How To Unclog A Toilet

It is so frustrating and annoying when you have clogs that prevent the toilet flushing from the water. This is unavoidable problem in your life, so be prepared and follow one of these Methods to get your toilet fixed in no time.

Method 1: Plunge

1.       Keep the toilet from overflowing. If your toilet doesn't flush properly after one flush, don't flush again. This will cause more water to be pumped into the toilet bowl. Instead, take the lid off of the toilet tank and close the toilet flapper. Closing the flapper will keep more water from entering the bowl.

ü    The flapper looks like a circular drain stopper attached to a chain.

ü    The water in the tank isn't dirty, so it's fine to stick your hand inside to close the flapper.

2.       Prep the bathroom. In case splashing occurs, place newspapers or paper towels on the floor to soak up liquid. The paper will make for easier cleanup later. You should also turn on the ventilation fan or open a window to minimize foul odors.

ü    If the clog is serious, put on a pair of rubber gloves. Toilets are unsanitary, but a good pair of rubber cleaning gloves will protect you from any germs within. Choose gloves that reach up to your elbows.

ü    You may also want to put on an old set of clothing, just in case things get messy.

3.       See if you can clear the obstruction. If you can see the cause of the clog, reach in and remove it from the toilet if possible. If you can't clear it with your hands, but you know there's an object (such as a child's toy) causing the clog, skip the plunging and go straight to another method.

4.       Use a high quality plunger. It is important to use a large heavy-duty rubber plunger, either the ball-shaped type or one with a fold-out rubber flange on the bottom which forms a seal. Do not use the small cheap suction-cup type of plunger. These will often not work.

ü    If your plunger is not making a tight seal, try wrapping an old rag around the end of the plunger to stop any leaks.

ü    Run the plunger under hot water before using it. This will soften it up, which will help with create a seal.

5.       Insert the plunger into the bowl. Make sure the plunger completely covers the hole. The plunger should be submerged in water to be effective. It is important to be pushing and pulling with water, not air. Add water from the sink to the bowl if necessary.

ü    Pump the plunger over the hole. Start slowly at first, since the first plunge will push air into the bowl. Push down, then pull up sharply to disturb the clog and loosen it. Continue vigorously pushing and pulling until the water begins to drain. It may take 15 to 20 times before the toilet unclogs. Be patient, as long as you're sure there's no hard object, plunging alone often suffices. It might not work immediately but would often work after a few repeated efforts/flushing, with each effort constituting of dozens of plunging.

6.       Flush the toilet to check the drainage. If the plunging eventually drains the bowl, but the clog is still blocking a free flow down the drain, leave the plunger in the bowl and fill the bowl with water again. Fill it to the point it is normally after a regular flush, then plunge again. Stubborn clogs might require you to do this a number of times.

Method 2: Enzyme Product

1.       Purchase an enzyme waste removal product. Look for a product that contains a mixture of enzymes that liquefy waste materials. These enzymes are used in septic systems to break down waste.

ü    Products of this sort can be usually be purchased at home improvement stores in or near the plumbing aisle. Enzyme waste removal is preferable to using a drain-clearing chemical because it will not harm your pipes or the environment.

ü    This method will only work on organic waste, not toys or other objects.

2.       Follow the instructions on the container. Pour the recommended amount of the enzyme product into the toilet bowl. You will typically be instructed to wait overnight for the enzymes to go to work on the clog. The toilet should drain once the clog has cleared.

Method 3: Homemade Drain Cleaner

1.       Heat half a gallon of water. If the toilet tends to clog easily as the result of trying to flush too much waste, using a combination of hot water, baking soda and vinegar will often do the job as well as a commercial drain cleaner. Boil half a gallon of water, then let it cool for a moment while you add other ingredients to the toilet bowl.

ü    Use at least half a gallon. A small amount of water won't work, since it won't have enough force to push through the clog.

ü    The water should be no hotter than a hot tea you can drink comfortably. It should not be boiling, since very hot water can crack porcelain. You want to raise the temperature of the water passing around or pressing on the clog.

2.       Pour 1 cup baking soda and 2 cups vinegar into the toilet. The baking soda and vinegar create a chemical process that help to dissolve clogs. Distilled white vinegar is commonly used, but any type of vinegar will work. The mixture will fizz a great deal.

ü    If you don't have baking soda and vinegar on hand, try adding a few squirts of dish soap to the toilet bowl. The soap may help to loosen the clog.

ü    This method isn't likely to work for clogs caused by a hard obstruction, such as a toy.

3.       Pour the hot water into the bowl. Pour it from waist level, rather than right near the rim. The force of the water falling into the bowl can help to clear the clog.

4.       Let the mixture stand overnight. In the morning, the water should have drained. This homemade drain cleaner should successfully clear clogs caused by organic material. If the water won't flush on your second try, you may have hard obstruction causing the clog. Try using a wire coat hanger or a drain snake.

Method 4: Plumbing Snake

1.       Purchase or borrow a plumbing snake. A plumbing snake (also sometimes called a "flexible cleaning tool" or "auger") is a flexible coil of wire that can "snake" through the curves of a drain and get deeper than a wire can. The best snake is a "closet auger" which is designed specifically to clear toilet clogs without damaging or staining the bowl. A plumber would likely use a closet auger.

2.       Insert one end of the snake into the drain. Push down, feeding the snake further into the drain until you feel an obstruction.

3.       Twist and push the snake through the obstruction. The goal is to break up the obstruction into smaller pieces that can move through the pipes. It may take a few minutes of maneuvering to clear the obstruction. Once the water drains, flush to toilet to see whether it drains as quickly as normal.

4.       Snake in reverse. It may become necessary to remove the toilet and run the snake through in the opposite direction. This is especially true with hard obstructions that may have been flushed by a curious child. If a hard obstruction is known, and you are not comfortable removing and replacing the toilet, contact a plumber.

Method 5: Wire Coat Hanger

1.       Unravel and straighten a wire coat hanger. Then wrap the end of the wire with a rag. Use duct tape to keep the rag in place. This will prevent the sharp end from damaging the porcelain in your toilet. The wire hanger method will generally work if there is an obstruction in the first few inches of the drain.

2.       Stick the wrapped end of the wire into the drain. Once the wire is in the drain, twist it, push it, and maneuver it in a circular motion to clear the drain. If you can feel the obstruction, push against it. Keep going until the water begins to drain.

ü    Make sure you're wearing rubber gloves as you do this. You may get splashed as you move the wire around.

ü    If you can't feel an obstruction, and the toilet won't drain, the clog must be out of reach of the hanger. Try the plumbing snake method to clear it.

3.       Flush the toilet once the water has drained. The obstruction and dirty water should now be able to flow through the drain like normal. If the toilet is still slow to drain, the obstruction may have gotten pushed further back, out of reach of the hanger. In this case you'll need to use a plumbing snake to clear it.

Method 6: Chemical Drain Cleaner

1.       Purchase a chemical drain cleaner. They're available at most grocery, hardware, and "big box" stores. Use this method only as a last resort. The chemicals used in drain cleaners are toxic to people and pets, corrosive to pipes and very damaging to the environment.

ü    If you suspect that there is a hard obstruction, do not use a chemical solution. Instead, use a snake or call a plumber.

ü    Only use chemicals that are specifically made for toilets. Using other drain cleaners may damage your toilet.

2.       Pour the specified amount into the toilet. Be sure you follow the manufacturer's instructions. Keep the lid down to prevent toxic fumes from filling your bathroom.

ü    Never use a plunger right after adding the drain-cleaning chemicals. The chemicals could possibly shoot back up onto your skin.

ü    Make sure the bathroom is well ventilated so you won't inhale the chemicals.

Method 7: Wet/Dry Vacuum

1.       Buy or borrow a wet/dry vacuum. If you have tried plunging and snaking to no avail, consider using a wet/dry vacuum. Do not use an ordinary vacuum cleaner––it must be the wet/dry variety that can cope with water.

2.       Empty the water out of the bowl using the vacuum. The bowl must be free of water and any other debris in order to vacuum out the obstruction.

3.       Place the end of the vacuum hose into the drain. Push it into the toilet bowl a few inches into the hole. Use just the flexible hose, rather than an attachment. Coil an old towel around the hole to create a seal around the drain.

4.       Turn on the vacuum. Use one hand to put pressure on the towels to create a good seal. Wait a moment or two for the vacuum to work. There's a good chance the vacuum can suck out the clog.

How To Tie A Tie

In some special occasions, you don’t know what to begin with when you need to do the necktie job for yourself or your partner. So, just follow these simple steps and you will make a very good-looking necktie knot for you or your partner in no time.

Step 1: Start with the wide end ("W") of your necktie on the right, extending about 12 inches below the narrow end ("N") on the left.

Step 2: Then cross the wide end over the narrow end.

Step 3: Bring the wide end around and behind the narrow end.

Step 4: Then bring the wide end up.

Step 5: Pull the wide end through the loop and to the right.

Step 6: Bring the wide end around front, over the narrow end from right to left.

Step 7: Again, bring the wide end up and through the loop.

Step 8: Then, bring the wide end down through the knot in front.

Step 9: Finally, using both hands tighten the knot carefully and draw it up to the collar.

How To Make Your Computer Run Faster

It is so annoying to sit in front of the monitor and waiting for ages to get google up and running. You also experience some lags and choppy playing games, music, or videos... In other words, your computer is running like a turtle. So, just follow these simple steps and your computer will run like new again.

Step 1: Check your hard disk space first. Go to My Computer, right-click Local Drive, then click Properties. There you'll see a pie chart of your free versus used space. If the disk is mostly full, you will need to remove programs and files; if there's still plenty of room, there may be something wrong with your operating system.

ü As a rule, you want to keep at least 15% of the hard disk space free to keep the computer running smoothly.

ü If you find you simply need more space, consider buying and installing a Solid State Drive (SSD) to complement or replace your hard disk. They are faster and much more secure than hard drives.

Step 2: Remove any programs you do not use. Go to Control Panel, then click Add or Remove Programs (or "Uninstall a Program", depending on your operating system) to find a master list of programs installed on your computer. Some things will strike you as useless immediately, in which case you can remove them right away. Others won’t look familiar to you and may require some research.

ü It may help to see how often you use the program. If you right-click one of the column titles above your program list, you should be able to add additional characteristics by which to organize your programs. Check Last Used On and a column displaying the last time you used each program will appear. This will quickly show you which programs you use frequently and the ones you haven't used in years.

ü Don't forget to empty your recycling bin.

Step 3: Prevent unnecessary programs from starting when the computer boots up. Some programs may start as soon as you turn on your computer, running in the background so they will load quickly when you open them. Open the Start Menu and run a search for "msconfig". Click on Startup to see a list of all the programs that run when you boot up your computer and uncheck anything unnecessary.

ü You can also check the taskbar to see which programs are running on startup (be sure to click Show Hidden Icons so you don't miss any).

Step 4: Change the power plan of your desktop computer to High Performance. Go to the Control Panel and select Power Options. You will find a list of power plans, usually Balanced, Power Saver, and High Performance. These settings control how your computer uses power--either by lowering performance to optimize battery life, maximizing performance with major power consumption, or a balance between the two. Selecting High Performance may increase the speed and overall performance of your computer.

ü This is only helpful if you have a desktop PC--using the High Performance setting on a laptop will drain your battery power.

Step 5: Remove any unnecessary entries from the Windows Context Menu. The context menu is the menu that pops up when you right-click something. Sometimes programs will ask to be added to the menu, others will add themselves automatically. To remove programs, press ⊞ WIN+R to open the Run box. Type in regedit and click OK. Click HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT → * → shellex → ContextMenuHandlers. From this list, delete the applications you don't want to be included in the context menu.

ü Be extremely careful whenever editing something using the Registry, as using it incorrectly can damage your system. If you're not comfortable using regedit, try searching for freeware that will allow you to edit your Context Menu.

Step 6: Install an anti-virus program, spyware scanner, and an anti-malware. The fewer bugs, viruses, and bits of adware your computer has to manage, the more time it will have to devote to other processes.

ü Keep Windows up-to-date. Not only will this keep Windows itself running smoothly, but some viruses ride in on Windows updates that are downloaded long after the update is available (and therefore are not monitored as closely).

Step 7: Run a Disk Cleanup. This can clean up hundreds of megabytes by deleting temporary files, unnecessary system files, and emptying your recycling bin. Click My Computer, right-click Hard Drive, then click Properties. Click Disc Cleanup (within the General tab). A window will pop up asking which files you'd like to remove. Check those you wish to delete and run the cleanup.

ü You'll want to keep any game files (unless you want to delete your saved games) and setup files.

ü If you have multiple drives or a partition, you must select the one you want to be cleaned.

Step 8: Run a Disk Defragment. When data is fragmented, your computer must search for the fragments of files that could be spread all over your hard drive. Defragmenting will organize your data and free up space so your computer can access data faster. Click My Computer, then right-click Hard Drive. After you have right-clicked, click Properties, Tools, then click Defragment Now.

ü Fragmented data can be on your hard disk or removable drives, like USB and flash drives.

Step 9: Disable visual effects. There are 20 visual effects that you can turn off or on. To turn off all effects and maximize performance, click Control Panel, System, then click Advanced System Settings. Select the bullet which says "Adjust for best performance".

ü If you don't want to sacrifice all the visual flair, try selecting the option which says: Let windows choose what's best for my computer.

Step 10: Add RAM to your computer. To see if you need more RAM, initialize the Windows Task Manager by pressing CTRL+ALT+DEL. Under the Performance tab, find the area devoted to Physical Memory (MB). If the number next to "Available" is less than 25% of the Total MB, you may need to add RAM.

ü Adding more memory may not necessarily make your computer run faster. If your computer is slow to switch between windows or tasks, or if you often have many browser tabs open at once, additional RAM may help.

ü You can take your computer to an expert to add RAM, like the Geek Squad at Best Buy, or you may decide to add more RAM yourself. Just be sure to do your research before attempting to do it on your own.

Step 11: Remove gadgets you don't use. Right-click on the desktop and click Gadgets. Right-click on the gadget you wish to delete and click Uninstall.

Note: These steps are intended for Windows users only and not included hardware upgrade instructions.

How To Change A Flat Tire

It is no fun and frustrating when you got a flat tire on the way to work or home. So, be prepared and follow these simple steps and you are back on the road in no time.

Step 1: Find a flat, stable and safe place to change your tire. You need a solid, level surface that will restrict the car from rolling. If you are near a road, park as far from traffic as possible and turn on your emergency flashers (hazard lights). Avoid soft ground and hills.

Step 2: Apply the parking brake and put car into "Park" position. If you have a standard transmission, put your vehicle in first or reverse.

Step 3: Place a heavy object (e.g., rock, concrete, spare wheel, etc.) in front of the front and back tires.

Step 4: Take out the spare tire and the jack. Place the jack under the frame near the tire that you are going to change. Ensure that the jack is in contact with the metal portion of your car's frame

ü Many cars have molded plastic along the bottom. If you don't place the jack in the right spot, it will crack the plastic when you start lifting. If you're not sure about the right place to put the jack, read your owner's manual.

ü For most modern uni-body cars, there is a small notch or mark just behind the front wheel wells, or in front of the rear wheel wells where the jack is intended to be placed.

ü For most trucks or older cars that have a frame, look to place the jack on one of the beams of the frame just behind the front tire or in front of the rear tire.

Step 5: Raise the jack until it is supporting (but not lifting) the car. The jack should be firmly in place against the underside of the vehicle. Check to make sure that the jack is perpendicular to the ground.

Step 6: Remove the hubcap and loosen the nuts by turning counterclockwise. Don't take them all the way off; just break the resistance. By keeping the wheel on the ground when you first loosen the nuts, you'll make that you're turning the nuts instead of the wheel.

ü Use the wrench that came with your car or a standard cross wrench. Your wrench may have different sizes of openings on different ends. A correctly-sized wrench will slip easily over the nut, but will not rattle.

ü Try to prepare for any unforeseen tire changes by keeping the exact socket size for your lug nuts as well as a breaker bar handy in the trunk.

ü It can take quite a lot of force to break your lug nuts free. If all else fails, you can use your body weight or stomp on the wrench (be absolutely certain you are turning it the correct way - counterclockwise). However, using your body weight or stomping means you run the risk of stripping the lug nuts, as it is difficult to maintain full contact.

Step 7: Pump or crank the jack to lift the tire off the ground. You need to lift it high enough to remove the flat tire and replace it with a spare.

ü As you lift, make sure that the car is stable. If you notice any instability, lower the jack and fix the problem before fully lifting the car.

ü If you notice the jack lifting at an angle or leaning, lower and reposition it so that it can lift straight up.

ü It is always a good idea to keep a small jack stand handy in the vehicle as well, in case the jack gives out during the tire change. Using both the small jack and the normal jack will keep you safe in the event of a jack failure.

Step 8: Remove the nuts the rest of the way. Turn them counterclockwise until they are loose. Repeat with all lug nuts, then remove the nuts completely.

ü Although rare, some vehicles actually have reverse threaded lug nuts. These are usually much older cars from Chrysler and GM.

Step 9: Remove the tire. Place the flat tire under the vehicle so in the event of a jack failure the vehicle will fall on the old wheel, hopefully preventing injury. If the jack is placed on a flat, solid base, you shouldn't have any problems.

ü The tire might stick due to rust. You could try hitting the inside half of the tire with a rubber mallet to loosen the tire, or use the spare tire to hit the outside half.

Step 10: Place the spare tire on the hub. Take care to align the rim of the spare tire with the wheel bolts, then put on the lug nuts.

ü Be sure to install the spare tire the correct way and not backwards. The valve stem of a doughnut tire should face outwards, away from the vehicle.

ü If your vehicle uses acorn-style lug nuts, it is easy to put those on backwards as well. Be sure the tapered part of the nut faces the wheel when tightening it down.

Step 11: Tighten the nuts by hand until they are all snug. They should turn easily at first.

ü Using the wrench, tighten the nuts as much as possible using a star pattern. To ensure the tire is balanced, don't completely tighten the nuts one at a time. Going in a star pattern around the tire, one nut across from another, give each nut a full turn until they are equally tight.

ü Avoid using so much force that you risk upsetting the jack. You will tighten the lug nuts again once the car is down and there is no risk of it falling.

Step 12: Lower the car without applying full weight on the tire. Tighten the nuts as much as possible.

Step 13: Lower the car to the ground fully and remove the jack. Finish tightening the nuts and replace the hubcap.

Step 14: Put the old tire in your trunk and take it to a mechanic. Get an estimate for the cost of repair. Small punctures can usually be repaired for less than $15. If the tire is not repairable, they can dispose of it properly and sell you a replacement.