Change Your Air Filters Monthly (But Don't Go Cheap)

As the mercury rises into the summer months, don't forget to change your home's air filters regularly.  It not only extends the life of your HVAC unit, but can help keep your energy costs down, too.
Not all air filters are created alike, however. Don't go cheap.
Your local hardware store carries a variety of air filters ranging in price from less than a dollar to $20 or more per filter. They're all purported to do the same job, but after watching this 1-minute video, you'll see why cheaper isn't necessarily better.
Airborne particles are smaller than most mesh filters. Pleated filters are recommended instead.

Most high-quality air filters start around $11 and can be purchased in bulk from Amazon at discounts of up to 20 percent.  3M's Filtrete line of products is a popular, well-selling brand and can last up to 3 months.
If your home has shedding pets or is dust-prone, consider changing them monthly.

15-Minute Fixes For Around The Home

Home maintenance is an ongoing project. There's always something to do around the house, or something to fix. The problem is, you may not have the time, or the skills, to get it done yourself.

In this 4-minute piece from The Today Show on NBC, you'll see some projects are quite simple.

Dubbed "15-Minute Fixes", see how simple it can be to handle 3 common household chores:

1. De-alcification of a shower head
2. Clearing hair from the inside of a bathroom drain
3. Sealing a granite counter-top

Each clean-up job is cheap, quick, and can be handled sans handyman. As Spring Fever sets in, put these fixes on your To-Do List.

How To Remove Stickers And Adhesive-Based Price Tags From Just About Anything

Sometimes, price tags just don't want to unstick. No matter how hard you scrub and scrape, tacky residence stays behind. Turns out, getting "the stick" off your stickers isn't so hard when you have the right tools.

In this 2-minute video from eHow.com, you'll learn how to remove stickers and adhesive-based price tags from common household items including:

• Wooden furniture
• Glass vases and other glassware
• Plastic pieces
• Cardboard boxes

The best part? All the supplies you'll need are already in your home.

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Tighten Up Your Loose Towel Racks

Over time, towel racks tend to come loose from sheetrock walls. And, sometimes, they separate completely. The good news is that making repairs is easy -- it's something you can do yourself with a little instruction.

In this 2-minute video from ExpertVillage.com, a professional contractor shows that with just a drill and some butterfly anchors, re-securing a towel rack can be a basic handyman job.

So, before you call a professional to rehang your towel rack, watch the video and consider making the repair yourself.

Flipping - Your Mattress Not your House!

If you're not rotating your mattress every 3 months, you may be shortening its lifespan. Constant nightly pressure can "wear out" the areas on which you sleep, creating in-bed divots and reducing your sleeping comfort.

The ExpertVillage.com video above -- "How To Flip a Mattress" -- is pretty self-explanatory. But there's a few other steps you can take to protect your bed and your health.

First, consider the use of a mattress cover. A mattress cover protects against spills and stains and can stop liquids from dripping inside of the mattress itself. Mattress covers are marked down 43% at Amazon.com right now and can be purchased for cheap at Bed Bath and Beyond, too.

Second, each time you change your sheets, remember to vacuum the mattress surface. A thorough cleaning will reduce the number of allergens and mites living on your bed, promoting better health hygiene.

And lastly, remember to occasionally apply an upholstery-grade cleaner to your mattress for stubborn stains or soilage. Using this particular type of cleaner is important because the product is meant to be near human skin. This is different from, say, carpet cleaner.

A good mattress can be expensive. Extending its usable life is not.

Choose the Right Filter - Not the Cheapest

Changing your air filters regularly keeps your household energy costs down and extends the life of your HVAC unit(s). It's important, however, to use air filters that actually work.

Walk into any hardware store and you'll see a host of filters at various price points, starting at 99 cents. Before you reach for the cheapest products, though, watch the 1-minute video above.

A mesh filter isn't going to stop most airborne particles.

Because buying the recommended pleated air filters can be expensive, consider purchasing in bulk from a store like Home Depot, or from Amazon. Air filters don't "go bad", you can store your discounted filters until they're ready for use.

Experts recommend changing air filters quarterly at minimum. If your home has shedding pets or is dust-prone, consider changing them monthly. It will not only make the air easier to breathe, but ypou'll find cleaning a little less of a challenge as well!

Space Saving Ironing Fix!

Ironing boards can be bulky and awkward -- especially in a cramped laundry room or a small apartment.

Instead of fumbling with a folding board for a quick press, look to the Touch-Up Topper instead.

The Touch-Up Topper is a heat-resistant, portable ironing surface that rolls or folds for storage. Using sewn-in magnets, the quilted pad fastens to the top of most washers and dryers, turning any metallic surface into an instant ironing surface.

At 32" x 18 1/2", the Touch-Up Topper has a larger ironing surface than traditional ironing boards and it costs less, too. The Touch-Up Topper costs $14.95 and is available for sale at SkyMall.

Vacuum cleaners are meant clean our homes, but in addition to picking up dirt, dust and mites, most vacuum cleaners also spread harmful bacteria.

As revealed in this this 4-minute video from NBC's Today Show, E. Coli, salmonella and other virus-causing entities are commonly found on vacuum cleaner under-bristles and, in some cases, bacteria can be 100 times more concentrated than on a public toilet seat.

The video goes on to give some general rules to limit indoor germ exposure -- some more practical than others. The rules include:

• Avoid wearing shoes indoors
  
• Wash your hands after playing on the carpets and rugs
  
• Don't stop vacuuming

And, of course, having the right hardware can help, too.

If it's time to replace that old vacuum, start your search online with a discount store like GoVacuum.com. Most online sites will have a wider selection than your local hardware store and shipping is usually free.

Not Caulking Your WIndows? Might As Well Leave Them Open!

Image via Wikipedia

If the amount of air that leaked from a typical home's gaps and cracks was measured, it would equal the amount of air that leaves through an open window.

This is why so many Home & Garden experts recommend a recaulking of your home prior to the Winter -- a solid caulk job can reduce a home's Winter energy bill by 20 percent.

In this 2-minute video from Home Depot, learn how you can to identify leaky windows, and then how to fix them using caulk, putty knives and a host of other tools. Or, if DIY is not your style, find a competent contractor online.

The project is small so the costs should be low.