Unused Floor Drains (February 29, 2001):

Any drain in your house that is not used regularly needs to have water poured in it at least once a month. This does two things; first, it keeps the trap filled with water so you don't get sewer gases and odors in your house. The second advantage to this is that floor drains gather dirt from the floor and this dirt will pack in the trap and end up plugging it up. Once a month, take a bucket of water and pour it in any drain not used weekly. This will keep it flushed out and the trap filled with water. If you have a slab home (with no basement), check your furnace room. There is usually a floor drain around the furnace or water heater.

Cleaning the Microwave (February 12, 2001):

Put a 1/2-cup of water with two tablespoons of baking soda in the microwave on high for one minute. Then wipe with a damp paper towel. This will clean and eliminate old odors.