Do-It-Yourself Home Projects Help You Save in 2012

(Family Features) December 28, 2011- In 2012 everyone is looking to save on their household budget. But just because you’re scaling back, doesn’t mean you can’t make some improvements around the house.

Use these DIY home improvement and cleanup tips from the experts at Grime Boss to help revamp your home, without spending a fortune:

Repaint the walls
One great way to update your home without having to replace carpeting or furniture is to refresh walls with a fresh coat of paint. Determine the amount of paint needed by using an online calculator, such as the one provided at www.homedepot.com.

To save even more, simply update the paint on doors, cabinets and crown molding, rather than the walls. Likewise, you can paint an accent wall along a hallway, or within your kitchen or living room, rather than the entire space.

Replace hardware
If you’d love to renovate, but it’s simply not in the budget for this year; make small updates now that you can incorporate into later construction projects. One small trick is to replace the hardware in highly trafficked areas, such as the kitchen or the bathroom. Replace cabinet handles or knobs and drawer pulls. While replacing hardware, make sure to give your door hinges and drawer tracks a good oiling to prevent squeaking.

Give your car a tune-up
When it comes to saving, learning how to maintain your vehicle can go a long way in terms of managing your household budget. Remember, you should change the oil in your car every 3,000 miles or 3 months. Check out www.ehow.com for videos on how to check, fill or change your oil and other auto maintenance tips. For quick cleanup post tune-up, use Grime Boss wipes to remove oil and grime from your car, your surfaces, and even your hands.

Install shelving in the garage
Who couldn’t use extra storage space? For many, additional storage may mean looking beyond the house to the garage. Find a variety of storage solutions that fit within your budget – from finishing rod racks to cabinets and overhead ceiling-mounted shelving – at retail stores such as www.walmart.com.

Update flooring
To cover existing flooring, use floating laminate pieces. Installing wood laminate in your bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, or living room is easy with snap-together pieces. Check out www.diynetwork.com for step-by-step instructions.

Make cleanup a breeze
Whether you’re changing the oil in your car or cleaning up latex paint, save yourself time and hassle with Grime Boss Heavy Duty Hand Cleaning Wipes, which are tough on big messes, but gentle enough to use on your face and hands.

Learn more about the versatility of these wipes at www.grimeboss.com.