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The Chilling Danger of Carbon Monoxide
For most of us January brings bitter winds, icy paths and dipping temperatures. But perhaps the most chilling result of wintry weather is the marked increase in home injury during this season. “Carbon monoxide, home fires and power outage hazards pose harmful threats to our families and their well being,” says Meri-K Appy, president of the Home Safety Council. “Unfortunately, only 35 percent of homeowners have a carbon monoxide detector in their home – leaving more than half of families exposed to this silent killer.” See the Home Safety Council's recommendations for these simple steps to avoid potential dangers during the winter months.
Amazing Handyman Tricks
It’s winter and you're indoors more and you should have time to get to some of those minor door, floor, window and ceiling repair projects around the house that you have been putting off for too long. Even if you are not much of a Do-It-Yourselfer, you may wish to check out a useful list of some of "Super Handyman" AI Carrell's quick fixes compiled by textfiles.com from a Mother Jones Magazine article. Examples: pushing your drill bit through a throwaway aluminum pie pan or a plastic butter tub when drilling into the ceiling to keep the dust mostly out of your eyes and off the floor, or using talcum powder to help quiet a squeaky floor.
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Garbage Disposers - Use, Care and Safety
Consider the lowly garbage disposal. It's one of those unheralded, generally overlooked little things that make our lives today so much easier than they used to be. If you don't remember, or are too young to know, how much bother and time cleaning the food mess in the kitchen and scarps from dinner plates and serving dishes used to be – consider yourself lucky. We’ve compiled a guide to the use, care and safety of garbage disposals at Home Hints eNews.
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Green Cleaning
Most of us are interested in trying to decrease our own contributions to the ubiquitous air and water pollution that so bedevils modern living. Here are some eco-friendly cleaning procedures you may wish to try. To clean a toilet bowl try pouring a can of Coca-Cola® into the toilet bowl. Let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then brush and flush clean. Kool-Aid© will also clean a toilet as will Alka Seltzer®. Drop in two tablets; wait twenty minutes, brush, and flush. The citric acid and and/or effervescent action in these products will clean vitreous china.
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Winter Home Maintenance - Easy Steps to Prevent Winter Home Disasters
The extremes of winter temperatures and the rapid shifts between them can be a real challenge for homes and homeowners. Winter conditions may shift from mild to extreme cold and can permanently damage many components of your home. Jay Banks, who lives in Vancouver British Columbia and ought to know of such things, has compiled a Winter Home Maintenance Guide - Eleven Easy Steps to Prevent Disasters, to help prevent home disasters such as broken pipes.
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NEWS
The National Association of Realtors© congratulated the U.S. House of Representatives and President Bush for their bipartisan actions to help families in need, the housing market, and the U.S. economy.
“We believe the economic stimulus bill approved by the House is a good legislation in that it can quickly be signed into law, quickly be implemented, and therefore, would quickly have an impact on families and the nation’s economy. We are pleased that both the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (GSE) loan limits have been increased, even if only temporarily,” said Richard Gaylord, NAR president. Read the complete article.
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Fast Facts
- Law of Mechanical Repair: After your hands become coated with grease your nose will begin to itch or you'll have to pee.
- Law of the Workshop: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.
- Law of Dirty Rugs/Carpets: The chance of an open-faced jelly sandwich landing face down on a floor covering is directly correlated to the newness, color and cost of the carpet/rug.
- Law of Observation: The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.
- Law of Close Encounters: The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with. | 
