| How to Test the Air Quality in Your Home Posted: 02 Jul 2018 01:00 AM PDT Air quality is an often overlooked aspect of home safety, but it is still very important. Harmful chemicals and toxic agents can spread throughout the air in your home and begin to impact your health over time. There are quite a few at-home kits and tests you can purchase at most home improvement stores. But it's always a good idea to hire a professional to help you check your home for good air quality. EditDoing Air Quality Tests Yourself - Purchase an air quality monitor. There are currently quite a few air quality monitors on the market that can effectively detect (and log over time) the quality of air inside your home. These devices typically check PM2.5 levels (tiny dust particles and other allergens in the air that you inhale), VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds – like chemical pollutants), temperature, and humidity (for mold).[1]
- Some of the most reliable air quality monitors on the market are the Foobot, Awair, Speck, and Air Mentor 6 in 1.
- These devices typically cost between $150-250 US.
- Check for signs and symptoms of mold. You can typically tell if there is a mold infestation in your home by using your eyes and your nose. If you smell a musty odor coming from certain parts of your home, and cleaning doesn't remove the smell, you might want to consider hiring a professional for a mold test.[2]
- You should also look around for visible signs of mold – like growing black spots, water spots, or particularly damp areas in your home.
- Install carbon monoxide detectors on every floor of your home. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas that can be a byproduct of many appliances found in your home (like stoves, fireplaces, furnaces, hot water heaters, and grills). It can be deadly if inhaled, so it's important to always have carbon monoxide detectors installed on every floor of your home to alert you if there are high levels of CO in your home. [3]
- Place the carbon monoxide detectors close to your bedrooms so that you'll be more likely to hear the alarm when you are sleeping.
- Make sure you change the detector batteries regularly. A good rule of thumb is to change the batteries once every 6 months or so, though the duration will vary depending on the model.
- Perform an at-home radon test. Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally as uranium breaks down. It can be found in the soil and in well water, and sometimes it can infiltrate people's homes. The only way to prevent radon contamination is to test for it. You can purchase at-home radon tests from most home improvement stores.[4]
- Most tests involve a charcoal reading that is done by leaving the sensor material in your home, then collecting it after a given amount of time and mailing the testing materials to a lab for analysis.
- Additionally, the National Radon Program Services at Kansas State University offers discounted test kits that you can purchase online at http://sosradon.org/test-kits.
- Use an air purifier. These machines can be very useful in improving the air quality in your home, especially for those who suffer from allergy problems. Electronic air purifiers/air cleaners are typically the most effective, as they can remove dust particles and other allergens from the air more efficiently than filtered purifiers.[5]
- Place the air purifier in your bedroom for best results. This will most likely give you a longer period of exposure to the benefits of the machine (while you're sleeping) than in any other location in your house.
- Change the air filters every few months. When in doubt, it's always a good idea to change your air filters. You should change the air filters once every 90 days for the average family home, but if you suspect the air quality in your house is poor, you can change them more frequently.[6]
- If you have a dog or cat in the house, change the air filters every 60 days.
- If you (or others in your home) have allergies, you should change the air filters every 20-45 days.
EditGetting Professional Help - Pay a professional to test the air quality in your home. If you suspect that the air quality in your home is poor, you should hire a professional who can test the air quality and give you an informed recommendation. Ask friends, realtors, or construction companies for referrals to a qualified specialist in your area. A professional will be able to test for degraded air due to:[7]
- Indoor mold
- Lead-based paint
- Dust particles and other allergens
- Smoke-related air pollution
- Air fresheners, candles, and incense
- Household cleaners
- Combustion particles or gases
- Hire a radon specialist to test for radon in your home. If you suspect that you have significant levels of radon in your home, you'll need to hire a professional to resolve the issue. You can contact your state or local health department for a list of recommended professionals who can help clear the radon out of your home.[8]
- Use a professional test if you need an official test result. If you are buying or selling a home, often testing the air for pollutants is a contingency of the loan you will be applying for. This is especially true in regions that have high levels of air pollution due to industry or even natural causes (like the common occurrence of forest fires). In these cases, at-home tests that you complete yourself will not be sufficient.[9]
- Hire a professional that has experience testing air quality in homes, preferably one that is recommended by your realtor, lender, or home inspector.
- If you don't have a recommendation for a professional, try to do some online research by reading online reviews from actual customers of various professionals in your areas.
- You can also check a prospective professional for certifications in the field – such as membership in the Indoor Air Quality Association or the International Association of Certified Indoor Air Consultants.[10]
EditWatching for Signs of Poor Air Quality - Notice an increase in allergy symptoms. It's easy to attribute allergy sensitivities to the weather or season changes, but it can often be caused by irritants in the air in your home. If you notice a significant rise in your allergy symptoms, it might be time to test the air quality in your house. Some common allergy symptoms include:[11]
- Coughing
- Sneezing
- Watery eyes
- Nasal decongestion
- Headaches
- Bloody noses
- Pay attention to any unusual or new health symptoms. You might think that getting sick is unrelated to the air quality in your home. Often, this is true, but certain contaminants (like asbestos, toxic mold, and other chemicals) can negatively impact your health. This is especially true if you seem to suffer from frequent bouts of pneumonia or bronchitis. Get your home's air quality tested if you notice any of the following symptoms:[12]
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Rashes
- Fever
- Chills
- Fatigue
- Monitor any construction in your home and neighborhood. Home construction can really impact the quality of air in your home. Whenever there is a renovation or new construction project, the air can be exposed to dust particles, chemicals, and other harmful materials that can collect in your HVAC system and then begin to circulate throughout the entire house.[13]
- Even construction done by neighbors can negatively impact the air quality of your home, so be sure to keep an eye out for that too.
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| How to Set Up Two Computer Monitors Posted: 01 Jul 2018 05:00 PM PDT This wikiHow teaches you how to use two monitors with the same desktop computer. You can do this on both Windows and Mac computers, though you'll need a computer with a graphics card that supports multiple displays if you're using Windows. EditOn Windows - Make sure that your computer supports multiple monitors. On the back of your computer's CPU box, you should see at least two horizontal ports near the bottom of the box; these are connections for your computer's graphics card, which is what you'll need to use to set up two monitors.
- You cannot use the default monitor connection, which is typically a vertical slot in the middle of the CPU box, to set up multiple monitors.
- Vertical ports are connected to the motherboard, while horizontal ports are connected to the graphics card.
- If you don't see the proper ports on the CPU box, you'll need to install a graphics card before setting up a second monitor.
- Determine the type of connection you'll need. Look at the graphics card's ports and your computer monitors' respective inputs to see which of the following you'll need:
- DVI - Wide piece of plastic with numerous small square holes in it.
- VGA - Trapezoid-shaped piece of colored plastic with several pinholes in it.
- HDMI - Thin, flat, hexagonal port.
- DisplayPort - Similar to HDMI, but has a flat edge one one side instead of being symmetrical. Necessary for 4K displays.
- Thunderbolt - Found on the backs of most iMac monitors; has a lightning bolt icon beneath it. You can connect an adapter for any of the above video connections to a Thunderbolt port (e.g., VGA to Thunderbolt).
- Buy any cables that you don't have. If your computer's graphics card's inputs require DisplayPort cables, for example, purchase them for both monitors.
- If your monitors don't support the graphics card's cable type (e.g., DisplayPort), you'll need an adapter or a cable that has two connections (e.g., a DisplayPort connection at one end and an HDMI connection on the other end).
- Turn off your computer. It's easiest to connect the second display without running into issues when the computer is powered off.
- Plug the first monitor into one graphics card slot. To do this, you'll most likely need to unplug the monitor from the vertical motherboard port into which it's currently plugged and then plug it into the horizontal graphics card port.
- If your first monitor's motherboard connection is different than the graphics card connection, you'll need to use a different cable with the monitor.
- Attach the second monitor. Plug the second monitor's cable into another graphics card slot, then plug the other end of the cable into the back of the second monitor.
- Plug the second monitor into a power source. Using the power cable that came with the monitor, attach the monitor to a power source (e.g., a power strip or a wall outlet).
- Turn back on your computer and the monitors. Press the "On" switch for your computer and each of the monitors.
- Open Start . Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the first monitor's screen.
- Open Settings . Click the gear-shaped icon in the lower-left side of the Start window.
- Click . It's a computer monitor-shaped icon in the Settings window.
- Click the tab. You'll find this option in the upper-left side of the window.
- Click the "Multiple displays" drop-down box. It's near the bottom of the window. A drop-down menu will appear.
- You may have to scroll down to find this option.
- Select a display option. In the drop-down menu, click one of the following:
- Duplicate these displays - Replicates the first monitor's display on the second monitor.
- Extend these displays - Stretches the first monitor's display across both monitors.
- Show only on 1 - Shows content only on the first monitor.
- Show only on 2 - Shows content only on the second monitor.
- Click . It's below the selected display option. This will prompt your second monitor to display part or all of your first monitor's content, depending on your selected display option.
- Click when prompted. Doing so saves your settings. You can now use your second computer monitor alongside your primary one.
- Determine the type of connection you'll need. In order to attach another monitor to your iMac, you'll need to use a cable for the back of the iMac's display. Look for one of the following ports on the back of the iMac:
- Thunderbolt - Small, square port with a lightning bolt above it. Thunderbolt-to-Thunderbolt is the easiest way to connect two Mac displays to each other, but you can buy an adapter for any computer port (e.g., Thunderbolt-to-VGA) if necessary.
- HDMI - Wide, thin, hexagonal port. HDMI is the industry standard for audio and video connections, so any monitor that you buy should support it.
- Buy any cables that you don't have. If your second monitor requires an HDMI cable, for example, buy an HDMI cable.
- If you bought a monitor that only supports an older video standard (e.g., VGA), you'll need to buy a Thunderbolt-to-port (or HDMI-to-port) adapter (e.g., Thunderbolt-to-VGA).
- Plug the monitor's cable into the back of the iMac. If you're using an adapter, you'll first plug the adapter into the iMac's back.
- Attach the monitor to a power source. Plug the power cord that came with the monitor into a power source (e.g., a wall socket or a power strip).
- Turn on the second monitor. Press the monitor's "On" button to do so. You should see your Mac's desktop appear.
- Open the Apple menu . Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the primary screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
- Click . It's at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
- Click . This computer monitor-shaped icon is in the System Preferences window.
- Click the tab. It's at the top of the Displays window.
- Determine the type of display you want. If you want to use the second monitor to stretch your Mac's display across both screens, you'll uncheck the "Mirror Displays" box; if you want to display the same content on both screens, you'll check the "Mirror Displays" box.
- Move the menu bar if needed. If you want to place the menu bar (the grey bar at the top of the screen) on the second display, click and drag the white bar that's on the image of the monitor over to the second monitor.[1]
- Exit System Preferences. Close both the Displays window and the System Preferences window. You should now be able to use your second display in conjunction with your primary Mac display.
- Most laptops support HDMI (Windows, Mac), USB-C (Windows, Mac), and/or Thunderbolt (Mac only) connections. To connect a second monitor to a laptop, you need only attach the second monitor's cable to the laptop's video output port, after which point you can set up the monitor like you would for a desktop computer.
- If you attach a second monitor that has significantly higher resolution than your first monitor, you may notice graphical clipping or other issues when switching between monitors. It's best to buy a monitor that matches your primary monitor's resolution if possible.
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| How to Wash Jerseys Posted: 01 Jul 2018 09:00 AM PDT Sports jerseys are made with high quality materials and need to be washed in a specific way to prevent damage. Before you wash the jerseys, you'll need to treat any stains that are on them, especially if you use wear your jersey to play sports. Then separate your jerseys by color and turn them inside out. Wash your jerseys in a mix of warm and hot water, and then hang them to dry completely. EditTreating Stains - Use a mixture of vinegar and water to remove grass stains. Mix together 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water. If you're washing more than 2 very stained jerseys, use at least of vinegar. Then take a soft bristled toothbrush and dip it in the mixture. Gently brush the grass stains with the toothbrush. Then soak the stained areas for 1 or 2 hours in the mixture before washing.[1]
- Remove blood stains with cold water. Turn the jersey inside out and run it under cold water to get rid of as much blood as possible. Then soak the jersey in cold water, gently rubbing the blood-stained areas with your fingers. Repeat every 4 to 5 minutes until the blood comes out completely.[2]
- Use soap or shampoo to remove stubborn blood stains. If the cold water alone doesn't get rid of the blood, try cleaning the stained area with dish soap or shampoo. Rub a bit of shampoo or soap into the blood stain. Then rinse and wash the jersey.[3]
- Treat perspiration stains with vinegar. If the stain is green or yellow in color, it's from perspiration. Mix vinegar in water. Soak the stained part of the jersey in the mixture for 30 minutes and then wash it.[4]
EditPreparing Your Jerseys - Separate your jerseys by color. White jerseys should be washed separately from other colored jerseys, since the other colors can bleed into the white. Black jerseys should also be washed together because they can bleed into other jerseys. Any other colored jerseys can be washed together.[5]
- Wash your jerseys in their own load. When you're washing jerseys, don't wash them with any other clothing, especially blue jeans. The dye in blue jeans can get into the water and cause blue streaks to appear on your jerseys.[6]
- Unbutton all the buttons. If you wash your jerseys with any buttons still buttoned up, the jerseys can wrinkle. Make sure all of the buttons, especially on the front of the jersey, are unbuttoned before you wash them.[7]
- Turn your jerseys inside out. This protects the patches, wording, and stitching on jerseys. If you don't turn them inside out, screen printed letters can stick together and the stitching can come apart.[8]
EditWashing Collectible Jerseys - Fill the washing machine with water. Set your temperature to hot and let the washer fill with about of water. Then switch the temperature of the water to warm and let the washer finish filling.[9]
- If you have a front-loading washer, switch the temperature of the water from hot to warm after about 2 minutes.
- Add detergent to the washing machine. Use a good quality, color-protecting laundry detergent with stain fighters. Add a full measure of detergent to the water if you're washing more than 1 jersey. Use a half measure if you're washing 1 jersey at a time. Then add the jerseys to the washer and let it begin washing.[10]
- The cap of the detergent bottle should have a mark to show you how much to use.
- If you have a front-loading washer, add the detergent and jerseys to the washer before it begins filling. Then switch the temperature after about 1 minute.
- Pause the washer after 1 minute to allow the jersey to soak. After the washing machine has been going for 1 minute, stop the washer and let the jerseys soak. This should get more stains and dirt out of the jerseys than running a normal wash cycle.[11]
- You can let the jerseys soak in the wash for up to 1 day.
- Finish the cycle and examine the jersey. Once the jerseys have soaked, turn the washing machine back on and let it finish its cycle. Once the cycle finishes, check to make sure the stains have been removed. If they haven't treat the stains again and rewash the jerseys.[12]
- Hang the jerseys to dry as soon as they're clean. If you leave the jerseys in the washing machine as they dry, they can wrinkle. The patches and writing on the jersey can also be ruined. Take the jerseys out and hang them on hangers to dry. It can take up to 2 days for them to dry completely.[13]
EditWashing Sports Uniforms - Wash the jersey immediately after a game or practice. The longer a worn jersey sits, the more perspiration and dirt can soak into the jersey and ruin it. Immediately after a game or practice, throw the jersey into the wash.[14]
- Use powdered detergent. Liquid detergents might contain elements that can ruin the jerseys. Instead, use a powdered detergent. If you're only washing 1 jersey, you don't need a full load's worth of detergent. Use half of the recommended measurement instead.[15]
- Add vinegar to deal with odors. If you find the jersey is pretty stinky, add of white vinegar to the bleach dispenser on your washing machine. The vinegar should neutralize the odor without making your jerseys stink like vinegar.[16]
- Set your washer to a gentle cycle with cold water. A gentle cycle will prevent the fibers in the jerseys from getting ruined, and cold water will protect any screen printing on the jersey. The gentle cycle is usually the cycle used for delicates.[17]
- Hang the jerseys to dry. Don't put your jerseys in the dryer. The heat can ruin the elasticity of spandex in the jerseys, and can melt screen printing. Instead, hang the jersey on a wood or plastic hanger and let it dry overnight.[18]
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