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Legions of people swear by the supposed mosquito-repelling powers of Avon's Skin So Soft bath and body oil. Personally, I'm not a believer. (Here's why.) I am impressed, however, by the sheer creativity of SSS fans in coming up with alternative uses for the product. While creative doesn't always mean good, (No, I will not be spraying it on my cat!), sensible suggestions abound for using Skin So Soft around the house.

1. All-purpose polish. Use SSS to shine natural wood surfaces, scuffed shoes, and even vehicle dashboards and tires.

2. Versatile gunk-remover. SSS dissolves grease from stove hoods and other kitchen surfaces, removes oil-based paint from skin and paintbrushes, helps gets gum out of carpet or hair and sticky price tag residue from glass or plastic products, and aids removal of soap scum and hard water deposits from bathroom surfaces and fixtures. Also, try it to remove crayon from household surfaces, or to eliminate ink stains and tree sap from hands.


3. Smooth gliding. Use Skin So Soft to lubricate stubborn pipe joints or sliding glass doors and windows that are sticking.

Finally, the ingenuity award goes to whoever thought of this one: swipe Skin So Soft on your car's headlight covers. Dead bugs will wash off easily after a night drive.

Check out Wacky Uses and Kitchen Crafts N More for tons of other unusual uses for Skin So Soft.

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By Kelly Smith

So, the Fourth of July is upon us. That means fireworks, beer, grilling, beer, and oh, did I mention beer? But I digress. Let's talk grill hygiene. What's tackier than a grill with chunks of last week's burgers on it? Cleaning the grill doesn't have to be a big chore.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so a video must be worth, what, a million? The creative folks at Howcast have created a great grill-cleaning how-to video that makes the job a piece of cake. You'll need aluminum foil, a grill scraper, and a bit of patience.

There's also a great tip on making future clean-ups easier -- spraying the grill with non-stick spray while it's still warm. It reminds me of seasoning my cast iron pan. But that's a tip for another blog post!

[Via Howcast.com]

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By Bethany Sanders

I'm usually all for letting nature just be in my backyard. I'd rather take preventative measures (like the fence around my garden to deter hungry bunnies) that allow us all to live harmoniously together than poison, trap, or kill. Sometimes, though, insects get a little too intrusive and that can be a problem, especially when they're insects that sting.

If you have a wasp problem in your backyard, the best way to get rid of them is to remove the nest. We have to do that at least twice a year in our children's "fort," and we try to keep an eye on it so we can stop the nest building before it gets out of hand. But if you can't find the nest or are afraid to move it, a simple, homemade wasp trap may help you catch the queen (especially if you use it in the spring) or reduce the number of wasps in the area nearest your home.

Keep in mind that wasp traps' effectiveness are not proven, and if you aren't careful, you could end up drawing more wasps to your home. In addition, wasps really are beneficial insects who eat the bugs that bug you the most. So if you can live in harmony, do. If you can't, these simple measures are worth a try.

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Your roof is wearing out - right now. Thanks to the UV radiation that bakes roof shingles until they are brittle, the summer sun takes more years out of a roof's life than any other environmental factor. If your roof is looking a little worse for wear, the summer is also a good time to think about having it repaired or replaced.

On my national home improvement radio show, roofing ranks among the top ten most asked-about topics; of those questions, the decision to repair or replace is a frequent area of confusion.

First, roof leaks can almost always be repaired without replacing the roof. Most roofs leak due to flashing problems, typically at an intersection of two roof components; roof and plumbing vent, roof and chimney, roof and wall, etc. An easy way to help pinpoint that leak is by strategically rinsing down each area with a hose until the offending spot is found.

To learn more about replacing a roof, read on.

Replacing a roof, on the other hand, is something that has to be done periodically, and is seldom done because of an obvious leak. More commonly, the shingles have dried out and become cracked, brittle and deteriorated to the point where the roof remains saturated under the roof shingles, causing slow decay rather than an obvious stick-the-bucket-under-it leak.

While spot repair may be possible if the majority of your roof surface has plenty of mileage left in it, if your roof is approaching the 20-year mark (or so), replacement is a better way to go.

If you do replace your roof, do you add another layer, or do you completely replace it? Here are the pros and cons of that decision:

• A brand new roof provides the opportunity for secure sealing, the latest in underlayment materials and flashing, and a longer guarantee of material integrity for a lifespan of 20 years or more.
• On the other hand, applying a new roofing layer on top of the old is possible only if your existing roofing is one layer thick and in good condition, has strong decking, and has shingles compatible with the new application. Longevity isn't as extensive with this option, being around 25 percent less than that of a new roof. The reason for this is because the old layer holds a lot of heat, and that heat helps the new roof dry out that much more quickly, shortening its life.

If your roof's condition provides the opportunity to choose between these options, consider the number of years you plan to stay in your re-roofed home. If a long haul is in the cards, a whole new roof is the wise choice, while a shorter stay justifies saving cash with the second-layer option.

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Cedar Siding for the Home

Western Red Cedar siding is the type most commonly used. It's a natural product, known for its beauty and durability. For energy efficiency, rigid foam sheathing may be applied prior to installing the siding. If this option is taken, kiln-dried cedar siding should be used, because of its stability.

Western Red Cedar siding can be finished in many attractive ways. To achieve that sought-after natural wood look, use a penetrating stain, or your choice of a clear repellent finish. Varnish and shellac used to be popular, but have fallen out of favor. Newer products have a much longer life span.

An alternative finish for cedar

Painting cedar siding is an acceptable alternative to a natural-looking finish. Before you paint the siding, you should coat it with a water-repellent preservative. Next, prime it with a stain-blocking primer. Finally, it needs to be finished with a quality, 100 percent acrylic paint.

Cleaning cedar siding

To clean cedar siding, a pressure washer may be used, but only at a very low pressure. A better method is to use a soft-bristle brush with water, with a small amount of dish detergent mixed in. If mildew is present, mix in a bit of mildew-cide.

Plywood siding

Plywood siding is very popular among contractors. It's often used on homes that are part brick and part siding. Compared to other types it can be quite inexpensive. For best results, it needs to be properly primed and painted. Unfortunately, many contractors don't use a good grade of paint, so the job has to be re-done after a couple of years.

One issue is that, being wood, it expands and contracts naturally with the weather. But all too often, the rate of expansion and contraction is different than that of the material that it's nailed to. This can cause nails to work their way out. A little spot-checking every now and then solves this issue.

Composition board

This is probably the worst choice, in my opinion -- perhaps the cheapest, but the worst. It will expand with moisture like wood will, but it won't return to its original dimensions when it dries out.

Because of this, it's important to keep moisture away from it. It must be kept well-sealed with paint. Don't let the lawn sprinkler go crazy and splatter the siding. And when installing it, keep it as far off the ground as possible: ideally somewhere from six to eight inches.

Clapboard siding

Clapboard siding is pretty simple: it's just long wood planks that overlap each other. This concept can be simple and plain, or you can take it further with different patterns. Some of these are shiplap, tongue and groove, bevel, channel lap, Dutch lap, and one of my favorites, log cabin!

Like cedar, you can go with the natural look or paint it. Log cabin, of course, wants to be stained. Since these are planks, it's a fairly simple job to repair in the future, as long as you can find a pattern match.

Can't find one? You can most likely craft your own with a table saw, planer, and router. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

Vinyl siding

Vinyl siding has a lot going for it. It's available in a wide array of colors. Many manufacturers guarantee that it will never need repainting. It's usually recommended to give it a good washing once a year. This type of siding does a good job guarding against the elements; also, it doesn't have the porous characteristics that wood does. This makes it a logical option whenever humidity is an issue.

Vinyl siding can raise the value of your home, since it provides a rigid and durable surface. Where rigidity is concerned, the thicker the vinyl, the better. It will resist the elements more effectively... as well as maverick baseballs!

Matching soffit stock and window trim are almost always available, so you can be sure of an exact match with your siding color.

Aluminum siding -- vinyl's cousin

Aluminum siding is very similar to vinyl. It installs easily and has plenty of durability. One drawback is that, since it's a metal, it's often the victim of denting or dimpling. The good news is that it comes in planks, sort of like the old style shiplap siding: if you get a bit of damage, it's an easy DIY fix.

Caring for aluminum siding

Cleaning aluminum siding is a job for the pressure washer -- just watch out for those windows!

Unlike vinyl, you will have to repaint aluminum at some point.

Fiber cement -- the new kid on the block

Fiber cement siding is more durable than either wood or vinyl. When it's painted -- it usually comes pre-primed, saving a step -- it's remarkably similar to wood siding, since it's formed with the grain contour. You'll usually hear it called Hardiboard or Hardiplank siding. (Hardie is the dominant manufacturer of fiber cement products.)

What makes it so desirable? You can forget having issues with termites or rotting. As I mentioned above, it's pre-primed, so painting it is all the finish you need. A high-quality acrylic paint is recommended.

Caring for fiber cement siding

Caring for fiber cement siding is rather straightforward. You can approach cleaning it the same way as cedar: a pressure washer is fine so long as you don't blast the paint off. Of course, this doesn't matter if you're planning to slap on a new coat of paint anyway.

When you choose siding for your home, approach it this way: look at budget, appearance, and how much maintenance you're willing to put into it. Those criteria will help you choose the right product for you.

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• Gun maintenance: It'll take off minor rust, but not the bluing.
• Any boat maintenance: it doesn't rust, so it won't discolor wood -- like that expensive teak.
• More suggestions after the break....

• Packing around any open spots where your dryer exhausts from your garage: Mice can't chew through it and invade your home.
• Spiffing-up aluminum outdoor furniture: It's not as "scratchy" as steel wool.
• Cleaning stainless steel: Contrary to popular opinion, stainless steel is oxidation-resistant, not oxidation-proof.
• Cleaning anything where magnetism is an issue: Bronze doesn't have the magnetic properties of steel. (This isn't to say you should clean old floppy discs with it, though.)

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I have built a number of ponds and water features. In so doing, I found that the biggest concern my customers had was about water clarity. With proper planning and foresight as to the location and type of the water feature, the size and amount of rock, the kind of filter media, and the addition of fish and plants, I was able to allay their fears. It's a lot less terrifying than it sounds.

Let's go through the stuff noted above. You can then proceed with your pond construction and enjoy the process, without worrying that it will be a pea-soup green bog at the finish.

Since I have found that siting of the water feature is of primary importance, take a quick look at the gallery to note different locations and conditions for the ponds, and we'll continue.

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• Waterless car wash exists, is cheap, and saves about 100 gallons of water with each washing.
• Taking your bike rack off your car when you aren't using it can save you about $30 a year.
• Don't forget to clean the lint trap in your dryer. That dryer fuzz is costing you about $34 a year.

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I rebuilt my back deck about three years ago, doubling it in size, pouring new footings, enlarging and reinforcing the support structure, adding a steel roof, and making provisions for a future screening job. At the conclusion of the work, I coated the wooden parts with what I thought was a high-quality finish in order to repel water and maintain the color.

Instead of lasting for the better part of the five year warranty, it made it about a year and, although it never evidenced failure by peeling, checking, or overt color loss, it just kind of went down hill. The consequence is that it's been sitting there for the past two years, baking in the north Georgia sun, while I was otherwise occupied.

Take a look at the gallery to see what I did to rehab the deck and, after the jump, press ahead for the details. Thanks to my DIY LIfe colleague, Kelly Smith, for other information on refinishing a deck.

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• back, choose a thinner pillow.
• stomach, your pillow should be almost flat.
• side, a fluffier pillow will align your body better.

• If you sleep on a very soft mattress, you may want to opt for no pillow at all.
• Foam pillows may emit unpleasant odors.
• Higher density foam pillows will not break down as easily and will give firmer support.
• Experts say down pillows may be the best choice for overall comfort.
• It's a myth that feather pillows cause allergies; studies have shown that they may be better for allergy sufferers than synthetic pillows.
  

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