Super Handyman: Tips for keeping your bathroom safe

They say most accidents happen in the home, and judging from our experience, it might be true. But let’s try to keep mishaps to a minimum. The bathroom, for example, can be a very dangerous place to hang out, so put some of these tips into practice around your home, and avoid becoming another statistic.

Grab bars can be installed on just about any surface, from drywall to tile, and can keep you steady on your feet. You even can buy the suction-type handles at the hardware store, and you won’t have to do any drilling or gluing. Put one in the shower and bathtub, and another next to the toilet.

Make sure you have adequate lighting in the bathroom. You could cut your nose off if it’s dark when you are shaving.

Make sure water leaks are taken care of so slipping won’t be an issue. Use only rugs that have a rubber backing on them so they don’t slide on the slick tile floor.

Add rubber mats or safety strips to the bathtub and shower to prevent slipping.

Test GFCI outlets once a month to make sure they are functioning as they should be. They are designed to kill the circuit should water or some other short circuit occur. If you don’t have them in your bathroom, save up your money and hire an electrician to install them. They are required these days because they are so good at saving lives.

Keep dangerous drugs and medicines in a locked cabinet or drawer. Child-safety latches also can be used.

Let young children have their own space on a lower shelf or in a drawer to store their items. It will encourage them to take care of their own things.

Add a stepping stool for the kids to use; just make sure it’s steady on the floor. You might even want to add a stool for the grown-ups so you can sit down when you need to.

Consider switching faucets to the anti-scald models to prevent accidental burns in the bathroom.

A bathroom should be a sanctuary, not a scary place, so play it safe!

Seeing is believingLED lights are great at saving energy, and many of the tools we have utilize them to let us know things are on or charged. Unfortunately, they can be a little hard to see on a bright, sunny day. One way to see what you might be missing is to shade the area to make viewing easier. Use a piece of paper, rolled up telescope-style, and place it over the lamp. When you look through it, you will be able to clearly see the bulb. You also could use a toilet-tissue core for this.Fix for airflowA sagging or crimped flexible air-conditioning duct won#146;t work very well. In most cases, it#146;s because the strapping that holds the ductwork to the joists is crimping the duct and not allowing sufficient airflow. If you can reposition the strap, do so. In many cases, you can slip a scrap of cardboard between the strap and the ductwork to add support. Just place it under the ductwork to support it and take the bulk of the strain off the strap itself. It#146;s a simple thing to do, and it can make a world of difference in the airflow of your air-conditioning and heating system.Super hintsŸ Plastic medicine cups that come with some meds are great for mixing epoxy, stain, paint and other shop liquids. Keep a few around to use when you need them.Ÿ Scraps of packing foam are great for blade guards on saws and chisels. Cut off a piece that is a little larger than the blade, and then push the blade into it for safer storage.Ÿ If you are trying to work a cotter pin into its slot, remember not to hammer it, or you could damage it. Instead, slip a screwdriver or large nail into the head loop and then tap that with the hammer. Q. We need to do something about our fence. We fixed a few of the boards that were falling off. The supports are all good. It just looks old. Can we paint it or something?A. Use a cleaner for fences. These usually have acid in them to actually strip off a layer of the old surface, revealing a new finish. Then you can apply a clear water seal or some penetrating stain. This will give it a new look and should last a year or so. These products will protect the wood and help the fence last longer.Q. I have a small gas heater in my bathroom. It#146;s very old and is actually built into the tile wall. There are dark stains over it, presumably from soot. What can I use to remove the stains without damaging the tile wall behind it?A. Use trisodium phosphate, TSP, available in the paint department of your hardware store. Just follow the label directions and use a plastic scrubber so you don#146;t scratch the tiles. That should do the job.Q. We have an enclosed patio that we would like to put carpeting in. Right now, it just has a concrete floor. There are stains on the floor from our cat. They actually smell pretty bad, and we#146;ve tried to clean them, too. What can we use to clean up the stains, and is there any way to get rid of the smell?A. The problem you face is the fact that the animal urine probably has penetrated the concrete floor and will be hard to remove. Clean the area with trisodium phosphate. Then apply a sealer to seal in the smell. Now you can put down your carpet. You also can put down a vapor barrier before the carpet to prevent moisture coming in from the ground, if that is an issue.Reader tipsŸ I#146;m not as steady on a ladder as I used to be, so when it is time to clean out the gutters, I prefer to do it from the ground. I take my garden hose and use bungee cords to hold it to the side of my rake. I bend the top of the hose around at the top of the rake so it is pointing downward, and strap it into place. Now I can turn on the hose and lift the rake to let the water shoot into the gutter to clean it out. Wear a hat to keep the water and leaves off your head. It#146;s a pretty good way to do the job without having to climb a ladder.Ÿ I had to take my boat out of the water during the last storm. I went ahead and stowed it away in a storage building for the winter. I know it#146;s a little early, but I#146;m just tired of messing with it this year. The storage bay is closed up, but it still gets a lot of moisture during the winter. I cover the boat but leave room for airflow around it to keep it from molding. I also have started putting several bags of charcoal in the room to help absorb some of the moisture. It#146;s still in pretty good shape, and other than maintenance on the engine, nothing else has needed much attention.Ÿ We put a new addition onto our home. It#146;s great. We had some leftover building supplies that I gathered up and stored in the garage to use for other projects. There was part of a roll of Tyvek house wrap, too. I used it to create a great shop apron to use when I#146;m painting my projects. It#146;s lightweight material that won#146;t tear. I just cut out a basic pattern, and that#146;s all. There#146;s still a lot left. Who knows what I could make next, besides a mess? Ÿ I love the idea for drill-bit storage that I found in your column a while back. The plan was to drill holes into a block of wood to accommodate a set of drill bits. It#146;s a great way to keep all of your bits in one organized area. I added a couple of eye hooks to the top rear of the block of wood. Now I hang the bit storage on my pegboard wall. They are handy when I need them, and up and out of the way when I don#146;t.Ÿ Here#146;s a tip I learned from my dad. He always coated his metal tape ruler with wax. This protects it from rust and also seems to make it run smoother. I#146;ve tried it, and it does seem to work. I#146;ve had one old tape ruler for about 20 years, and it still works like a new one #8212; actually, better than a new one.ShoptalkŸ Evo-Stik#146;s Anti-Germ Kitchen and Bathroom sealant and Tile Adhesive is a really innovative product line. The products are formulated to kill germs like MRSA, E. coli, salmonella and more. Bacteria don#146;t have a chance against them. The products come in caulking tubes and plastic tubs and work like all the rest, but the safety benefits currently don#146;t come in any other product lines. You definitely should put them on your shopping list when you are ready to build or renovate. Heck, you might even want to remove the old stuff just to install this product in your home. To find out more, visit www.bostik.com and check out the Evo-Stik line of products for your home.Ÿ The Original Super Glue now has a really great product in its Future Glue line. Future Glue is the next generation of Super Glue, and it works on oily and dirty surfaces, where other glues won#146;t. It also works extremely well on porous surfaces, like wood. Future Glue Thick Gel is great on vertical surfaces and for filling gaps. It is resistant to temperature extremes, both low and high, and isn#146;t affected by many chemicals. It bonds instantly and can be used on ceramic, rubber, porcelain, vinyl, leather, plastic, fabric, brick and wood. To find out more, go to www.supergluecorp.com. You can purchase the line at many hardware and discount stores, as well as most home centers. Ÿ Write to Al and Kelly Carrell in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or visit the Carrells#146; website at thesuperhandyman.com.$PHOTOCREDIT_ON$© 2011, Cowles Syndicate Inc.$PHOTOCREDIT_OFF$