Quick tips for maintaining your kitchen sink and garbage disposal

Here are some quick fixes to your garbage disposal & more.

Today we’ll explore all areas of the home’s kitchen sink, and we’ll give you some tips for quick fixes.

From time to time, we’ll receive calls from clients who state that their garbage disposal isn’t functioning properly. The common diagnosis is that the electrical cord at the back of the disposal and the pull-down weight to the faucet become interlocked and the disposal is unplugged. As a rule of thumb, the first thing you want to do if your disposal isn’t working is unplug it and be sure it has a good connection.

If waste becomes lodged in the disposal, avoid injury by first unplugging the unit before reaching in from the sink.

From there, find the disposal key contained within the base cabinet, and insert the key into the slot found at the bottom of the disposal. While rotating the key, guide a shop vac through the sink into the disposal to remove the waste; the suction power will usually do the trick.

Also under the sink, you’ll see some shut-off valves, the water supply to your dishwater, and the hot and cold water supply to the sink itself. If you experience any leaking here, simply turn the valves to the off position.

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When it comes to caring for the sink, be sure to use non-abrasive cleaners.

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Another issue we receive calls about is leaky faucets. Largely, these are easy fixes, and the common culprit is hard water if the homeowner doesn’t have a water softener. If the faucet seems to be losing pressure or is dripping, it can often be attributed to sediment buildup in the screen. An easy remedy is to use CRL, a scrub brush, or a vegetable cleaner to periodically scrub the screen.

To remove the screen, locate the tool clipped to the water supply line underneath your sink. The tool will be circular-shaped and fits perfectly inside the screen. By applying a little pressure toward the faucet head and turning the tool counterclockwise, the screen will eventually detach.

Once it’s been cleaned thoroughly, you’ll line the screen up with the end of the faucet head and again use the tool to secure it back onto the faucet head.

When it comes to caring for the sink, be sure to use non-abrasive cleaners; Norwex rags, 409, and Windex are all examples of environmentally friendly cleaning products you could use.

If you have any questions for us, feel free to check out our website at CharlestonHomesOmaha.com and view some of our models. We’re happy to help!

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How to Keep Your Brick in Pristine Condition

If you’ve noticed a white glaze or crust on your brick or stone, don’t worry.
We’ve got everything you need to get it all cleaned up this spring.

As we move toward spring, you may notice a white substance on the exterior of your stone or brick. You can see some examples of it in the video above. Essentially, this is caused by moisture within the mortar or brick coming outward. The salt and mineral deposits from the winter create a white glaze or crust.

To get rid of it, all you really need is an efflorescence cleaner. There are a number of options available at your nearby hardware store. It’s pretty easy to apply too.

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 It’s a pretty easy fix with the right tools.

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You can just put it into a plastic chemical sprayer you would use for your lawn. Spray the brick or stone with the efflorescence cleaner and let it sit. It will start to bubble up, then you can spray it off with water. If some residue still remains, just repeat the process until everything is clean. If it’s really difficult to get off, use a sponge or nylon scrubber. Don’t use steel wool.

If you have any questions for us, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you.

Know anyone who's interested in building a home? 

If you have any friends, family, or co-workers who are looking to own their first or second home - would you forward this message to them? We'll be happy to show them our eight new construction home plans along with the benefits of owning a Charleston Home so they can make a decision that's right for them.

Spring Home Maintenance Tasks

Spring cleaning isn’t only for the interior of a home.
Here are a few spring cleaning tips for your home’s exterior.

As the weather gets nicer outside, we wanted to give you some spring maintenance tips, specifically for the exterior of your home. They are all pretty simple tasks that you can accomplish in little time.

The first thing we recommend is sweeping and washing your driveway. There’s probably a lot of salt and gravel pebbles, so push those out into the street with a pushbroom. After you’ve swept, give the driveway a rinse with the garden hose. You should also check for any cracks and seal them if you need to. Sealing the control joints with caulk where the driveway and garage floor meet is always a good idea.

Although our siding is essentially maintenance-free, we still recommend using your hose to clean off the side of your home of any dirt, grime, or dust from winter. Do a quick visual inspection of the outside of your home while you’re at it, keeping an eye out for small foundation cracks or obstructions in your outdoor HVAC tubes.

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 Make sure your sprinkler heads

are positioned correctly.

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Water costs too much to waste it on the sidewalk. If you have a sprinkler system, make sure all the sprinkler heads are spraying in the right direction. If they aren’t, you can just take a flathead screwdriver to adjust them.

Finally, we recommend using nitrogen fertilizer on your lawn. Stay away from any kind of weed and feed as it’s a little too strong for new sod. Any kind of nitrogen fertilizer should work excellent in promoting root growth.

If you have any questions for us about spring maintenance or anything else relating to your home, give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you!

Know anyone who's interested in building a home? 

If you have any friends, family, or co-workers who are looking to own their first or second home - would you forward this message to them? We'll be happy to show them our eight new construction home plans along with the benefits of owning a Charleston Home so they can make a decision that's right for them.