Home & Auto Maintenance

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12 DIY Storage Projects to Organize Your Home

It's January and you know what that means! Time to clean and purge the house of all the excess stuff. Last year I was too busy with projects to purge, so this year I'm taking advantage of some warmer days to clean out our home. I hope you'll…
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12 Ways to Burglar Proof Your Home

Thanksgiving is next week and it's the biggest traveling holiday of the year. Taking steps to burglar proof your home can put your mind at ease as you travel and keep your home and valuables safe. The experts at Allstate have offered…
How to Install an Exterior Security Light | Pretty Handy Girl
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How to Install an Exterior Motion Sensor Light

Nothing deters a thief like a well lit area. But truth be told, I needed this light to illuminate the path when taking out the trash. There is nothing like walking out the door with the trash in your hands after dark and realizing that…
Smoke Detector Maintenance | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 31 – Smoke Detector Maintenance Tips

Happy Halloween! Trick or Treat, smell my feet! Now, give me something good to eat. Are you ready for the trickery tonight? Ahhh, good. What about the time change in the US? On Sunday, November 2nd be sure to turn your clocks back one hour.…
Seal Gaps Around Pipes with GREAT STUFF | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 30 – Seal Gaps Around Pipes

Do you have an open door policy for drafts and bugs? Of course not! Wait... you might and not know it. Have you looked under your sinks around the water pipes? If you have gaps around the pipes, you have the welcome sign up for cold…
How to Caulk Cracks | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 29 – Caulk Cracks in Siding and Trim

One of the best thing you can do to save money is to prevent water from getting through your home's exterior. Now is a good time to walk around your home and look for gaps and cracks around doors, windows, trim and siding. If you see any,…
Use Your Old Toothbrush for Cleaning | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 28 – Keep Old Toothbrushes for Cleaning

Never throw away your old toothbrushes again! These worn out dental tools make fabulous scrub brushes for cleaning. First be sure to mark the old brush with a permanent marker so no one will use it in their mouth again. Then…
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Day 27 – Put an End to Fireplace Drafts

You may sense a theme here, yesterday I talked about weatherstripping the garage. But, as the temps are dropping, it's important to take some time to seal your home and eliminate drafts wherever they are lurking. One of the biggest offenders…
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Day 26 – Weatherstrip Your Garage Doors

  Do you have a garage? Are your garage doors insulated or weather stripped? Or do you have big gaps in the sides like this: If you don't have weather stripping on your garage doors, you could be throwing away money on heating…
Do You Open or Close Crawlspace Vents | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 25 – Do You Open or Close Crawlspace Vents

Do you leave your crawlspace vents open or closed? The great debate ends now. If you guessed open, you are right. If you guessed closed, you are also right! Crawlspace vents should be opened in the spring and closed in the fall.…
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Day 24 – Two New Tips using a Flashlight

Do you have a flashlight? Silly me, of course you do. But, if you only use it when the power goes out or to send your child out trick or treating, you are missing out on two additional uses for a flashlight. Day 24 - Two New Tips using…
Quarterly Reminders on Google | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 23 – Remembering to Change Your Air Filters Regularly

I'm sure you already know how important it is to change your air filters in your home. As a Filtrete Ambassador, I'm happy to remind you why you should replace your Filtrete Healthy Living Ultimate Allergen Reduction MPR 1900 filters on…
Is Your HVAC Choking? | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 22 – Is Your HVAC Choking?

  Is your refrigerator running? Then go catch it. Is your HVAC choking? Time to administer CPR! When was the last time you looked at your HVAC unit? Specifically the condenser which is the big box usually located outside the house.  At…
Scrub Away Hard Water Stains | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 20 – Scrub Away Hard Water Stains

 Do you have hard water? If you do, you probably understand when I say, "It's the bane of my existence when it comes to cleaning sinks!" However, I have a trick to scrub away that stubborn hard water crusty stain in no time! And I use a little…
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Day 19 – Drill Holes to a Certain Depth

 Occasionally you need to drill a hole to a specific depth. Or you want to drill a hole into but not through your wood. This simple trick helps you do just that! Day 19 - Drill Holes to a Certain Depth When I was drilling the top of the…
5 Ways to Find a Wall Stud (without a stud finder) | Pretty Handy Girl
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5 Ways to Find a Stud (without a Stud Finder)

Using a stud finder is the quickest and easiest way to find a stud. But, if you don't have one or are too lazy to find yours (I'm often guilty of this), you can use one of these ways to find a stud. 5 Ways to Find a Stud (without a Stud…
2 Ingredient Ant Killer | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 17 – Two Ingredient Ant Killer

It's no picnic when you realize your home has been invaded by sugar ants. Instead of spraying your kitchen (or wherever you find them) try this Two Ingredient Ant Killer. Photo by Stephen Ausmus - https://www.ars.usda.gov/is/graphics/photos/dec04/k11622-1.htm Licensed…
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Day 16 – Holes in Your Trash Can

Take out the papers  and the trash...ummm take out the trash? Grrr, don't you hate when the trash bag gets stuck in the trash can? No worries, I have an easy fix that will make taking out the trash a much easier chore. It may sound…
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Day 15 – Use Good Wall Anchors

Curtain rods, towel bars, and other wall mounted accessories are relatively easy to hang. The trick is securing them to a stud so they can hold up to the abuse. But, how often have you found that you don't have a stud where you want it…
Non-Toxic Drain Opener | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 14 – Non-Toxic Drain Opener

  Unclogging a tub or sink drain is a common maintenance task for any homeowner. Before you reach for the toxic drain cleaner, try this easy and inexpensive Non-Toxic Drain Opener first. It's always the case, you are brushing…
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Day 13 – Remove Your Shoes at the Door

  Want to cut down on your vacuuming? Want to make your carpets last 10 times longer? Want to keep bacteria out of your home? Wow, sounds like a miracle product right? Actually you can accomplish all of the above by simply training…
Protect Spigot from Frozen Burst Pipes | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 12 – Protecting Spigots from Frozen Burst Pipes

Winter is coming and this year I want to help you protect your home from a burst pipe because it froze. Much like your water pipes (which should have foam insulation sleeves on them,) it's important to protect your spigot on the outside…
Easy Clean Up Paint Tray Liner | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 11 – Easy Clean Up Paint Tray Liner

I love to paint rooms! It's one of those meditative tasks that leaves you with instant gratification when  you are done. But, I don't like the clean up afterwards. Several years ago I came up with an Easy Clean Up Paint Tray Liner that…
Easy Tricks to Remove Walls Scuffs | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 9 – Easy Tricks to Remove Wall Scuffs

Do you have a ghost in your house? I do! Want to know how I know? Because we have scuffs that magically appear on the walls. It doesn't bother me because I know a few easy tricks for removing wall scuffs. Day 10: Easy Tricks for Removing Wall…
Replace Water Lines with Braided Metal Hoses | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 9 – Replace Water Lines with Braided Metal Hoses

Welcome to Day 9 of my 31 Days of Handy Home Fixes. Would you believe that a burst water line can cause tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to your home? It's true! If one of your water supply lines is not braided metal, you…
vacuum out your dryer duct | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 8 – Replace Foil or Plastic Flexible Dryer Duct Hoses

Welcome to Day 8 of my 31 Days of Handy Home Fixes. Today I have a VERY IMPORTANT tip to prevent a fire from starting in your laundry room.  I'm going to show you how to replace your flexible foil or plastic dryer vent duct with a much…
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Day 7 – Clean Out Your Dryer Vent Duct

Welcome to Day 7 of my 31 Days of Handy Home Fixes. We're sticking with the laundry room theme for a few days. Today I have a tip to help protect your home from a fire. Cleaning out your dryer vent duct is an extremely important home…
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Day 6 – Keep Your HE Washer Funk Free

Welcome to Day 6 of my 31 Days of Handy Home Fixes. So you finally upgraded to an HE washer. You have to be careful because if you don't take care of it you'll have a stinky funky mess. Funky music = good. Funky washer = bad! The HE washers…
Adding Foam Weatherstripping | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 5 – Add Weather Stripping to Doors and Windows

Welcome to Day 5 of my 31 Days of Handy Home Fixes. Winter is fast approaching and now is a good time to assess your doors and windows. Do you feel a draft by your window when the wind kicks up outside? Can you see daylight seeping through…
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Day 4 – Removing a Stripped (or Painted) Screw

Welcome to Day 4 of my 31 Days of Handy Home Fixes.  What happens when you strip a screw head just enough that the screwdriver won't get a good grip? Or the screw has been painted over so many times that you can't get the screwdriver…
How to Fix Stripped Holes in Wood | Pretty Handy Girl
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Day 3 – Fixing a Stripped Hole in Wood

Welcome to Day 3 of my 31 Days of Handy Home Fixes.  Have you ever tightened a screw 1,485 times before you finally admit that the hole is stripped? Procrastinate fixing that stripped hole no more! Grab some wood glue and tooth picks…
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Day 2 – Fixing a Sticking Door

Welcome to Day 2 of my 31 Days of Handy Home Fixes. Today I'm going to show you a tip for fixing a rubbing or sticking door. Day 2. Fixing a Sticking Door Do you have a door in your home that rubs on the frame or gets stuck certain…
Water alarm
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31 Days of Handy Home Fixes – Day 1 – Protect from Water Leaks

Welcome to Day 1 of my 31 Days of Handy Home Fixes. I am always amazed at how a great house can fall into disrepair. This doesn't have to happen. Each day you can learn a quick fix for your home. For the entire month of October I'll be bringing…
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DIY Industrial USB Charging Station

Have you ever been in need of an electrical outlet only to find that they’re hidden by furniture or in a hard to reach place?  How about that elusive time of day when you’re cell phone’s down to 1% and you have a handful of charging…
How to Add Security Film to Glass Doors & Windows | Pretty Handy Girl
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Install Security Film to a Glass Door and Protect Your Home

The folks at Allstate Insurance have graciously sponsored this post, which will help you learn how to install security film to safeguard your doors (or windows) from a potential break-in! It's a simply DIY solution that could potentially…
How to Trim Closet Doors with Dremel UltraSaw | Pretty Handy Girl
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How to Trim & Install Closet Doors {Dremel Ultra-Saw Review}

I have a friend named Holly. She and I live in the same neighborhood and we help each other out with DIY projects. Last week she asked me to help her come up with a solution to hide her dirty laundry. Holly and I were trying to figure…
How to Strip Paint Off a Door | Pretty Handy Girl
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How to Strip…Paint Off a Door

Have you ever had to strip... paint off a door? (You must leave a dramatic pause after strip for the full effect! LOL. If you haven't had to strip...paint off a door, consider yourself lucky. If you need to strip... paint, I have some tips…
Wall-mounted IKEA LILLÅNGEN Mirrored Cabinet turned Stuffed Animal Storage | Pretty Handy Girl
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Securing an IKEA LILLÅNGEN Mirrored Cabinet to the Wall (with an outlet cutout)

Have you ever shopped the "As Is" section at IKEA? There are some deals to be found there! Like this IKEA LILLÅNGEN Mirrored Cabinet. The cabinet had a small bent piece at the bottom and was therefore marked down to $60 from $100! Score!…
10 Non-Toxic Dust Mite Remedies | Pretty Handy Girl
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10 Places You Probably Forget to Dust #HealthierHome

I'm putting my Filtrete Ambassador cap on today. And, I have a list of the 10 Places You Probably Forget to Dust (but really should!) Are you guilty of skipping any of them? Read on to find out. As an allergy sufferer, I know how important…
10 Non-toxic Dust Mite Remedies | Pretty Handy Girl
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10 Non-Toxic Dust Mite Remedies for Your Home

As a Filtrete Brand Ambassador, I'm back to give you more ammunition for fighting allergies! As a lifelong dust mite allergy sufferer, I've spent more than my share of times being congested and even suffered asthma attacks from a robust…