Q: Having a solid daily routine may help your dog to stop eliminating inside the house. Make sure that you feed your dog at the same times every day and take your dog outside at the same times every day. Your dog should be allowed to go outside to eliminate at least four times per day. If your dog's feeding and outside times have become erratic, decide on a schedule that will work for you and stick to it. A sample schedule for feeding and taking your dog out might be something like: 6:00am: let Fido outside 7:00am: feed Fido breakfast 7:30am: let Fido outside 12:00pm: let Fido outside 5:00pm: take Fido for a walk 7:00pm: feed Fido dinner 7:30pm: let Fido outside In addition to keeping a steady routine for taking your dog outside, taking him to the same spot every time may also help you to housebreak your dog. Use an encouraging phrase such as "go potty" to let your dog know what you want him to do when you get to that spot. The repetition of going to the same place and hearing the same words will help your dog understand what you want from him. Remember to offer your dog lots of praise after he goes to the bathroom outside. Watching your dog for signs that he might be about to urinate or defecate in the house can help you to housebreak him. If your dog is prone to eliminating inside the house, find a way to keep him in your sight at all times. Monitoring your dog's whereabouts will help you to prevent him from eliminating inside the house. Try keeping your dog on a six foot long leash that is attached to you. This will prevent him from going off to another room to eliminate and it will also help you to observe his behavior and determine when he needs to go. If you cannot keep an eye on your dog during the day, you can use a crate or baby gate to confine your dog to a small area for short periods of time (less than 4 hours). As soon as you notice that your dog is getting ready to urinate or defecate, get his attention by clapping your hands together loudly. Do not yell at your dog or use physical punishment to change his behavior. Just clap your hands to get his attention and then lead or carry him outside right away. Be kind and encouraging to your dog as you lead him outside. If you yell or act like you are angry with him, he may begin to associate going outside with punishment. The smell of a prior mess can prompt your dog to want to eliminate in the same place again. The best way to prevent your dog from soiling an area again is to clean up his messes right away by using an enzymatic cleaner made especially for cleaning up pet messes. Don't yell or punish your dog for going inside the house. It will not do anything to discourage him and it may even lead to more accidents by increasing his fear and anxiety. Positive reinforcement is the best way to teach your dog a new behavior. Make sure that you reward your dog with lots of praise after he urinates or defecates outside. You can also reward your dog for eliminating outside by giving him treats, playtime, or a walk. To make sure that your dog does not have to hold it for long periods of time, ask a friend or neighbor to come by and take your dog out for you if you will be gone for a long period of time. Forcing your dog to stay in the house for several hours will lead to eliminating inside the house because he will not be able to hold it for that long. If you don't know anyone who is willing or able to take your dog out for you during long periods away, consider hiring a pet sitter to stop by.
A: Develop a good daily routine. Encourage your dog to use the same spot every time you take him outside. Monitor your dog at all times. Stop your dog from eliminating inside the house by clapping. Clean up messes as soon as they happen. Praise your dog when he eliminates outside. Ask a neighbor or friend to take your dog outside when you will be gone for long periods.

Q: Mild dish soap, like Dawn, is a great degreaser. Address the oily stain as soon as you notice it; the longer it sits on the surface of your deck, the more difficult it will be to remove. Use a soft bristled brush and soapy water to scrub at the stain. Rinse the soap away thoroughly with hot water. If the oil based stain has set and mild dish soap isn't removing it, try an oil stain remover product like OSR or Pour-N-Restore. You can buy these products at home improvement stores. Water spots, also known as tannin stains, are normal occurrences on wood. Over time, you will likely start to notice some on your deck. Sweep the deck free of all dirt and debris. Make sure the surface is completely dry and then apply a deck brightener product that contains oxalic acid on the surface of your deck. Check your particular product for any additional directions. Deck brightener products can be purchased at home improvement stores. Deck brightener products will also work on these tougher stains. Sweep the deck and apply the product directly to the stain. Saturate the area and allow it to sit on the stain for about 15 minutes. Rinse the spot thoroughly with a water hose.
A: Use dish soap and hot water on oil based stains. Use a deck brighter than contains oxalic acid on tannin stains. Use oxalic acid on rust stains and other stubborn spots.

Q: Look under your sink and locate a pipe with a J or P-like curve. This is your sink trap. The sink trap is located in between the tail pipe and the waste pipe. The tail pipe is the pipe that connects directly to your sink, and the waste pipe is the pipe that connects to the wall. You can use a regular gallon bucket, or any type of water collecting device like a dishpan. The bucket will be used to catch any water, dirt, and grime that comes out as you remove the sink trap. Begin by loosening the slip joint nuts on each end of the sink trap (on each end of the J or P). You can do this either manually, using your hands, or you can use a wrench. Once the joint nuts are loose, continue to untighten them with your hands. If your sink trap has a decorative or metal finish, then use a strap wrench to loosen the slip joints to prevent scratching. You can also place duct tape on the parts of the wrench that come into contact with your pipes to prevent scratching. As you remove the sink trap, make sure to locate the O-rings. There should be two; one on each side of the J. Place them somewhere safe. The O-rings are used to seal the connection between the sink trap and the tail and waste pipes. Take a picture of the trap before you remove it to help you reassemble the sink trap correctly. Clog the waste pipe with a cloth or rag to prevent sewer gases from entering your home. Take the sink trap to a separate sink or outside to rinse. Rinse the trap thoroughly until all the loose dirt and grime are removed. You can also use a dishwashing detergent to remove any dirt and grime as you scrub the sink trap. Scrub the sink trap until all the dirt and grime are removed. At this point, you can use the bottle brush to scrub and remove any dirt and grime from the end of the tail pipe as well. Place the slip joint nuts onto the tail and waste pipes first. Slip the O-rings back onto the tail and waste pipes. Then place the sink trap between the tail and waste pipes. Use your hands to tighten the slip joint nuts over the ends of the sink trap. Use your wrench to finish tightening the slip joint nuts. Only tighten the slip joints nuts a quarter turn more. Try not to tighten them too tight. This can cause your pipes to crack and break, especially plastic ones. If there's rust on the P trap, replace it before it has a chance to leak.
A:
Locate the sink trap. Place a bucket underneath the sink trap. Unscrew the slip joint nuts. Remove the sink trap. Rinse the sink trap. Scrub the sink trap with a bottle brush. Reassemble the trap.