Sometimes this shrinking can be unwelcomeneed to knowhow to unshrink your clothing? Here’s how to shrink polyester, in two ways. Before You Begin Want more cleaning and organizing tips? Kinga Krzeminska / Getty Images Letting items heat-dry for too long or pressing them directly with a hot iron could damage or burn them. Your machine may call this cycle “hot” or “sanitize.” trigger the washing machine. Kringa Kerminzka / Getty Images...

By contrast, shutting off your natural gas supply is something you may never have to do. Even turning on a light switch can ignite a gas explosion inside a house. A strong gas odorindicates a leak, which must be checked out by a utility technician. Brett_Hondow / Getty Images Once the valve is turned off, do not turn it back on by yourself. It must be turned on by a gas company technician....

Learn about skim coat, a beginner-friendly technique for fixing walls and ceilings and smoothingwall textures. What Is Skim Coating? A skim coat is a thin layer ofdrywall joint compound(mud) that gives walls a glass-smooth finish. The Spruce / Kevin Norris Skim coating is easier, more efficient, and less expensive than replacing drywall. Priming prepares the surface and seals loose drywall paper. Apply one to twopaint primercoats to the wall or ceiling....

This allows you to quicklyfinish drywalland move onto the painting stage. This is because texturing drywall effectively eliminates imperfections by making the entirety of the surface intentionally imperfect. Below, we’ve outlined the best ways to skip trowel texture walls and ceilings. bbeltman / Getty Images What Is Skip Trowel Texture? Similar to knockdown texture, skip trowel texture has wider spacing and imitates a stuccoed surface. You should be aiming for the same general skip trowel texture look regardless of which software method you choose....

The good news is that you likely don’t need to call in a plumber for this. Snaking abathroom sink draincan be easy with the right tools and instructions. Even better, you might not need a snake at all. low Decor / Getty Images The first step is to find out where the clog is. Remove thepop-up stopperby disconnecting it from under the sink. Then pull it out from the top of the sink....

Stripping all the gunk away is the best method for softening towels. What is Hard Water? Hard waterhas high amounts of dissolved minerals, mostly calcium and magnesium. The Spruce / Ana Cadena The higher the concentration of these minerals, the harder the water. Do not overload the washer because the towels need room to move in the washer drum. Do not add any detergent or fabric softener. The Spruce / Ana Cadena...

Safety Considerations Work in a well-ventilated area. Leaded solder is 60-percent tin and 40-percent lead. This punch in of solder is safe if handled properly. The Spruce / Kevin Norris For the utmost safety, choose lead-free solder. Soldering irons become extremely hot. Work on a non-flammable surface. The Spruce / Kevin Norris Wash your hands after working with the solder and wear eye protection. Strip the Wires Strip away1/2-inch of the plastic coating from the wires with the wire stripper....

Learn how to soundproof walls, doors, windows, floors, and ceilings to maintain peace and quiet. Noise Reduction Coefficient, or NRC, measures and rates a material’s ability to absorb sound. The scale ranges from 0 (absorbs no sound) to 1.0 (absorbs all sound). The Spruce / Carson Downing Draft stoppers ordoor sweepswork well for the crack under the door. Curtains can soundproof the door. Mass loaded vinyl is about 1/16-inch-thick and has STC ratings from 10 to 36....

The best way to soundproof is by adding mass. Mass is dense, heavy, and usually opaquequalities not conducive to soundproofing windows. Acoustic Caulk Gaps and cracks in and around windows transmit sound from the outside to the inside. Grace Cary / Getty Images Sealing those openings is an important step in window soundproofing. Acoustic caulk will not shrink and create new gaps. At around $10 per tube, acoustic caulk’s cost is comparable with ordinary painter’s caulk....

Faba-Photography/Getty Images Having a great lawn takes more thangreat grass seed. Sometimes, it takes a bit of effort. One of the tasks that people always seem to focus on is seeding and reseeding their lawns. Faba-Photography/Getty Images Is It Possible to Seed Grass in Winter? The Spruce / Jacob Fox Seeding grass in the winter can be done and is known as dormant seeding. The grass seed will lay dormant through the winter months until it thaws and sprouts as the temperature rises....

Wire splicing can also be done outside a standard fixture box. The cable connections are made inside a junction box that is installed expressly for the purpose of splicing. The box has a blank cover that can be accessed whenever you better work on the wires. The Spruce / Margot Cavin When to Splice Wires Many electrical projects require you to join (splice) circuit wires together. But this is not always possible, and this is wherewire splicing comes into play....

Thisdecorative painting techniquecreates a beautiful array of ombre color effectsone color blending into another. Varying the colors, dabbing technique, and sponges, gives you creative freedom. Most sponge-painting projects use two colors but experiment with multiple colors applied over one another. The Spruce / Margot Cavin Preparation Sponge paintingmasks minor irregularities and flawson a wall but it will not hide major damage. Fix any damaged wall sections before sponge painting. Practice sponging on scrap cardboard or drywall before painting the walls....

Buying new is always an option, too. Whatever route you take, use this easy-to-follow guide to give any mirror a makeover. Just pick out your favorite color spray paint, grab a few supplies, and get to work. The Spruce / Sanja Kostic Safety Considerations As with any painting project, youll want to move everything to a well-ventilated area. Consider working in your garage or on your patio. Tip Spray paint is best for this project....