Is your dishwasher gurgling like it’s trying to communicate or is water hanging around after the cycle? Are your dishes coming out as dirty as they went in? If you answered yes to these questions, you might have a clogged dishwasher.

Locating the Drain Hose

It’s possible to fix your high-end appliance with just your hands and some good old-fashioned elbow grease. Clogged dishwashers are inconvenient but can be repaired. The first thing to do is to unplug the dishwasher. This is to avoid serious injury, death or embarrassment. When the dishwasher is unplugged, proceed to the next step. Open the dishwasher and check the basket-shaped filter at the bottom. Use a screwdriver to remove it. Clean out any debris. Afterward, locate the drain hose. To find it remove the toe kick from the front of the dishwasher. This will allow you access to the mysterious underside of the dishwasher. The drain hose directly ties the dishwasher to the sink drain. It’s usually behind the pump. There should be a second hose running from the pump. We’ll call this the recirculation hose because that’s its name and ignore it for now.

Dislodging the Clog

Now comes the fun part. We need to get all those chunks of food you didn’t scrape off your plates out of the drain hose. Disconnect the hose from the dishwasher. Have a bucket of some sort ready to catch all the nasty water that’s sure to come splashing out. Don’t worry if you get some in your face. It might taste bad, but chances are good it won’t kill you. You’ll need to use some pliers to loosen the clamp around the hose. Once the hose is disconnected, it’s time to look for the clog. The clog can be dislodged by contorting the hose and flinging it around like a scary snake. If physical force doesn’t work, try flushing it with a garden hose. Thin tools like straightened coat hangers might also work. Don’t be afraid to experiment. This is your chance to be creative.

Putting it Together

The clog is conquered and the hose is clear of obstructions. Replace the hose by firmly pushing it back into place. Secure the clamp back in its original position and use the pliers to pinch it tight. When the drain hose is reconnected, turn your attention to the ignored recirculation hose. Repeat the whole process with it … Read the rest

What comes to mind when you hear “employee background checks?”

It may not be fun to go digging around into someone’s past, but it’s a lot easier to not hire a potential psycho than to try to get rid of one. Let’s take a look at some of the best tools you can use to get the job done.

Subscription-based Online Background Checks

Background checks provided by websites have quickly become the norm when it comes to investigating your potential hires. For employers that need to check a lot of employees (or ones that are just really nosy about other people in their life), a subscription-based service can be a great value.

When deciding on what level of subscription to go with, it’s important to think about the needs of the company.

Is it better to do a simple check for criminal history? Does the organization need to make sure that the employee’s degree in rocket science from (insert name of expensive school here) legit? Spending more cash on a background check usually means getting more information.

One-time Online Background Checks

For companies and small businesses that won’t be hiring a workforce the size of a small town, this should be the go-to option.

Unlike the subscription-based sites out there, there are several services that allow employers to pay a fee for each background check they run. If a company only needs to run employee background checks a few times a year, it’s a good deal, right?

Similar to the subscription sites, more expensive services provide more information. Some websites may charge more for bells and whistles, but there are plenty of sites to look at so employers can shop around.

Private Investigator

For those who feel like kicking it old school, a trip down to the local private eye’s office could do the trick (beware as the office may be smokey).

This is a great option for employers who want to find in-depth information on potential employees. It can also be good for building a relationship with the investigator for work in other areas.

The DIY Background Check

For the bored hiring manager without enough responsibility, there always is the option of trying to do a background check without hiring anyone.

This would probably require some previous experience in research/investigation.

Just remember that any mistakes will be the fault of the person who performed the check. There won’t be … Read the rest