Sprinkle baking soda or another deodorizer liberally on the mattress. Allow the baking soda to sit for up to 24 hours. Without properly deodorizing the mattress, your mattress will retain smells and won’t be properly cleaned.  It is okay if you wind up using an entire box or even more. The longer the baking soda sits, the more moisture and odor it will absorb from the mattress. There are a variety of mattress deodorizer products you can choose to use when cleaning your mattress. Just make sure to follow the directions on the product’s box. If you live in a dry climate, consider leaving your window open. If possible, move the mattress into the sunlight. After you’ve allowed the deodorizer to sit on the mattress for an extended period, you need to vacuum the mattress again. Use your upholstery tool and crevice attachment to remove all the deodorizer. After you think you’ve removed all the deodorizing, vacuum the mattress again. By vacuuming the mattress, you’ll remove not only the deodorizer, but the smell and other debris, too. This is important, as dust mites are known to aggravate allergies, may cause asthma, and may cause rashes. You can eliminate dust mites by lightly spraying a mixture of essential oils on your mattress. Combine:  16 fluid ounces (470 mL) of distilled water. 2 teaspoons of essential oils. Some oils may include: clove, rosemary, eucalyptus, caraway, or tea tree. Spray the mixture lightly over your entire mattress. Allow the mixture to dry before proceeding.

Summary: Deodorize with baking soda. Vacuum again. Kill dust mites.


If you can still grip the screw head with a screwdriver, try one last time to remove it by hand. Follow these instructions first to maximize your chances:  If the screw is fastened to metal, spray on penetrating oil, such as WD40, and let sit at least fifteen minutes.  Use the largest manual screwdriver that fits your screw. If possible, grip the screwdriver handle with a wrench to get more leverage. If the screwdriver keeps slipping out of the stripped hole, cover it with a small piece of material that gives extra grip. Press this into the hold with the screwdriver and try again. Here are some options:   Wide rubber band, cut to form one band A piece of steel wool A piece of green abrasive from a kitchen sponge Duct tape, with the adhesive side against the screw head Tap the screwdriver in gently to avoid breaking the screw head. Skip this step if you are working with a fragile object.   This is a good option when a Philips head screw is stripped. You can also take a square #1 drill bit and hammer it into the screw head. Do this until it penetrates into the stripped Philips head screw. Place your palm against the end of the screwdriver, with your arm directly behind it. Press directly down into the screw with your full forearm as you rotate the screwdriver. If the tool you are using is slipping, stop using it immediately. Further slippage will only continue to wear down the screw head and make it harder to remove. Definitely be sure you are going in the correct direction for removal, which is usually--but not always--counterclockwise ("lefty loosey, righty tighty"). Pressing down hard as you are unscrewing will help prevent slippage. If you can heat the screw without damaging the object the screw is attached to, this will often loosen the threads. Apply a heat gun or propane torch to the screw, moving it constantly to avoid overheating. Once it is hot enough to sizzle a drop of water, let the screw cool, then try again. This works especially well if the screw has been set in place with a bonding agent. If your screwdriver still can't get a good grip, cut a notch into the screw head. Insert a flat-head screwdriver and attempt to turn the screw. You can combine this with any of the approaches above.

Summary: Maximize the grip strength. Add material for extra grip. Tap the screwdriver into place with a hammer. Push down hard as you rotate. Heat the area. Cut a flat-head notch with a dremel or hacksaw.


While rare, it's possible that the manufacturer made an error when producing your strings. Intonation may also be affected by old, worn out strings. Before adjusting your guitar's intonation, make sure that the bad intonation is being caused by your guitar and not your strings. A luthier is a person who specializes in repairing stringed instruments. Because an acoustic guitar's saddle doesn't move, you can't simply tighten or loosen screws as you would do on an electric guitar. If you value your acoustic guitar and don't want to damage or destroy it, take it to a certified professional instead of trying to modify the guitar yourself.  A luthier will be able to adjust neck and bridge to affect the action of your guitar, file nuts down, and replace the bridge completely if need be. These are all things that should be handled by a professional.  Even if you have a cheaper acoustic guitar, it still may be worth it take your badly intonated guitar to a luthier rather than attempting to fix your guitar yourself and breaking it. Replacing your guitar's saddle can fix the intonation. To do this, remove all of the strings from your guitar. Use needlenose pliers to loosen the saddle from its casing and carefully pull it from its hole. Then, push your new saddle into the saddle hole firmly to secure it. Once it's in place, restring your guitar and tune it. Before replacing your saddle, make sure that you measure the length of your existing saddle so you can get the right size.

Summary: Try to use different strings. Take your guitar to a luthier. Replace the guitar's saddle.


Chronic split nails could be the result of an underlying medical condition like a fungus or vitamin deficiencies. If you experience chronic broken nails, let your doctor know. They can look for underlying problems and prescribe medical treatment as necessary. Going back and forth between wet and dry can make your nails extra brittle. Minimize the number of times you get your nails wet and then dry by making sure you wear waterproof foot gear on days with rain or snow. However, soaking nails for 15 minutes a day, patting them dry, then applying a moisturizer (e.g., an emollient such as organic lotion or petroleum jelly) can add moisture to the nail. Use foot cream, cuticle cream, or petroleum jelly on the area around your nails to keep them hydrated. Apply a treatment at least once a day and allow it to soak in completely to keep your nails from getting brittle and splitting. Keep your nails extra moist by keeping some foot cream by the sink and moisturizing them every time you get out of the shower. The process of applying and removing both nail cover such as polish, wraps, and decals, as well as fake nails can be harsh on your toes. Minimize how often you apply beauty products to your nails and allow them to grow naturally. naturally. Soak your nails in oil, like coconut, argan, or tea tree oil, for about 10 minutes once a week. This will add moisture and reduce brittleness. You can also take a supplement containing biotin to strengthen your nails. Avoid nail hardening agents. They may offer some benefits, but they often contain ingredients like formaldehyde that do more harm than good.
Summary: Work with your doctor. Wet your nails less frequently. Moisturize your nails on a daily basis. Wear nail polish and fake nails less often. Strengthen your nails