Q: Sinks, floor drains, laundry tubs, or wash basins can dry out if they aren’t used regularly. The water under the trap will eventually evaporate with disuse. Without water, sewer gas will leak out of the drains, which will spread throughout your basement over time. You can correct this problem by pouring water and cooking oil into the drains. If you haven’t used your basement toilet for several weeks or months, the water in the trap may have evaporated. As it is with the drains, sewer gas can rise up and leak out of the toilet. The solution to this problem is simple, though. You just need to flush the toilet replace the evaporated water. Due to the increased humidity in basements, fabrics often absorb a lot of moisture. The fabrics may begin to smell if they aren’t cleaned often enough. Walk around and smell any fabrics in your basement. This could mean furniture, clothing, blankets, etc. If the fabric smells musty, it will need to be cleaned or thrown out. Check behind your basement walls and in your basement's crawl spaces. Look for black mold and any dead (or alive) pests. Even if you don’t find a source, there may still be a musty smell from the humidity. Look at the ceiling tile for any signs of mold. Look in the grout of the ceiling tile as well for discoloration. While you are checking, look into any nooks and grannies of your basement for mold or dampness. Leaks are a common culprit for basement odors. Walk around your basement and check out all of the pipes. Look at the joints to see if water is dripping or appears to have been leaking. Leaks can often be hard to detect, so call in a professional if you are unsure.
A: Look at the drains in your basement. Check out the toilets. Smell the fabrics in your basement. Look behind walls and into crawl spaces. Check the ceiling tile and small nooks. Inspect the pipes for leaks.

Q: Divan beds are designed as backless, but they often include screw holes for headboards to be added later. Before purchasing a new headboard, check how far apart its struts need to be in order to fit your bed. Check the back of your bed for bolts or screw holes on either side and measure the distance between them.  Larger beds may have more than one hole in a vertical line, but measuring these aren't necessary. You want the horizontal distance from a hole toward one side of the bed to one that's level with it toward the other. This step is not necessary if you plan to mount your headboard to the wall. First, measure from one corner of its head to the other to find out its width. Next, decide if you want the headboard to back any surrounding furniture, such as matching nightstands. If so, measure the distance between the bed and those pieces' farthest sides. Add those figures to your total width.  Headboards typically project anywhere up to three inches (7.6 cm) past the corner of the bed's head.  If you are backing other furniture as well, apply this rule to their farthest sides from the bed. Measure the length of the bed, from its head to its foot. Also measure its height, including the mattress and any toppers. Use these figures to determine how high above the top of your mattress your headboard should rise.  Standard headboards stand roughly 14 inches (35.5 cm) higher than the top of the mattress. Extra tall headboards should be less than the bed's length.
A: Measure between screw holes before buying. Determine how wide your headboard should be. Decide how high it should be.

Q: Pick out some of your favorite movies, and gather up some snacks. Get comfy on the couch, and settle in to watch your movies. As a bonus, no one's around to interrupt or ask you to turn them off. You can watch what you want, as long as you want. Another option is to try a new (to you) show. Streaming services like Amazon and Netflix have shows that teens loved in the 1980s and 1990s, and now you can view them anytime. While you may find them a little cheesy, you'll get a fun glimpse at another time. If your family has a subscription, all you have to do is pick a show and go. When your parents are home, they probably want you to limit your screen time. However, when you're home alone, you can do what you want. Of course, you still don't want to visit websites your parents wouldn't like, but watching music videos, taking silly quizzes, and browsing your favorite stores are all game.  For instance, play word games with your friends or try quizzes on sites like Buzzfeed. You could play games on the Cartoon Network's website (http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/games/index.html) or National Geographic's website (http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/games/). You could also visit national sites where you could explore history and science, such as the Library of Congress' digital collections (https://www.loc.gov/collections/), NASA's section for students (http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/index.html), or the Smithsonian's digital collections (http://www.si.edu/Collections). With the house empty, no one is around to make noise, which is the perfect opportunity to curl up with a good book. Pick something you love, and find a comfy corner. Grab your favorite soda or tea, and get started reading. If you don't have anything in the house you want to read, try connecting to your local library online. Often, you can check out ebooks through your library with your library card, and then read them on your favorite device.
A: Watch something fun. Waste time on the internet or your phone. Curl up with a book.

Q: Depending on your own body image and personal style, you may prefer workout clothing that is loose, and covers most of your body. Or, you might want to wear fitted outfits that allow you to see your muscles and curves as you exercise. If you are running or biking, do not wear long pants that might cause you to trip or get stuck in the pedals. For yoga and Pilates practitioners, avoid clothing that will not move with you during different poses. Women should look for a good sports bra that offers support and flexibility, and men will want to look for a protective cup if they are playing contact sports as part of their workouts.
A:
Pay attention to fit. Tailor your attire to the specific activity. Incorporate supportive undergarments into your workout wardrobe.