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Front-load washers have long been the standard washing machine in Europe and Asia. They’ve been around in the United States for years in the commercial washer market, but the recent emphasis on water and energy conservation has put the washers at the forefront of the home consumer washer production. As more homes give these machines a try, there is a learning curve both in how to use a front load washer correctly and in how it works to clean clothes....

In the real world, though, there are complicating factors: tiles of different size and thickness; grout lines of different width; a variety of tile patterns, and more. Because tiles are increasingly being bought online, you do not want to over-purchase those tiles, as returns are difficult. This is why a reliable tile calculator is important. How It Works Most online tile calculators are pretty weak. You input room width and room length and it will tell you that your room area is 120 square feet....

In feng shui, the color black is connected to the water element. Water represents wisdom, depth, and fluidity. If these are qualities you’d like to bring into your life, it may be helpful for you to work with black stones such as black obsidian. Water is also connected to career and social network. You might want to bring in more water element through the color black if you’d like to enhance these areas of your life....

Sometimes, the answer is simple—don’t do anything at all. Not every wall needs adornment, particularly if your bedroom is tiny, or minimalist in style. In those cases, a blank wall creates a feeling of space and simplicity. But if the empty wall in your bedroom is a negative, not an asset, don’t worry. You always have the obvious solution—fill up the space with a single large piece of artwork or a gallery of smaller pieces....

You can also grow Japanese banana as a potted plant, bringing it indoors from the patio when the weather turns cold. No other banana species offer this kind of versatility, but if you are expecting harvestable fruit, you will be disappointed, as this is not species that produces edible bananas. It can take a full 12 to 24 months for the plant to produce bananas, which won’t happen in climates where it dies back each winter....

Problems With Wet Birdseed Wet birdseed isn’t just unpleasant; it can cause a number of problems at backyard feeding stations, such as: Mold. Wet seed will spoil and mold more quickly, encouraging bacteria growth that can spread diseases to backyard birds and may even be fatal. Birds are less likely to eat spoiled seed, causing waste and even deterring birds from visiting feeders altogether where there are other food sources they can visit....

Here are 5 essential features that maximize the storage potential of your kitchen cabinets. Drawers offer perfect ergonomic storage: Drawers come out to meet you—no squatting or bending down to see what you’ve got. Just pull the drawer out and look down. As we age, our backs become more sensitive to lifting, so drawers are wonderful for folks who have trouble lifting or reaching.Drawers offer flexible storage: Drawers can hold almost anything in your kitchen and can be configured in a cabinet in a number of ways: three or four drawers stacked in a base cabinet, or a single drawer sitting atop doors that open to reveal shelves....

What They Wanted The Beckers, who are both engineers, say they are not gardeners but appreciate coming home to an appealing space and spending time outdoors. “Our main goals were to limit water consumption, create green spaces between the houses, have a comfortable patio in the back to relax, and an attractive green space from the street view,” says Robert. The couple also wanted to get rid of the existing planting beds because they did not fit the small yard and lacked any sort of plan or design....

Why Check for Leaking Clean-Outs? While crawling under a house recently, I came across three clean-outs and all three caps were leaking. Even though these leaks were minor, this isn’t something you want to ignore (this is a sewer line, after all). Since the clean-outs are usually located in the basement or crawl space under the house, it isn’t a problem you are likely to notice. One way to catch the problem early is to check the clean-outs as part of your routine plumbing maintenance....

Essentially, a monochromatic color scheme is when any single hue forms the base of the scheme, and all other colors are derivatives of that hue. White is usually considered an acceptable (and desirable) color in all monochromatic schemes, as it is essentially the very lightest version of any and all colors. It is common, for example, to use white trim or white accessories in a room that’s designed with a monochromatic scheme....

Naturally Occurring Substance Washing soda is a naturally occurring substance derived from the ash of sodium-rich plants. Sometimes it’s manufactured synthetically. But whether nature-made or human-made, it’s just a chemical compound consisting of sodium, carbon, and oxygen. Take care to store washing soda in a dry area. It absorbs moisture readily and will turn brick-hard when it does. Washing Soda Uses Washing soda is used in many commercial products that include detergents and toothpaste....

With the presence of fall weather comes the emergence of seasonal allergies, and air purifiers offer a practical solution for cleaning the air in your home, removing a number of allergens as well as pollen, pet hair, and dust. Out of the dozens of options we tested in both the real world and The Lab, the LEVOIT Air Purifier for Home Large Room was the clear winner, earning an impressive 4....

For most of us, laundry is a daunting chore that can suck up precious weekend or after-work hours. Having a nice laundry room and arming yourself with some great laundry hacks can help, but the best thing to do is invest in quality equipment. To find out if the LG WT7300C Top Load Washer was up to the task, we tested it over the course of a month. After more than 20 loads of laundry, here’s what we learned about its performance, design, and how it stacks up to the competition....

This solution, called the low-divide or dual-capacity kitchen sink, provides two basins but with a center divider that rises only partway to the top of the basins. This may well be the sink for you. Single-Basin and Double-Basin Sinks A single-basin sink, as the name indicates, is just one big tub installed within your kitchen counter. It is perfect for washing giant casseroles, turkey pans, baking sheets, as well as for smaller items....

The source of heat lies deep in the cerebral cortex of a generation of 40-plus year-olds. These are the environs where, as kids, they accompanied their parents to the super-sleek savings and loan and marveled at concrete beams impossibly arching over vast floor spaces. Or where they visited their mom’s rich sister who had a low, flat home designed by an actual architect—not a tract home stamped from a cookie presser—dominated by a massive fireplace....

That said, combining modern furniture and accessories with traditional ones can often result in chaos if not planned in advance. To simplify the process, there are major considerations that might make it easier to combine the two very different styles together. Modern or Traditional? To create a really great balance, decide whether you want your space to be primarily modern or primarily traditional. Letting one style dominate is crucial because you don’t want to create a space where everything is fighting for equal attention....