Kiss’s Gene Simmons has put his mansion on the market. The rockstar’s $14 million dollar Beverly Hills abode is a great example of a stunning celebrity mansion; one that’s fun just to look at (even if it’s wildly out of your price range). But this particular manor comes with some intense restrictions. Realtor.com reports that Simmons has a list of criteria he is looking for in a prospective buyer beyond just having the finances available to make the purchase. So, if you’re in the market for a 7,740-square-foot Beverly Hills mansion, find out if you’d make the cut.

What Is the Mansion Like?

According to Realtor.com, Simmons’ mansion was designed by the Swiss architect Roger P. Kurath. The architect wanted to highlight the views of the nearby landscape- namely the mountains, valleys and the ocean. To do this, Kurath opted for “glass, steel, oak wood and concrete elements.” He also incorporated “solar-power for pool and radiant heated flooring, eco-materials and fire-resistant, waterproof triple-panel windows” into the build.

Lisa Young, the listing agent from Compass, told Realtor.com that the mansion also features five bathrooms, 12-foot ceilings, a gallery space, a home theater, a 40-foot glass-like infinity pool, a half wall containing a fire pit that separates the chef’s kitchen from the living room, a 1,800-square-foot outdoor space with a second fire pit, a grill, ample seating, drought-tolerant landscaping and bronze sculptures. Simmons told Young that the ocean views from the bedroom are one of his favorite things about the home.

Why Is Simmons So Strict About Prospective Buyers?

Realtor.com reports that Simmons gave an interview with the Wall Street Journal about his selection process. In that interview, he revealed that he doesn’t want the new owners to “soil the happy memories he and his family have made inside its walls.” To that effect, he elaborates on his criteria, explaining that they include “no drugs, no alcoholics. I don’t want anybody coming in there who is going to destroy the place.”

Source

Rocker Gene Simmons Is Selling His Ultramodern Mansion for $14 Million—but He’s Set Very Strict Rules for Prospective Buyers, Realtor.com, 2025.

Gene Simmons of Kiss Lists Beverly Hills House for $13.99 Million, Wall Street Journal, 2025.

The post For $14 Million You Can Rock n’ Roll All Night in Gene Simmons Beverly Hills Mansion appeared first on Family Handyman.

What Do Green Porch Lights Mean?

According to the United States Army Reserve, changing one porch light to a green bulb is part of the “Greenlight a Vet” campaign. This campaign was established to give people a way to show “visible national support for our veterans.” If all your neighbors’ porch lights are green, they’ve probably chosen that color as an aesthetic choice. However, a single green bulb most likely means the residents are participating in this campaign.

Why Green?

The United States Army Reserve explains that “green is the color of hope, renewal and well-being. ‘Greenlight’ is also a term commonly used to activate forward movement.” Given that veterans are often overlooked when they return home from their tour of duty, “the simple action of changing one light to green is intended to spark a national conversation regarding the recognition of veterans.” The hope is that by having a single green light up, neighbors will stop to ask about the light and start a conversation about veterans and their needs once they come home. It is also a way to “‘greenlight’ them forward as valued members of our communities.”

Is This Campaign Year-Round?

The informational poster distributed by the United States Army Reserve makes it clear that the campaign is intended to run in perpetuity. It’s not limited to Veterans’ Day, Memorial Day or any other holiday that acknowledges veterans. Rather, it’s intended to keep the conversation flowing at all times so that different communities can discuss, organize and support their local veterans.

Source

Greenlight a Vet, United States Army Reserve.

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The post If You See Green Porch Lights, Here’s What It Means appeared first on Family Handyman.

How Is GM Fixing This Engine Failure Problem?

GM “dealers will inspect the engine, and as necessary, repair or replace the engine.” They also say that “for vehicles that pass inspection, dealers will add higher viscosity oil, install a new oil fill cap, replace the oil filter, and update the owner’s manual.” Dealers will perform all these repairs free of charge, so don’t put off scheduling this maintenance.

Source

Engine Failure, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2025.

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The post GM Recalls 600,000 Vehicles Over Defective Engines appeared first on Family Handyman.

What States Have Legalized Fireworks?

The American Pyrotechnics Association (APA) has a map breaking down the legality of fireworks state by state. Only one state outright bans consumer fireworks; the other 49 states and Washington, D.C., allow them in at least one fashion. Each state has different rules about the time frame in which fireworks are legal and which specific ones are prohibited; the APA also has a directory so you can easily check the regulations in your state. Ohio, for example, allows the sale of consumer fireworks year-round, while California limits the sale from June 28 to July 6.

States Where Most Firework Types Are Legal

Washington, D.C., as well as the following 47 states, allow “some or all types of consumer fireworks permitted by federal regulations,” according to the APA:

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arkansas
• Arizona
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Iowa
• Indiana
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Mexico
• New York
• New Jersey
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming
• District of Columbia

States Where Fireworks Are Legal With Limitations

Two states only allow “wire or wood stick sparklers and other novelty items”:

• Illinois
• Vermont

In What States Are Fireworks Illegal?

Massachusetts outright forbids personal fireworks displays. According to the state website, “Massachusetts law prohibits the possession, use, and sale of fireworks without a permit and certification. The law applies even if you buy them legally in another state.”

Source

• Leave Fireworks to the Professionals, Mass.gov.
• State Fireworks Control Laws, American Pyrotechnics Association, 2021.

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The post States Where Fireworks Are Legal (And Where They’re Not) appeared first on Family Handyman.

What Features Does Taylor Swift’s Former Cape Cod Mansion Have?

Mansion Global reports that the house was listed in late April 2025 for $14.995 million. It was built in 1928 and overlooks a private beach and Nantucket Sound.

Sitting on a 1.1-acre property with “200 feet of ocean frontage,” the 5,000-square-foot home boasts “seven bedrooms, a sunroom and pergola, a pool deck and fire pit, and a large dining room facing the water for hosting.” It also “features the whitewashed walls, beamed ceilings and sash windows evocative of a classic New England summer.”

There’s a second notable thing about this house, other than the fact that Taylor Swift owned it: It sits right across from the Kennedy compound.

Swift bought the oceanfront mansion in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, in late 2012 (at the time, there were rumors she and Connor Kennedy, son of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., were dating). In 2013, she put it back on the market. The current sellers are the ones who bought it from Swift.

If you have $15 million to spend on a new home, it’s a tempting opportunity. After all, who doesn’t want an oceanfront property with a fascinating past. And being the most expensive listing in the area lends even more mystique to the mansion.

Source

Cape Cod House Taylor Swift Owned When She Dated RFK Jr.’s Son on the Market, Mansion Global, 2025.

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The post Taylor Swift’s Former Cape Cod Mansion Is for Sale — Wait Until You See the Price Tag appeared first on Family Handyman.

But do crosswalk buttons actually make the stoplight change any faster? Or are they there simply to occupy pedestrians while they wait for their turn to cross?

What Does the Crosswalk Button Do?

Before we can answer the question of whether or not the crosswalk button speeds up the light cycle, it’s important to understand what the buttons do in the first place.

According to the City of Missoula, “once a pedestrian push button is pressed, a walk signal will come on with the associated green light for vehicles.” Much like the sensors in the road that tell traffic signals that there’s a car waiting, these buttons indicate that people are waiting to safely cross the road. Some newer ones will also announce what direction they control and whether or not it is safe to cross. This way, visually-impaired pedestrians have an extra level of protection at intersections.

Does Pushing the Button Adjust the Light Cycle?

The short answer is: sometimes.  In many cities, pushing the button does adjust the light cycle. The City of Missoula’s website explains that pressing the crosswalk button sends a call for service to the signal controller. Next, the “signal controllers handle these calls for service in sequence, so the walk signal will activate when it is that direction’s turn in the sequence.” This means that while pushing the button does have an effect, it doesn’t immediately change the light. “Just like a vehicle pulling up on a side street, pedestrians have to wait for the signal to cycle around to receive the walk light,” the city’s website explains.

Pushing the button multiple times, or more aggressively, won’t make the signal change any faster, however. The call for service is slotted into sequence, but it’s already being processed as fast as possible. The button doesn’t fully override the signal’s programmed sequence, it simply indicates what needs to come next.

However, this isn’t true for all cities. American University Radio Washington D.C. (WAMU) explains that in Washington D.C., over 80% of the signals are already set to give pedestrians the signal regularly. There’s no need to actually push the button in order to get the signal. Whether or not you push it, the walk light will arrive at the same time.

Source

• How do pedestrian buttons and walk signals work?, City of Missoula.
• You Pushed The Walk Button At An Intersection. So Why Don’t The Cars Stop?, American University Radio Washington D.C., 2019.

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The post Do Crosswalk Buttons Really Do Anything? appeared first on Family Handyman.

Should You Fill Up Your Gas Tank On a Monthly Schedule?

To some degree, the answer will vary. Everyone has different driving habits. This is true both in terms of the frequency and length of their drives as well as the kinds of roads they’re driving on. Someone who barely uses a quarter of a gallon every two weeks is going to have to refill far less often than someone who uses a half tank a week. It can be helpful to designate a specific day as “gas day” to make it easy on yourself. But that day should be much more heavily influenced by your own driving habits than by the calendar.

How Low Can Your Gas Tank Get Before Refueling?

For practicality’s sake, most auto enthusiasts recommend keeping your car at at least a half tank of fuel. This way, if you’re caught in a storm or some other emergency, you can still get to safety. Contributors to the Subaru Forester Forum have stressed the dangers of letting your vehicle’s tank get too low. They often explain that your chances of ending up stranded are much higher if you drop below a half tank. You should always be prepared for the unknown. So, for practicality’s sake, the general consensus is that it’s best to refill when you hit a half tank.

Will Too Little Gas Damage Your Car?

In addition to practicality, another oft-cited reason to keep your tank full has to do with the potential damage to your car itself. Contributors to the Honda Odyssey Forum warn that too little fuel in the tank can damage your fuel pump. Progressive Insurance backs up these claims. According to them, too little gas in the tank can overwork the fuel pump, causing it to draw in too much air and overheat. Additionally, the insurance company warns that low fuel can cause your engine to misfire and your catalytic converters to overheat. Their recommendation is that you always keep at least a quarter tank of fuel in your car at any given time to offset these risks.

Source

Fuel Light – how much gas is left when it lights?, SubaruForester,org, 2018.

Running on Empty Gas, OdyClub.org, 2023.

Is driving on empty bad for your car?, Progressive.

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The post Is It Bad to Wait Until Your Tank Is Empty? Fueling Frequency Explained appeared first on Family Handyman.

Which Vehicles Are Chrysler Recalling?

Why Is Chrysler Recalling These Vehicles?

According to the NHTSA brief, Chrysler is recalling these vehicles because “a software error may cause an incorrect tire inflation pressure message to display on the instrument panel.”

Knowing your tire pressure is very important. Too high, and you run the risk of a blowout. Too low and you’re likely to damage your rims. There’s a bit of a margin for error, but tire pressure issues should be remedied as soon as possible. If the software isn’t displaying the right, you may over- or underfill your tires. And improperly inflated tires can make a car accident more likely.

How Will Chrysler Fix This Issue?

Since this problem is a software issue, Chrysler “dealers will update the instrument panel software, free of charge.” Schedule your repair as soon as possible, and in the meantime check your tire pressure with a manual gauge to determine whether or not it’s at the correct level. You can consult your owner’s manual to determine what the right PSI is.

Source

The post Chrysler Recalls 10,000 Trucks Over Incorrect Tire Pressure Warnings appeared first on Family Handyman.

Which Ford Vehicles Are Being Recalled?

The NHTSA says that Ford is recalling over 120,000 vehicles with these brake problems, including the:

• 2017 Ford F-150
• 2018 Ford F-150
• 2017 Ford Expedition
• 2018 Ford Expedition
• 2017 Lincoln Navigator
• 2018 Lincoln Navigator

If you own one of these vehicles, keep an eye on your mailbox. Ford will mail out owner letters with further instructions in late April 2025. Exercise as much caution as possible until you’ve confirmed whether or not you own one of the impacted vehicles. Drive less if possible, go as slow on the road as is safe, and leave extra stopping distance between yourself and the vehicles ahead of you.

Why Is Ford Recalling Some of Its Vehicles?

According to the NHTSA brief, the affected Ford vehicles have brake problems. The brake master cylinder isn’t sealed properly and “may allow brake fluid to leak from the front wheel circuit into the brake booster.” In addition to costing you money, as you’ll have to replenish your brake fluid more often, “a brake fluid leak can cause reduced brake function and extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.”

How Will Ford Fix This Issue?

Source

Loss of Brake Function from Brake Fluid Leak, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2025.

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The post Ford Recalls Over 120,000 Cars in U.S. Over Brake Problems appeared first on Family Handyman.

What Is the Line at the Bottom of Your Phone Screen?

The line at the bottom of your phone screen replaces the home button on both Android and iPhone’s latest models. Since most operating systems (OSs) utilize a swiping up motion to exit an app or switch between apps, the line is there as a guide. This way, users know how low to start the motion rather than swiping aimlessly. Some people love the newer design, but others miss the simplicity of the home button.

Can You Remove the White Line on the iPhone?

It’s nearly impossible to remove the white line on your iPhone. The new feature is here to stay. You may be able to toggle around with Guided Access in the accessibility settings, but when I attempted to test out the feature, my entire phone stopped working. I could not even turn it off to do a hard reset for nearly an hour.

I finally managed to do a hard reset on my phone by hitting the up volume button, the down volume button, and then holding the lock button down until I saw the Apple logo—this took nearly 20 seconds. Once I’d restarted my phone the screen worked again and I was able to toggle the setting off. At no point throughout this ordeal did the line at bottom of my screen disappear.

Can You Remove the White Line on the Android?

Similar to the iPhone, there doesn’t seem to be a surefire way to disable the setting on your Android either. You can try some of the proposed solutions circling the internet, but they’re not guaranteed to work and just like the iPhone solution, they may brick your phone instead.

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The post Noticed a Line at the Bottom of Your Phone Screen? Here’s Why It’s There appeared first on Family Handyman.

Make Your Own Green Cleaning Solution

Professional housecleaner Maggie Orth likes to make her own cleaning products. If you’re looking for cleaning hacks, here’s her recipe for an all-purpose cleaning solution, modified from a recipe she found in the book Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan. In a 5-quart bucket, mix:

• 1 cup of distilled vinegar
• 3 tablespoons of borax
• 1 gallon of hot water
•  1/2 cup of soap (Orth uses Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds)

Orth likes to add 10 or 15 drops of tea tree, lavender or lemon oil for a nice fragrance. Mix the ingredients and then pour some of the mixture into a spray bottle. Save the rest in a gallon jug. This is enough all-purpose cleaner to last for years! Use this mixture to clean tile, countertops and painted woodwork. It’s a good all-purpose cleaner, but it’s not the best for cleaning glass.

Pie Plate Dustpan

Create a quick disposable dustpan out of an aluminum pie plate. Use tin snips or heavy-duty scissors to cut the pie plate in half. Sweep up the mess and toss it in the trash!

Scuff Mark Eraser

Clean off shoe scuff marks from vinyl flooring with a clean, dry tennis ball. A light rub and heel marks are ‘erased.’ No need to spring for fancy products; with cleaning hacks like this, you can most likely save yourself a trip to the store.

Use Sawdust to Soak Up Spills

Our cleaning hacks extend to your workshop too. Pick up used oil spills on the driveway or in the garage using sawdust. The material is readily available in most home workshops—just open up the dust-collection bags on your orbital sander, miter saw, etc. Pour sawdust over the spill, let it soak up the liquid for about 20 minutes, and then sweep it up. the bench outdoors.

Paint Stick to Clean Lint Buildup

Once in a while it’s important to clean the area around your dryer’s lint trap, as the screen doesn’t always catch all of the debris. A paint stir stick with a clean rag wrapped around one end makes a great tool for this task.

Clean the Exhaust Fan

If the grille on your bathroom exhaust fan is clogged with dust, try one of our cleaning hacks that’s faster and more effective than vacuuming. Turn on the fan and blast out the dust with “canned air.” The fan will blow the dust outside.

This works on the return air grilles of your central heating/cooling system too. Run the system so that the return airflow will carry the dust to the filter. You’ll find canned air at home centers and hardware stores, usually in the electrical supplies aisle.

Caution: The cans contain chemical propellants, not just air. Don’t let children play with them.

Dusting

Dusting should be a regular part of your cleaning routine, but cleaning hacks can make this chore go much quicker.

Dust with Your Dryer

Blankets, pillows, slipcovers, drapes and other textiles not only trap household dust, but they create it as they shed and disintegrate. Curtains and drapes, in particular, get dusty because they absorb moisture and dirt from the outside and act as a landing pad for dust from ceiling fans and air vents.

The easiest way to manage this is to buy machine-washable items and launder them twice a year. For non-machine-washable textiles, throw them in the dryer on the air-fluff setting for 20 minutes with a damp towel. The damp towel will attract pet hair, and the tumbling movement and airflow will remove the smaller particles for you.

Coffee Filters for Dusting

The next time you clean your computer monitor or TV screen, use a coffee filter. The thin, cloth-like paper catches a lot of dust and can cover a large area. You can use a coffee filter for dusting other household accessories, too.

A Pillowcase Can Be a Cleaner

You don’t want to use the pillowcase you sleep on every night, but using a spare pillowcase to clean your ceiling fans is a great way to dust the blades without sending dust flying all over.

Use Tongs to Clean Blinds

Make quick work of cleaning your window blinds by using kitchen tongs! Secure rags to the ends of the tongs with twist ties, and then clamp the tongs on each blade to clean both sides of the window blinds at once.

Renew Wood with Mineral Spirits

If the finish on your furniture or woodwork is dull and murky, it may need refinishing. But before you take on that project, take a tip from furniture restorers and clean it with mineral spirits. Mineral spirits—sometimes labeled “paint thinner”—is a gentle solvent that dissolves years of grime and residue from cleaners or polishes without harming wood finishes.

Get it at a home center or paint store. Just soak a soft cloth and keep rubbing until the cloth no longer picks up grime. Work in a well-ventilated area and remember that the fumes are flammable. Hang the cloth outdoors to dry before throwing it in the trash.

Scrub the Air

Clean air is an important part of keeping a clean home. All of our cleaning hacks here will go much farther if you’re also purifying the air.

Do Air Cleaners Reduce Dusting?

An effective air cleaner removes large and small particles from the air in a single room. Within that space, it can relieve allergy or asthma symptoms and even reduce smoke and cooking odors. But don’t expect it to relieve you of dusting duty. Air cleaners are sized to filter a small area, so only a small portion of the airborne dust in your home will ever reach the unit. For air cleaners to have a real effect on overall dust levels, you would need one unit in every room.

Clean the Air While You Clean the House

Your vacuum’s agitator brush and exhaust whip up dust that eventually settles on the surfaces you’ve just cleaned. Filter out some of that dust before it settles by switching your thermostat to ‘fan on.’ This turns on the blower inside your furnace and filters the air even while the system isn’t heating or cooling. Leave the blower on for about 15 minutes after you’re done cleaning to remove dust from air. But don’t forget to switch it back to ‘auto.’ Most blowers aren’t designed to run constantly.

Upgrade Your Furnace Filter

Your home’s forced-air heating or cooling system helps to control dust by filtering the air. A standard cheap fiberglass filter protects your furnace from large dust particles and provides maximum airflow, but it does little to reduce household dust. More expensive pleated filters usually provide a good balance between cost and filtration efficiency. These filters trap 80 to 95 percent of particles 5 microns and larger.

If you have family members with allergies, consider spending more on high-efficiency furnace filters, which capture 99 percent of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns such as bacteria and viruses, fumes and pollen. Be aware that you’ll have to run your furnace fan full time to get the maximum benefit from a high-efficiency filter, and you’ll have to change the filter frequently to prevent damage to your furnace from the reduced airflow.

Purify the Air

Here are four things you can do to cleanse the dusty air in your home and how to remove dust from air:

• Place air purifiers in your most-used rooms to help suck up dust before it settles. Choose air purifier units with True HEPA filters rather than ionic cleaners, which release ozone, a respiratory irritant.
• Add a plant to every room. Plants naturally absorb common indoor pollutants like benzene and formaldehyde. NASA studies have shown that many plants, including aloes, palms and ferns, can absorb as much as 80 percent of the formaldehyde in a room in 24 hours.
• Keep the humidity in your house between 40 and 50 percent to help lower static electricity, which can cause dust to stick to surfaces and make them harder to clean. A humidifier and leafy indoor plants will both increase humidity levels. Just don’t increase the level to more than 50 percent. This will promote the growth of mold, a far more dangerous condition than dust. You can monitor humidity levels with a cheap hydrometer from a gardening store.
• Keep your windows closed on windy days. Dust enters through doors and windows in the form of pollen, mold spores and airborne pollutants.

Toilet Maintenance

Your bathroom probably gets dirtiest the fastest and is the hardest to clean. So utilizing cleaning hacks to make this task go faster is an easy way to make your bathroom look more put together.

Clean the Toilet Daily

If you swish your toilet every day with your cleaning hacks brush, you’ll keep it relatively clean without a ton of hard labor. Use the water already in the toilet to swish the entire toilet bowl.

Clean a Sluggish Toilet

If your toilet flushes slowly, the rinse holes under the rim may be clogged with mineral deposits. Use a hand mirror to see the holes under the rim of the toilet. Bend a coat hanger flat and probe the tip into the holes to poke out any deposits. You can clean out those clogged holes without ever getting your hands dirty.

Install a Detachable Toilet Seat

It seems like no matter how hard you try, you can never get the hinges on the toilet seat clean. There’s always a bit of cleaning solution that seeps underneath and creeps out later. Installing a detachable toilet seat solves the problem. Then you have easy access to clean under the hinges.

Quick Tricks

Stocking up on the right soaps and having a couple cleaning hacks up your sleeve will make the job go much quicker, especially if you’re in a hurry.

Synthetic Soap Simplifies Bathroom Cleaning

In terms of chemistry, some soaps aren’t really true soap. Any soap in a liquid or gel form and some bar soaps, such as Zest and Ivory, are synthetic soap. These non-soap soaps are much less likely to form that dreaded layer of tough scum on your sink or tub and will allow you to clean house fast.

Remove Hard-Water Buildup with a Lemon

Remove hard-water buildup on your faucet with this simple, natural solution: Place half of a fresh lemon on the end of the faucet, wrap a small plastic bag around the lemon and secure it to the faucet with a rubber band. After a few hours, remove the lemon and wipe the faucet clean.

Buy a Soap Dispenser Dish Brush

According to Dana White, founder of A Slob Comes Clean, you can use a soap dispenser dish brush in your shower. “Mark it for the bathroom only with a permanent marker, and fill it with your favorite dish soap,” she says. “Hang it in the shower, and you can scrub the shower while you’re in it anyway. Dish soap does a great job cleaning the bathroom!”

Remove Bathroom Soap Scum

The post Our Greatest Cleaning Hacks Of All Time! appeared first on Family Handyman.

Garage Floor Dam

Poop Pipe

Lighted Screwdriver Hack

Skinny Laundry Room Cart

Lift Gate Protection

No-Slip Cutting Board

Most cutting boards don’t come with any kind of rubber surface on the bottom to prevent them from sliding on a countertop. And no list oh household hacks would be complete without a simple solution to wobbles like this. With a couple of rubber bands, you can stabilize your cutting board and keep it from moving around during use. Slip on two rubber bands—one at each end of the cutting board—and you’re good to go. Make sure that the rubber bands lay flat and aren’t twisted when you put them on so the board will sit steady on your countertop.

DIY Tiered Hangers for More Closet Storage

Remove Hard-Water Buildup with a Lemon

Luminous Light Switch

Pinecone Scooper

Make a Homeowner’s Journal

Squeaky Door Hinge

Hold Knives, Kitchen Utensils and Other Gadgets

One of the most common ways to use magnetic strips for kitchen organization is to hold kitchen knives and utensils. Magnetic strips work great in small kitchens, because they help get items off the countertop so there’s less clutter. This is one of our more versatile household hacks. You can adapt it to most of the other rooms in your home. For example, a magnetic strip in the medicine cabinet can be used to store tweezers, clippers and small scissors.

High-Visibility Boundary Marker

Restore Free Flow to a Faucet

Identify Your Keys at a Glance

“It seems the older I get, the more keys I carry around. Between the car, house, shed and garage, I have a whole pocket full of keys. To make it easier to quickly find my most used keys, I paint both sides of the key head with brightly colored nail polish. I use a different color for each key. The nail polish is extremely durable and you’ll be surprised how much longer it lasts than spray paint.” —Joseph Grayson

Lawn Mower Grass Chute Saver

“To avoid a lot of string trimmer work, I like to mow as close as possible to trees and buildings. But the grass chute on my riding mower prevents it. So I drilled a hole in the chute and tied a rope from the chute to a handle on the side of the tractor. Now I can lift up the chute without missing a beat, and cut way down on string trimmer work. — Travis Larson

Dust Bunny Broom Cleaner

Our list of household hacks extends to chores as well. Every time you sweep, clumps of dust and hair collect at the ends of the broom’s bristles. To solve this problem, hot glue a wide-tooth comb to the top of a dustpan. Just run the bristles through the comb to remove any excess gunk dangling from the broom.

Homemade Heating Pad

While this last option isn’t a DIY fix for a specific room or appliance, we still felt that it belonged on any good list of household hacks because of how simple and useful it is. Next time you have a sore neck or back, don’t reach for an electric heating pad. Instead, fill a sock with uncooked rice, tie the end and microwave it for two or three minutes. It’s better than a heating pad, as it conforms to whatever body part that needs heat. You can even put in some fragrant herbs like cinnamon or lavender to make it smell nice!

The post These 20 Household Hacks Will Make Life So Much Easier appeared first on Family Handyman.

Which Ford Cars Are Being Recalled?

Over 105,000 Ford vehicles have this seat belt issue, including:

• 2018 Ford Expedition
• 2019 Ford Expedition
• 2020 Ford Expedition
• 2018 Lincoln Navigator
• 2019 Lincoln Navigator
• 2020 Lincoln Navigator

Owner notification letters will be sent out in mid-April 2025, so keep an eye on your mailbox to ascertain whether or not your vehicle is on the recall list.

Why Is Ford Recalling These Cars?

According to the NHTSA brief, hundreds of thousands of Ford vehicles have faulty seat belts. They cannot retract or extend properly because “the seat belt pretensioner in the driver and/or front passenger seat may inadvertently lock the seat belt.”

Seat belts are a crucial safety feature in vehicles. They save lives and greatly reduce the chances of injury in the event of a car crash. The NHTSA says that “seat belts that do not retract or extend can fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.”

If this problem sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Ford previously recalled many of these same vehicles last year. Unfortunately, “some vehicles in this recall that were previously inspected under recall 24V-099…did not have parts replaced will need to have this new recall remedy completed.”

Is There a Fix for This Seat Belt Issue?

Ford dealers will “inspect the seat belt retractor date codes and replace the seat belt retractors as necessary.” They’ll do this repair free of charge, so don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment to get your vehicle inspected. You don’t want to put this repair off at all, both for your own sake and your passengers.

If you have further questions, you can call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford’s number for this recall is 25S31. You can also reach the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236; just be sure to explain that you’re asking about recall number 25V197000.

Source

• Seat Belt May Fail to Retract or Extend, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2025.

The post Ford’s Latest Recall Affects 105K Vehicles—See If Your Car Is on the List appeared first on Family Handyman.

On newer cars, the switch often happens automatically. But on older cars you’ll have to physically toggle between your day and night rearview mirror settings using the rearview mirror tab.

Where Is the Rearview Mirror Tab?

It’s almost always located on the bottom of the rearview mirror if you have a manual adjustment to toggle between night and daytime modes. Sometimes it’s called a prismatic mirror, which just means your mirror has the option to switch between day and night modes. Just push it down to switch into night mode, and pull the tab back up when it’s daylight.

Day Setting

The “day setting” on your mirror is the default setting. It doesn’t reduce the glare from headlights. It simply shows you what’s behind you on the road.

The 2022 Mazda CX-30 owner’s manual warns that you should always check to confirm that your mirror is in this setting before you make any adjustments to it so that you can be certain you’re working with maximum clarity.

Night Setting

You can switch your mirror to the “night setting” by pulling the tab on the bottom of your rearview mirror towards you. According to the Kia Sonet manual, this angle of the mirror will “reduce the glare from the headlights of the vehicles behind you during night driving.” The manual cautions, however, that you will be sacrificing some level of clarity in the mirror in order to dim the reflection of the headlights.

To dim the glare from other headlights on the road, the mirror is repositioned so that the light refracts off of a different surface first to diffuse the light. If you look closely while you’re toggling the switch, you can see the shift happen.

Automatic Adjustments

The Kia Sonet manual explains that in cars equipped with automatically adjusting mirrors, sensors on the mirror will note how bright it is around your car and adjust accordingly to reduce the glare. There is an exception, however. If your vehicle is in reverse, “the mirror will automatically go to the brightest setting in order to improve the driver’s view behind the vehicle.”

So the next time you find yourself driving at night and frustrated with the glaring headlights of the drivers behind you, double check that your rearview mirror is switched over to the night setting instead of the day one.

Source

2022 Mazda CX-30 Owner’s Manual, Mazda.

Sonet Manual, Kia.

The post Do You Know What That Little Tab on Your Rearview Mirror Is For? appeared first on Family Handyman.

What Is The Barnacle?

Much like the tire boot you may be familiar with, The Barnacle is a tool used by parking enforcement. It’s touted as a faster and easier method to collect fines. They’re slowly making their way through new cities. New York City, for example, began using them in 2024. Instead of a traditional boot that locks your front tire, The Barnacle sits on your windshield and fully obstructs your view so that you cannot drive.

The company positions itself as the future of parking enforcement, demanding obedience from all drivers. They explain that “the highly-visible Barnacle reminds other motorists to follow parking rules, driving compliance faster.” It also boasts GPS tracking and a “lightweight design” so that it’s easy for parking enforcement to deploy.

How Does The Barnacle Work?

According to the company website, a parking enforcement officer can apply The Barnacle to the windshield of the offending car. Unlike parking boots, which can be removed with the right combination of leverage and determination, The Barnacle claims to be nearly impossible to remove thanks to its “commercial-grade suction cups [that] latch onto the glass with 1,000 pounds of force.” The company also equipped this device with an alarm that will sound if you tamper with it.

In addition to being difficult to remove and noisy, The Barnacle also has your vehicle information linked to it upon deployment. This means that there’s no way to avoid paying the fine. Even if you did manage to remove it, the electronic record would still be there. You’re forced to call the provided number or go to the website to pay your fine. Once you do so, you’ll receive a code to release the device.

In cities where The Barnacle devices are used, there should be a nearby receptacle for you to return yours to once you’ve paid the fine. After all that, you can finally go on your way.

Source

How the Barnacle Works, Barnacle Parking.

The post If You Spot This Yellow Device on Your Windshield, You’ve Been Barnacled appeared first on Family Handyman.

Virginia’s HB2096: Intelligent Speed Assistance Program Explained

The Virginia governor recently signed HB2096: Intelligent Speed Assistance Program into law, which is slated to take effect July 1, 2026. According to the bill, there will now be an additional penalty that the state can use to deter drivers from reckless driving.

If someone is pulled over for going over 100 miles per hour, the typical penalty is getting their license suspended. But with this new law, that’s no longer a certainty. Instead, frequent speeders can opt to enroll in a program and install an intelligent speed assistance system. They may also be subject to this if you have too many demerits on your license.

How Do Speed Limiters Work?

Intelligent speed assistance systems, or speed limiters, artificially limit a vehicle’s speed. When you accelerate a regular car with no special limiter, there is a max speed it can go to. Despite speed limits in the US topping out at 85 mph, an average car’s top speed can range anywhere from 120 to 155 mph.

However, when you’ve got a speed limiter installed, this to speed can be artificially lowered. According to BMW UK, the speed limiter uses sensors to measure your vehicle’s speed and shares this information with your car’s engine control unit (ECU). If the sensors detect that you’ve hit the limit programmed into the device, it tells your ECU to “restrict airflow and fuel to the engine” to prevent your car from going any faster.

Can You Circumvent Speed Limiters?

While it is technically possible to tamper with and circumvent the speed limiters, the Virginia law makes such tampering a Class 1 misdemeanor. So, while it may be tempting to opt for this program in lieu of losing your license and then fiddle with the limiter after the fact, that’s a bad idea. You’ll quickly find yourself in more legal trouble than before.

Source

The post How One State Plans to Force Repeat Speeders to Slow Down appeared first on Family Handyman.

Which Cars Is Ford Recalling?

Ford is recalling over 33,000 vehicles, including the:

Why Is Ford Recalling These Cars?

According to the NHTSA brief, the affected Ford vehicles are at risk of engine fires. The fuel injectors in these vehicles may crack, causing them to leak fuel inside the engine compartment. “A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire,” the brief warns. If you own one of the affected vehicles, minimize your use of it as much as possible and exercise additional caution when you do need to be behind the wheel until you can get it repaired.

What Is the Proposed Fix?

In order to reduce the engine fire risk, Ford dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) software. As is standard with repairs due to recalls, dealers will complete this fix free of charge. Don’t delay setting up this repair; engine fires are nothing to ignore.

If you want more information about this recall, or are confused by anything in your owner letter, you can reach out to Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Clarify that you’re asking about recall number 25S21. You can also call the NHTSA at 888-327-4236 with any further questions. Their number for this recall is 25V165000.

Source

The post Ford Recalls 33,000+ Vehicles Over Potential Engine Fire Risk appeared first on Family Handyman.

In an executive order from February 25, 2025, the White House urged the Secretary of Commerce to consult with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Energy, and “the heads of other relevant executive departments and agencies…to evaluate the national security risks associated with copper import dependency.”

What Does This Executive Order Mean?

The aforementioned agencies will have 270 days to research the United States’ dependency on imported copper and make a recommendation regarding policies that should be implemented and actions that should be taken to shore up the national security and reduce, if necessary, the need for imported copper.

Section 1 of the executive order states that the agencies  should study multiple forms of copper, including:

• raw mined copper
• copper concentrates
• refined copper
• copper alloys
• scrap copper
• derivative products

Why Is Importing Copper a Problem?

According to Section 1 of the executive order, the administration fears that “the United States faces significant vulnerabilities in the copper supply chain, with increasing reliance on foreign sources for mined, smelted, and refined copper.”

The main concern is that if the United States is importing more copper than it is producing and exporting, it will open itself up to a potential economic crash as well as show vulnerabilities in its national security. The administration also wants to insulate domestic production of copper against market fluctuations.

The departments are being asked to investigate various factors, including the demand versus the domestic production capabilities, the production capabilities of other countries, and the current state of supply chains. The departments should also consider how realistic it would be to increase the current domestic production enough to be able to meet more of the demand and reduce the need for imported copper in the first place.

What Is Copper Used For?

You might not even realize it, but copper is a massive part of your daily life. The typical automobile features more than fifty pounds of copper; when it comes to electric vehicles, that figure climbs well over 100 pounds. Copper pipes and electrical wiring line the insides of your walls, and copper fixtures like cabinet hardware and gutters are a popular design element in homes across the country.

Crucially, copper is an essential part of the manufacturing of the circuit boards and electrical components inside all of our devices. It’s also commonly combined with other metals to create alloys like bronze and brass. As all these uses start to stack up, it’s easy to see how copper supply and prices are a major point of concern for the economy at large.

‘Copper is the new crude oil. … Everybody needs it, and we probably don’t have enough of it,” Phil Flynn, senior market analyst for the Price Futures Group, told Market Watch.

Will It Affect Copper Prices?

As of yet, it’s unclear if this executive order will affect copper prices. The administration hasn’t announced any tariffs on copper, but that could change depending on the findings of the Secretaries and departments. There’s also the possibility that as speculation and rumors of impending tariffs circulate, the speculation alone could cause prices to spike. This may still happen even if the administration doesn’t announce any actual copper tariffs.

Source

ADDRESSING THE THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY FROM IMPORTS OF COPPER, The White House, 2025.

Why copper may be more important to the U.S. economy than oil, MarketWatch, 2025

The post How Copper Tariffs Could Make Everything Way More Expensive appeared first on Family Handyman.

Gear shift issues are often indicative of transmission problems, so it’s important to remedy them as soon as you can. Transmission problems can get very expensive very quickly, and the faster you catch them, the better the outcome for your vehicle and your wallet.

Why Is Ford Recalling These Vehicles?

According to the NHTSA brief, in certain Ford vehicles “the transmission valve body may have been machined incorrectly.” Faulty transmission valve bodies “can cause reverse gear failure, or unexpected forward movement in reverse or neutral gear.” This is incredibly dangerous; any “unexpected vehicle movement increases the risk of a crash.”

If you have one of the vehicles listed below, avoid driving it as much as possible until you can get the vehicle repaired. If the vehicle lurches forward while you’re trying to reverse, you could hit a wall and damage your vehicle. And if you leave your car in neutral, you might roll into traffic or hit a pedestrian.

Which Ford Vehicles Are at Risk For Driving Forward?

The NHTSA reports that Ford is recalling nearly 300 vehicles including the:

• 2024 F-150
• 2025 F-150
• 2024 Bronco
• 2025 Bronco
• 2024 Ranger
• 2025 Mustang
• 2025 Explorer
• 2025 Aviator

If you own one of these vehicles, refrain from driving as much as possible until you can get this issue addressed. Ford will mail out owner letters in early May, so keep an eye on your mailbox.

Is There a Proposed Fix?

Ford dealers “will replace the transmission main control valve body, free of charge.” Don’t hesitate to get this issue remedied at your earliest convenience. While transmission issues are often expensive, this repair is free so you don’t need to wait and save up for the repair.

If you have further questions or don’t want to wait for your owner letter, you can reach out to Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332; clarify that you’re asking about recall number 25S19. You can also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236; their recall number for this issue is 25V164000.

Source

Unexpected Vehicle Movement, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2025.

The post Ford Issues Recall for Cars That May Move Forward While in Reverse appeared first on Family Handyman.

Sure, there’s the chance that it’s mistakenly on (you can reset the light, though it’s only wise to do that if you know for sure it’s a false alarm). But there’s also a good chance it’s a warning that there’s an issue needing to be addressed. You should reach out to your mechanic sooner rather than later, especially if that check engine light is blinking.

Blinking Check Engine Light

According to Subaru, a blinking check engine light indicates that “an engine misfire condition has been detected.” Typically this means that one or more of the cylinders cannot spark correctly, perhaps because of a faulty cylinder or a bad spark plug. This “may damage the emission control system.”

Subaru recommends immediately minimizing the strain on your vehicle and getting it serviced as soon as possible. If you don’t, you risk more severe damage to your car, and those repairs won’t come cheap.

Solid Check Engine Light

A solid check engine light isn’t a good sign either, but it’s less drastic than a blinking one. On Subaru vehicles, a steady light indicates that “an emission control system malfunction has been detected.” This could be something like a clogged air filter or a failing sensor. While an emission control system malfunction isn’t the same as an engine misfire, it’s still a problem that needs to be remedied immediately.

When the check engine light is on steadily, there is one other possibility: the light “also illuminates when the fuel filler cap is not tightened until it clicks.” This is a fairly easy problem to troubleshoot. If you’ve just gotten gas before this light turns on, simply double-check your fuel filler cap.

Subaru clarifies that “tightening the cap will not make the CHECK ENGINE warning light turn off immediately,” however. They say that “it may take several driving trips.” So, if you check your gas cap and find it wasn’t adequately tightened, you don’t need to make an appointment immediately. But the gas cap wasn’t the only issue if the light persists after a few driving trips. At that point, you need to take your car in to be serviced before the other problems damage your car.

Source

Vehicle Resources, Subaru.

The post Never Ignore a Flashing Check Engine Light—Here’s Why appeared first on Family Handyman.

Cedar Potting Bench

This super-simple potting bench will make your gardening projects much more enjoyable and help you stay organized, too! You can build this DIY patio furniture project in just a few hours, even if you’re a beginner. Once it’s finished, you’ll have everything you need to care for your patio plants in one place.

Timber Bench

Need outdoor seating in a hurry? This simple timber bench, based on author and ecologist Aldo Leopold’s classic design, can be constructed in a couple of hours, even if you are a novice woodworker. Unlike other ornate options, this bench will look right at home in your yard, regardless of your landscaping.

Cedar and PVC Patio Table

For large outdoor gatherings, a reliable patio table is a necessity. And while you can certainly purchase one from a store, making one yourself allows you to customize the piece however you need. If you have the budget, we recommend purchasing a naturally rot-resistant wood for the legs. We opted for cedar when we did this DIY patio furniture project.

Tile-Top Table

Combining woodworking, metalwork and tiling techniques, this Italianate tile-top table makes a lovely addition to any deck or patio. The top is made from plywood, with mosaic tiles added for a Mediterranean feel. The legs are hand-bent metal. This is a more involved DIY patio furniture project; you’ll need to make a gig to ensure accurate shaping. It will also take you several days, but it will be well worth the investment once you see how beautiful it turns out.

Polished Concrete Table Top

Although it certainly doesn’t seem like it would be a quick project, this gorgeous concrete tabletop is an excellent introduction to working with finished concrete, and it builds faster than you’d think. The longest part of forming a concrete top is building the form. But once you’ve mastered that skill, the rest moves along easily.

How to Make an Adirondack Chair and Loveseat

This Adirondack chair and matching loveseat are designed for outdoor comfort. They’re pieces of DIY patio furniture that have been designed for easy assembly so that a novice can build them. And you can build them from inexpensive, durable wood that, once stained, looks beautiful.

Planter Side Table

If you think you’ve got a planter you no longer have any use for, think again. Before tossing it, consider upcycling it into a side table to accompany your other patio furniture. If you want to get fancy with this, you can use stencils when adding color. Or you can simply let it be a pop of color on its own, no patterns needed.

Kids’ Table

Don’t forget the little ones in your life! They need spaces to sit as well, especially if you entertain on your patio quite often. This DIY kids’ table is fairly easy to make and gives the children their own spot to eat or play during your barbecues and summer parties.

Composite Benches

Seating is one of the most important features of a patio. Why have an outdoor space if you can’t sit down and enjoy it? We built these benches with composite decking so that they’re low-maintenance. You just need to build them and then enjoy them all season long.

Epoxy River Bench

If you want a stand-out bench for your patio, this one with an epoxy river is an excellent choice. It’s trendy and beautiful, and it’s a piece of patio furniture that you can DIY. There’s no need to shell out lots of money as long as you’re willing to learn how to work with epoxy resin.

The post Transform Your Patio with These Easy DIY Furniture Ideas appeared first on Family Handyman.

What’s Wrong With the Tesla Cybertrucks?

The NHTSA brief cautions that the impacted Cybertrucks may leave road hazards in their wake. “The cant rail, a stainless-steel exterior trim panel, can delaminate and detach from the vehicle,” the brief says. And if these detached panels land on the road, they increase the risk of a crash.

This Tesla recall is the eighth Cybertruck recall so far. While some of the recalls target smaller issues than others, all of them should be taken seriously. For example, an earlier Cybertruck recall concerned trunk beds that weren’t attached properly. So, you should read each announcement carefully to ensure that you’re getting the right problems addressed.

If you’re a Cybertruck owner, be mindful of this problem so that you don’t endanger yourself or others on the road. If you live somewhere where there are several Cybertrucks around, keep a lookout for these dropped panels when you’re driving around town.

Which Cybertrucks Are Tesla Recalling?

According to the NHTSA brief, the Tesla recall includes 46,096 2024-2025 Cybertruck vehicles. Tesla will be mailing out owner letters in mid-May 2025, so if you own a 2024 or 2025 Cybertruck, refrain from driving your vehicle as much as possible until you can get the problem repaired. If you’re friends with a Cybertruck owner, make sure that they’re aware of the recall so that they can take the appropriate steps to protect themselves and the people around them.

Is There a Proposed Fix?

Tesla says that service centers will replace the faulty cant rail assembly at no cost to customers. Make an appointment as soon as possible; having your car fall apart mid-drive is bad enough, but contributing to road debris also endangers the other drivers on the road with you.

Source

• NHTSA.gov: “Exterior Trim Panel Can Detach While Driving” (2025)
• CNN: “Gravity may be finally catching up to Elon Musk as Tesla stock tumbles” (2025)
• PBS: “As Musk takes prominent role in Trump White House, violent attacks on Tesla dealerships spike” (2025)

The post Tesla Recalls 46,000 Cybertrucks Amid Plummeting Stock appeared first on Family Handyman.

What Are Car Crumple Zones?

Crumple zones are portions of your car that are designed to buckle during an accident. This may seem counterintuitive at first-why would you want your car to crumple during a crash? But it’s a solution to a physics equation. Force is equal to mass times acceleration. In a car accident, there’s a lot of force generated due to the large masses of the vehicles involved and the acceleration of them both. And all of that force has to go somewhere.

Why Are Car Crumple Zones Important?

Volkswagen says that “crumple zones are designed to absorb impact energy during a collision.” By doing this, “most of the energy is dissipated across these zones, and not in your passenger compartment.” If the force is absorbed by these zones, you won’t feel it as strongly. So a safer vehicle is one that has adequate crumple zones designed to protect the occupants. Inadequate crumple zones render a vehicle unsafe.

Mike Gagliardi of NBC News references this concern in an interview he did with Michael Brooks, an automotive expert. In discussing the Tesla Cybertruck, Brooks said “the vehicle’s stainless-steel construction makes him question whether it has sufficient crumple zones…the lack of which would increase the force upon occupants in the event of a crash.”

This increase in force will manifest in more severe injuries and even potential deaths. Your car is much larger and can absorb the impact much better. Comparatively, you’re much smaller. If your car doesn’t crumple, something else will need to absorb that impact. And with your body being so much smaller that a car, the force will be much more concentrated on you. That kind of force is not something you easily walk away from. You’re much more likely to be badly injured or even die if your car cannot take the brunt of the impact for you.

Source

Crumple Zones, Volkswagen.

Pedestrians, already dying at record levels, now face Elon Musk’s Cybertruck, NBC, 2023.

The post Why It’s a Good Thing Your Car Crumples appeared first on Family Handyman.

Learn About New Features

Newer cars have more and more eco-friendly features than older ones. And you can take advantage of these-if you know how to use them properly. Many manufacturers nowadays are equipping their vehicles with an automatic start-stop feature. When the vehicle stops, like in traffic jams or at red lights, the engine turns off. Auto manufacturers say that this boost fuel economy and reduces emissions. But if you don’t read the owner manual, you might not know what this feature is. If you’re only used to driving much older cars, you may even worry that something is wrong with yours the first time you notice the engine shut off while running errands around town.

You might also miss out on some of the functionality of your vehicle if you don’t read the owner manual. If you’re planning a camping trip and you’ve got a vehicle equipped with a sport mode, you may have several more options available than you think. This is especially true if you’re used to driving a two-wheel drive car with low clearance. Or, if you’ve already got your heart set on an off-road adventure, you can save money on a rental vehicle.

Troubleshooting Before the Mechanic

If you read your owner manual, you can also save yourself several maintenance headaches. From putting the right kind of gas in your vehicle to knowing what the ideal tire pressure is, there are a plethora of pitfalls you can stumble into if you’re not careful. This is especially true if you’re switching over from, for example, a small sedan to a large pickup truck. These vehicles have different weights and are designed for different tasks, so it makes sense that they have different needs.

The post Why You Should Read Your Car’s Owner Manual appeared first on Family Handyman.

Don’t Let the Junk Drawer Overflow

It goes without saying that a junk drawer goes from being a place for miscellaneous items, to an overflowing space that has more non-essential items in it than ones you actually want to get easy access to. While it’s not always a fun chore, but not list of kitchen organization hacks is complete without it.

Go through your junk drawer quarterly, making sure anything that’s in there is something you truly need. The rest you can sort into different piles. Business cards and receipts should be scanned or filed away in the office. Miscellaneous office supplies should be corralled back in their appropriate containers. Loose change belongs in a change jar. And anything that you won’t use anymore should be tossed, donated or recycled depending on it’s condition.

Adding a drawer divider can seriously help tame your junk drawer too. That’s an easy DIY project

Stud Space Cabinets

In almost every room of your house, you can find tons of storage space hidden between the two sheets of drywall. Simple stud-space cabinets are great for capturing some of this wasted space. If you’ve got the free time, this is a great project to get yourself some extra storage, especially in a small kitchen.

Functional Décor

If you happen to have inherited your grandma’s rolling pins, knotty wooden utensils, or well-worn cutting boards, you have a design opportunity waiting. Consider storing these beloved kitchen wares out in the open as authentic décor elements by hanging them on available wall space. Just make sure you mount them in such a way that you can easily take them down for use.

Organize Your Fridge with a Six-Pack

Do all of your small bottles in the refrigerator door like to tip over after opening or closing the door? Fortunately, the answer to tidying those wayward bottles is just a recycling bin away. To keep your kitchen storage and organization under control, use an empty six-pack holder to hold the condiments in your refrigerator door.

Store Dry Goods in Jars

You can easily organize your dry goods by storing them inside old jars and canisters. Not only can you create uniformity in your pantry storage this way, but you can also see at a glance where your lentils, rice, or oats are stashed. Arranging these jars on display on open shelves can also give your kitchen a rustic, homestead-chic look.

Pullout Chopping Board

Pullout solutions are perfect for small kitchens as they allow a decent amount of extra kitchen counter space with a very small footprint. And a pull-out cutting board is perfect for food prep, cookbooks or for extra storage. Plus, when you are done, you can simply slide it back into the cabinet.

Optimize Your Cabinets

If your cabinets are just too small to manage all the items you need to store in there, consider some of these options to add extra room to them and maximize the space that already exists.

Kitchen Cabinet Rollout

Bring Office Supplies Into Your Kitchen

Repurposing office supplies might seem out of place on a list of kitchen organization hacks, but one of the best ways to keep your space organized on a budget is to get creative with items you already have.

File Folders

Kitchen Window Plant Perch

Coffee Pod Storage

Mobile Kitchen Storage and Organization Cart

The post 15 Hacks to Help Tame Kitchen Clutter for Good appeared first on Family Handyman.

Automobile manufacturers have been touting the auto start-stop feature in newer cars as a fuel-saving feature. Many of them bill this feature as better for both you and the environment. Because of this, in many of these cars, the default setting for this feature is “on”. You have to manually switch the setting off if you don’t wish to utilize it.

It certainly makes it easy to save fuel and reduce your emissions while driving. You don’t have to remember to opt into this setting; it just comes on when you turn your car on. But there’s a flip side. Without this feature, you only utilize the starter in your car once per trip. When this setting is on, however, your vehicle will use it every time you accelerate from a stop.

You may find yourself wondering if this exponential increase in the usage of your starter has any downsides. We spoke to Kye Grisham, the vice president of Procurement and Automotive Technology for Christian Brothers Automotive Corporation, and Thomas Diamond, an automotive technology specialist at Father Judge High School, to find out if this feature lives up to its advertising.

Does This Feature Decrease the Lifespan of Your Starter?

According to Grisham, it does not. “These starters are built differently from traditional starters and can handle the increased quantity of starts,” the vice president says. The exponential increase in use was incorporated into the design for this feature. He explains that most of the starters in cars with an auto on-off feature “are designed to turn slower as well so they do not wear out.” So you can rest assured that leaving it on isn’t a recipe for an expensive starter replacement earlier than if you’d turned it off.

Diamond agrees. He explains that newer starters are quite “beefed up” compared to ones in cars without this feature. He says that every facet of these automotive parts has been prepared for the exponential increase in usage. These newer ones are the “heavy-duty” version of a traditional starter.

Is it Better to Toggle This Setting Off?

About the Experts

Kye Grisham is the Vice President of Procurement and Automotive Technology for Christian Brothers Automotive Corporation.

Thomas Diamond is an automotive technology specialist with Father Jude High School.

The post Should I Turn Off the Auto Start-Stop In My Car? appeared first on Family Handyman.

Mulch Backyard

If you’re looking for lawn alternatives, why not a mulch backyard instead of a grass one? Mulch comes in a variety of materials, which allows for creative landscape designs using different textures and colors. It provides additional benefits as one of the alternatives to grass lawns such as moisture retention, weed control, protection against erosion, heat retention and protection of root systems.

If you’re landscaping your yard with features such as flower or rock gardens, mulch is ideal for creating pathways throughout the yard. There are several types of much,including wood chips, shredded bark, sawdust, pine needles and straw mulch. However, remember to replace the mulch on time.

Synthetic Grass Backyard

Synthetic grass, also known as artificial grass or turf, is viable as an alternative to grass lawns. The material has the same look and texture as natural grass. There are three main types worth considering: nylon, polyethylene and polypropylene. The amount of traffic the lawn receives will help determine the type of material best suited for your home. Polyethylene is soft, vibrant in color and resilient. Nylon is strong, allowing it to maintain its shape, and can withstand high temperatures. Polypropylene, while less costly, does not have the durability or resilience of the other two.

Gravel Backyard

If you’re intrigued by the idea of a mulch backyard instead of grass, but want an option that is less likely to attract bugs, consider landscaping gravel. There is a wide range of stone types to choose from such as crushed granite, stone pebbles, river rocks, decomposed granite, pea gravel.

Granite offers many advantages as a grass alternative including a wide variety of color and texture options, broad availability, a wide price range-perfect for any budget and durability. Stone-based materials do not attract bugs, don’t decompose due to the elements, and are long-lasting. One thing to consider however, is that over time, gravel will start to sink into the soil.

Clover Backyard

We’re not talking about the clover that’s taking over your lawn, we’re talking about a larger flowering variety that is far more at home in your garden. While you may have to protect it from hungry creatures, bees will love it. Just remember to plant it more like grass and treat it like a ground cover as an alternative to a lawn.

Lily Turf

Lily Turf grows well in full sunlight or deep shade in moderate regions and partial shade in regions with extreme heat and cold winters. It thrives in USDA Zones 6-10. The slow-spreading ground cover blooms in late summer with purple or white flowers. Lily Turf prefers slightly acidic, well-drained soil. Once the root system is established, the plant is drought tolerant. During the late winter or early spring months, Lily Turf can be sheared or mowed, which strengthens the plant for new growth and is a nice alternative to a traditional lawn.

Moss

Moss as a ground cover is the perfect solution for shady lawns as well as lawns with poor soil. The two key ingredients for growing moss are moisture, a two-minute watering daily, and daylight, but not direct sun. For yards that are heavily shaded, moss is both practical—needs no mowing—and provides aesthetic value. Moss does not produce flowers, seeds or establish true roots. It is a cover-like mat of stems and leaves, which absorbs nutrients and water. Moss grows very well with other perennials that thrive in the shade such as hostas, trilliums and ferns.

Flower and Shrub Beds

If you like the idea of a mulch backyard instead of grass, but want to keep some plant life around as well, you can split the difference with flower and shrub beds. This combination adds a touch of interest and beauty to the landscape while reducing soil erosion and the amount of time needed for maintaining a grassy lawn.

Generally, the types of plants used range in various heights of around 1 ft., or less. Taller flowers and shrubs can be used, as well, as a backdrop to the shorter plants. Flower beds, built-in planters and alongside sidewalks are a few suggestions when laying out a landscaping plan. For pathways throughout the yard, use one of the suggestions in this slideshow such as mulch, rocks or gravel to cover the area.

Garden Meadow

Visions of flowers blooming and gently bending in the breeze evoke an atmosphere of peace and serenity. This scene can be yours with a colorful garden meadow. There are two types: perennial and annual. Perennial meadows blossom from year to year and annual meadows produce once per year. Both are excellent alternatives to grass and put on a display of color for many months. Planting is recommended in mid-spring or early autumn in sunny areas. While annual meadows need a rich soil base, perennial meadows do well in poor soil. Wildflowers are available as a mixture of assorted seeds or as individual plants.

Outdoor Garden Features

Create an oasis in the front or backyard and eliminate the need for grass by designing a landscape that uses mostly hardscape features, such as a deck, patio, koi pond, water features, an outdoor kitchen or a fire pit.

For pathways, use one of the mentioned low-maintenance ground covers such as moss, gravel, synthetic grass or mulch. You can add in a touch of greenery by planting bordering flower beds alongside the pathways, designating an area for a vegetable or flower garden, and highlighting areas around decks, ponds or patios with drought-resistant and ornamental grasses.

The post Get Off The Grass With These Excellent Backyard Alternatives appeared first on Family Handyman.

Use Sawdust to Soak Up Spills

Brush Out the Air Vents

Truck Bed Reach Stick

Pipe Insulation in Crevices

Cardboard Drop Cloth

Lubricate Window Tracks

Also, learn how to clean the inside car windows.

Compressor Creeper

Saltwater for your Car

Hands-Free Light

Use a Toothbrush for Detailing

A simple little household item that cost a couple of bucks can be a mighty tool for cleaning the crevices inside your car. Just like your toothbrush loosens stuff between your teeth, it does the same thing for your car. Once the gunk is loosened up and brought to the surface, it’s easy to vacuum it up or wipe it off. It can be used to clean the rims and headlights too.

The post 10 Handy Car Maintenance Tips appeared first on Family Handyman.

Use a Handheld Sharpener On Kitchen Knives

Knowing what tool is used to sharpen knives will save you a headache when you find that yours are becoming dull. Most of the time you don’t need a power tool or an expensive knife-sharpening system to keep a workable edge on your kitchen knives. Regular use of a handheld sharpener is fine. Follow the instructions that came with your sharpener to quickly refine kitchen knives that have standard beveled edges. You’ll have to use another sharpening tool if your knives have unusual or asymmetrical angles.

Utilize Steels for Unusual Knives

If your knives are serrated or oddly shaped, a handheld sharper just won’t cut it. Instead, a steel is the most common tool is used to sharpen these knives. There are a few different kinds you can use depending on the kind of knife you’re working with and whether you want a full sharpening job or just a quick touch-up.

Serrated Knives

When using a diamond steel to sharpen a serrated knife, the curve of the steel has to fit the scallops on the knife. Take your knife to a cookware store and find a diamond-coated steel that matches the scallop size on your knife. If you’re shopping online, you can find the diameter you need by holding drill bits against the scallops. Then use this dimension to order the right diameter sharpener. Another option is to buy a tapered, pocket-size diamond steel that accommodates a variety of different scallop sizes.

Notice that one side of the blade is flat and the other tapered. Sharpen only the tapered side. Starting at one end, sharpen each scallop with two or three strokes, matching the original angle. When you’re done, run the knife through corrugated cardboard to remove metal filings.

Touch Ups

You’ve probably seen chefs on cooking shows brandishing a knife and a steel like a samurai swordsman and thought it was just for pros. But a honing steel isn’t hard to use and is perfect for restoring a sharp cutting edge to your knives. You can’t fully restore a dull blade with a steel, but you’ll be surprised how quickly you can take a slightly dulled edge to almost razor-sharpness with just a few strokes.

The safest method for using a steel is to rest the tip on a surface that’s not too slippery, like a wooden cutting board. Then pull the knife down and across, alternating sides. Keep the knife at about a 25-degree angle so you’re just tuning up the edge. The steel doesn’t actually sharpen. It simply straightens out the wavy edge so the knife slices through material better. Eventually you’ll have to resharpen the knife, but for between-sharpening tune-ups, you can’t beat a steel.

A File is a Versatile Tool for Sharpening Landscaping Tools

Just like it’s important to know what tool is used to sharpen knives, you need to know how to sharpen your other blades. Your landscaping tools take quite a beating, and they need regular touch ups to keep them in tiptop shape. Fortunately, a file is an incredible versatile tool that can be used to sharpen these types of blades.

Hatchets and Axes

You don’t need a power tool to sharpen hatchets or axes—all you need is a sharp mill bastard file with a handle. Buy a good-quality file, and pick up a file brush while you’re at it. Use the file brush to clean the metal filings from the file’s teeth to keep it cutting well. Clamp the hatchet, then file the edges, following the original angle. The file cuts only on the push stroke, so don’t go back and forth with a sawing motion. Start your stroke on one end of the blade and push the file up and across, applying a little pressure.

Make three or four passes on one side, then do the same on the other side. Keep the number of passes equal for both sides. File until the edge is uniformly sharp. Look directly at the sharp edge with a strong overhead light. Dull spots will show up as bright reflections.

File hatchets or axes used for cutting or felling wood at about a 25- to 30-degree angle on each side. Splitting axes work better with a blunter angle, so for them, increase the angle to about 35 to 40 degrees. Filing will get your hatchet or ax blade back in shape, but if you want it really sharp, you’ll have to follow up with a stone or diamond hone.

Shovels

Your shovel will slice through dirt and roots easier if it has a sharp edge. If the point of your shovel is ragged with dents or chips, start by smoothing it with a metal grinding disc in an angle grinder. Keep the grinder moving to avoid overheating the metal edge.

Once you’re happy with the smoothness, switch to a mill bastard file to file a bevel. Hold the file at a 70-degree angle to the back of the shovel. Apply pressure while pushing the file. Files cut on the forward stroke only, so lift the file to return for the next stroke. You don’t want a knifelike edge. Just bevel the top edge at a 70-degree angle to the back. That’s pretty blunt compared with the 25- or 30-degree angle used for knife sharpening.

Spade Bits

If you grab a spade bit instead of an expensive Forstner bit when rough material needs drilling, this abuse will take a toll. Luckily, a spade bit doesn’t have to be sharpened with precision to work better. A few strokes along the bottom with a file and you’re back in business. Clamp the bit in a vise and file the cutting edges, making sure to maintain the existing angle. A tapered triangular file works well for many sizes of spade bit.

Tune Up Carbide Router Bits With a Diamond Paddle

Chipped or severely dulled carbide router bits require professional sharpening, but you can restore a slightly dulled edge with a diamond paddle. To avoid changing the cutting profile of the bit, sharpen the back of the cutters only. A handy method is to clamp the diamond paddle to your workbench and move the bit back and forth over the diamond-impregnated surface. Start with the coarser-grit side of the paddle. Then switch to the fine side. The sharpened carbide should have a consistent shiny band along the cutting edge.

A 1-in. Belt Sander is a Versatile Tool Used to Sharpen Knives

If you’re on a budget, you might want to know what the most versatile tool is that can be used to sharpen knives. Most carpenters know that a belt sander can produce a reasonably acceptable edge on a dull chisel. And knife-makers and professional sharpeners often use special belt grinders to shape and sharpen blades. You can get many of the benefits of a professional belt grinder for a fraction of the cost with a 1 x 30-in. benchtop belt sander. Buy 180- and 240-grit belts and you’ll be set for serious knife sharpening. Plus, you can use the belt sander to grind other tools like axes and chisels, and to sand small woodworking projects.

For really dull knives, start with a 180-grit belt and finish with a 240-grit belt. Practice on an inexpensive knife until you get the feel of holding the knife at the correct angle as you move it across the belt. Try to maintain the angle that’s on your knife. This is usually about 20 degrees. For a razor-sharp edge, buy a leather belt along with honing compound and mount it on your sander for the final sharpening step.

Use a DIY Honing Guide to Sharpen Chisels and Planes

There’s nothing like working with a razor-sharp plane or chisel, and nothing more frustrating than trying to use dull ones. Arkansas or Japanese stones are the traditional tool, but they’re expensive to buy and take practice and skill to use. But there’s an easy and inexpensive way to get great results without stones or much practice. The key to success is the honing guide, which ensures a consistent bevel. The guide shown works for both chisel and plane blades. You’ll also need a 12-in. square of 1/4-in. plate glass to provide a perfectly flat honing surface. You can order one at any hardware store, but be sure to have the sharp edges sanded smooth.

You’ll glue sandpaper to the glass and use it like a sharpening stone. Use spray adhesive to attach half sheets of silicone carbide sandpaper to the glass. Cover one side with 220- and 320-grit paper and the other side with 400- and 600-grit. The sharpening angle is determined by how far you extend the blade before clamping it to the guide. Dimensions on the side of the guide show where to set chisels and planes to maintain 25- and 30-degree angles. Clamp the blade in the guide and roll it back and forth on the coarsest paper until the edge is uniformly shiny. It should take only 15 or 20 seconds. Repeat this process for each progressively finer grit.

Sharpen Your Scissors

Sharpening scissors with a sharpening stone is tough work, and if you don’t feel confident, there are other tools you can try.  A handheld scissor sharpener makes the whole process nearly foolproof. It’ll sharpen left-handed scissors in one side and right-handed in the other. It has a ceramic bar that floats between the blades and automatically sets itself to the correct angle as you gently squeeze the scissors and pull or push it through the opening. Don’t push hard; just pretend you’re lightly cutting a piece of paper and maintain consistent pressure. A few passes and your scissors should be sharp.

The post Which Tools Are Best For Sharpening Knives and Other Blades? appeared first on Family Handyman.

Touch up Nicks and Scratches

Cleaning up any nicks or scratches on your furniture is one of the easiest quick home upgrades you can do. If you have shallow scratches or nicks, hide them with a stain-filled touch-up marker. Dab on the stain and wipe off the excess with a rag. But beware: Scratches can absorb lots of stain and turn darker than the surrounding finish. So start with a marker that’s lighter than your cabinet finish and then switch to a darker shade if needed.

For deeper scratches, use a filler pencil, which fills and colors the scratch. If the cabinet finish is dingy overall and has lots of scratches, consider a wipe-on product like Old English Scratch Coat. These products can darken the finish slightly, so you have to apply them to all your cabinets.

Restore Free Flow to a Faucet

When a kitchen or bathroom faucet loses pressure or starts spraying to the side, it’s usually due to a dirty aerator screen. Luckily, cleaning a screen is an easy job. Start by closing the drain plug so you don’t drop parts down the drain. Then remove the aerator using a rag or masking tape so you don’t mar the finish with your pliers.

To remove the sand and other deposits, soak the aerator in vinegar, then scrub it with a toothbrush. This usually solves the problem. If you have to disassemble the aerator to clean it, lay out the parts in the order you removed them so you can reassemble them correctly.

Painting Kitchen Cabinets

Give new life to your old wood kitchen cabinets with a fresh coat of paint. But what is the best type of paint to use? For the best adhesion and a harder, more durable finish, an oil-based paint is tough to beat for kitchen cabinets. But you must be willing to put up with the strong odor and solvent cleanup, along with a longer drying and curing time than you’d get if you used an ordinary water-based paint. Plus, the color may yellow over time.

The best solution to avoid the hassle of oil-based paint is waterborne acrylic enamel paint  that delivers the good flow, leveling and hardening characteristics of an oil-based paint without the odor and long drying time. These paints dry fast and clean up with soap and water. The main challenge is a smooth finish, but pros say that if the waterborne acrylic enamel is applied heavily enough and worked in small sections, it will flatten out nicely. Avoid a dry brush and going over sections already starting to dry.

Don’t forget other keys to success when painting cabinets:

• Do plenty of surface preparation such as degreasing, cleaning and sanding.
• Prime the cabinets with a top-quality primer.
• Apply the paint with the best-quality brush for the type of paint.
• Allow the paint to dry fully by following the label directions.

Appliance Touch-up Paint

A single scratch or chip can make a beautiful new appliance look prematurely aged. Fortunately, fixing this is one of the easier quick home upgrades you can tackle. You can make those eyesores, even up to 1/4-in. diameter, almost completely vanish with color-matched epoxy touch-up paint. The trick? Fill the chip with multiple thin coats instead of trying to cover it all at once. Use the porcelain-type version for stovetops and sinks.

Kitchen Window Plant Perch

Do you like having fresh herbs at your fingertips? Keeping them on your counter takes up valuable space and doesn’t expose them to enough light. Try this easy storage idea: Install a wire shelf between the upper cabinets flanking your kitchen window. You can set your plants where they’ll get plenty of light without blocking the view. This also makes watering easy and keeps them readily available for snipping. Make sure to install the shelf high enough so you don’t bump into it when you’re working at the sink.

Add in Shelves

If you’re looking for some quick home upgrades, why not add in more shelving? Nearly every room can benefit from a little extra storage.

Above-the-Door Shelves

The space above a doorway is an overlooked storage bonanza! It’s the perfect spot for a cookbook cubby in the kitchen or a towel shelf in the bathroom. Consider adding a shelf or cubby over the doorways in your home office, laundry room and bedrooms too.

Spice Shelf

Spices are a pain to store. They get easily lost in your cabinets, so you end up buying duplicates when you can’t find what you need. Here’s a simple solution. Pick up a bag of adjustable shelf supports and a 1×4 board at a home center. Just measure the height of your tallest spices, measure down from your shelf, drill holes and mount your spice shelf on shelf supports. You’ll put an end to buying three tins of poultry seasoning and more bay leaves than you’ll use in a lifetime.

Hang a Shelf Over Your Towel Bar

For some reason, once the towel bar goes up, we don’t consider the wall usable for anything else. Why not hang a shelf for toiletries and decorative items? Just make sure to mount the shelf high enough so it allows easy access to your towels.

Install a New Tub and Shower Trim Kit

Give your shower an instant face-lift by swapping out your existing showerhead, handle and tub spout for new ones. To make this a painless switch, buy a trim kit that uses the existing trim valve. That way you won’t have to touch anything inside the wall. Before you buy, check the manufacturer’s reccomendations for specs, styles and finishes. Also check your tub spout to see if it slips on or is threaded so you can buy the right replacement.

Add a Second Medicine Cabinet and Shelves

Here’s a way to add even more storage and bump up the sophistication of your bathroom. Mount matching medicine cabinets and add shelves between them. To support these shelves, we drilled holes in the sides of the cabinets and inserted adjustable shelf pegs. The shelves are simply boards finished to match the cabinets. This makes the most of the wall space above your toilet and sink. You could also mount something similar over a double sink setup. The cabinets can be surface mounted or recessed. The shelves give the unit a nice finished quality.

Hang a Mirror Behind the Door

The wall behind the bathroom door goes unused because the door will hit anything that protrudes. Hang a mirror there. You’ll still be able to use the back of the door to hang robes and towels. The mirror will instantly make the bathroom feel larger. And it’s nice to be able to check whether your shirt is tucked in before you head out into the world.

Install a Curved Shower Curtain Rod

This is technically two quick home upgrades in one. A curved shower curtain rod is an affordable luxury that makes you feel a lot less claustrophobic taking a shower. Having just that extra few inches of space means you don’t constantly brush against the shower curtain every time you raise your arm. And a double curved shower curtain is just plain clever.

You can hang towels on the outer rod, which buys you drying space and puts your towel right where you need it. Or you can hang your liner and your curtain on separate rods. You may need an extra-long liner since the curve pulls the hem of the shower liner higher in the tub.

The post Quick Home Upgrades to Optimize Your Space appeared first on Family Handyman.