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What's the best way to deal with _only_ fire ants while not harming other ants? I had a bottle of very effective powder last year, but can't find it again. It was great because it went directly on one mound, which let me think that it might not harm other bugs much. [more inside]
posted by amtho at 1:42 PM - 5 answers

I want to control my bathroom LIGHT with a motion sensor and my bathroom FAN with a timer switch. They are both on the same plate. I need the switch to do this and I cannot find it. The problem is, of course, that motion sensors all have a timer for how long it stays on after motion which messes up the googling. Please can you help me find this. In Canada. Thank you. [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 6:37 AM - 8 answers

I got a new fridge. I'm scrapping the old fridge. As I'm gathering my condiments to transfer over, I'm looking at my fridge shelves and drawers and the bins in the door and the big wire baskets in the freezer compartment. One produce drawer is cracked, but the rest of this stuff is...really nice. I feel like i could use them to organize something else? Store something else? Something something? And if I let them go with the fridge a week from now I'll be like "OMG I wish I had a bin exactly that size right now." But I don't want a storage space full of random just-in-case someday shelves. So what might they be useful for? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 4:47 PM - 10 answers

Looking for a US brick-and-mortar store that stocks actual, wood/plywood, 4'x8' wall paneling. You know, the kind with the grooves. [more inside]
posted by sandra_s at 12:25 PM - 2 answers

We are moving into a new home and need to paint a number of rooms (2 bedrooms, 2 baths, hallways, closet interiors) and are trying to get it done as quickly and painlessly as possible, without hiring anyone. What should we buy and what tips do you have? [more inside]
posted by rachaelfaith at 4:14 PM - 23 answers

We're trying to plan out the next few years of home improvements to future proof the house (re: climate change) as durably and thoroughly as possible. Decarbonization and longevity are the two broad goals. I'm having trouble organizing this plan. [more inside]
posted by furnace.heart at 1:06 PM - 9 answers

In the world of "normal every-other-week house cleaning by a paid housecleaner", would you consider the following two jobs to be "normal, to be done every time or as needed", or more of a "deep clean that I should expect to do myself, schedule separately, or request and pay extra for"? Asking in advance of having a talk with my house cleaner to calibrate my read on what is reasonable. [more inside]
posted by bluesky78987 at 6:21 AM - 28 answers

It's peak summer here and the outside temperature is only dropping to around 81°F (27°C) at night. I live in a concrete house on a concrete slab and the kitchen floor is currently about 85°F (29°c). It'll only last a couple more weeks, but in the meantime I'd love to hear people's tips.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 10:34 AM - 23 answers

My fridge broke (again). I like ice dispensing freezers a lot. I am confident I would use the ice function frequently (would also use the water function if I had it, but...). My fridge is located on the side of the kitchen with no water hookup. Can I just fill some tank with water every day and have an ice dispenser? Is this a thing? Can I do it with any fridge or do I need a special fridge? [more inside]
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 9:43 AM - 29 answers

The Great Enshittification of Everything means I can't trust internet reviews any more. Real humans: will a half-cost Dyson knock-off cordless vac meet our needs? [more inside]
posted by Shepherd at 7:56 AM - 25 answers

I'm making a platform area to raise floor level by ~4" in the galley kitchen here. I'm worried about tripping at the threshold, especially if I'm slightly out of it (late night, early morning, headache, etc.). Visitors are a consideration too. Ideas to make this safer? [more inside]
posted by amtho at 11:39 AM - 18 answers

I've been asked to design a large garden space to include a young person (twelve-ish, female) who is a high-functioning, able bodied autist (they have a formal autism diagnosis). [more inside]
posted by unearthed at 9:11 PM - 13 answers

I’m looking for recommendations from MeFites who have installed their own battery backup sump pump. [more inside]
posted by coldhotel at 7:32 PM - 5 answers

There's a funny smell. [more inside]
posted by intrepid_simpleton at 3:30 PM - 6 answers

My dishwasher flooded my kitchen and it's looking like I'll be needing new flooring, cabinets, and possibly a countertop. I am not a home remodeling type of person. How do I figure out what I want? [more inside]
posted by The corpse in the library at 3:48 PM - 8 answers

Something's eating all the leaves off certain specific herbs in my community garden. But who? [more inside]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:40 AM - 12 answers

If all goes well, in a couple of months I will be moving in with my partner to a place slightly smaller than my current one. My mind is going blank as I try to work out how to schedule this move. Would love some thoughts/strategies! [more inside]
posted by We put our faith in Blast Hardcheese at 8:26 AM - 11 answers

My bedroom is on the third floor of a house. It's a half attic situation, so there's only one other room on that floor and a staircase downstairs. So only one exit. [more inside]
posted by wheatlets at 11:26 AM - 11 answers

Do you have house cleaning routines (kitchen, bathroom, living spaces, bedrooms) that you practice habitually, almost without thinking? Dedicated days for certain tasks? Routines that you have found that you are able to stick to? How did you get from "clean infrequently when it gets bad enough" to "clean more frequently so it never gets bad"?
posted by GernBlandston at 6:42 AM - 28 answers

I bought a new-to-me condo and am sprucing it up a bit before I move in. The current toilets are probably from 2010 (when the condo was built). They are 1.6 GPF but you have to hold down the handle to completely flush even just toilet paper. All I'm seeing at big box hardware stores are 1.2 or 1.28 GPF toilets. Will these newer but lower GPF toilets give me the flush I crave? [more inside]
posted by misanthropicsarah at 10:42 AM - 17 answers