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2 weeks ago | 
homesandgardens.com | Chiana Dickson
Starting the dishwasher might be a task many of us do on autopilot, but pausing to select the right dishwasher cycle could make a world of difference to how clean your dishes are and how much energy you use. From sanitizing cycles to quick, eco-washes, understanding what each dishwasher cycle does, and knowing the one to pick for the best clean will help you get the most out of your appliance without running up unnecessary bills.
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2 weeks ago | 
homesandgardens.com | Chiana Dickson
Although mopping floors is a great way to stay on top of everyday mess, it is never quite enough for tile floors, especially when cleaning textured ones, experts say. Dirt collects in the tiny surface dents or surface variations on tiles, which a standard mop cannot fully clean, and instead ends up spreading the mess around. That's why professional cleaners never waste their time using standard mops to clean this type of flooring.
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2 weeks ago | 
flipboard.com | Chiana Dickson
2 days agoOne year after his death, the longtime Los Angeles estate of Richard Simmons has landed on the market for $7 million, Realtor.com reports. The fitness icon and media personality bought the 1937 Neoclassical Revival Colonial–style home in the 1980s and maintained it as his primary residence until …
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3 weeks ago | 
homesandgardens.com | Chiana Dickson
If your home is full of furry friends, then you will know the pain of trying to get rid of pet hair, especially from your clothing and household linens. While you can spend hours working around your home with lint rollers, I prefer to remove it all in the laundry with – hear me out – a Velcro hair roller. Having picked up the trick from an Instagram reel, I now swear by this laundry hack to save time plucking lint and hair from the laundry without it ending up stuck in the washing machine seal.
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3 weeks ago | 
homesandgardens.com | Chiana Dickson
As someone who loves to walk around barefoot but hates the feeling of crumbs, slight stickiness, and hair, my household vacuum can see a lot of action. However, I am always busy (or feel exhausted from my busy schedule), so there is rarely space for daily vacuuming on my agenda. That's why I was so excited to test the Roomba Combo® 10 Max robot + Autowash in my home. However, after two months of fighting with it, I have come to terms with the fact that it is far from the best robot vacuum.
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3 weeks ago | 
homesandgardens.com | Chiana Dickson
One of the most tiring things about cleaning is remembering which products can be used where, what you need to avoid, and which have harsh chemicals that require careful use. Then there's storing them all, which can prove a nightmare in small homes and apartments. That is why stumbling on an $11 multi-purpose soap – Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds from Target – that does practically everything from laundry to dishes to surfaces is such a game-changer.
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3 weeks ago | 
homesandgardens.com | Chiana Dickson
With new studies suggesting that hurricanes are likely to become more frequent in both the Atlantic and eastern Pacific oceans over the next decade, increasing the risk for communities across North and Central America, it is more important than ever to understand how to pack a DIY hurricane preparedness kit. These essential sets can help to keep you and your family safe and healthy during the worst of the extreme weather.
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3 weeks ago | 
homesandgardens.com | Chiana Dickson
The cabinet under my sink has always had a weird, musty smell to it, thanks to a mixture of my cabinet-mounted trash can, moisture from the sink pipes, and my arsenal of cleaning products. I was desperate for a solution, but I didn’t want to replace the damp smell with a harsh chemical one. I was thrilled when I tried a natural mix of lemon juice and vinegar and found it fully deodorized my stinky cabinet. The best news?
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3 weeks ago | 
homesandgardens.com | Chiana Dickson
We are all a little guilty of picking up some bad habits at home – be it leaving clothes piled on bedroom chairs or putting things down rather than away. But how do you break bad home habits for good? Replacing them with good ones isn’t easy, but it is more than worth the effort when your home becomes 10 times easier to keep tidy and clean. I spoke to productivity experts, life coaches, and home organizers to learn the secrets to tackling the worst habits to ditch to save time on chores for good.
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3 weeks ago | 
homesandgardens.com | Chiana Dickson
Installing vinyl plank flooring is an affordable, aesthetically pleasing, and easy-to-maintain alternative to installing natural wood flooring. Luckily, it is a relatively simple task for homeowners to complete themselves with the right tools and some patience. Here's how to complete this DIY project to elevate your home without expert intervention – and while keeping all of your fingers in the process.
