Home Help: How to spring clean houseplants

Tip of the week: Indoor gardening

Follow these tips from Better Homes and Gardens to give your indoor plants a needed refresh:

Remove all dead or yellowing leaves from your houseplants. Wipe the leaves of large houseplants with a moist or damp microfiber cloth, or give them a sink or bathroom shower in lukewarm water. Place small houseplants in a sink; wash larger houseplants in a shower. Let plants drip-dry before placing them in the sun. Storage

Where to put camping gear

Jeanne Taylor, a professional organizer, recommends storing camping gear in the garage so it’s closer to and easier to pack up the car for a quick getaway. Store similar items together, for instance tents, sleeping bags and mats, tarps and coolers should all be in the same area. Use clear plastic containers to hold smaller items like flashlights, matches, eating utensils, plates and cookware. Taylor recommends a sturdy garage shelving system.

Home renovation

Avoid traditional wallpaper in moist bathrooms

One of the worst materials for your bathroom walls is fabric wallpaper, according to HomeAdvisor, because it may peel from the constant steam. An alternative is a vinyl wallpaper, as this type of paper (which usually sells for about $40 per roll) is made when a printed paper product is sprayed or coated with acrylic vinyl or PVC. This coating makes the surface resistant to grease and moisture and the covering itself perfect for bathrooms and even kitchens. Another alternative is fabric-backed vinyl, but it is considerably more expensive at $45 to $70 per roll.

Cleaning

Pressure washers: Rent versus own

Power washers are great for cleaning grime from decks, patios and walkways. You can rent one for about $40 to $100 per day from most home improvement stores, but buying an electric model costs about $100 to $200, and a gas model costs $300 to $600.

“If you’ll use a pressure washer three times or more each year, it can pay to own [one],” says Dave Trezza, a testing leader at Consumer Reports. The magazine recently tested and rated 14 models of gas pressure washers.

Another thing to consider is that gas-powered machines requires engine maintenance and room for storage. Lastly, whether you rent or own a pressure-washer, Consumer Reports cautions users to wear proper protective gear as about 6,000 people in 2014 went to the ER with injuries related to pressure-washer use. 

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