When you need to move a toilet, it’s a pain to get that last bit of water out of the toilet bowl. If you don’t have a wet-dry vac handy, save the sponges for the last couple drops and do it this way. You need a length of vinyl tubing, a big plastic soda pop bottle, and a regular vacuum cleaner. Stick one end of the tubing in the toilet water and the other end in the empty pop bottle. Now put the vacuum cleaner hose over the top of the bottle, and seal the gaps with your hands or with a rag. The vacuum created will draw the water up through the tube and into the bottle.
Is your refrigerator running… efficiently? The black coils on the back of your fridge help disperse heat, but when they get dirty they have to work twice as hard. Keep them clean and your fridge will cool better and save you electricity. Vacuum them twice a year.
Your dishwasher not cleaning well? It’s good to remember that a dishwasher is not a trash compactor. While many manufacturers say rinsing isn’t necessary, try not to leave solid items on your dishes. Chicken bones, chunks of meat, even rice, will hang around in the dishwasher and end up on your clean dishes. Clean the screen regularly, and remove it if you break a glass.
If you think about it, the dishwasher is basically a high powered lawn sprinkler in a metal box, so don’t block the spray with big items. And to keep scale buildup to a minimum, do this every month: when the dishwasher has filled with water and is ready to start washing a load, dump a few cups of vinegar in the water.