The key ingredient in all these DIY hand sanitizer recipes that makes them work is alcohol. To be effective, the alcohol content needs to be at least 60 percent ethanol or 70 percent isopropyl alcohol in the product you use. That means that many ingredients you see to make hand sanitizers, such as witch hazel or low alcohol content products, will not be effective. Besides the alcohol, there’s also usually an ingredient to make it a gel or spray consistency so it’s easier to use....

Biddeford calls their MicroPlush Sherpa Electric Heated Blanket “perfect to snuggle up in when the weather gets cold,” but instead of just taking their word for it, we wanted to weigh in. While even-heating tops of the list of importance when looking for a heated blanket, we also wanted to see if the blanket was also soft and cozy during a long New England winter. We also put it through a washing test to see if it could withstand some normal wear and tear....

Do your floors need a little extra love beyond what a vacuum can do? Then you’re probably looking at steam cleaners such as the Bissell PowerFresh Steam Mop. These cleaning tools come at a wide range of prices and with a host of features, but do you really need a high-end model with a dozen attachments? We wanted to find out if this basic model from Bissell would get the job done, so we put it to the test on the dirtiest floors we could find....

Trains or “choo choos,” as he calls them, are one of my 22-month-old son’s favorite things. He loves pushing them across the floor, looking at them in books, and watching them on his TV shows. He didn’t have a full train set to build himself, so I was excited to test out Brio’s My First Railway Beginner Pack. As he’s close to being two years old, having more challenging toys that require him to put parts together himself is important to me....

Durable, inexpensive, and easy to maintain, laminate flooring is a great floor for high traffic locations, like commercial properties. However, there are drawbacks to this material. Environmental considerations, as well as the inability to refinish these floors, makes many people think twice about purchasing laminate coverings. The following are a number of factors to consider, which can affect the overall price of laminate flooring. You can’t just consider the retail cost; you also have to look at use and value over time....

The short answer is NO! Not only is the plastic bag a suffocation hazard for small children (it says so right on the bag), it is a long-term hazard for your clothes. Issues With Plastic Dry Cleaning Bags Leaving freshly cleaned laundry in the flimsy plastic bag can cause yellowing, staining, mildew growth, and weakening of fibers. The yellowing and other changes in color are caused by BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) an antioxidant used in the manufacturing of the plastic bag....

Let There Be (a Little) Light Hill says that, in general, exposing plants to brighter days is beneficial. “Honestly, I don’t think there are any plants that cannot enjoy some time outdoors when the weather is warm,” she says. “What you have to be mindful of is lighting. Your indoor plants cannot be immediately switched to direct sun if you put them outdoors for the summer.” Lighting changes should be gradual....

The dianthus has been widely cultivated for more than two thousand years, based on its mention in ancient Greek texts. Pinning down its native locale is difficult, but some botanists theorize it originated somewhere in the Mediterranean. Dianthus translates from the Greek for “divine flower,” while “carnation” is a Latin word meaning “crown” or “garland.” Soil Carnations require excellent drainage and an alkaline soil, also referred to as “sweet” soil....

So what kinds of carpet won’t show tracking marks? Well, based on the above explanation of why carpet shows tracking marks, we need to look for a carpet that varies the texture of the fibers. Following are some carpet styles that can help minimize tracking:

Each of the five elements (earth, metal, water, wood, and fire) resonates with one another in a predictable way. Noticing the patterns in someone’s life and space, and understanding the relationships between them, can help us figure out what a client needs to come into balance. Each of the elements relates to not only a material, but a type of energy that is associated with certain qualities. Often, people and spaces have energy imbalances where one element is particularly weak or dominant, which can create problems....

Dubbed the Dawn EZ-Squeeze, the new bottle design literally flips the classic Dawn bottle on its head, with a few other upgrades. Like the inverted condiment bottles that are now mainstays in homes and restaurants around the country, the new bottle eliminates any need for shaking the bottle while washing dishes or propping it upside down between uses to make sure you get every drop of dish soap. The flipped bottle means the soap is always draining downward and in the direction of the dispenser, so you don’t have to flip and hold (and shake) the bottle and then wait for the soap to trickle down before you can use it....

Read more about our Diversity and Inclusion Pledge to make The Spruce a site where all feel welcome. Updated by Michelle Ullman

In the case of parenting, understanding your child’s love language can help you see the world through their eyes. It can give you valuable (and otherwise unattainable) information about how your children tick, what makes them think, and how spaces they occupy can be intentionally crafted to engage and excite them. Whether you’re looking to re-imagine your child’s ‘safe space’ or create something for the first time, here are tips to design your child’s room based on their love language....

The best ways to tell drakes from hens are via their tails, colors, and how they sound. About Drake Birds For many ducks native to the Northern Hemisphere, a drake can look significantly different than hens of the same species. In addition to minor differences, males often have more vibrantly colored plumage, including bolder color patches, greater contrast, more elaborate markings, specialty feathers, and even iridescent patches. Males’ bills may also be more brightly colored than females....

Like many of their epiphytic cousins, they are also exceptionally beautiful plants. The Drynaria are known for having two types of fronds: a short, sterile, unlobed type that grows around the base of the plant similar to a stag’s horn fern, and longer, fertile frond that is deeply pinnate and can be seen hanging from trees and baskets in the tropical world. In terms of growth culture, successful cultivation first requires meeting their unique requirements Unlike some of the other epiphytes, these are not as totally moisture sensitive—like a staghorn, some moisture is retained in the base of the plant....

Options There are a couple of methods of connecting a receptacle on the outside of your home. One is to cut a regular junction box into the interior of the wall and only expose the box opening to the outside. Then, after you add a ground fault circuit interrupter outlet, cover the outlet with a gasket and a cover plate to seal the connection to the wall. Another method is to attach a weatherproof box to the wall using the mounting brackets provided within the box and a couple of screws to attach it firmly to the wall....

There are at least seven circuits that are needed in a kitchen and that is the minimum, but by no means the only, circuits you may want to add for your convenience. There is a 15-amp basic lighting circuit, two 20-amp small appliance circuits, and five dedicated circuits for specific appliances. A good rule of thumb is that if an appliance has a motor, it needs its own circuit....

Lighting We all know that bathrooms tend to be one of the darker rooms of the house. For that reason, plenty of lights should be installed to provide enough general illumination but also to enhance areas like mirrors, showers, closets, and bathtub areas. Bath and shower areas must have special fixtures. Light fixtures for these areas carry one of two ratings: damp locations and wet locations. A bathing area, sometimes called the “shower zone,” includes the tub or shower area itself and the adjacent room area measured three feet horizontally from the rim of the tub or shower stall (that is, measuring straight out into the room) and eight feet vertically from the tub rim (measuring straight up)....