Home Help: Don't let your bathroom be a hazard
How To: Accident-Proof Your Bathroom
- Prevents slips and falls in the bathroom. Use rugs that are rubber backed or have a nonskid backing, and add bathmats or adhesive decals to prevent slips in the tub or shower (the rough areas provided by manufacturers are not enough). Also attach safety grab handles on the walls to aid in entering and exiting the tub. In case somebody does have an accident and fall in the bathroom, use only shatterproof glass for shower doors.
- Install grounded outlets if you do not already have them. If children use the bathroom, place childproof plastic plugs in outlets for safety.
- Be able to get into the bathroom if you need to. Have locks that can be unlocked from the outside in case someone inside has an accident.
- Place medications out of children's reach.
- Avoid scalding in the shower by installing a mixing valve with a temperature and pressure regulator. This valve keeps hot water from dousing you in the shower when a toilet is flushed or water is used in other parts of the house. -- ehow.com
Creature Comforts
If your family is expecting its first baby, and you want to prepare your pooch for the big change, here are some core concepts to keep in mind (next week, tips on getting Rover ready):
- Remember, pets need time to adjust to changes in the household, so start preparing gradually and well in advance.
- Dogs depend on their owners to socialize them to new people and situations.
- Dogs are pack animals, and packs have a hierarchy. It's common for the family dog to be sensitive to appearance or departure of individuals in their pack, or household.
- Changes in the home may trigger behavior changes. Most dogs can learn to accept newcomers once if given time to adjust, but the length of this adjustment period varies.
- Be aware that you and your spouse and other human family members may convey stressful feelings. Try to keep calm, and also do your best to shield the dog from your stress. Again, you want your dog to perceive the change (the addition of a new baby) as peaceful and pleasant as possible. Dogs, like young children, thrive on routine, security and calm environments. -- www.paw-rescue.org:
Coming Soon to Your Home?
Bangkirai LinkDeck says their wood tiles are an easy way to install hardwood flooring in basements, where moisture typical prevents wood boards from being installed. Because of the mesh backings, the deck tiles are supposed to allow any moisture to drain away (seems logical, since they were originally designed for outdoor use). So if you like the look of the tiles, you may want to consider them indoors as well as outdoors. Wood sure beats running around on a cold concrete floor. Prices run $7.15 per 12" x 12" tile. Check out www.linkdeck.com/basement_wood_flooring.html for more information. -- http://luxuryhousingtrends.com
Go Green
A tip from Treehugger.com on how to go green at home:
When it's time to bid a chair, table, bed, or dresser farewell, make sure it goes to a good home. Sell it on Craigslist, eBay or the local paper, give it away via Freecycle, or include it in your next yard sale. Putting it safely on the curb with a "free" sign on it can also do the trick. If you are the crafty type, lots of furniture can be repurposed into new functions or just freshened up with new paint or finish. No sturdy artifact should have to live out eternity in the landfill.
Kitchen Clutter
Over the next few weeks, we'll give you some tips on how to de-clutter your kitchen, courtesy of HGTV.com.
A crowded utensil drawer, while remaining unseen most of the time, is still a crowded utensil drawer. If digging in an overloaded drawer for a potato masher is more work than mashing the potatoes, it's time to invest in a compartmentalized organizer. Found at major home stores, the drawer organizers (also called cutlery trays) come in a variety of sizes and materials. Julie Morgenstern, author of Organizing from the Inside Out, recommends expandable, fine mesh containers - easy to fit and easy to clean. Resist the urge to pile everything back into the drawer. Instead, make sure you can clearly see and reach everything without having to dig.
Home and Garden Q&A
Q. I have an 8-foot-wide roller blind that has an unwound spring. I know how to rewind the spring, but I can't remember if the blind should be rolled up or unrolled completely before I rewind the spring and put the roller back into its brackets.
A. The safest way to rewind a large shade roller is to leave on its brackets. Pull the shade material down. Remove the roller and shade from the brackets and roll the material up onto the roller. Put the roller and shade back into the brackets and repeat the above until the spring has the necessary tension. - Doityourself.com
GateHouse News Service