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Tag: troubleshooting

A stainless steel floor waste drain set into pale tiles, photographed close to floor level with water beading on the tiles beside it.
Cleaning

One big cockroach or three small ones: they are different problems

A single large cockroach that wandered in from the drain and three…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
A close view of the narrow gap where a pale kitchen benchtop meets the wall, with the skirting join below it lit from the side.
Cleaning

Ants in the kitchen: why they arrive and what actually works

Spraying a trail of ants kills the ants you can see and…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
The open door and rubber seal of a front loading washing machine, with the empty drum visible behind.
Laundry

Why the washing machine smells, and how to fix it

It is almost always the same three things, and they compound: washing…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
A plain white wireless router standing in the open on a timber shelf, clear of surrounding objects.
Household Tech

Home wi-fi that reaches the whole house

Most wi-fi problems are solved by moving one box and changing one…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
An open lunchbox on a kitchen bench with most of the food still in it and a school bag beside it.
Picky Eaters

Packing lunch for a child who will not eat at school

A lunchbox that comes home full is usually about time, packaging or…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
A fridge whiteboard wiped almost clean with a marker lying on the bench below, lid off.
Meal Planning

Why meal planning fails in week two

Almost every meal plan collapses in week two, and there are only…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
A litter tray on a laundry bench beside an open window, with a scoop next to it and a bag of litter below.
Litter & Toileting

Litter tray smell: fixing it properly

Deodorising products treat the symptom and often make the cat avoid the…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
An empty bath with a rubber non-slip mat in the bottom, a folded towel and an unlabelled bottle on the edge.
Grooming

Bathing a dog that hates baths

Most dogs object to the slippery surface, the water temperature and being…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
A dog crate in a living room with the door propped open, bedding inside and a chew toy on the bedding.
Crates, Carriers & Pens

A dog that hates the crate: fixing it

The first question is whether the dog hates the crate or hates…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
Dry dog biscuits spread across a plain baking tray on a laundry floor beside an empty dog bowl.
Bowls, Feeders & Slow Feeders

Stopping a dog inhaling dinner in twelve seconds

Fast eating is worth addressing, and most of the fixes cost nothing.…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
A clean open litter tray with fine litter on a tiled laundry floor with clear space on both sides.
Cats

Why is my cat not using the litter tray

The first step is a vet, because several causes are medical and…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
A tall sisal scratching post standing directly beside the arm of a fabric sofa in a living room.
Cats

Cat scratching: redirect it rather than stop it

Scratching is maintenance and marking, not misbehaviour, and it cannot be trained…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
A child's bedroom at dusk with a block-out blind drawn against bright evening light, a lamp on low and two books on the bed.
Routines & Organisation

Getting kids to bed without the two-hour battle

Most bedtime battles are caused by something that happened earlier in the…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team
A kitchen table with an open exercise book, a pencil, a half-eaten snack and a small timer, one chair empty.
Learning & Homework

Homework battles: what to change first

Almost every homework battle is caused by timing, length or the adult's…

Dovelyne editorial team
Dovelyne editorial team