What Is Hard Water? Hard water is found in 85 percent of America. Hard water is usually defined as having high levels of calcium and magnesium; the greater the concentration of these minerals, the harder the water. With a high concentration of these minerals in the water, unless the water is treated, the calcium and magnesium attach to the fabric in a laundry load and leave clothing and linens feeling stiff and covered with a residue that dulls color....

Gender Differences by Appearance Many bird species are dimorphic, or they show visible differences between male birds and female birds. In most cases, male birds sport brighter, bolder colors as a way to attract mates. Female birds are usually duller, with less distinctive markings that make it easier for them to blend into the surroundings while they mind a nest or protect young birds. The physical differences between male and female birds are most apparent during the spring and summer breeding season when brighter colors attract mates more effectively....

There’s a way to do this for every type of holder we use. The size and shape of the bulbs may vary, and they may be incandescent, fluorescent, halogen, or LED bulbs, but they all have one thing in common: They have to have power coming in, going through the bulb, and returning to the source. They won’t work without that. And, in most cases, you should be able to restore that function....

What Is Fire Blight? Fire blight (sometimes spelled as one word) is a bacterial disease. The type of bacterium that causes it has the Latin name of Erwinia amylovora. The disease attacks trees and bushes in the rose family. If you have not been introduced to the rose family, please note that this designation does not refer simply to the fragrant rose bushes with which you have probably been familiar since childhood....

While freehand cuts are still necessary for many woodworking projects, the clean, measured precision of a miter saw is typically more beneficial for common DIY tasks, including installing a fence, building a home office, or replacing carpet with hardwood flooring. Keep reading to learn how to use a miter saw, plus care and storage tips. Miter Saw vs. Chop Saw Miter saws and chop saws are often confused because they have the same basic design for making clean, accurate 90-degree cuts....

Coffee in Compost Put coffee grounds in your compost bin. There are two types of compost material: brown and green. Your coffee grounds may be brown in color, but in compost jargon they are green material, meaning an item that is rich in nitrogen. Coffee grounds are approximately 1.45 percent nitrogen. They also contain magnesium, calcium, potassium, and other trace minerals. Other green compost materials include food scraps and grass clippings....

What Is Laundry Starch? Laundry starch is made from rice, corn or wheat. The use of starch adds body to fabrics, creates soil resistance, easier soil removal, and makes ironing easier. As a natural product, starch works best on 100 percent cotton, cotton blends, and linen to provide crispness. Starch can be purchased in aerosol cans, liquid or powdered form. You can even make it at home. For the straight-from-the-cleaner crispness, you need to use a liquid starch because the entire shirt needs to be dipped....

What Bedrooms and Plants Represent Your bedroom represents you in feng shui, and it’s the most private area of your home. It’s the best place to start to use feng shui to improve your life. In addition, plants are a skillful way to bring the natural world into your home’s interior so that you can receive the benefits of nature. Plants in feng shui also represent life energy, vitality, restoration, and growth....

There are many ways to bring the wisdom of the natural world into your home. One of these is to work with meaningful symbols from nature, like plants or animals. The lotus is a popular symbol that evokes peace, harmony, and compassion. Read on to learn how you can use the symbol of the lotus to enhance your home’s feng shui. Lotus Symbolism and Meaning in Feng Shui The lotus is a beautiful plant that grows in lakes and ponds, and it’s an iconic symbol across many cultures....

Tile spacers are an inexpensive and reusable method for quickly and effectively spacing out new tiles during a tile installation project, like installing a new shower, replacing the tiles on the floor, or putting in a new backsplash. These T-shaped or cross-shaped objects make it easy to create uniform spaces between tiles, and they even come in several different sizes so that the gap between tiles can be increased or decreased according to your preference....

Washable Clothes With Beads or Sequins The fewer times your garment is cleaned by washing or dry cleaning, the longer the accents will last. Every trip to the cleaners or every ride through the clothes washer damages the accents by causing them to become dull or loosen from the fabric. If the embellished garment has a stain but is otherwise clean, try spot-cleaning the stain first. If the stain is a non-oily food stain or dirt, mix a solution of one teaspoon liquid dishwashing detergent with one cup of cool water....

So when the opportunity came knocking to travel across the country to Southern California for a week and stay in a beautiful boho style Airbnb located just steps away from the beach, you can bet I was ready to book a plane ticket and pack my suitcase ASAP. For a week in February, I vacationed and worked remotely from the Salt House, a spacious, serene home located in Oxnard, California, just an hour outside of Los Angeles....

Too Many Moist Foods To cure the problem of too many moist foods in your bin, there’s a two-step process to getting your bin back to normal. First, stop adding foods with high moisture content. These include melons, cucumbers, tomatoes, and berries. You can add them again once your bin gets back to normal, but try to do so in moderation. The second part of the cure is to add some fresh, dry bedding to your bin....