Disconnect Hoses In Winter:

It's very important that you DISCONNECT ALL OUTSIDE HOSES before the temperature drops into the 20's!

Modern outdoor faucets are frost free. They are designed to drain out any water which may freeze when it gets cold. Leaving a hose attached to the faucet prevents drainage. It’s an expensive repair bill in the spring when you turn the faucet on and discover that it’s spraying water inside of the wall.

Shower Maintenance:

Rinse with clear water, and wipe down entire shower after each use. Special squeegees for wiping down showers can be found in stores.

For normal cleaning, use warm water with liquid detergent, such as dish washing detergent. Use a sponge, nylon, polyethylene, or saran cleaning pads. Do not use abrasive cleansers, souring pads, steel wool, or scrapers.

Soaking with bleach may will help remove stains and mold. However, if you have mold in the corners in the caulk, it may be coming through from the back side. If so, the only way to permanently remove it, is to remove and replace the shower walls.

For extra sparkle on shower bases try this: Smear the surface with a paste of baking soda and water. Allow to effervesce a few hours. Then, rinse with warm water.

Caulking should be checked at least every six months. Scrape out and remove as needed.

Caulking tips: There are two basic kinds of caulk available in stores; silicone and acrylic. Silicone is more rubbery. Try to use the same kind of caulk that was used on your shower before. Each type sticks to itself better than the other type.

Pros:

Silicone dries faster, and will not shrink as it dries.

Acrylic is water soluble, which makes clean up a snap.

Cons:

Silicone is not water soluble, which makes clean up a snap.

Silicone may not always stick to smooth surfaces, such as bath tubs and smooth patterns of plastic laminate.

Acrylic tends to shrink up a little as it dries, which make require a second coat.

Acrylic sticks to everything, and is often difficult to remove when it’s time to re-do it.

INSTALLATION NOTES - This applies to both types of caulk

Cut off just a tiny bit of the tip of the caulk cartridge, leaving only a very small hole. It’s easier to put on several coats than to make a mess trying to do it all at once.

Use a CLEAN WET finger to smooth the caulk. Each time you lift your finger, wipe of the excess caulk and re-wet the finger before touching the caulk again.

A small hole and a wet finger is how professionals achieve that nice looking caulk job that homeowners have so much trouble duplicating.

Removing Soap Scum From Shower Doors & Tile:

A common problem for homeowners is soapscum, especially on shower doors. One of the best solutions I know of is WD-40. It sometimes works when nothing else will.

After the soap scum is removed, you should wash the door with a dish washing detergent to get the WD-40 off.

Care For Counter Tops:

An occasional coat of auto polish on cultured marble and plastic laminate (formica) counter tops will help maintain their beauty.

Changing A Faucet:

Replacing a Faucet

There’s a simple secret here: You need to use a basin wrench to reach the underside of a faucet. They are available at most home centers. The head works on a cam principle, tightening around any size nut as you turn the handle. The head is mounted on the end of a long handle; it flips to allow you to turn clockwise or counterclockwise.

To remove the old faucet, close the shutoff valves under the sink. Next, use the basin wrench to remove the coupling nuts that secure the water-supply tubes to the faucet and to loosen the mounting nuts that secure the faucet to the sink or countertop. You’ll also need to disconnect the pop-up drain linkage from the sink drain by removing the retaining nut.

Before you position the new faucet, press some plumber’s putty all around the underside along the outer edge. After you make your connections, clean off the excess putty with a plastic putty knife or rag.

NOTE: If you are installing on a cultured marble sink, DO NOT USE PLUMBERS PUTTY!! It will ruin the cultured marble. Instead, use clear silicone caulk.