Let’s face it: no matter how good of shape your house is in, no matter how fresh the paint job and how nice a deck you built in that backyard, nothing matters if it’s all sitting on an ugly patch of brown and dying turf. The lawn is the canvas on which you paint your home’s masterpiece, and a healthy expanse of green grass is a message to all that you know what you’re doing and aren’t afraid of putting in the hours to make sure it’s done right. From aerating to trimming to everything in between, having the best yard on the block is no more than a little commitment and the ability to get your two hands dirty. You know you have what it takes, now all that’s left is to read these tips, grab some tools, and go hit the turf.

1. Fall Flashback: Remember that season that came right before winter? The one with all the leaves that forced you out into the yard with a team of trash bags and a rake? Well we are going to travel back in time and grab that same tool for a bit of spring maintenance. More then just a leaf-cleaner, the rake is important as a tool for removing thatch. For this reason it’s always good to rake deeply in the fall (not just on the surface where the leaves are), but even if you’ve done that, a spring raking is key to keeping a healthy lawn. Specifically, look for areas of matted grass and patches of “snow mold” as breaking these up will allow new grass to grow in the area.
2. Anti-Compaction Action: Compaction is not your friend. Compaction is the enemy. And areas of the yard that receive heavy use or are weighed down by winter snow often need spring time action to neutralize this threat to having a healthy yard. The action here is known as aeration and is an essential step towards keeping your yard in good shape, especially if your yard has clay in the soil. One option is to buy an aerator, but these guys can put a pretty good dent in your wallet. The more economical option is to rent an aerator from a hardware store like your neighborhood Home Depot. From there the rest is as easy as watching a few tips on the process and digging in.  
3. A Pinch of Lime: While liming the yard is not a necessary step for everyone, many yards (especially those in humid areas) suffer from over-acidic soil that can halt or completely stall the growth of grass. In this case, it’s better to be safe than sorry because having acidic soil can wipe out all the work from those hard-earned hours you’ll be logging in the yard. By using a soil test kit that you buy online or at your local nursery, you can determine the pH of your soil. If it turns out to be neutral, you’re golden. If it turns out acidic, well that means it’s time to bust out the lime.
4. Pulling the Weeds: Don’t let the little yellow flowers deceive you. Perennial weeds, which make their reemergence in the springtime, can be a stubborn bunch if you don’t attack them from the beginning. Snipping off their flowers before they produce seed will be enough to keep them from reproducing and limit the annoyance, but if you want to get rid of them all together you’ll have to go one step further and dig them out by the roots. The use of post emergent herbicides is another possible option, but only really necessary in extreme cases. With a shovel and a bit of elbow grease you’re more than capable of handling the job the old fashion way and keeping that lawn green and weed-free all summer long.

TIP: When using a lawn aerator, use WD-40® Multi-Use Product to keep the wheels of the cart running smooth

They have two wheels, not four, and pedals where pistons should be, but beyond the structural differences between bicycles and cars, bikes are still vehicles and are likewise subject to falling out of shape after long periods of non-use. Spring and summer are great seasons for grabbing the family and taking the bikes out for a spin, but it’s important to make sure that they are in working order so they are safe and reliable when you ride them. Luckily, while you may need science skills to work on a modern car, bikes are still somewhat “Flinstone-esque” in their technology and pretty darn easy to work on. All it takes is knowing specifically what problems to check for and you can be sure your family’s next pedal through the park is memorable for only the right reason: how much fun you had on your ride.

1. A Clean Brake: The most important feature of any bike isn’t going to be the amount of gears or the fancy water bottle holder welded to the frame—the most important feature is going to be the brakes and how quickly they allow you to stop. For flawless braking, start by checking the brake pads themselves. Cut away any strips of frayed material and then resurface them with sand paper to create a smooth face. If they are worn past the indicator line it is time to have them replaced. Next, check the handlebar brake levers. If you need to squeeze them close to the bar to pull the brakes taught, that means the cable is too loose. Turning the brake cable screw adjuster counterclockwise is the simplest way to add tension. The screw adjuster can be found immediately in front of the lever where the brake line passes through, and should be loose enough that you can use your fingers to spin it to the desired tension.
2. Freewheelin’ Adjustments: Most of us don’t think of cleaning our bikes before we put them into storage because we know they’re going to collect gunk in there anyway. While convenient at the time, this means that when we take our bikes out of storage we’ve got to deal with months of new crud plus the dirt from our last time out riding. For the wheels especially, this can mean a pretty big clean up job. Getting in between the spokes and around the inside of the rim with a rag and some soapy water is crucial so you can then take a gander at the surface and make sure there are no hairline cracks or punctured areas. Remove the wheels in order to clean them, and then check the hub adjustments to make sure they aren’t loose and are spinning freely. Lastly, check the pressure of the tires with your thumb. Firm as an apple generally means they’re fine; soft as a peach and they need some air. Check the recommended pressure on the tires and fill them up accordingly.
3. Smooth as the Spring: After touching up the wheels and the brakes, the final step is to make sure all moving parts are running smoothly. Moving parts naturally receive the most stress, so making sure they are well-lubricated is going to really reduce the amount of wear put on the parts over the long haul. A few drops of lubricant in all pivot points, braking components, and shifting components should do the trick for the general lube. As far as the bike cables themselves, using a lint-free rag to rub on the grease helps to add an even layer of lubrication and prevent the formation of blobs. Also, be sure to keep the brake pads clean of grease and wipe off any extra grease off the frame to keep it from collecting dirt.

Follow these three steps for a bit of bike maintenance before spring time’s first ride and you should be good to go when the sun rolls out and the kids are primed for their first pedal adventure.  

TIP: Use a coat of WD-40® Multi-Use Product on your steel frame to protect it from corrosion

From red vine ripe tomatoes to silky butternut squash, any vegetable you’ve brought to life with your own two hands has a special feel when placed on the dinner table. Now that spring is here and the frost has gone, it’s the perfect time to begin planning a vegetable garden for your home. Despite some of the clichés, gardening is definitely not just for women. In fact, there are not many things more manly than toiling away at the soil with shovel and rake just like our ancestors did before us. And beyond the perks of a project that allows you to spend your time outdoors, gardening gives you a chance to include the kids, turning it into a family affair. You’ll be able to teach them the valuable skill of living off of the land, and then join them in enjoying the fruits of your labor when harvest time rolls around.

1. Tis the Season: The first step to planning any vegetable garden is figuring out what kind of plants you want to stick in the ground. As many of us have forgotten, not all vegetables can be grown at all times, and planting things in the right season is crucial if you want them to survive until the harvest. By determining your Hardiness Zone, you can then decide what vegetables work best for you and develop a planting schedule that matches the suggested time frames to make sure your first round of veggies is a successful one.
2. The Right Real Estate: Once you’ve decided what you want to plant, the next step is figuring out where to plant it. Sunshine is the key factor in plant growth and so areas that see a lot of shade need to be scratched off the list. Five hours a day is the minimum amount of sunlight for a healthy garden, and the space also needs to be clear of competing roots—meaning at least ten feet away from the drip line of tall trees. Also, unless you want to give yourself an extra load of work by terracing your garden, seek out a spot where the beds can rest comfortably on flat land. When it comes to healthy crops, plants with crooked stalks are not going to be your friends.
3. More Than Just Dirt: Having good soil in your garden is essential for all plants to grow. More than just a patch of dirt, good soil needs to be full of organic matter, easily drainable, and free of rocks and shale that will disrupt the spread of roots. Picking a spot in a good location is the best place to start because issues such as a lack of organic matter can be fixed with additions like organic fertilizer. Once you’ve picked out your plot of land, the only big step left to secure the space is to make sure your precious soil is at an acceptable PH level.
4. Time to Plant: When it comes to the planting of the vegetables, some people choose to be brave and do the sowing themselves. It’s not astrophysics, but sowing can be a tricky process, and for the casual gardener, buying seedlings might be a more logical route as you can plant them straight into the ground. Start by drawing out a planting map so you can visualize the arrangement before you break ground. Next, dig a hole for each seedling about an inch wider than the plant’s container and then dunk each potted plant into water to soak the soil before taking the container off. Once the container has been removed, untangle any roots on the underside of the soil cluster and drop the plant into its personalized hole. Add to that a bit of fresh water, a tidy pat down with some fresh soil, and your brand new backyard vegetable garden is ready to go.

Always remember that a well maintained garden means bigger and better vegetables on the table after the harvest.




TIP: Apply WD-40® Multi-Use Product to the metal face of trowels and shovels to keep mud and dirt from sticking.  

Political affiliations aside, we should all be able to agree that we want to leave our kids and grandkids a planet that they can actually live on. This very idea of providing for our loved ones has underscored a large part of the green transformation that’s occurred in large scale across the globe, and these changes have been aided by another benefit that has universal appeal—the ability to keep more of our hard earned cash in pocket. The truth is, many ways of going green are also great ways of saving money. By taking a few steps to create a more eco-friendly household, you’ll be creating a more efficient household as well, meaning the positive benefits will trickle from your conscious all the way down to your bank account. It’s a serious win-win. 

1. Efficient Appliance: Turning off the lights. Don’t leave the TV on. These are the things your own parents taught you growing up and are great ways to take direct action in order to save some energy. Less noted, however, are the ways in which you might be causing that energy bill to run high through indirect action, like not replacing a kitchen full of old appliances. True, the idea of buying a new fridge might seem pricey at first, but after taking into account that items such as an energy efficient refrigerator can save you up to $150 a year on your power bill, it’s not hard to see how that purchase can end up paying for itself. In addition, you’re getting a brand new appliance that looks great in the kitchen and is helping the whole world by consuming less power.
2. A Bright Idea: Incandescent light bulbs might have had their day in the sun, but this day has long since come and gone. Incredibly inefficient in lighting output, many incandescent bulbs convert less than 10% of used power into visible light, and the U.S. has planned to phase out these bulbs in 2014. Rather than waiting until you’re forced to make a switch, save yourself some change right now by replacing all incandescent bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs). CFLs use 66% less energy and last ten times as long—an absolute no-brainer.
3. Shower Saver: We get it. You like your showerhead. It feels like standing under a docile Niagara and has seventeen different settings to fit every conceivable bathing mood. But the glory of a tropical rainstorm recreation during shower time comes with a hefty price tag. Switching to an efficient shower head will still allow you to generate good water pressure while saving you up to $280 dollars a year on your water bill. Not that we’d suggest switching to a “drizzle style” shower head, but the ability to retain quality and still increase water efficiency, well, it just makes sense.

TIP: Apply WD-40® Multi-Use Product to your new showerhead to prevent it from rusting. It’s also terrific at removing calcification from old showerheads and faucets.