MainelyDIY Full Disclosure · Fix & DiY · Hacks & Tips

OFF and ON Quick Tip

You might think it is easy to figure out whether a value is closed (off) or open (on) but sometimes it’s just not. We spent some time surfing the web – actually quite a bit of time, assuming we would easily find a guide on this subject…Yet we did not find a single one! Our short little video answers this question for you.

Bonus Tip: Is your kitchen faucet drippings?

Try turning the handle to dead center. This action will turn this type of valve off and may just solve your problem.

MainelyDiY.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

MainelyDIY Full Disclosure · Hacks & Tips

Solve Organizational Hang-ups

Vertical space is often overlooked yet this space is perfect for organizing. It is like getting extra space without enlarging your footprint. Plus it costs you zero!

What if you are ready to hang that item but the hanging hole is too small to fit over your peg or hook?

We have a simple solution to your organizational hang-ups!

Affiliate disclosurePlease read before purchasing products from links



      Prices subject to change. As participants in affiliate programs, we may earn small commissions on products and services linked in our blog/website. There is NO additional cost to you however it gives us a boost and allows us to continue to provide you with easy link access to items we use. We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Cricut affiliate program. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to products and service of affiliated sites.

Do-it-yourself Index

What can we help you find?

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Clean up Yucky Coffee and Tea Stains with this How to Video

Blade Sharpening

Easy up-cycled bow for gift package

Sharpen Punch

Cricut · Feature · Hacks & Tips · MainelyDIY Full Disclosure · Paper Crafts

It’s Good to be Tacky!

Make Cricut Mats Sticky Again

Has your cutting mat lost its stickiness and just isn’t tacky enough? Whether it’s a Cricut, Silhouette, other another brand, chances are it is just dirty.  Watch this quick instructional video to learn how to easily rejuvenate those dirty mats with our simple and fast cleaning hack. 

You will save tons of money with this tip as it will extend the life of your cutting mats several times over.

Surprisingly once the cutting mat has been cleaned, the adhesive properties magically reappear.  We are using everyday household products that you have on hand for this process. 



      Prices subject to change. As participants in affiliate programs, we may earn small commissions on products and services linked in our blog/website. There is NO additional cost to you however it gives us a boost and allows us to continue to provide you with easy link access to items we use. We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Cricut affiliate program. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to products and service of affiliated sites.

Hacks & Tips · Feature · Fix · Fix & DiY · MainelyDIY Full Disclosure

Gentle Flower Supports for Big Blooms

You’ve got to love those big beautiful flower blossoms! But the plant stems may not. Supporting these beauties is a tough job. Show you flowers some love with this gentle support idea. We support ( ha! ha! – pun intended) this method to keep our lovely peonies standing upright over using wire or string. The tubing we used has a smooth and soft edge and is less likely to cut into your plant especially during a wind storm. Try out these flower supports.

Curious about our drill? We particularly like this cordless drill by DeWalt. It is very well balanced and helps with getting the job done easily plus it helps prevent hand fatigue. The compact size is also great. The magnetic bit is super handy to have as well making one handed operation simple. MainelyDiY.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

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Solution for the Vertically Challenged – Yes you Shorty – Hilariously Funny

Save your lights from the snow plow hack

Index

Fix & DiY · Feature · Fix · Hacks & Tips · Kitchen · MainelyDIY Full Disclosure

Dishwasher Repair – Fix it Yourself & Save Hundreds

Budget Buster Fix plus cool trivia!

Check out how we repaired this dishwasher that had a wash cycle that would not work. Try this low to no cost solution before spending money on a repair man or springing for a new dishwasher. It is very simple and no special tools or skills are required. Definitely worth a try!

Please use safety precautions when working with electrical equipment. Turn off ciruit breaker before starting project.

We highly recommend having WD-40 on hand as part of your home repair tool kit. It literally has thousands of uses. This product was developed for the aircraft industry as a way to repel water or Water Displacement. It took forty attempts to find the right formula hence WD-40. Press the yellow button to see what WD-40 fans use it for.



      Prices subject to change. As participants in affiliate programs, we may earn small commissions on products and services linked in our blog/website. There is NO additional cost to you however it gives us a boost and allows us to continue to provide you with easy link access to items we use. We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Cricut affiliate program. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to products and service of affiliated sites.

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Kitchen · Feature · Hacks & Tips · MainelyDIY Full Disclosure

Fresh Pineapple – Yum!

Do you love fresh pineapple but are put off because preparing it looks well scary? That is exactly how we felt before we found this handy tool. We were apprehensive when we purchased it as we had not had any luck with other tools. To our delight, this one does a bang up job in no time! It cores and cuts a impressive spiral all at the same time.

Pineapples are loaded with vitamin C. Not only are you getting a yummy treat but one that is good for you too! So Soak Up the Sun! Don’t forget the second video!

MainelyDiY.com a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Now your pineapple is cut into a pretty spiral! But you are frugal and it looks like there is some sweet pineapple left on the rind. Watch this second video to see how simple it is to filet these tasty tidbits.

More from our kitchen

Sew-Quilt · Fix & DiY · Hacks & Tips · MainelyDIY Full Disclosure · Masks · Projects

Mask Updates – New Sizes – Updated Patterns

Due to popular request, we have added two new sizes of our mask pattern. The child size pattern is for preschool aged children and the small size is for kids in between.

All 3 designs contain our updated written directions which include the option of adding a wire such as a paper clip along the nose area for a better fit.




Patterns are free for personal use . Finished masks may be donated to charity at no cost. Please mention MainelyDiY.com to your recipients.

Please remember to save N-95 masks for first responders and health care workers. Their risk for contracting COVID-19 in substantially greater than the general population. If these professionals become ill who will be there to help you when need it most?!

Please follow CDC guidelines

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Hacks & Tips · MainelyDIY Full Disclosure · Masks · Sew-Quilt

Learn About COVID-19 & Protecting Yourself

Want to learn about COVID-19 in easy to understand terms and learn ways to help protect yourself and others from infection? Understanding some to the characteristics of the coronavirus will help you appreciate why mask material selection is important. There is more than just face coverings included. Information is presented in a download pdf document that contains links to free mask designs.

Coronaviruses are tiny averaging .12 μm in diameter. So what does that mean?  The abbreviation μm stands for micron. A micron is one millionth of a meter or a thousandth of a millimeter (mm).  A typical piece of copy paper is 0.1 mm or 100 microns.  So it would take about 1200 COVID 19 viruses stacked up to equal the thickness of a single piece of basic copy paper.

While people refer to a virus as a bug, it does not have legs to move as an insect does.  Instead a virus is thought to travel by droplets which are about 5 microns in size.  Therefore about 240 droplets are equal to the thickness one piece of paper.   

When making a mask, you need to think about what materials a going to best at filtering out tiny particles.  Plain cotton fabric like from a bed sheet is made from weaving fibers in straight lines.

As this photo illustrates there are gaps between the fibers.  If the fibers were laid out in a random pattern the gaps are lessened.  To accomplish this fibers are bonded rather than woven.

N-95 masks are made from bonded polypropylene fabric.  The number denotes the percentage of particles blocked. Hence the N-95 mask would filter out 95% of particles.

Another greater feature of this bonded polypropylene fabric is that it is water resistant.  This is easily demonstrated by squirting water from a plant mister bottle onto polypropylene fabric.  The water visually beads up on the fabric instead of being soaked up by the fabric.  Yet the fabric is easy to breathe through.

Where can you find bonded polypropylene fabric?  Hospitals routinely place surgical instruments into plastic trays and the warp the trays in two layers of polypropylene fabric (aka surgical wrap). This package then goes through a sterilization process and then sits on a shelf in a clean room until it is ready to be used.  Prior to surgery the package is unwrapped and the wrapping material is discarded.  Thus there is an under utilized supply ready to use.  An anesthesiologist in Florida has staff making masks from these surgical wraps to combat their supply shortage. 

Another source for the material, albeit not surgical wrap quality, is reusable shopping bags like this one.  Click on the image or click here to find out where to buy some of these bags.

We recommend two to three layers of bonded polypropylene fabric for my masks.  Our research suggests a 99% effectiveness in blocking particles. A layer of flannel makes a greater interior fabric as it is soft against the face.

Another important thing to consider is fit.  Noses can be a challenge to fit around. Using a pipe cleaner, aka chenille stem, or uncoiled paper clip attached between the mask layers makes a simple and effective adjustable nose bridge.  We offer several designs for FREE. Just click on one of the buttons to go directly to the corresponding design page.

Since the virus may live for 3 or more days on soft surfaces, we recommend making a mask for each day of the week for each person.  Sewn masks are machine washable yet repeated washing may reduce their integrity. Old fashioned fresh air and sunshine certainly won’t hurt either.

Wash hands before putting on any mask.  Once adjusted, try to keep your hands off from the mask.  Wash your hands again after taking off a mask and after touching a mask you are wearing.

Keep in mind the virus needs to be viable in order to infect you. Just because you touched something contaminated does not mean you will automatically be sick.  The best ways to protect yourself are hand washing, keep hands away from your nose and mouth, and physical distance of 6 or more feet between people.  It has been scientifically determined that droplets travel about six feet.

Information provided  is the opinion of MainelyDiY. Statements are not based on testing nor expertise.  The material provided is to the best of our knowledge and is not to be construed as scientifically proven facts. Mask effectiveness depends on factors such as materials, fit, and proper usage.  General public should use homemade masks in conjunction with social distancing not instead of physical distancing.



      Prices subject to change. As participants in affiliate programs, we may earn small commissions on products and services linked in our blog/website. There is NO additional cost to you however it gives us a boost and allows us to continue to provide you with easy link access to items we use. We are participants in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and the Cricut affiliate program. An affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to products and service of affiliated sites.

MainelyDIY Full Disclosure · Fix & DiY · Hacks & Tips · Maintain · Masks · Projects · Sew-Quilt

Replacement Filter for Gas Mask – 99% Effective

With filters being in short supply for full and half face respirators, MainelyDiY has come up with a solution.

The material we chose may actually filter out viruses including COVID 19 even better than the coveted N95 masks – 4% better. According to calculations it can block particles by a whopping 99.9%. So cool as this material is often trashed and under utilized.

Check out our written instructions for specific instructions with photos for making your replacement filters. Includes materials used plus construction tips. And it is FREE in a downloadable pdf file format.


To read reference article on material effectiveness click here

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Hacks & Tips · Fix & DiY · MainelyDIY Full Disclosure · Masks · Projects

No Sew DIY Mask – Made with Man Friendly Duct Tape

Want to make a mask but don’t know how to Sew? Especially with the CDC’s recommendation for the general public to use face covering when not at home in order to help reduce the spread of COVID 19

Duct Tape to the rescue!

Our design features an adjustable fit around the difficult nose area.

Just watch this video to see how you can quickly and easily create a no sew mask with duct tape – also known as Duck tape in just minutes.

Want to make a mask but don’t know how to Sew? Especially with the CDC’s recommendation for the general public to use face covering when not at home in order to help reduce the spread of COVID 19.

Duct Tape to the rescue!

Our design features an adjustable fit around the difficult nose area. Just watch this video to see how you can quickly and easily create a no sew mask with duct tape – also known as Duck tape in just minutes.

Do-it-yourself masks are to be worn in addition to minimum of 6 foot physical social distancing. Please save the supply of the N95 masks for healthcare workers and first responders as they put their lives on the line to save others – maybe even you!

Do-it-yourself masks are to be worn in addition to minimum of 6 foot physical social distancing. Please save the supply of the N95 masks for healthcare workers and first responders as they put their lives on the line to save others – maybe even you!

You will need a pair of scissors, ruler and these materials:

  • 7″ by 12″ piece of mask material
  • 1 yard of elastic cut in half (2 pieces about 18″ long)
  • duct tape (aka Duck tape)

Be sure to check out

Please follow CDC guidance.

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