Dennis Reed - Page 46 of 54

What is a Smart Diffuser?

What is a Smart Diffuser? In the last few years, almost every appliance you can think of, has become “Smart”. Smart refers the ability of your appliances to hook up with your phone through WI-Fi.

And you can argue that it is a great feature. But in how many cases can you think of, where the smart capacity is really that necessary?

The ones that immediately come to mine are security cameras and thermostats that can be scheduled rather than automatically coming on when you do not need them.

You can make a case for air purifiers that can be monitored through by your phone and a refrigerator that can tell you what the contents are in it ,when you’re at the store, but after that I start drawing a blank.

But one device that has a definite use for smart WI-Fi is an aromatherapy diffuser.

What is a smart essential oil diffuser?

A smart diffuser is a diffuser that comes with WI-Fi capabilities that give you the ability to schedule when it comes on and the ability to turn it on or off at any time through a smart phone app.

Why would you want or need these features?

Aromatherapy essential oils can have amazing effects on the mind and the body when used in short intervals. But after so much time, a person can become nose blind and not even recognize the smell of the essential oil in the air.

A smart aromatherapy essential oil diffuser gives you the ability to fill the diffuser and schedule it so that you get the appropriate amount of aromatherapy and are not overdoing it.

Another way having a smart diffuser can benefit you is you want to come home to a scent of lavender which is known to reduce stress and have a calming effect on you after a hard day at work. If you have the smart capability on your diffuser, you simply access it from your phone so that it turns on 10 or 15 minutes before you get there.

Using a diffuser to fall asleep

Many essential oils can can promote falling asleep and helping you sleep better when you are there. But sleeping with a diffuser on can be way too much of a good thing and actually stress your body out causing you to get a less than restful nights sleep.

By using the scheduling option of your smart diffuser you can control when the diffuser turns off so that you can relax to the aroma of your favorite essential oil to get to sleep and not worry about having to turn the diffuser off before you fall asleep.

Diffuser for Cold and congestion

On the same lines of using essential oils to fall asleep is the use of different essential oils like eucalyptus oil to help you breathe easier when you have a head or chest cold.

Different essential oils like peppermint and tea tree oil along with eucalyptus can help you breathe better while you are sleeping but you do not want to breathe it all night. But in the case of a cold, you may want to have the aroma at different intervals throughout the night.

That’s another way that having the scheduling capabilities of a WI-Fi smart diffuser can be beneficial in your home.

Like I said before, not every appliance needs a smart option, but with them aromatherapy diffusers, you can definitely make a good case for purchasing a smart diffuser.

Other smart diffuser features:

Scheduling is not the only feature you will find on a smart oil diffuser, though arguably the most important.

Other features that you will find on smart diffusers include:

1.Voice control

Why not? Think about it. If you’re trying to relax and having a hard time de-stressing, you probably are thinking about diffusing some lavender oil but you don’t want to have to get up and turn your diffuser on. Easy, just tell the diffuser to turn on for 15 minutes using the voice control feature.

2.Lighting

Most aromatherapy diffusers come with lights built in. Having the ability to turn the lights on or off or dimming them to match the ambience of the room with the aroma of essential oil is a very important capacity that having a smart diffuser can give you.

3.Mist control

You don’t always want your diffuser misting full blast and you don’t always have it set to mist enough. Having a smart Mist control on your diffuser is an excellent way to turn the stream of the mist up or down without having to get up and down trying to get it just right.

4.Notifications

Smart capabilities on your diffuser mean never having to manually check when your diffuser is running low on oils or water in the reservoir tank.
You can set your diffuser to let you know when your essential oil diffuser needs filling or check the status of your oils and water right from your phone app.

5.Google and Alexa

Accessing everything in your home from the lights to the thermostat has become a part of everyday life thanks to the ability to communicate with Alexa and Google from a smart hub in your home. Smart diffusers have the capacity to be connected to Google and Alexa in the same way. Why talk to your diffuser directly when your servant Alexa can do it for you.

Already have a diffuser?

If you already have a diffuser and don’t want to purchase another one but yet you like the ideal of having the smart capabilities of scheduling and being able to turn it on and off with your phone, smart plugs can basically make any appliance in your house into a Wi-Fi controllable device that can be monitored from your phone.

It may not be able to dial into your luxurious taste quite as well as purchasing the real deal, but smart plugs are useful for all types of appliances including space heaters, humidifiers, air purifiers, or anything that you can think of that you want to use in intervals or turn off when you’re asleep.

Also: Do it yourself Humidifier

4 Types of Germ-Free Humidifiers

Germ Free Humidifiers. It’s safe to say that humidifiers are one of the most maintenance heavy appliances you can have around the house.

Not only do they require refilling, they have a tendency to develop a pesky little problem called mold that if isn’t kept at bay can make the humidifier a air pollution problem all on its own.

It only makes sense that someone has been thinking about this problem and trying to come up with the solution to keep humidifiers from developing mold and bacteria or at least not as easily as it has been known to in the past.

4 types of germ-free humidifiers

1.Vaporizer

There has already been a self-cleaning humidifier available for years.

It’s called a vaporizer. And it cleans the water through boiling every time it is used.

Vaporizers humidify the air by adding steam which is done by boiling water.

The main issue with dirty humidifiers is the mold and bacteria that grow so easily in and around the appliance.

Standing water in a humidifier is also a invitation for mold growth.

But since vaporizers boil the water before it is emitted into the air as steam, any bacteria, germs, or mold is killed in the process before it ever has a chance to be coming part of your breathable air.

Another plus of using steam to moisturize the air is that it lends itself to adding a essential oil like eucalyptus or a medicinal product like Vicks to help open up your airways when you’re feeling congested.

Cons of Vaporizers

Though Vaporizers may have seemed to answer the problem of using a dirty humidifier,

they also have their issues that make them not as desirable for a lot of people.

First, like we’ve already pointed out, they bring water to a boiling point.

Which brings up a safety issue of keeping them around small children or even some nosy pets.

They do get very hot to the touch and if one is turned over, the temperature of the water is scalding.

Secondly, steaming the air heats up the room and makes it feel balmy.

And that may not be exactly the type of relief you were looking for when you are feeling under the weather.

Even the Mayo clinic suggest that warm mist humidifiers or vaporizers do not give the type of soothing relief from cold symptoms that a cool mist humidifier does.

Vicks is pretty much the top of the line for vaporizers and warm mist humidifiers. Not to mention they provide a anti congestion medicine to use as an additive with your vaporizer.

2. UV Humidifier

A humidifier with an ultraviolet light targeting mold and bacteria before they are able to pollute your air quality is a logical step in the hunt for a germ-free humidifier.

UV lights have been used to help reduce mold and bacteria as well as viruses on air purifier filters as well as treat the air through a tiO2 catalyst for quite some time.

The use of a ultraviolet lamp inside of a humidifier water tank eliminates the need for using distilled or de-mineralized water because the UV will kill 99.99% of bacteria and mold in the water that passes by it.

Another benefit of ultraviolet technology and humidifiers is the reduction of the white sediment dust known in cool mist air humidifiers.

Cons of UV humidifiers

Of course there is the expense of replacing the UV light approximately once a year, but since the humidifier does not require anything but tap water, the expense will probably be somewhat offset.

Honeywell HCM 350W is the standard in ultraviolet humidifiers.

3.Humidifier made with Antimicrobial plastic

If there were only a material that you construct a humidifier out of, that would resist the growth of of mold and germs..

Turns out there is.

Antimicrobial plastic is a type of plastic that has an antimicrobial additive that helps keep plastic products cleaner by inhibiting the production of mildew, bacterium and mold.

Antimicrobial plastic is a very exciting new technology that has the potential of completely changing the face of humidifier, dehumidifier, and air conditioning.

In a independent lab test, containing a sample of untreated plastic and a sample of plastic that has the antimicrobial additive, MRSA was added to both samples and incubated for 24 hours. The results were that the bacteria untreated plastic actually grew exponentially from 50,000 to over 500,000.
The antimicrobial plastic on the other hand had 99.9% fewer bacteria than the untreated plastic.

Air innovations are known for their stylish looks and different designs. Their model mh-71b is a germ-free humidifier that uses antimicrobial plastic in its construction. Give it a look.

4. Anti bacterial water additives

Maybe the simplest way to keep your humidifier from becoming a mold and bacteria germ farm is to use an antibacterial additive in the water.

This isn’t a new ideal, adding colloidal silver to humidifier water is a practice used in the alternative health industry for a long time.

Colloidal silver is said to have antimicrobial properties that help keep bacteria from growing in the water and also adds a natural antibiotic that is ingested when breathe in.

There may be some truth to this since most of the antimicrobial additives that you can purchase to put in your humidifier water have silver as one of the ingredients.

Antimicrobial additives are prepackaged pods and slow release containers that you put right into the humidifier tank to help keep bacteria and mold from taking root in the tank.

They are also an accessory that are sold with other types of any germ humidifiers like the ones we’ve already talked about including the ultraviolet and the humidifiers that are made from antimicrobial plastic construction.

Protech PC2 cleaning balls can kill up to 99% of bacteria and help protect your humidifier from algae, mildew and mold, and the slimy buildup you often find and your ultrasonic humidifier.

Guardian technologies also offers a product called Aqua Sticks that is a similar product that you add directly to the tank on your humidifier. The main ingredient in the Aqua Stick is Silver ion.

There is one major downside to using a Silver additive in your humidifier water and that is it only works in a ultrasonic humidifier.

Apparently the additive needs the extra catalyst of vibration to get the best performance out of it.

Recap

Humidifiers are particularly heavy on the maintenance side as far as appliances go because of the preposition of mold growth that happens very easily with inside of a humidifier.

This makes the need for a germ-free humidifier great.

In this article we have identified four ways in which a humidifier can be germ-free or less prone to bacteria growth.

1.Vaporizers use boiling water to steam the air, boiling kills any microorganisms in the water before it can become a problem

2.UV humidifiers contain a ultraviolet lamp that targets the mold and bacteria in the water and kills it before it can become part of the moisture emitted into the air.

3.Antimicrobial plastic is a material that resists the production of mold and bacteria as well as viruses.

The use of antimicrobial plastic in the construction of the humidifier can greatly reduce the threat of mold and germs that can easily become a threat with a standard humidifier.

4.Lastly there antibacterial additives that can be used in ultrasonic humidifiers that reduce the ability of mold and bacteria to take root.

6 Common Mistakes People Make When Using a Humidifier

Humidifiers typically come out of the closet during the dry winter months when the heater is running all the time and the air inside the house is stale and arid from having all the windows and door shut tight.

The main purpose of a humidifier is to add moisture back into the air when the relative humidity is low like in a heated home during the winter.

Dry air can create all types of symptoms including bloody noses, dry throat and dry cough as well as dry out your skin in exasperate topical skin conditions like eczema.

But as you probably already know, humidifiers have a dark side if they are not well maintained.

What are some of the common mistakes people make when using a humidifier?

1.Poor maintenance

Easily the most common mistake people make is not cleaning out the humidifier nearly as much is as needed.

Humidifiers especially in a hot house, can develop mold and bacteria inside them in a very short amount of time.

And since the whole purpose of a humidifier is to emit moisture droplets into the air,

when those droplets have bacteria and mold spores attached to them because of a poorly kept machine,

The humidifier is spitting out mold and bacteria along with the moisture that it is intended to be released.

And since molds for the bacteria in the air are a main source of household allergens… I think you get the point.

A dirty humidifier can easily be the source of your allergy symptoms rather than be the aid that it was meant to be.

2. Using tap water

It’s no secret that tap water has many unwanted chemicals that make it undesirable as a source of drinking water.

Tap water can contain Chlorine, Herbicides Mercury, Lead, and Fluoride just to name a few.

While the main point of using tap water in a humidifier is because the sediment left over from the tap water can help the production of mold,

There is the other side of it
That is when you are using water with so many contaminants in it to moisturize your air, you are in turn, inhaling a number of those contaminants as part of your air quality then.

The easiest way to avoid this is to use distilled water.

This is a controversial subject when it comes to humidifier do’s and don’ts.

And it could be argued that this is not a rule that applies to everyone since not everyone’s water supply is equally polluted or clean.

3. Excessive humidity

Humidity is not always your friend as you probably well know. Running a humidifier when you do not need it can cause the humidity to rise above, not only a comfortable place, bit a safe place in your home.

High humidity in the home is actually one of the main food sources for dust mites and mold.

Humidity droplets also can act like traveling containers that carry bacteria and viruses further through a room.

It is important to know the humidity level inside your home before you turn on and leave on a humidifier.

If you don’t already have a humidifier, consider buying one with a humidistat to measure the humidity.

If you have a humidifier already and it doesn’t have a humidistat, consider purchasing one to measure the relative humidity in your home to ensure that it is not exceed 40 to 50%. 40% being the more desirable.

4.Standing water

Standing water in a humidifier that is not being used can account for most of the bacteria and mold breeding in the unit.

If the water has been standing or even as little as 48 hours, you will probably see a film on top of the water we’re mold and algae are forming.

It’s important to dump the water out of the humidifier when it is not in use to avoid the humidifier becoming a germ farm.

Many people put a little bit of vinegar in their humidifier water to help prevent mold and bacteria from growing in the machine. Vinegar is a known bacteria inhibitor.

Apple cider vinegar is also known to have medicinal properties that can help alleviate congestion when it is combined with steam.

Adding apple cider vinegar to your vaporizer or warm mist humidifier is an easy way to help keep your unit clean and add extra value to your air moisturizer.

5. Improper Storage

Once the need for the humidifier is over and the air is back to its normal moisture consistency and everyone can breathe again in the house, the humidifier tends to be turned off and forgotten about.

But as as it is already been well established, mold and bacteria can easily grow inside of a humidifier making it a health hazard instead of a helpful device to increase humidity and help you breathe better.

Storing a humidifier right when it is not in use is important to keeping your humidifier working properly and safely.

When storing make sure that you thoroughly clean the humidifier and let it completely dry before it is put up.

Moisture is not the only prerequisite for mold, dark areas also have a big role.
When you store a damp humidifier and a dark spot, you were asking for mold to grow on and inside of the machine.

6. Cleaning before use

Even a humidifier that has been cleaned and stored properly can have nooks and crannies that did not exactly get completely dry before being stored.

If it is the first time for the season to be using the humidifier, it is important to thoroughly clean the unit before using it again.

Mold can be a resourceful plight they can find moisture in places you would not have thought.

Recap

Humidifiers can be one of the best and easiest devices that you can own to relieve symptoms related to dry air such as chapped lips, bloody noses, and scratching nasal passages.

But because of the way humidifiers work, they are predisposed for the breeding of mold and bacteria.

Putting an emphasis on the risk that a humidifier can create in your home and keeping your humidifier clean and clean and dry when it is not in use is very important to owning a humidifier.

9 Features To Look For in a Dehumidifier

How do you pick a dehumidifier?

Of course you want a machine that takes the humidity out of the air. But what other bells and whistles do they come with? Are there different types of dehumidifiers or size options?

Here’s a layout of the different features that you can expect to get with a dehumidifier along with how you can best choose a dehumidifier based on your own needs.

1. Size

Dehumidifiers come in three sizes.

30 pint
50 pint

70 pint

What size dehumidifier you need is based on the size of square footage that you’re wanting to reduce the moisture in and the amount of humidity that you’re wanting to reduce.

Each size is also based on the optimal amount of square footage one can cover versus the minimal amount of square footage that it will be adequate in.

In other words, a 30 pints dehumidifier maybe adequate for 1500 ft if your level of humidity is not excessive.

But if you have an exceptionally high level of moisture in a room, then a 30 pint dehumidifier would be more suited to 500 square feet.

So in the case of a 30 pint dehumidifier, the average would be 1,000 ft.

So based on the same type of calculation:

A 50 pint dehumidifier it’s for an average square footage of 1500 ft. 2500 square feet for a list damp area and 1,000 ft for an extremely wet area.

A 70 pint dehumidifier
An average square footage of 2000.
Excessive moisture 1500 and lighter moisture 2500.

2. Programmable Humidistat.

Also called a hygrometer or just plain humidity gauge.

Whatever you want to call it, it is the difference between a dehumidifier that measures the moisture in the air and turns on and off accordingly and a dehumidifier that you set up manually.

A very nice extra feature.

3.Automatic shut off

An automatic shut off will turn the machine off before it overflows. Some dehumidifiers will have an audible beep to let you know it’s time to empty the bucket.

Drainage spout. Dehumidifiers are sized by the size of their drainage tank.
The bigger the tank the bigger the area that it can effectively remove moisture in before the tank has to be emptied.
But another feature that you can get on a dehumidifier is a side drainage connection. This feature is so that you can hook up a garden hose or hard pipe it to drain outside into the garden for instance.

4.Mobility

Dehumidifiers can be a pretty bulky appliance weighing up to 40 lbs and even more. Getting a dehumidifier with casters so that the unit is easily pushed and pulled around is essential especially if you are moving it with the tank full to empty the water.

5.Auto defrost

Dehumidifiers operate the same way that a air conditioner does in that it drags warm air over refrigerated coils and captures the moisture from the air in the form of condensation.

And just like an air conditioner, when the temperature gets too low, the refrigerated coils can freeze over.

There are many circumstances like a damp basement that are not reliant on heat as a source of humidity. Like in the case of a wet basement, humidity can be high while the temperature is freezing.

Many dehumidifiers come with auto defrost so that the machine can be used in lower temperatures than the typical AC dehumidifier can run at.

The idea was simple, the machine runs till the coils freeze over, then the defroster kicks in to remove the ice.

Other types of defrost dehumidifiers simply power the compressor down and blow a fan across the coils.

6.Washable filters

Another way that dehumidifiers are similar to air conditioners is that they have a filter that has to be replaced periodically.
Purchasing a dehumidifier with a washable filter can remove the need and expense of purchasing filter replacements.

7. Noise Control

The noise that a dehumidifier produces is also an area that a dehumidifier is comparable to a window air conditioner.
Comparing dehumidifiers to find one that creates lower dBs is well worth it especially if you’re going to have a dehumidifier in the same room as the TV or if you are planning to edit a video or record sound in the same room with it.

8. Heat Control

Dehumidifiers, like a window conditioner, expel heat as it is running.

If you ever have walked behind an air conditioner while it is running, you have probably felt heat coming off of the machine. Dehumidifiers have the same type of heat coming off as they operate.

Since it is typically in the summer when the humidifiers are mostly needed, having Heat expelled from the rear of the unit is not exactly what you want.

Some dehumidifiers create less Heat in the process of removing moisture than others do.
Finding out how much heat a dehumidifier puts out is a must when you are researching what type of dehumidifier to buy.

9. Type of Dehumidifier

Finally if removing a lot of humidity from the air is not the most important thing for having a dehumidifier on your list, there is another type of dehumidifier that uses a chemical to adsorb humidity called a desiccant dehumidifier.

The benefit to this type of dehumidifier is that it is much quieter than the typical dehumidifier.

But the downside is that the chemical that it uses to adsorb the humidity has an aroma.

How to Stay Warm Without Heat or Electricity

Are you prepared for a power outage this winter? You never know when it’s going to snow so hard that you can’t leave your house and are possibly snowed in for several days. And what’s worse, electric lines can easily snap and leave you without electricity during a blizzard.

What do you do if you find yourself in that situation?

How do you stay warm without heat or electricity?

Generator

Gas heater
Battery Operated Heater
Fireplace

Put on Extra Layers of Clothing
Wrap Up in Blankets
Close Up any Part of the House You Don’t Need

Weather Seal Around Doors and Leaky Windows
Warm liquids and Hot soup
Open the Curtains and Let the Sunlight In

Huddle Up
Go to Grandma’s house or a shelter
Warm Bath

Hopefully this article is a before the fact type of article that succeeds in urging you to invest in a generator or gas heater of some sort.

1.Generator

When electricity goes out, having a emergency generator on hand is the best possible scenario. A portable generator is not only useful in emergencies, it is a great way to stay warm when you are on a camping trip or hike.

2.Gas heater

Having some sort of gas heater, whether it be propane or kerosene on hand if you are stuck in a situation with no electricity to heat your home is a lifesaver. Consider purchasing a indoor vent free propane heater. You stop a heater comes equipped with a oxygen sensor that will shut the machine off if it detects a lack of oxygen in the room and the risk of asphyxiation.

3.Battery operated heater

Just like you should keep a flashlight loaded with fresh batteries ready for such a Time as this, having a battery operated space heater and package of brand new batteries handy will get you out of a miserably cold situation and sustain you till you can get the power back on.

4.Fireplace

Keeping your fireplace stocked is a simple way of making sure that you have a way of keeping warm at the electricity goes out.

5.Thermal underwear

Long johns, thermal underwear, whatever your favorite way of referring to them is, can give you an extra layer of warmth , whether or not you are stuck in a cold house or you’re out on a job where there is no heat or electricity.

6.Put on extra layers of clothes

Lettering up is a great way to keep the warp insulated inside of your clothes. Remember that your feet and your head is where your body heat exits the fastest. Pay special attention to where extra socks and a toboggan to keep your body temperature at a safe place.

7. Blankets

Stocking up on blankets may seem like a waste of space until you find yourself in a situation where you need those blankets. Bundling up in a warm blanket is a excellent way of building up body heat in order to get and stay warm.

8.Close up the parts of the house you don’t need

If you find yourself with that electricity trying to warm up in your house, close the doors to any part of the house you don’t need. That will not only reduce the amount of area that needs heating, keeping everybody in the same room will combine everyone’s body heat.

9.Weather seal around doors and drafty windows.

Putting towels under the door and window seals will help keep cold air from pushing through the windows and the doors.

9.Drink warm beverages and eat hot soup

If you have a gas stove, a hot bowl of soup or warm tea can have a very warming effect on your body.

10.Open the curtains and let the sun in

During the day when the sun is out, open the shades and let the sun warm the room up. The sun coming through the window will have the extra benefit of the window magnifying it, and helping add some warmth to your home. In the same respect, close the drapes at night so that the cold night Air does not amplify through the Windows.

11. Huddle up.

Two bodies are better than one. If you have someone to huddle up with even if it’s a dog or a cat, the combination of bodies will cause an exponential rise in the amount of body heat you can generate.

12. Go to Grandma’s house or a shelter

Sometimes the best thing to do is just find a different place to get. If your home is too cold for you to safely stay then it might be time to find a shelter that will help you out during the excessive cold.

13. Warm bath

Assuming that you have a gas water heater, taking a hot bath is a great way to warm up quickly. The trick is to get dried off and into some jammies and under the covers before you get cooled off afterwards

What is Bleach and Baking Soda Good For? (and Not!)

What is Bleach and Baking Soda Good For? Bleach is a household cleanser that most people have around the house and baking soda is another item that people keep around the house.

Both of them have dozens of uses individually. But did you know that mixing bleach with baking soda is a safe use of both products to create an even more potent diy household cleaner then either can accomplish alone?

In this article, you will find out a few of the excellent applications for bleach and baking soda and you will also find out what it is not good for.

1. Bleach and baking soda for mold

Bleach is one of the best ways of killing mold in your shower but just spraying bleach on mold is hard to manage in a way that is effective enough to do a good job because it runs off and down the wall nearly as fast as you put it on.

But when you combine baking soda with bleach at a three to one baking soda to bleach ratio, you get a pasty, gritty, substance that can be wiped on the top of mold where it will stay.

Giving the bleach the time it needs to sit and kill the bacteria.

Afterwards the gritty paste is used as a scrubbing agent to help get the discoloration of mold out of the bath or shower.

2.Bleach and baking soda for white clothes

Bleach is pretty much the gold standard for getting stains out of white clothes.

But baking soda also has whitening properties that can get stains out of a white garment rather nicely too.

But out of the two, bleach is the clear winner.

But together, bleach and baking soda can make a very effective stain remover for white clothes because baking soda is a terrific odor remover that will help reduce the smell of bleach when they are mixed together, which is one of the main reasons people steer away from it.

Be sure to follow the instructions on the bleach bottle for proper water to bleach amounts.

3.Homemade grout cleaner

Bleach and baking soda is also a very effective homemade grout cleaner. Bleach is a very strong mold and bacteria disinfectant cleaner but it is not very useful when you’re trying to clean a wall with it because being a liquid it just runs off.

Grout is one of those problems that bleach is a very good remedy for because of its whitening properties. But it needs a thickening agent to keep it on the wall long enough to soak in and eliminate the bacteria and remove the stains.

By making a mixture of 3/4 cup of baking soda and 1/4 cup of bleach, you can rub the mixture on the grout and let it sit for as long as you want it to, though as little as 15 minutes is probably all it’s going to take. The baking soda gives it the abrasive quality it needs to be able to scrub the areas that don’t easily come off.

4.Bleach and baking soda for toilet bowls

A easy way to clean the ring out of a toilet bowl is to just pour a half gallon of bleach into the toilet and let it sit.

But sometimes, even with that level of concentrated bleach actively killing the bacteria in the toilet, you still need an abrasive element to finish getting the ring off of the toilet.

Baking soda can be added to bleach safely and used as a scouring agent to help get the ring out of the toilet and also help absorb some of the odor from the bleach.

5.Bleach and baking soda for drains

This is a bad one. Somehow bleach has made it to the top of household items that is recommended to pour down a drain when you have a clog. But the truth is, bleach will not do much of anything to clear out a clogged drain.

And after it is realized that it is not going to do anything to help with the clog, people tend to pour a different kind of cleaner down the drain.

The problem is, bleach has a list of things that it should never be mixed with, and some of those things or other items that people try to clear the drain out with.

The whole point is, pouring bleach down the drain is pretty much just asking for a poisonous combination to happen when someone else comes along and pours something else down the drain.

6.Bleach and baking soda for your pool

Bleach and baking soda can actually be used as a substitute for costly pool chemicals better purchase to kill algae and maintain pH.

Baking soda is also known as sodium bicarbonate. If you look on the list of ingredients contained in your alkalinity raising product, you’ll find that it is almost 100% sodium bicarbonate. And baking soda cost me your pennies compared and is something you probably already have in your refrigerator to soak up smells in it.

Unscented bleach at an 8.25% strength is a perfectly good substitute for granular chlorine.

Remember to wear rubber gloves and a mask anytime you’re using bleach.

Ventilation is very important when using bleach so prepare ahead of time to be able to keep the windows open and exhaust fans running.

You also want to be sure to wear old clothes that you don’t mind getting white spots on when using bleach, because it’s almost impossible to clean with bleach without getting at least a little bit of it on your clothes somewhere.

DIY Coil Cleaner

When is it Too Cold to Run Air Conditioner for Dehumidifying?

One of the functions of an air conditioner is that it simultaneously lowers the humidity inside of the house when it is running. But unfortunately as the temperature drops outside so does the performance of the AC as both a cooler and a dehumidifier.

WHEN IS IT TOO COLD TO RUN A AIR CONDITIONER?

Air conditioners and dehumidifiers are not meant to be run when the temperature is below 65° for any extended time.

There are two reasons for this.

1. Freezing up
2. Oil is to Thick

1. Freezing up
When the air outside is too cold, the warm air that would normally turn into condensation as it crosses over the cooling coils is too cool already and instead of forming condensation it turns to ice.

2. 2. Oil is to Thick
AC Compressors are made to work in warm weather which means that they require a thicker grade of oil. This is because when the temperature is warm, it thins down the oil to a good operating thickness. But when the temperature outside is not warm enough to thin the oil, it remains thick and does not supply the level of lubrication needed without causing a risk of damaging the air conditioning compressor.

Most of the time there is not any use for an air conditioner in the cool months. And turning the heater on helps dry the air out as fast or faster than a dehumidifier.

On the occasion you need to turn on the air conditioner in the winter for a few minutes, the risk of damaging it is minimal. But turning on the air conditioner and leaving it to cycle on and off is asking for problems.

If you have excessive moisture caused from a leak or flooding and need more than just a fan or a heater to help dry up the air in the winter months, dehumidifiers can be purchased that can be operated at much lower temperatures.

These dehumidifiers come in two different types.

1. Dehumidifier with defrost
2. Desiccant dehumidifier

1.Dehumidifier with Defrost

A Dehumidifier with defrost mode is exactly what it sounds like.

Since the standard dehumidifier runs exactly like a refrigerated air conditioning unit which pulls warm air over the AC coils and condenses it into a bucket or outside by the means of a garden hose.
Freezing over when the temperature is too low is a problem.
What’s the solution? Adding a defroster to the unit that cycles on and off keeping the cooling coils from freezing over.
These dehumidifiers are made with areas like a cold damp basement in mind.

2. Desiccant dehumidifier

Desiccant dehumidifiers work by the means of a chemical adsorber which is called a desiccant.

A desiccant can be as simple as a product cold “damprid” which is a product that comes in a small container that is opened and left to absorb moisture in a small area.

A desiccant dehumidifier is a little more complicated than that. The desiccant in a dehumidifier is not only used as an absorber it is also heated up to release humidity also.

A two-part process where humid air is pulled into the dehumidifier and absorbed, reheated into humidity form again and then caught in a tank as condensation.

Desiccant dehumidifiers do not have the capacity to pull large amounts of moisture out of the air like the regular refrigerated condensing units do.

In fact they have been described as a way to keep dry air dry.

This is probably a good point to tell you that the chemical that they use to adsorb air is the same chemical in gel packs and does have an odor.

Nevertheless there are some applications like condensation in the bathroom where a desiccant dehumidifier maybe preferred because it does not rely on a loud compressor running to do the job.

A desiccant dehumidifier can also be a good alternative and a damp basement is long as it is not excessively damp.

Again, running a compressor base dehumidifier can be pretty loud, definitely loud enough to interfere with the TV or sound and video recording.

But a desiccant dehumidifier is definitely not useful in a remedial flood damage type situation.

Recap

When is it too cold to run an air conditioner?

65°

When the temperature outside gets to about 65°, the air passing over the cooling coils on an air conditioner has a tendency to start freezing up. At that point not only will you not have AC, you do not have any of the dehumidifying properties of an AC either.

Another problem with running the AC in the winter is that the oil that is used in the AC compressor is a summer specific thicker grade that thins in warmer weather.

When the temperature outside is not warm enough, the oil does not thin out properly leaving the compressor to work without the proper lubrication which could mean eventual damage to your unit.

Are you going to turn your AC on and winter and have a complete breakdown? Probably not.

There are times when you you may need to turn on the air conditioner in the winter for a few minutes to make sure it works, in that kind of circumstances you should be fine.

If you are using your AC to dehumidify, the same problems exist.

High humidity usually comes with high heat so once the Heat has tapered off, the humidity tapers off too.

If you are having a problem with humidity inside of your house in the cool months, there may be moisture getting into the house through other means.

Dehumidifiers that work in cooler temperatures can be purchased.

For excessive humidity in the winter, dehumidifiers with defrosters and defrost mode are available to help pull the large amount of humidity from your air.

If humidity in the winter is only a casual problem whereas the windows are getting condensation or you have an art room that is too damp for your paint to dry, you might go with a desiccant dehumidifier instead.

Desiccant dehumidifiers use a chemical absorber that pulls a much lower level of humidity out of the air is much quieter than the typical dehumidifier.

and if you are going to use one in a small area like a arts and craft room, beware that the chemical used in these dehumidifiers does have a small odor.

Are Electric Heaters Bad For Your Health? Cross-Examination

Are Electric Heaters Bad For Your Health? I would have to admit that I am the first one that has a bit of apprehension when it comes to running an electric heater. Especially at night.

I can’t explain the fear other than maybe I am afraid that something is going to catch on fire if I leave it alone or fall asleep.

But I am not the only one that has an apprehension to electric heaters. Many people do.

Some of the most common worries are whether electric heaters can be bad for your health or if they can cause carbon monoxide poisoning or even cause cancer.

So are these fears based in any kind of reality or can they be put the rest using some basic logic?

First of all there’s all types of space heaters that run off electricity including fuel-based heaters that are equipped with an igniter that needs electricity to get started.

An electric space heater is more likely to be defined as a small heater that you plug in to warm a small space. A machine that is heating up coils that glow red and orange. And buzzing loudly as it does so.

So let’s take these concerns one at a time.

Are electric heaters bad for your health?

You could say that electric heaters are bad for your skin health. Because they do dry out the air.

But in truth, the whole humidifier industry is built around the ideal that heaters dry out the air during the winter months when the heater stays on so much and the windows stay closed.

Do space heaters or electric heaters dry out your skin or cause bloody noses or dry throat? Or any other dry symptom related to low humidity?

Probably.

But it’s a problem that is easily combated with a cool mist humidifier running in your home alongside any space heaters you have running.

There are also easy and natural ways to humidify your home like putting a bowl of water out into a room or just leaving the door to the bathroom open when you take a shower.

Can electric heaters produce carbon monoxide?

No. Carbon monoxide is an invisible gas found in fumes. Fumes that are produced by burning fuel.

There are types of heaters that do pose a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning because they do run primarily off of burning fuel. Fireplaces, furnaces, even kerosene lamps and heaters all work by burning fuel.

But electric heaters do not pose a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning because they simply do not run or heat the air by burning any type of fuel.

Do electric heaters cause cancer?

The ideal that an electric heater can cause cancer comes from the assumption that electric heaters create ultraviolet radiation.

But infrared space heaters do not create UV radiation but infrared Radiation. There is no scientific evidence that infrared radiation causes cancer.

Electric space heaters have grown leaps and bounds and now come with a variety of features like cool touch, safety shut off if the heater gets up against something or if a a item of clothing is thrown on it, and safety shut off for being tipped over.

Many of the worries like getting burned if you touch it or tipping it over and catching a fire are just not something that can take place with modern electric space heaters.

If you will follow a few basic rules there is no reason why your electric heater shouldn’t be absolutely safe.

1. Distance
Don’t run it around anything flammable. It probably goes without saying that you’re not going to run your space heater around gasoline but remember aerosol cans can be explosive when heated to a certain temperature. Certain fabrics can also be combustible because of plastics and nylons that are threaded in them.

2. Grounded Plug
Make sure that the outlet you have your electric heater plugged into is grounded. That means it has three prongs. Electric heaters are known for surging when they cycle on and off. If your heater is not properly grounded, you can be risking a fire.

3. Smoke Alarm
Make sure you have a smoke alarm and that you keep a fresh battery in it.
Regardless of whether you’re running a space heater or have lighted candles in the house, smoke alarms are a must to prevent a would-be fire.

4. Not a Dryer
Don’t use it to dry your clothes. Throwing any clothes on the space heater spells bad luck. Towels that have been used to wipe up greasy messes can be very hard to get completely clean and become a fire hazard if exposed to the type of heat that comes from an electric space heater.

5. Be Aware
Don’t leave it running when you’re not around. Of course there are times when you want to have a heater on before you get into the room so that the room has a chance to heat up, and those types of situations make sure you use the proper diligence to make sure you adhere to the best safety advice.

These days, smart plugs abound, that can give you the ability to turn your heater on from your smartphone or schedule it to come on or go off at a certain time.
If you need to fall asleep with your heater on, a timer or smart plug is an excellent way to have it power down during the night so you can get to sleep and rest easier knowing that you’re not in risk while you are asleep.

6. Safety Qualifications
Make sure you only use a heater that is in compliance with all the safety regulations and is certified by UL, ETL, or CSA.

After all, What is the alternative? Frostbite? Freezing your skivvies off all winter? We all got to have heat in the winter and if you live up north, you know how much having a space heater for your feet can make a difference.

But if you are using a gas heater, kerosene heater, propane heater, or even just a fireplace, these are the type of space heaters that have to be vented outdoors.

If you are using a space heater that requires any type of fuel, besides making sure that it is adequately ventilated, you should also make sure your carbon monoxide detector has a fresh battery. And if you do not have a carbon monoxide detector, they are fairly cheap, as low as 15 to $20 in some cases.

How Long Does it Take Spray Paint to Dry?

How long does it take spray paint to dry?

With a standard temperature of 65 to 85°, spray paint will be dry enough to add another coat after 5 minutes. To be completely dry, anywhere from an hour to 24 hours.

Of course, there are variables.

1. Thickness
2. Climate
3. Type of surface.

1. Thickness
The thickness you apply spray paint has a great deal with how long it’s going to take to dry. Generally it is better to put on one light coat at a time. A light coat will take much less time to dry and help you avoid drips.

(quick tip: if spray paint is dripping onto your fingers, you probably have your finger too far up on the nozzle. Try backing up a little bit.)

2. Climate.

Spray paint doesn’t fair too well and humid conditions, especially if it’s raining. Finding a dry area to paint in will help you speed up the process. If you’re stuck painting somewhere moist, you can use a hair dryer or heat gun on a low setting. Make sure you go back and forth across your area and don’t apply any heat to one area too long.

3. Type of surface.

A smooth surface is what you’re after for quit drying. If you’re trying to paint something that has a lot of pores or divots, you can expect a wait a little longer for it to dry.

How long does it take spray paint to dry on metal?

For your metal spray paint project, allow 36 to 48 hours to dry before using.
On metal, the best spray paint is going to be a rust proof enamel. Which also means it’s going to take longer to dry.

How long does it take spray paint to dry on wood?

10 to 15 minutes. Wood is much more porous and has a tendency to absorb. Which can make the drying time a little faster.

How long does it take spray paint to dry on plastic?

Spray paint on plastic takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes to dry.

If you are in a cool or humid area, it is not advised to use a heat gun to speed up the process. A heat gun could end up melting the plastic.

How long does it take spray paint to dry on cardboard?

24 hours before you add a second coat.
Cardboard takes a little more love to spray paint and requires a lot of patience to get right. Be sure to start our off with light coats or you will get the paper wet and be prepared to set it aside and do something else before you add another coat.

How long does it takes spray paint to dry on fabric?

Allow 72 hours to dry before you wear or use.
For fabric, you should make very light passes and let it dry in between passes to build up to a solid color.
Also, the quality of spray paint you use will make a big difference.
There are fabric spray paints available that will make your job much more successful than a cheap can of spray paint.

How long does it take spray paint to dry on glass?

24 hours to completely dry and 15 minutes between adding coats.
Glass as you can imagine, needs very light coats to avoid streaking and drips.

(quick tip) Shake the spray paint a full two minutes before using to avoid drips.
It’s on the directions of every can of spray paint but it is very seldom that you see somebody follow those directions. And it is amazing how much difference it makes when you do shake the can properly.

How long does it take spray paint to dry on paper?

24 hours. It is very easy to get too much spray paint on a piece of paper. In order to make it work, it takes very light passes that are allowed to dry completely before spraying again.

How long does it takes spray paint to dry on rubber?

24 hours. 30 minutes between second coat passes.

Rubber is a very porous surface. For that reason it takes more time to dry and more patience to get right.
If you don’t use a quality paint and give it the diligence it requires, you can expect it to come off pretty easy.

Conversely you can also purchase rubber spray paints that spray a layer of rubber as the paint. These are products like Flex seal the most often the weather sealing products rather than paint.

How long does it take spray paint to dry on canvas?

It’s important to use a primer on canvas.

Primer will take about 1 hour to dry.
Spray paint will dry on canvas using light coats enough for a second coat within 5 minutes.
It will take 1 to 2 hours to be fully dry.

How long does it take spray paint to dry on concrete?

It takes masonry spray paint 24 hours to dry.
Concrete absorb spray paint very easily and takes a few coats to get nice and dark.
You probably noticed how fast it takes spray paint to dry on your concrete when you’re trying to avoid spraying it.
If you’re doing a serious concrete painting job, there are better ways to paint concrete than spray paint.
You’ll want to start off with an epoxy seal and then by the correct paint that is made for external conditions.

How to make spray paint dry faster?

Spray paint needs a dry environment to get the best results out of it.

If you’re on a humid area and don’t have access to a dry area, there are a few things you can do to lower the humidity.

1. Space heater
2. Fans
3. Dehumidifier
4. Air conditioner
5. Charcoal briquettes
6. Hair dryers and heat guns

1. Running a space heater is an easy way to dry up a room but if the weather is humid, more heat may not be comfortable solution.

2. Placing fans, osculating around the room we’ll also help dry out the air.

3. Dehumidifiers are made to pull the moisture out of the air but they also expel heat out of the back as they’re working. So they may not be a great solution for summer unless you were thinking ahead and run the dehumidifier before you do your spray painting.

4. Air conditioning uses the same function as a dehumidifier to dry up the room. A great solution if it’s summer…

5. Charcoal briquettes or a great DIY solution to pulling moisture out of your art room. Putting charcoal briquettes in a few cans or containers around a room can help pull moisture out of the air and look very Arty if someone comes in and notices them.

6. Running a hair dryer or heat gun over the surface will help the paint dry faster. Make sure they are on low because they will push the paint and add ripples if you are not careful.
a heat gun is not recommended for certain surfaces like plastic and canvas because it will melt them very easily if you are not careful.

Homemade Floor Cleaner – My 6 Favorite Recipes

Keeping the floors clean is a necessary evil that none of us necessarily want to have to deal with.

And when it comes to the commercial floor cleaners available, there are other “evils” in the form of dangerous chemicals that are less than environmentally friendly, not to mention unfriendly to you and your families health.

Especially if you or someone in your family is already as a pre-existing allergy or sufferers from asthma.

There is also the issue of toxic residues that can be left behind on your floors after using commercial cleaners. Residues that you do not necessarily want your babies getting on their hands which will inevitably get into their mouth.

The good news is you probably already have everything you need in the house to make your own homemade floor cleaner. Not only make your own, but make a better version then you can get from The big box store.

Here is a list of 6 of my favorite homemade floor cleaning recipes.

1.”All Purpose” homemade floor cleaner

The first homemade floor cleaner is super awesome for cleaning linoleum. It is also great for cleaning vinyl flooring, laminates, tile, and hardwoods.

Ingredients:

Two cups of warm water
Half a cup of white vinegar
A quarter cup of rubbing alcohol

Three drops of non antibacterial dish soap. Don’t use Castile soap. Castile soap is oil-based and will leave your floor full of streaks.
And 5 to 10 drops of essential oil. (Peppermint is my favorite)

Simply mix it all together and pour it into a spray bottle. Or you can also just put it in your mop bucket, but I prefer a spray bottle because when I’m done I can just put the rest under the sink instead of dumping it out.

To use it simply, spray it on the floor or directly on your mop.

2. Homemade wood floor cleaner

This recipe has two versions one with vinegar and one without vinegar.

Homemade hardwood floor cleaner without vinegar

This recipe doubles as a floor polish that will leave your hardwood floors with a gorgeous all natural luster.

Ingredients:

A gallon of hot water
3/4 of a cup of olive oil
Half a cup of lemon juice

Mix all the ingredients into a bucket.
And with a wrong out mop, apply the solution to your floor. Allow your floor to completely dry.

And you’re finished. There’s no need to rinse it, the water and lemon does the cleaning, and the olive oil leaves polished Sheen.

3. How to clean hardwood floors with vinegar

A lot of people don’t want to use vinegar in their homemade floor recipes because of the acidity. But when you mix it with water it becomes a great additive to help cut through dirt and grime. Also Vinegar, like it does as a windshield cleaner, will leave a streak free appearance to your floor.

Ingredients:

Half a cup of white vinegar
A gallon of warm water

Three drops of essential oil (if you’re trying to emulate a household cleaner like pledge, try lemon essential oil to get a similar aroma effect)

That’s the full mop bucket recipe. If you want to put it in a spray bottle or use a refillable mop, reduce the water down to 16 oz and the vinegar down to about 3 tsp.

No need to rinse as the vinegar will give it a natural shine.

4. Homemade disinfectant floor cleaner

This recipe is not only a great bathroom floor cleaner, it also works great as a all-purpose bathroom cleaner they will not only clean your tiles and shower, will disinfect your bathroom is well.

Ingredients:

A gallon of hot water

1/4 cup of Borax

( if you never heard of Borax, it has an amazing amount of household uses besides homemade floor cleaner. You usually find it with the clothes detergent in the supermarket)

Fix the ingredients together and mop and shine your floor. In my opinion this is one of the best recipes for cleaning a marble floor.

5. Homemade laminate floor cleaner

Though laminate is one of the easiest types of floor to take care of, if you use the wrong cleaner to do the job, you can mess up the finish.

Ingredients:

5 oz of white vinegar

5 oz of rubbing alcohol
5 oz of distilled water
Three to five drops of essential oil

( lemon makes a great household scent, but you can also get a great spice smell from mixing lemon with orange and peppermint!)

Using this mixture and a spray bottle is a great way to be able to store it later.

6. Homemade vinegar floor cleaner

Ingredients:

2 tbsp of white vinegar

1 and 2/3 cups of baking soda
Half a cup of dish washing soap (liquid)
Half a cup of warm water

Mix the ingredients together. It’s a little more to mix than some of the other recipes because of the addition of dish soap and baking soda but it’s well worth it.

This homemade vinegar cleaner is not just for floors. It is equally effective at cleaning the toilet, the shower, and your mucky countertops.
It’s also a great stain remover for carpet.

Remember to rinse the floor well after using this DIY vinegar floor cleaner.

7. Strong homemade floor cleaner

If you find that all natural ingredients in your floor cleaner are not quite living up to your expectations, there is a version, that may be right down your alley.

Ingredients:

Water

Rubbing alcohol
Vinegar
A few drops of dish soap

This recipe mixes equal parts of the vinegar, water, and rubbing alcohol.

As you can imagine it can be quite strong to the nostrils.
You can also be very aggressive with certain surfaces.
The best ideal is to test it out on a small area before diving in.
You would not want to take the color out of something or take the finish off either.

Homemade floor cleaning is easy and convenient. And it gives you the Peace of mind of knowing that you don’t have harsh chemicals in your home they can make your family sick.