Home & Cleaning
Microwaves, ants, stains, and household fixes for people who just moved out.
How to Remove Rust from Metal
Remove rust from steel and cast iron with a vinegar soak, a commercial remover, or a wire brush and sandpaper, then seal the metal so the rust does not come back.
How to Choose a Mattress
Match your sleeping position and body weight to the right firmness, pick a mattress type and budget that fit, and check the trial and warranty terms before you pay.
How to Remove Oil Stains from Clothes
Get oil and grease out of clothes with liquid dish soap, wash warm, and air dry before the dryer, for fresh or set-in stains.
How to Get Rid of Roaches
Get rid of roaches by identifying the species, removing food and water, sealing entry points, and placing bait and boric acid. Sticky traps show when it is working and when to call a professional.
How to Remove a Stripped Screw
Get a stripped screw out with a rubber band, a different bit, locking pliers, a cut slot, a screw extractor, or by drilling off the head, starting with the method that does the least damage.
How to Unclog a Toilet
Unclog a toilet with a flange plunger, a hot water and dish soap soak, or a toilet auger. Stop an overflow first, test the drain with a bucket of water before you flush, and know when the clog is past the toilet.
How to Hang a Picture
Hang a picture straight and at the right height. Work out the hanging point from the 57-inch center, choose a hanger by its rated weight, scan for studs, wires, and pipes, and keep the frame level.
How to Use a Router Table
Mount a router in a table, set the bit height, fence, and speed, fit the guard and featherboards, and feed right to left in light passes for edge profiles, grooves, and rabbets.
How to Measure a Room for Furniture
Sketch the room, measure the walls, ceiling, and fixed features, check clearances, tape the layout on the floor, and measure the delivery path before you buy furniture.
How to Use a Bidet
Use a standalone bidet, a bidet seat, a handheld sprayer, or a travel bottle. Sit in position, start on low pressure, wash for up to a minute, pat dry, and keep the nozzle clean.
How to Start a Garden
Start a first herb and vegetable garden in pots, a raised bed, or the ground. Pick a spot with 6 hours of sun, prepare the soil, choose easy plants, and plant, water, and feed them.
How to Compost
Turn kitchen scraps and yard waste into finished compost in a backyard bin, with EPA's list of what to leave out, the browns-to-greens ratio, and the signs that a pile is ready to use.