HowToDoThings.com Safety & Emergencies

How To Keep Bats Out of Your House

Marilisa560 — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:48:59 -0500

Live near a wetland or river? Then chances are your home will attract bats, particularly if the home is older, has an open chimney or attic vents. Now bats in your yard are a wonderful thing: A single bat will eat her entire weight in insects in one evening. Bats are a safe, natural environmentally friendly insecticide. We live on a river, yet we enjoy bug-free evenings all summer long.

Bats in your home present a problem, however. While bats do not often bite and are rarely rabid, they are carriers of rabies. Pets, cats in particular, are in special danger from bats; your pets will chase the bats and naturally the bat will bite. One of our cats once caught a bat in midair. He scooped the bat out of the air and put the bat in his mouth, all in one incredibly fast movement. Thankfully, he was not bitten, but he easily could have been. Also, bat feces (or guano) is quite toxic.

How To Get a Bat Out of Your House

Marilisa560 — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:18:02 -0500

Bats in the house are a common problem, especially in the summer and in older homes or those near a river. Bats are helpful little creatures; a bat will eat her entire weight in insects each evening. Obviously, this is great news for the prevention of West Nile, malaria and other insect-born pathogens. Bats are a great natural pesticide, also: Fewer insects = less need for harmful sprays and foggers.

However, a bat in the yard is much different than a bat in the house. Bats are wild creatures. They will bite if they feel threatened. Although humans are in more danger of contracting rabies from a dog than from a bat, bats are carriers of rabies. Bats pose a threat to your pets when cornered or trapped. Cats are especially intrigued by bats, and being superb hunters, cats can pull a flying bat out of mid-air. Bat dung or guano is also highly toxic. To remove a bat safely and humanely from your home, you need to follow these steps.

How To Garden Safely with Children at Home or in School

Marilisa560 — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:56:26 -0600

Gardening is in my list of top five learning activities. It's natural, therapeutic, hands-on, interactive and a great learning tool. Whether you teach plant care, botany lessons or gardening at home with your children or in school as a teacher, there are several areas to consider and steps to follow to ensure safety.

How To Put Out a Grease Fire

Larado — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 18:27:48 -0600

Okay, say you're frying something in a frying pan and your grease catches fire, what should you do?

Items to always have on hand:

How To Kick Down a Door

Larado — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:57:36 -0600

You may need to kick down a door for many reasons, you locked your keys in a locked room, or your house, and for whatever reason you need to get in and can't utilize or wait for other means. Before we start let me just say that, if at all possible, you should use another means to get through the door that's locked, it's safer and generally easier; that said, lets get started.

How To Implement Heating Efficiency Ideas

johnnyhayneser — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:52:31 -0600

Saving money on your water heater is a great idea. There are so many different things you can do to save hundreds of dollars per year with very little work. Let's review some things to look for when dealing with the different types of plumbing parts associated with water heaters.

How To Remove Sediment from a Water Heater

johnnyhayneser — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:06:19 -0600

All water that enters into a water heater contains natural minerals of some kind. Heating the water causes the minerals to separate and fall to the bottom of the tank. Usually this sediment build-up is made of calcium carbonate. One sign of sediment build-up is a sulfur (or rotten-egg) smell around your water heater. With gas water heaters, sediment problems may cause the entire heater to become noisy while on.

How To Implement Safety Tips for Water Heaters

johnnyhayneser — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:06:16 -0600

Much of the maintenance work on a water heater will have to be performed by an electrician or plumber. But some maintenance and improvements can be done by a homeowner. However, if you are not comfortable with performing such tasks, always call a professional. Here are some safety tips to follow before working on your water heater:

How To Take a Home Inventory

bronwyn — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:44:16 -0600

Although you hope you'll never have to use it, a home inventory is something that is important to take. A home inventory is a list of all of your personal possessions and their value. This is necessary for insurance claims, whether it's renters' or homeowners' insurance.

Get insurance. Make sure that you have homeowners' or renters' insurance. Many people mistakenly think that they only need insurance if they own their home. However, renters' insurance can also protect your belongings, and tends to cost much less than homeowners' insurance.
Set aside some time to record all of your belongings. Luckily, you don't have to record every pair of socks. Make sure you record the most expensive items - computers, electronics, etc. - and group the other items.

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How To Keep a Fireplace Clean

bronwyn — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 16:34:06 -0600

There's no better place in your house on a chilly winter night than in front of your fireplace - but is your fireplace safe? Do the soot stains bother you? The good news is that cleaning your fireplace and keeping it safe go hand in hand, and are even fairly easy!

Have a chimney sweeper come every year. This part is essential for fireplace safety, and you can't do it alone. You need a professional to clear any obstructions in the chimney and remove all extra creosote and other buildup. This flammable material in your chimney is a risk factor for house fires, so don't delay!

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