They say necessity is the mother of invention, and it's certainly true of the dishwasher. In 1886, Josephine Cochran was looking for a faster way to wash the dishes and to do so with less breakage. When she didn't find a solution, she created her own and invented the first dishwasher to clean dishes rather than just rinse them. She filed a patent and went on to create her own company, and today we know that company as KitchenAid.

Choosing the various countertops, flooring and fixtures you'll need for your bathroom remodel is a lot of fun. Before you get to the fun part, however, it's important to plan your new design and check it against both local building codes and the NKBA guidelines for bathrooms. Admittedly, this part of the project isn't as much fun as others, but understanding these guidelines will help you build a code-compliant bathroom that functions well.

As society becomes more health and environmentally conscious, you're likely paying more attention to the size of your household's carbon footprint and what you feed your family. If you grow a home vegetable garden or feed your lawn and landscape, you may wonder if chemical fertilizers are really the best products to use. It's true that chemical fertilizers create runoff, contribute to greenhouse gasses and require frequent application. They do have their benefits, however. Chemical fertilizers offer greater control over the amount of nutrients you feed your plants than their organic counterparts. Manufactured fertilizer is also much less likely to add weeds to your garden, benefits plants more quickly than organic fertilizer and requires smaller applications. It's important to weigh both the pros and cons of chemical fertilizers before deciding whether to use them.

The truth is, snakes don't want to see you any more than you want to see them. You may find these creatures disgusting and frightening, but they probably feel the same way about you. Although some snake species are venomous, snakes are more often a nuisance than a threat. If they bother you, however, you can discourage them by sealing holes in your home, eliminating their food sources and removing landscape objects that offer them shelter. Don't attempt to poison the snakes or deter them with chemicals, however, as these methods are ineffective against the snake and potentially dangerous for people and pets. Additionally, don't try killing them, as this is when most people suffer bites. Instead, opt for safe snake control methods that have been proven effective.

To keep carpenter bees from ruining your hard work, build your deck with painted hardwoods, fill all old bee nests on your property and provide the bees with a nesting alternative that is more attractive than your new deck. Use insecticide to deter carpenter bees only as a last resort because bees are beneficial insects. Deterring the bees will be easier if you haven't yet built the deck and can incorporate bee deterrents as you work, but existing decking still can be protected with a bit more e

PVC creates a softer floor than hardwood or tile, making it more resistant to dents and scratches but more susceptible to gouges from sharp objects, like pet toenails. PVC can mimic the look of other types of flooring but not their feel. PVC is also the subject of much debate where toxicity is concerned. Many fear that this man-made material holds dangerous chemicals that could outgas and cause cancer. Others feel that this outgassing is a myth. One potentially harmful chemical in PVC, known as