CasaSugar

Do You Have a Dual-Flush Toilet?

CasaSugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:30:03 -0700

When renovating their bathrooms, more and more people are choosing to install dual flush toilets as an eco-friendly update. These toilets provide substantial water savings, as they handle solid and liquid waste differently from the standard toilet. As you can see, you can find one to match the style of your home, whether it's traditional or more modern and clean-lined. Do you have one?

Casa Quickie: Clean Your Toilet With a Coke

CasaSugar — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:00:48 -0700

If you're short on cleaning supplies, or don't want to spend the money on them, look no further than your refrigerator to get your toilet sparkling clean. Just pour a can of Coke over the yucky stains inside your toilet and let it sit for at least an hour. The acids in the soda will break down the grime. If your toilet is super grimey, use a couple of cans of Coke, and let it sit for several hours or overnight. Then, just use a toilet brush to loosen the filth from the bowl and flush! Your toilet will look like new. Fini! Who knew?
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Casa Verde: Don't Flush It Away

CasaSugar — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:30:21 -0700

If you haven't been able to invest in a low-flow toilet, try this easy tip for saving water in your existing toilet. Simply fill a two-liter soda bottle with water, screw the lid on, and place it in your toilet tank. Keep it away from the flapper valve. The two-liter bottle will offset - you guessed it - two liters of water with every flush.

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How-To: Fix a Running Toilet

CasaSugar — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 05:30:09 -0700

A running toilet is one household nuisance that we'll all encounter a handful of times in our lives (at least). It's a headache-inducing pain-in-the-butt, and a serious water waster (like Lance Armstrong), but it's not a destitute situation. You can actually fix your running toilet without calling in a plumber, or your man, and it won't take much time. If you couldn't fix it by yourself before, I have some instructions to help you out. For this task, you'll need an interchangeable screwdriver and a toilet repair kit. To learn the steps, read more.

Here's how, from Barbara K!:

First, remove the toilet lid and check to see if the rod or chain attached to the stopper is twisted, eroding, or has any buildup that's keeping the stopper from sealing properly.
Now, lift up the float ball, and see if it stops the water from running. If so, bend its arm so the ball is buoyant. If not, unscrew the float ball and replace it with a new one.
If your toilet is still running, there's probably some build-up keeping the stopper from sealing properly. So, check the flush valve and seat for damage, and replace the stopper and valve if they're broken.
With one of these steps, your toilet should now refill and stay full. If not, call in a professional!

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Can You Fix a Running Toilet?

CasaSugar — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 05:15:23 -0700

Whether it's a question of the plunger handle being broken or a float that won't stay above water's edge, toilets are often known to run - that is, continue to try to fill the tank with water while the water leaks out. Have you ever fixed one on your own?

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How-To: Removing Tea and Coffee Stains From Cups

CasaSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:15:37 -0700

I like to collect coffee mugs from all the previous incarnations of myself (jobs, vacations). But you might have noticed that tea and coffee tend to leave not-so-pretty stains on ceramic cups. So, I wind up with a lot to clean. Luckily, it's actually fairly simply to whiten my collection, and the task doesn't require a big smelly jug of Clorox.

Just fill the tainted cup with warm water and drop in a denture-cleaning tablet like Fixodent. Once the tablet stops fizzing, it will be whitened, and the tablet will also kill away bacteria. Want your toilet bowl to sparkle too? The tablet works on porcelain toilets too; just drop it in, let it fizz, and flush! Don't have denture tablets around? You can also use white vinegar to do the trick!

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Love It or Hate It? Sh*t Box

CasaSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 06:15:00 -0700

The Sh*t Box ($30) is a lightweight cardboard toilet that packs flat for portability, made specifically for outdoor use. Whether you're heading to Burning Man or your ole porcelain toilet is broke, Sh*t's got you covered . . . and it can even be used as a stool (har har). Comes with 10 biodegradable poo bags! What do you think? Would you buy one? Use one? Could be cleaner than a Porta Potty!

Love It or Hate It? Toilet Backrest Radiator

CasaSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:00:04 -0700

This design by Italian design firm Why Flou is meant to be not only a backrest for your toilet but also a radiator, making your bathroom not only warm but also fun! What do you think?Source

Weird Furniture: When Appliances Mate

CasaSugar — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:38:05 -0700

I'm all for eco-living, but I can just see something disastrous happening with this toilet/washing machine combination. I have a hard enough time keeping loose socks off of the floor when I put the laundry in the hamper after washing. Can you imagine what would happen if I tried to empty The Washup? This design is still in the concept stage, and it does have a lot of cool ideas going for it. The design is based on the premise that there's absolutely no reason to put fresh, potable water in the toilet, so why not recycle wash water as toilet water? This water-saving idea is great, but I don't see any reason why the washing machine itself can't be moved a bit further away from the toilet bowl. Maybe we'll see that re-design in the Washup 2.0.

Cool Idea: A Dignified Toilet Brush

CasaSugar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:00:42 -0800

Nobody likes to look at the toilet brush. That's why we hide it behind the toilet or under the bathroom sink. However, if I owned the
Vipp 11 Toilet Brush ($200), I'd display this sleek canister in prime viewing sight. Handmade in Denmark, it's solidly constructed and available in white, matte black, cream, reykjavik blue, and stainless steel. I love it when good design shows up in the most humble parts of our homes!