DIY Life

I don't fold my sheets. There, I said it. It's not that I don't know how. I do know how; I helped my mom with laundry all the time when I was a kid. But I don't really know how to do it by myself. What do you do when no one is holding the other end? So, I just sort of do a half-hearted fold, then wrap them all up until they fit into my linen closet.

Now you know one of my deepest, darkest secrets.

Ok, I kid (about the secret, not about not folding my sheets). The truth is, neatly folded sheets just aren't a priority for me. I mean, they're sheets. When I use them, my eyes are closed. Who cares if they're wrinkled?

I only recently learned that tea bags expire. I've always bought new interesting teas and kept them around for company. I have tea in the drawer that has been through more than one move. Go ahead, and have a good laugh at my domestic disability, but this leaves me wondering what else we have hanging around long past its expiry date.

Real Simple to the rescue again, with this list of surprising expiration dates. There were a few consumables that really surprised me. I am always drawn to new kinds of salad dressing, enticing new names, lower fat versions of old favorites and 2 for 1 bargains make my fridge full of barely used bottles of salad dressing. Knowing now that they are only good for 9 months, I'll have to do a little fridge door clean-up. Beer was the other big surprise, learning that it is only good for 4 months unopened. It would be highly unusual for beer to hang around the house for 4 month without being opened, but if it did, I know we wouldn't have hesitated to drink it. Now we'll think twice.

The list doesn't stop with food, they offer expiration dates for household items and beauty products too. These are less likely to have dates printed on them, and you're less likely to go looking for an expiration because they don't seem like products that would need one. Here are a few of the most shocking in the household and beauty categories:

• Tooth whitening strips: 1-3 months
• Perfume: 1-2 years
• Mascara: 3-4 months opened
• Windex and Mr. Clean: 2 years
• Bleach: 3-6 months

There are 77 in total. Have a look through the list. What surprises you most?
[Via: Life hacker]

A few weeks ago I was sitting at the pub with some girlfriends. We were all commiserating about how hard it is to keep up with day to day things. It occurred to me during this conversation that I was the only one at the table who cleans my own house. I am a DIY house cleaner as I think most people are. It is not a job I enjoy and not one I even do particularly well, so I'm always looking for tips on how to be more efficient.

We've all been there startled awake by a strange sound, sitting up in bed eliminating the possibilities: Burglar? No. Teenager sneaking out? No. Earthquake? No. Raccoons outside? No.

Eventually, we fall back asleep, accepting that it was just the house making its usual nighttime grumblings. This can be unnerving. It can also make you feel concerned that there is something wrong with the house or some warning signs you should be aware of. Typically, this isn't the case. In most cases it's something inside the house, a fridge or furnace, or even the house itself settling and shifting.

Some sounds are there to stay. They are coming from your appliances, your windows, your siding or your foundation. Once you know their sound and you're comfortable with it, you'll probably stop hearing it all together. Other noises can be dealt with. It could a as simple as securing the downspout or putting a little duct tape in the window sill. In this article Jim Sulsiki takes us through common house noises and explains how they can be silenced. Jim suggests that you isolate the sound as it's happening. You won't have much luck finding the noise during the daytime when factors that could have induced the noise (temperature, animals, weather) are no longer in play.

As the weather cools, we're sure to hear some new grumblings coming from our house. Relax, take a look through the suggestions, quiet the ones you can and live with the ones you can't.

Before you throw out those old CD cases, infant floaties or garage funnels, take a look at this rather unique assembly of small projects created from normal household junk we all most likely have in abundance. I'm still scratching my head on the infant floatie with the lightbulb inside, but I digress.

My favorite out of this collection is the tennis ball ear insulating covers (like those headphones you use when at a firing range). To those of us who are handy daily with a high-speed drill, this could be a cool and very cheap solution. Just remember to get a over-the-head connection that doesn't squeeze that noggin too much.

Another tasty solution from this collection involves an index finger portion of a standard dishwashing glove being used as a dampener of sorts for the end of that salad dressing bottle. How many times have we all accidentally overpoured our favorite dressing onto that nice salad? Talk about a cool kitchen hack that allows neat and easy dressing dispersal.

Vote for your favorite DIY lighting project or just take inspiration from them and make your own. We've brought you the silverwear chandelier, and the wine glass chandelier, and we're back with more. These inventive lighting projects use everything from latex gloves to measuring tape to the infamous Slinky.

My vote goes to the globe lamp (pictured here). I think this would look great in a home office. Picture this one over a child's desk. I'd like to try it out with an antiqued globe for a bit of a different effect. The current leader is the latex glove lamp. It looks great too. You'll have some trouble keeping them inflated, but if you have an event in mind they would make great decorations.

There are 19 projects in total, go vote for the one that you like best.

Your vacuum works hard, picking up crushed fishy crackers from under the couch, sawdust shavings from your latest DIY endeavor, and everyday particles of dust and dirt that find their home in yours. With a little love, you can keep your vacuum working stronger and longer. It doesn't take much, just a bit of consistent maintenance.

This article about how to maintain your vacuum cleaner takes you through the steps of proper at home vacuum cleaner maintenance. Check it out for in-depth instructions and instructional pictures. Here is my summary of their main points and the most important things to keep on top of:

If you came across this post innocently you're probably wondering how somebody would manage to fill their dishwasher with regular liquid soap. If you landed here because you were frantically searching for a fix then you probably have suds pouring out of your dishwasher and are looking for a solution after running it through 8 or 9 times without luck. This happened in my house, and we were all in quite a panic before we found this simple solution.

1. Take out the dish racks and dishes. Wash them by hand.
2. Scoop out as much of the overflow suds as you can. Grab a towel and sop up any excess water pooled at the bottom.
3. Put a cup (or two) of white vinegar in the dishwasher. Adding ice will lower the water temperature and inhibit the sudsing action. Run it for a full cycle.
4. Repeat if needed.

So there really is no need to worry, this huge problem is just a cup of vinegar away from being your next funny story.

Child proof caps certainly have their place. However, those of us who don't need an extra layer of protection between ourselves and the Tylenol just find them frustrating. Instructables has the fix.

In fact, they've demonstrated how to "disable" the three types of childproof tops: "Push down and turn," "Squeeze and turn" and "Press tab and turn." You'll need a thumbtack, a spoon and fingernail clippers, so get out your McGyver kits.

Now, we don't recommend performing these hacks in homes with children. Of course you knew that, but we had to say it anyway.

[Via Lifehacker]

A few years ago, I vacationed in a house full of chain-smokers. When I made it back to my own non-smoking home, I found that all my clothes smelled like I also smoked at least a pack a day. I like my friends, but not that smell! Multiple washings did nothing, and Febreze only helped a little bit, so I turned to Google in despair. I soon found a solution that seems nearly foolproof.

Many people already know that white vinegar in a small bowl will remove smoky or musty odors, and that you can put the bowl on a closet floor or shelf if those odors happen to be stuck in your coats and jackets. What many people do not know is that, if you put white vinegar in your wash water at the beginning of a laundry load, it will both freshen and soften the clothes being washed. The scent of vinegar will have miraculously disappeared by the end of the wash cycle, but everything will smell very clean. You don't need much vinegar: a half cup is sufficient, a full cup is plenty, and exact measurements probably aren't necessary. Don't forget to add your usual detergent, too!

You'll find more reasons to add some white vinegar to your laundry routine after the break.

We're almost halfway through our 30-day Toolstravaganza giveaway. So far we've given away several tool sets for general fix-it work, a Dremel tool, a few saws, a router and a drill. Today's prize is a professional-grade Chapin Premiere 2-gallon spray canister-- coated and constructed for years of use. Of course, we already know DIY weed killers aren't worth putting inside, but that shouldn't stop you from filling this with all kinds of caustic and hazardous liquids, should it?

To enter, just leave a comment on this post and validate it. The entry period for today is 5AM-11:59PM EST, July 28. As always, good luck and thanks for reading DIY Life. Full rules after the jump and on our Toolstravaganza page.

If you are like me, you like to keep your home smelling fresh and wonderful, but sometimes the joys of everyday life can get in the way. Kids, cooking, and indoor pets can all make us turn up our nose at the way our house smells. Using essential oils as a home fragrance can be an easy way to rid your home of the smells that can assault your nose.

Several drops of cinnamon oil or peppermint oil placed on cotton balls and put into a small jar or an empty margarine container with a few holes poked in the lids and placed behind a picture or behind furniture will leave your guest bedroom or bathroom smelling wonderful.

A few dabs of eucalyptus, oil of clove, or peppermint on a cool light bulb will ensure wonderful smells when the light is turned on, and the heat from the bulb allows the smell of the oil to drift across the room.