Category: Home & Garden

Knowing what not to put down the drain is crucial. Even with a garbage disposal, certain foods can cause that dreaded soupy backup in seconds. Other substances, like medications, can contaminate the local watershed. Bleach could damage your pipes. And even “biodegradable” substances don’t dissolve quickly and may cause a clog. In the unfortunate case of a  back up, try these tips to unclog any drain  before calling the plumber. I Haven’t Had To Call My Plumber Since He Gave Me These Tips Plumbers would rather get paid for the big jobs than come out to your house to unclog a drain. That’s probably why my plumber gave me these tips the last time my kitchen sink backed up: 1) Don’t put anything down the drain you couldn’t shred with a box grater. 2) Pour a tea kettle’s worth of boiling water down the drain every three months. Here’s What Not To Put Down Any Drain Print this list and tape it to the inside of the cabinet door near your sink where your partner, house keeper, kids and house guests can see it. The dinner guest who insists on helping with the dishes may mean well, but they could […]

Day to day home maintenance tasks are easy to remember. But ones you need to do only occasionally? Not so much. And sometimes the consequences of a task slipping your mind can be unfortunate. Like letting your water heater get so old it gives up and floods the basement. (I’m speaking  from experience here.) Take a quick look at these reminders and print the list to help you remember. Home Maintenance Reminders & Checklist You can copy this list to a word processor document to edit and print. I like to add and sort my list by the month due. Keep the list where you’ll see it regularly. For notes you can add warranty info, date due, date done, service providers….any info that might come in handy.. Task                                                     Notes Carpets cleaned Clothes dryer vent cleaned Clothes washer filter cleaned Clothes washer cleaned Dishwasher filter cleaned Emergency supplies updated Fireplace safety checked & cleaned Gutters & downspouts cleared HVAC filters changed HVAC system serviced Irrigation  system serviced Irrigation system turned on Irrigation system turned off […]

Household power strips and extension cords come in handy, but if  misused they can overheat or even catch fire. While doing the research for this article, I learned that I shouldn’t use an extension cord to plug in the hot plate for my Christmas Eve buffet. And I shouldn’t “daisy chain” power strips or extension cords. I haven’t burned my place down yet, but as the saying goes, “better safe than sorry.” Don’t Plug These Into a Power Strip or Extension Cord Air conditioners, portable Air compressors Blenders Coffee makers Freezers Generators Hair curling and straightening wands Hair dryers Hot plates Microwave ovens Slow cookers Refrigerators Rice cookers Space heaters Sump pumps Toasters Washing machines and dryers More Power Strip and Extension Cord Safety Tips Don’t “daisy chain” power strips or extension cords. Unplug extension cords when they’re not in use. Hold the plug, not the cord, when disconnecting from the outlet. Store cords indoors. For use outdoors, always use a cord marked for outdoor use. Use cords with polarized or three-prong plugs when possible. Check extension cords for damage before using and discard if damaged. Don’t bend or coil cords while in use. Don’t run extension cords under rugs […]

Wondering how to choose the right mattress? Choosing a mattress is a big deal. Mattresses range in price from a few hundred to thousands of dollars. And choosing the wrong one will be a mistake you’ll live with for years. Recently, after seeing an ad for a “sale,” I decided to get a new mattress for my guest room. I did some sleuthing and found what looked like a good deal. Then I read my notes from the last time I bought a mattress…seven years ago. There’s a lot to learn. I hope these notes help you as much as they helped me. How to Choose the Right Mattress My first try at buying a mattress didn’t go so well. I ordered a premium brand mattress online. When it arrived, I was so disappointed. I tried to sit on the edge of the bed. It was so soft I slid off. And the mattress was so deep my feet didn’t reach the floor. Returning it was a hassle. And since they had taken my old mattress, I had to sleep in the guest room until I bought a new one. For help choosing the right mattress, see How To Choose […]

Life as we knew it is a distant memory. And we’re still at home a lot.  Why not use the time to declutter? Hopefully, we’ll be out of Covid jail soon. Then, just think how good it will feel to come home to extra closet, cabinet and garage space. You’ll find more helpful links under “Decluttering” in the Home & Garden section of HabiLinks. Meanwhile, I hope you’ll find this list useful when you want to sell, donate, recycle or dispose of your stuff. Where to Sell Stuff Tips Before selling high value or possibly collectible items consider hiring a local appraiser. See “The Most Valuable Vinyl Records of All Time.” You shouldn’t have to pay a dealer for an “appraisal” just to get an offer. Almost anything       ebay.com  craiglist.com  facebook marketplace.com (con’t)                         etsy.com   nextdoor.com Art & collectibles      ebay.com     etsy.com  or local auction houses. Books                          decluttr.com  or local used book stores. Books, rare                abebooks.com or local rare book dealers. China  & crystal        replacements.com Clothing, top label   thredup.com  poshmark.com   tradesy.com Collectibles, small    replacements.com Furniture                   […]

Need some tips on how to light a charcoal grill? Whether you’re stepping up to the backyard grill for the first time, or just want to brush up on your technique, we found a link you can really use. It offers excellent advice on preparing your grill, charcoal starters and using lighter fluid. Even if you don’t read the whole article, please follow this safety precaution: Never add lighter fluid to burning coals. That can cause a dangerous flareup or even cause fire to travel up the stream of lighter fluid, igniting the  entire can in your hand. You could find yourself trying to figure out how to get to the emergency room instead of “how to light a charcoal grill.” There’s a right way and a wrong way Living in San Francisco, there’s not much opportunity to entertain outdoors or use a barbecue grill. In my experience planning to barbecue, especially in summer, is almost a guarantee that the fog will roll in. So I’m no expert. Thankfully, Derrick Riches is. You can read his article on how to light a charcoal grill at SpruceEats. When done right, preparing and lighting a charcoal grill is quite a process. After […]

If you have an electric garage door opener it’s important to read the instructions. If there’s a power outage you may have to lift the garage door manually. Most systems have a pull cord to disconnect the door from the opener. Make sure you know where it is and how use it. I learned the hard way one day when there was an outage and it was my turn to drive the soccer carpool. When I went to get the car I couldn’t open the garage door. Another mom came to my rescue, but I wish I’d known about the pull cord. It’s a good idea to try it before you need it. After you disconnect the door make sure you’re physically able to lift it. Garage doors can weigh 600 pounds or more! If the opener doesn’t have battery backup consider replacing it. Many of the new electronic garage door openers come with backup batteries. A new California law, effective July 1, 2019, requires homeowners installing new electronically operated garage doors to have openers with battery backup technology. Whether it’s the law or not, openers with battery backup are a good idea. Make sure all the adults in your […]

Decluttering. Most of us have good intentions, but for many the job seems overwhelming. Decluttering ends up at the bottom of the “to do” list, right under cleaning the oven! Even more discouraging, if you search online for “decluttering plan” you get 9,500,000 suggestions! No wonder it’s hard to know where to begin. Decluttering expert Marie Condo devised the KonMari Method. It involves “tidying up” your entire living space at once by pulling out everything by category. You keep the items that “spark joy” and “thank” the rest for their service before discarding them. The KonMari Method isn’t practical for most people. If you live in a studio apartment it might work, but if you have an entire house and only a weekend to declutter, it won’t. Also, the “spark joy” method of deciding what to keep is problematical. The toilet plunger doesn’t “spark joy” but it would certainly spark despair if I didn’t have it when needed. Here’s my favorite decluttering plan The plan I like recommends doing it room by room. You separate items in five categories: “Put away,” “Recycle,” “Fix or mend,”  “Trash” and “Donate.” That’s really all you need to know to get started. For more […]

Your hot water heater may need attention. If you’re like most people, you don’t think much about your water heater. As long as it works, no problem, right? Not necessarily. The first sign it’s on the blink might be a cold shower, or worse yet, a flooded home or apartment. Check the warranty. Most warranties are 6-12 years. If yours is expired, think about replacing it. If you rent, ask your landlord about the warranty, especially if the heater is in your unit. At my previous apartment the water heater was in my unit. It started leaking at 3:30 AM. Fortunately, I was able to call the landlord and he took care of it. If I had been away the leak could have gone on for days, flooding my unit and possibly the one below. If needed, turn the temperature setting down to avoid scalding. Turn the shower on to the hottest setting. If you can’t hold your hand under the water, the water heater temperature setting is probably too high. Check the manual to see how to turn it down. Most people find that 120 degrees is enough. Bonus: Turning the temperature down will save a little on your […]

I planted an herb garden in April Actually, the herb garden is in pots. I’m a city dweller and don’t have a garden, only a small deck. I’ve tried growing herbs before without much luck. It turns out herbs have different sun/shade, fertilizer, soil and watering requirements. I hadn’t done the research! HabiLinks to the rescue! I love my work. Whenever I want help or information on a lifestyle topic, I search the web. When I find the most useful resource, I add it to HabiLinks, my web guide. I find the information I need and create a new resource for HabiLinks’ users at the same time. Here’s the herb growing guide I found to get my little garden off to a good start. Now I have fresh basil for bruschetta and sage to garnish my pasta. I planted oregano, thyme, parsley, tarragon and chives to spice things up even more. Pots make growing herbs easy You can move the plants to control the amount of sun or shade they get. You can easily spot weeds and pluck them out. Some things I learned the hard way (by mistake!) If you’re using containers, most herbs do best in their own […]