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Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

The size of the work is going to be dependent on the size of the dog you are grooming. But learning how to groom matted dog hair is nothing like mowing a lawn or raking leaves – you are tidying up something that is alive and sensitive to your moves. You must be careful as to not to upset the dog when grooming it.

Grooming the Dog

Get into a comfortable position for you and your dog first. A big dog should lie down at your feet, and a small dog should lie down on your lap or on a table. It is generally recommended that you start with the most sensitive area to get it over with. The most sensitive area for the dog is the under and around the ears – but be careful as to not rush the process. Do a small area at a time.

Use a metal comb to smooth out the knots – when you see a cluster (or a knot), approach it from the boundaries (the ends of the knotted area) and slowly work your way into the center of the knot.

But be careful as to hold the roots of the knotted hair firmly when undoing the knots – holding it at the middle and running the comb through will only unsettle the top hair, which will become knotted with time as the roots are still knotted.

Do not attempt to undo too many knots at the same time as it may cause too much friction for the dog to stay still. If you feel as if the dog is agitated, give him something to calm him down in the process – like a dog treat.

If you feel as if appearance of your dog in some areas really won’t make a difference, you can even cut out some fur. The fur will grow over time. Be careful, as always, that you are not hurting the dog by an accident or cutting unnecessary hair.

Give the dog a treat after all this is finished.

Additional Help

If you feel like you need professional help on grooming your dog, TalkLocal can help with finding the correct local experts in this case, saving you time and energy in what may be a stressful situation.

Posted in Veterinarians | No Comments »

What is the Purpose of an Attic Fan

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

A common question asked is “what is the purpose of an attic fan?” Attic fans are used to increase airflow and save you money on your electrical bill. The following should provide you with more information on attic fans and why they are useful in homes.

What function does an attic fan serve?

An attic fan works as a ventilation unit. Attic fans reduce costs and keep your home fresh and filled with clean air.

How does an attic fan work?

An attic fan circulates the air in the attic. Not only does it circulate air, it also replenishes fresh air into the home system.

Why is this important?

An attic fan reduces the amount of stagnant air in the attic. Doing so keeps hot air from building up and creating unnecessary heat in your home.

What are more of the benefits?

Additional benefits of an attic fan include fresh air being dispersed throughout the home. This not only keeps the oxygen levels ideal, but it also brings in fresh outdoor smells. Attic fans also get rid of smelly or stale air from within the home. For a complete breakdown on attic fans, check out attic fan purposes.

In addition to having an attic fan, seeking other options such as roof ridge vents and installing more attic insulation can reduce costs as well. To reap these benefits, install an attic fan today. Use TalkLocal to be directly connected to a heating and cooling professional in your area today.

Posted in Heating and Cooling | No Comments »

How to Connect an Electrical Outlet to a Light Switch

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

If you have an outlet in a room that does not operate from the room’s light switch, it is possible to re-wire the outlet receptacle so that it is connected to the light switch. This can be a confusing task, but with careful preparation, it can be done. Read on for more information on how to connect an electrical outlet to a light switch.

Before starting, it is critical to turn off the power to the circuits you will be working with for safety precaution. You will need to unscrew the plates from both the outlet and light switch and take a careful look at the wires that are housed inside the boxes. Be sure to keep all the screws nearby, as you will need them later.

For step-by-step directions, try reading this article with specific directions and helpful pictures. This video also explains the process with clear directions.

If a task like this is completely new to you, it might be better to contact a professional electrician for help. Try using TalkLocal, a free service that will connect you with top-quality, reputable electricians within minutes. All you need to do is enter in your specific problem, location and availability, and TalkLocal will contact multiple companies in your area who will then call you directly, ready to help. Save time and stress from searching through phone books and directories for the right, most affordable electrician, and let TalkLocal find one for you.

Posted in Electricians | No Comments »

Ways to Make your Carpet Smell Better

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

Vacuuming the carpet won’t get rid of all the odors in your home. Some odor-causing particles are smeared into the fibers of your carpet, requiring more than just pure force of a vacuum to eliminate the smell. You can try spraying the carpet with a scent in order to overcome the smell, but that’s not really getting rid of the smell, is it? Read more to learn ways to make your carpet smell better.

Getting Rid of the Smell

Using baking soda is one way you can absorb the smell-causing particles in your carpet. Follow these directions:

1. Mix together a 3/4 cup of baking soda, 1/4 cup of talcum power, and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.

2. Pour the mixture into a container that can sprinkle the content over the carpet, such as a spice shaker.

3. Sprinkle the contents of the shaker on the carpet areas you want to clean.

4. Rub it into the fibers of the carpet using a brush or a broom. Wait a while (overnight) for the mixture to settle in; you will want to make sure that no wind is present to disturb the powders on the carpet.

5. Clean up the powder using a vacuum.

You can try buying a carpet fragrance powder at a local supermarket, but they are essentially the same thing as your homemade mixture. Use the same ratio as described above if you are interested in making different amounts of mixture.

You may also be interesting in steam cleaning your carpet for definite results. Hands down, this is the most effective way to not only get rid of the smelly odor on your carpet, but also clean your carpet. However, the cost of steam cleaning your carpet is not cheap. You can try renting a steam cleaner to just do the job yourself. The cost of renting a steam cleaner will probably be under $50. Having someone to do it for you, on the other hand, will cost a bit more.

If you are expecting guests soon, try something that will cover up the smell, such as scented candles. Make sure that there aren’t flammable objects nearby whenever you light a candle.

Additional Help

If you are looking for ways to make your carpet smell better and feel like you need professional, TalkLocal can help with finding carpet cleaning experts, saving you time and energy in what may be a stressful situation.

Posted in Carpet Cleaners | No Comments »

Car Door Open Light Stays On

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

The door-open light staying on is a common problem that happens when the door switch plunger sticks (most likely due to an accumulation of dirt or rust). Fortunately, this is a simple problem to fix and doesn’t take a lot of automotive expertise to repair. Read more to learn what to do if your car door open light stays on.

You’ll first want to thoroughly clean the door switches on all the doors with a cleaning spray. This should at the very least loosen up any of the accumulated grime that’s built up within the door switch. You should then use compressed air to clear all the dirt and grime from those switches, and then apply a spray lubricant to the switches. You then want to lubricate the surface of the switches, which can done with either a dry lubricant or the more commonly found WD-40. Try to avoid having too much excess lubricant on the switches, as the lubricant may leak into your car or damage other parts in the general area.

If this doesn’t work, you can also take the door panel and do the same treatment from the other side of the door switch to ensure the door switch is completely cleaned and lubricated all around. However, if the door switch light is still on after the entire treatment, there may be some faulty wiring or the switch may need to come out for repair. It’s highly suggested that you leave this job to an auto-repair professional, since they will have the necessary tools and expertise to properly repair your car. Likewise, if you ever feel uncomfortable or unsure during the process of cleaning your door switches, you may just want to have your car looked at a mechanics.

TalkLocal can help you find a local high-quality repair center who can take care of your car light problem right away. You’ll be talking to quality mechanics in the area in just minutes!

Posted in Auto Repair | No Comments »

Internet Problems after Power Outage

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

The router is the device that is responsible for your internet connection. If you are having internet problems after a power outage, check to see that power is restored to your router as well as your computer.

How to Upgrade

A sudden power outage may have “frozen” the operations in your router, resulting in it still being “frozen” even after the power returns; if this is the case, you must reset the router. Search for a caved in reset button in your router. It is caved in so that you do not press it by accident. While the router is turned on, press and hold the reset button until the router powers down.

If that did not solve the problem, there might be a chance that the operation was frozen on the server end (your internet provider’s end). In this case, contact your internet provider and ask them to reset the connection for you.

If resetting the router and the server ends do not fix the problem, there might be fundamental connectivity issues. If you are using a wired connection, check that your wires are working and that the ports that the wires are connected to are working as well.

If you are using a wireless connection, check that the network to which you are connected is the right one. Even if it is the right one, disconnect from it and try reconnecting to your computer. You might want to restart your computer as well.

If none of these solutions work, there might be a hardware issue with your router — a possible cause is exposure to moisture or heat. Consider getting a new router or help from a professional.

Additional Help

If you feel like you need professional help for your internet problems after a power outage, TalkLocal can help with finding the correct local experts, saving you time and energy in what may be a stressful situation.

Posted in Computer Repair | No Comments »

Pilot Light Went out on Gas Stove

Tuesday, October 30th, 2012

The pilot light is the light on the surface of the stove on each of your burners that “guide” the gas into burning when they are released from the pipeline. Without the pilot light, the released gas will not burn and flood into the room, causing “invisible” danger. Read more to learn what to do if your pilot light went out on the gas stove.

Technical Problems

There are really only two ways a pilot light could be turned off:

– You spill water/liquid on the light and the liquid floods over the pilot light.

– The flow of gas that keeps the pilot light going is switched off.

In either case, you will need to turn it back on. To do so, follow these directions:

1. For safety measures, shut the gas behind the stove before doing anything. Moving the stove out to turn off the gas can also be dangerous due to the weight and the sheer volume of the stove — have someone to do it with you. Carry it out and place it gently so that it would not scratch up the surface.

2. Shut down the gas valve — there should be a knob that indicates the flow of gas. After shutting the flow of gas, wait for a while, and open the windows to aerate the area of any residual gas.

3. Get a candle — one of those birthday candles will be fine. Light it up using a match. Position the candle so that the flame replaces the area where the pilot light used to be. Make sure that the position of the candle stable before turning the gas back on.

Warning: Do not use a match directly, instead of a candle. Turning the gas on and then striking the match near it could create an uncontrollable flame, burning you.

4. Once the pilot light is on, move the stove back into the original position, carefully.

Additional Help

If you feel like you need professional help on fixing the pilot light on your gas stove, TalkLocal can help with finding the correct local experts in this case, saving you time and energy in what may be a stressful situation.

Posted in Appliances Repair | No Comments »

Best Type of Carpet Cleaner

Monday, October 29th, 2012

There are many types of carpet cleaners, and most of them do a pretty good job. But the best types of carpet cleaners are the ones that do more than just good. These cleaners clean as much as possible and make the carpet looking like new. So how exactly do we find these carpet cleaners and what are the right methods for cleaning your carpet?

Best Cleaners

The best type of carpet cleaner is the one that does what it advertises – clean carpets. Some products that have been known to work are Resolve carpet cleaner and Spot Shot. These products break the structural bonds of the stain, and as the bonds break, the stain becomes more easily removed. Products such as these help to remove the stains, no matter what the source of the stain may have been.

Before you use any products like this, however, the first step is to actually vacuum the affected area. Most of carpet soil can actually be removed from vacuuming alone, so be sure to do this step. Once you finish vacuuming, the actual cleaning process can begin.

Best Methods

There are a couple of different methods of cleaning carpets, some more effective than others. One of the most common methods of carpet cleaning involves the use of shampoo. Special detergents are applied to the carpet and then the shampoo is extracted by the vacuuming. This method makes the carpet appear clean and smell good, but these effects diminish quickly and the dirt and microbes end up remaining in the carpet. So despite it being commonly used, we recommend you stay away from this method and instead utilize the next method we are about to discuss.

The ideal way of carpet cleaning is a method known as the dry cleaning method. This type of carpet cleaning involves powdering the carpet with a special cleaning powder that attracts dirt (much like a magnet). After this powder works its magic, you vacuum it up and your carpet is clean. This method is recommended because it doesn’t induce streaking like some other methods do, and it keeps your carpet dry and ready to use. However, one limitation of this method is that it doesn’t accomplish a whole lot when used for a heavily soiled carpet.

Additional Help

Now that you’re equipped with the knowledge of the best types of carpet cleaners, you should be able to get your carpet looking like new in no time. Bear in mind, it is no easy task to clean your entire carpet for yourself. If you need assistance of any kind, consider using TalkLocal to find a carpet cleaning company for you. TalkLocal is a free service that will connect you with top-quality, reputable carpet cleaning companies in your neighborhood within minutes. Just enter in your specific problem, location and availability, and up to three companies will call YOU directly.

Posted in Carpet Cleaners | No Comments »

How to Repair Chipped Tooth

Monday, October 29th, 2012

A chipped tooth is a nuisance, plain and simple. Although it may seem like a big deal when it happens due to the way it makes your teeth appear, a chipped tooth is usually not a big issue. Chips are the most common dental injury today and can be easily fixed.

More often than not, you will need to go to a dentist to get a chip fixed (for short-term and long-term reasons), but if the chip is small enough to fix yourself, then by all means, it is worth a try. Below are some instructions on how to repair a chipped tooth at home.

1. If the chipped tooth also caused a flesh wound in your mouth, treat the wound first by using ice and ibuprofen to reduce any swelling. If any nerves are exposed, it is imperative that these are covered up. You can use temporary dental cement, which temporarily covers up the exposed nerves so that you can eat normally. However, if a nerve has been exposed, you will have to see a dentist soon.

2. If the chip is small enough and by the corner of your mouth, then the problem is mostly cosmetic. To improve the aesthetics of the tooth as well as your safety, consider using an emery board to file the chip down to your liking. This reduces the jaggedness of the tooth, which helps prevent against further damage and your tooth from scratching parts of your mouth.

3. If the chip is still visible, more filing will need to be done. You can try filing down the whole bottom of the tooth to keep it flat, but be careful not to file too much.

Following these tips allows you to take care of small chips, but going to a dentist is still highly recommended. A dentist is capable of many alternative treatments that you wouldn’t be able to do on your own such as dental filling, bonding, or inserting a dental crown. These are more permanent solutions and well worth the money you spend. If you’re searching for a dentist, consider using TalkLocal, a FREE service that will connect you with top-quality, reputable dentists in your area. All you need to do is enter your specific need, location, and availability, and TalkLocal will contact dentists, who will then call YOU directly, ready to help – all within minutes. Save yourself from the time and stress from trying to find the right dentist on your own, and let TalkLocal do it for you!

Posted in Dentists | No Comments »

How to Clean Hard Water from Shower Head

Monday, October 29th, 2012

Hard water is water that has a high concentration of minerals in it. Because of its content, it calcifies onto surfaces from which it flows out of. Shower heads become clogged with mineral deposits and these minerals harden to form the hard water stains you see. When this happens, the head will spit water from the holes not clogged and so you get an unpleasant shower experience. Hard water also impacts your shower head’s ability to function properly. It will block off some of the spigots so that you get lower water pressure than usual. Read more to learn how to clean hard water from a shower head.

Water softening is commonly used to avoid hard water’s adverse effects. However, if you don’t want to invest in a water softener, there is any easy homemade solution that you can use to clean hard water calcification off of your faucets and shower heads.

Homemade Solution for Hard Water Calcification

Fill a small plastic bag halfway with vinegar. Wrap the bag around the shower head and secure it with a rubberband; leave it there for an hour or two. After removing the bag, polish the shower head with a cloth and the hard water will come off easily. The showerhead will look and function like new. The acetic acid in the vinegar acts as a solvent to fight the stains. The best part about using vinegar is that it is inexpensive and is not a harsh chemical. If the hard water does not come off, you should repeat the process but leave the bag on for around six hours.

Now that your shower is cleaned, you should maintain it by removing future calcifications as soon as you notice them.

Continuing Problems

If you have problems removing the hard water calcifications from your shower head, you should seek professional help. Use TalkLocal to be put in contact with reliable local maid services within minutes. You don’t have to do any work! Simply input your problem and availability and TalkLocal will do the rest. Almost immediately you will be connected with someone who can help you out on the phone.

Posted in Maid Services | No Comments »

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