while for you.

Here’s a great info-graphic from Big Rentz which explains how some of the most common homes are built and how much it costs to take your home off-grid.

Infographic attribution – https://www.bigrentz.com/blog/off-grid-living

If you’re interested in the topic and you’d like to read more, have a look at our guide on how to take your home off-grid the smart way or if you’re just interested in saving money and making your home more eco-friendly, have a look at this info-graphic on passive housing – a smarter way of living.

The above articles also provide a useful spreadsheet to estimate your household’s power requirements and make sure that your solar or alternate power source is adequately sized for your home. There’s also a useful tool for estimating the number of batteries you’ll require and how long you can expect them to last. Remember that it’s a lot more cost effective to start off by making your home as energy efficient as possible before trying to take it off-grid.

Have you taken your home off-grid or are you investigating off-grid living? Let us know your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below, we’d love to hear from you.

Top Painting Tips For 2019

Michael Klements
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Top Painting Tips For 2019

Giving your home, a room or an item of furniture a fresh coat of paint is one of the best and most affordable ways to refresh and upscale it. Here are some 2019 trends and tips to make your next painting job a breeze.

Whites Are Back In

It’s time to abandon the cooler grey tones which have dominated the home decor space for the past few years. More and more people are going back to warmer white tones and adding colour to the room with brightly coloured furniture and decor. Conversely, giving an old item of furniture a bright coat of paint may be just what your room needs to lighten it up. Have a look at these tips and tricks for painting furniture and cabinets.

White helps to reflect the light in your home which instantly brightens it up and greats the illusion of more open space.

Keep Your Brushes Wrapped Up

Whether you’re in the middle of a painting job and need to take a break for a few hours or you’re storing your clean paint brushes for a few months, this tip is a must.

wrap your brushes in plastic

Instead of cleaning off your brushes every time you take a break, simply wrap them up in plastic wrap, foil or a sandwich bag. This will prevent the paint from drying out and let you take a break and get back to work much quicker and more easily.

This tip also works well for long term storage of your brushes. Keeping them wrapped up keeps the bristles together and in good condition. Preventing dirt, dust and fibres from contaminating the bristles.

Ceilings No Longer Need To Be White

More and more people are dressing up their ceilings with a coat of coloured paint instead of the traditional white.

A dark coloured ceiling creates a more cozy and intimate feel, which really helps if you have double volume rooms or really high ceilings. This work particularly well in rooms used for relaxation such as bedrooms, the living room or a library.

Light colours offer a more vibrant and spacious feel, brightening up the mood of a room. These are more suited for “busy” spaces such as in the kitchen or play area. The best tip when working with light colours is that the less the contrast between the colour of your walls and your ceilings, the more spacious the room will feel.

colour your ceilings

Don’t Buy Cheap Brushes

In the competitive world of home products and DIY, suppliers are always looking at ways to reduce costs and create a perception of value for money. Don’t get caught out buying cheap brushes and rollers to apply your expensive paint. Buying more expensive brushes will give you a better surface finish, better coverage, leading to less money spent on paint and will save you time and frustrating in not having to pick bristles out of your fresh coat of paint or having a roller seize up halfway through a wall. Cheap brushes and rollers usually land up costing you more in the long run.

Box Your Paint

A new trend in the painting industry is to “box your paint”. For those who have never heard the term before, you get a good estimate on your paint quantity required, buy it all at once and then mix the individual containers together into one large container to ensure that you get a uniform texture and colour regardless of the batches and production dates of the paint.

If you’ve ever purchased the same paint colour in different batches then you’ll know the frustration in seeing the paint dry to reveal an obvious line of colour difference. Boxing your paint aims to alleviate this problem.

mixing paint

If you enjoyed this article, you may be interested in decorating your home on a tight budget.

Have you got any tip or tricks which you’ve learned while painting and you’d like to share? Leave a comment below, we’d love to hear from you.

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