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Home Hacks to make every day life a littler easier

7/4/2023

Everyone loves a helpful hack to make lives a little simpler, right? We've put together this fun list of things you may not have thought of to save you time, energy, and money:

Use a pencil to clean your grout. Dip the pencil eraser in baking soda and scrub it into the grout. This little tip will help to remove dirt and grime and make your grout new again.
Use a dryer sheet to remove static cling. Rub a dryer sheet on your clothes before you put them away. This will help to remove static cling and prevent your clothes from sticking together.
We know it sounds weird but cut a toilet paper roll in half and use it to clean your blinds. This will help to remove dust and dirt and make your blinds look new again.
Clean your oven with a sponge. Mix equal parts baking soda and vinegar and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray the solution onto the oven and let it sit for 30 minutes. Wipe it away with a sponge to help to remove tough grease and grime.
Use a coffee filter to clean your coffee maker. After you brew a pot of coffee, place a coffee filter in the carafe and pour the coffee back into the coffee maker. This will help to catch any grounds that are left behind. After, you can rinse the carafe and coffee maker with water.
Clean your drains with lemon. Cut a lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the drain. Add a cup of baking soda and let it sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, pour a pot of boiling water down the drain. This will help to remove any clogs and freshen up your drains.
Use vinegar and water to clean your windows. Mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray the solution onto the windows and wipe it away with a clean cloth. This will help to remove any dirt, grime, or fingerprints.
Clean your countertops with a baking soda and water paste. Mix equal parts baking soda and water to form a paste. Apply the paste to the countertops and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then, wipe it away with a damp cloth. This will help to remove any dirt, grime, or food particles.
Use a duster to remove dust from your furniture. A duster is a great way to remove dust from your furniture without having to use any chemicals. Simply dust your furniture with the duster and you're done.

These are just a few of the many home hacks that can help you save time, money, and energy. What are some of your favorite home hacks?

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So Your Tap Water Has Flecks In It

11/18/2019

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Have you ever walked over to your sink and run the faucet, intending to grab a glass of water? Of course you have! Who hasn’t drank tap water, once or twice in their lives. It’s a foolproof way of staying hydrated. Now, have you ever turned on the faucet and noticed small floating things inside? This is a much less appealing part of tap water, but not always cause for alarm! There are more than a couple reasons that you could have sediment or floating specks in your water glass. So, in order to lay some worries to rest, we compiled a list of a couple items you may find at the bottom of your glass!

Black Particles. Black floaters could be degraded piping, faucets, or water filters. If you’re seeing floaters that look similar to coffee grounds, it is probably granulated carbon from your water filter! However, if they are oily, it could be a part of a rubber hose that has degraded over time. Both of these could be indicators of simple repairs, but if you are unsure at all we can evaluate the issue for you! A third thing that black particles could be is sulfur bacteria. As scary as that sounds, it is not dangerous to humans.
Brown or Orange Particles. If you have found brown sediment at the bottom of your glass, it’s likely sand appearing due to a recent well digging nearby. However, if these brown or orange pieces are floating, jagged or strangely shaped, they are simply iron particles. They are not a health hazard, but definitely something to be aware of, as they can clog your washer machine, shower heads and much more.
- Side note; if these brown or orange particles are uniform fish egg/bead shapes, it could be a sign your water softener is broken! This is cause to call in a professional immediately, to repair the damage before it gets any worse!
White or Tan Particles. If you see white or tan particles in your water, fear not! This is the most common type of floater to see, as they are due to deposits of minerals. Water carries anything it comes into contact with, provided it’s light enough. Calcium and magnesium carbonate are found in water worldwide, and often will leave deposits inside your piping as it builds up. This deposit can occasionally form a scale, and over time will chip away. The chips are part of what you are seeing come out of your faucet. If it’s in heavier chucks, consider installing a water softener to keep the minerals from building up and breaking off.

These are only the most common times of particles you could find in your water, but that doesn’t mean you won’t see other colors, sizes or shapes of all these items. If you are ever concerned about the quality of water in your home, or you’ve never found particles and just want to know what we can do to ensure you never do, give us a call! We are always up for ensuring our customers have safe, clear water at home!

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Saving Money with Tony's

8/31/2019

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We get it, home repair is expensive! Nobody wants to spend money on the “boring” or unexpected stuff. You want to spend money on stuff that’s fun and brings enjoyment, right? Who doesn’t! That’s why this month we decided to write a list of things you can do around your living space that will make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck, and saving money where it counts, at home!

Stop it with the leaks. Leaky faucets, leaky hoses, leaky toilets, oh my! A water leak, as noted above, waste so much water! Unfathomable gallons are wasted each day by homes all over the nation, and the easiest way for you to save money on plumbing is to make sure none of your appliances are leaking. Make sure you’re checking your faucets for drips, and under the sink for water pools.
How’s your toilet flapper? Yeah, sounds funny, but it’s a serious issue in toilets! A sticky flapper can force your toilet to work harder than necessary, upping your water waste. If your toilet has moderate water flow, it could waste 6,000 gallons of water a month. Think about how much money that could add to your bill, and what it’s doing to the environment!
Don’t disregard the smell. A smelly drain is a symptom of a bigger problem. You don’t ignore the fridge when foul odors come from it, why would you ignore the drain!? If you’ve got a strange smell, make sure you call in a professional as piping is not designed to vent inside the home.
Get rid of the old school faucet. In theory, keeping the outdated faucet in the bathroom should save you money, right? Wrong. Outdated sink fixtures actually lose control of the water flow over time, so the more updated eco-friendly faucets control the water pressure and ensure you’re not wasting any!
Insulate & Inspect the Water Heater. An insulated water heater, is a happy water heater. By insulating your water heater you’re ensuring the cool down temp is higher, so the water heater doesn’t have to work quite as hard to heat up water when you run a faucet. This naturally uses less energy, making your system more efficient. Insulating your water heater doesn’t have to be complicated, either. Some people only go as far as wrapping a blanket around theirs, but call us for a better solution!
Strain Your Drains. What, did you think strainers were only for noodles? Today’s market shows a huge variety of strainers made specifically for the drains in your sink, bathtub, or shower! This alleviates the hair backup, and other gunk that typically goes down the drain. It’s better for your pipes, and can save you from a potential clog.

These are just a few of the hundreds of ways you can save money on your plumbing. Some of these save you money monthly, and some of them annually, but either way the goal is to maintain your home and make sure you’re not coughing up unnecessary cash for no reason! Our goal is to make sure your plumbing (and checkbook!) is efficient and well-maintained. If you have any questions, or suggestions, give us a call! We’d love to hear your plumbing saving tips!

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Home Hacks to make every day life a littler easier

So Your Tap Water Has Flecks In It

Saving Money with Tony's

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Oakdale, MN 55128

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Home Hacks to make every day life a littler easier

So Your Tap Water Has Flecks In It

Saving Money with Tony's

Author

Archives

Categories

Our Location:​661 Hayward Ave NOakdale, MN 55128

What Our Clients Are Saying:

Contact Us

Our Location:

661 Hayward Ave N
Oakdale, MN 55128