Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. While washing day has come a long way since the tub and washboard, it can still feel like drudgery if your laundry area needs help. Because it s so often relegated to the basement, garage or shared space in a bathroom or hallway, the laundry room needs small-space solutions to make washing a more pleasant and efficient chore. Make the best use of the floor space you have like they did a century ago in the great American bungalow: Install a drop-in ironing board or work surface and hide them away when they re not in use. A wall-mounted, accordion-style drying rack can provide 25 feet of hanging space without using any floor space at all and it saves energy. If the floor is concrete, painting it and adding an area rug would help underfoot. Keep the floor clear by using laundry sorting bins. Use shelves and labeled baskets to catch laundry that is set aside for mending or donation. If your laundry s in the mudroom or hallway, work it into the d cor by installing a countertop over the machines and hanging a curtain or louvered doors in front. If it s time for new machines, many new models have storage pedestal drawers to hide the detergent bottles and save your back while you load and unload the laundry. And remember to always look for the energy star label to save water and energy costs. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008

Lever locksets are a great feature for your home, especially when accessibility is an issue. Lever locksets are easy to install, especially on pre-hung doors. The first piece to install is the latch set. Once in a place, the handles simply fit in with a couple of the screws. For someone with arthritis, a disability, or even just an armload of laundry, these are a great option because they are easier to use than typical doorknobs.

Here s another great tip from BobVila.com. Give your dog a sense of security and boundaries to keep him out of trouble while you re out of the house. A dog is happy when he knows where home base is. A pet crate, a designated corner, a closet with a pet door or even a laundry or mud room with a gate will define his space. A good dog bed is actually not just a luxury. While it keeps your pet off the floor and away from drafts, it also reinforces his place within your house. And it keeps pet hair concentrated; it s easier to throw the bed cover in the washing machine than to constantly clean the couch and the rug. Pet doors are liberating for both dogs and owners, and thru-wall doors are available for homes with glass doors. Some are even keyed to pets collars to keep out unwelcome visitors. If your pet tends to chew indiscriminately, keep extension cords out of reach. Avoid poisonous plants like tulips, azalea, lily, oleander, castor bean, cyclamen and kalanchoe. Keep the kitchen trash in a cabinet with a child lock. And store cleaning products, batteries, fertilizers and medications and any other toxic chemicals in a locked cabinet. Clean up spills right away, especially in the garage or on the driveway. Antifreeze containing ethylene glycol can actually taste sweet to dogs. Ingesting even a little will kill them, so buy the kind with propylene glycol instead. Other highly toxic household products dogs have been known to get into include rat poison, mothballs, fabric softener sheets and, believe it or not pennies. Keep dangers out of reach to keep your best friend safe at home. Find out more at BobVila.com: the ultimate home improvement web site! 2008 BobVila.com