PickVidsBest Home, DIY & practical skills Videos
The 61 Home, DIY & practical skills videos here were recommended by different people across different months. Choose by who it is for: 5 introductory, 3 intermediate, 53 for a general viewer, and 0 for someone who wants the harder derivation. Most of them are a demo. What they share is that you see the result first and only then decide whether to follow the detail. Channels you will keep seeing include Technology Connections, Kirsten Dirksen, Primitive Technology.
Detergent packs are kinda wishy-washy (Dishwashers Explained)
Technology Connections explains how dishwashers work, why detergent pods underperform powder, and how to use the pre-wash and main-wash compartments.
Building a realistic artificial sun (for dark winter days)
DIY Perks builds a realistic artificial sun for dark winters, using a powerful water-cooled LED, a satellite dish reflector for near-parallel rays, and a scattering layer to mimic the blue sky.
I messed up. You're using too much detergent.
Technology Connections explains dishwasher detergent use, arguing people use too much and that powder beats pods and gels.
Your dishwasher is better than you think (tips, tricks, and how they work)
Technology Connections explains how dishwashers work and how to use them well, including detergent use, the prewash cycle and why pre-rinsing hurts.
Best fan placement to move air through the house
Matthias Wandel uses anemometer measurements to find where to place a fan to move the most air through a house at night.
Making Infrared Cooling Paint From Grocery Store Items (w/Novel CaCO₃ Microsphere Synthesis)
NightHawkInLight shows how to make radiative sky cooling paint from grocery and hardware store materials, including a novel calcium carbonate microsphere synthesis.
Why Air Quality Matters
David Heinemeier Hansson explains what he learned about indoor air quality after his new house made his family sick.
Primitive Technology: Tiled Roof Hut
The Primitive Technology channel shows the construction of a tiled roof hut in the bush using only primitive tools and materials made in earlier videos.
Build a Do-It-Yourself Air Purifier for About $40
A University of Michigan Medicine demonstration of building a cheap DIY air purifier from a box fan and a HEPA or high-MERV filter using hardware-store parts.
Humidifiers: Simpler is better?
Technology Connections explains why humidity matters and compares the main types of humidifiers, including evaporative and ultrasonic designs.
Surviving in the Siberian Wilderness for 70 Years (Full Length)
A VICE documentary that visits Agafia Lykova, last surviving member of the Lykov family of Old Believers who fled into the Siberian taiga in 1936.
How to tie your shoes | Terry Moore
Terry Moore's three-minute TED talk showing a better way to tie shoes, replacing the common granny knot with a square knot so laces stay tied.
Mosquito trap DIY 8,000 mosquito kill reduce ZIKA DENGUE MALARIA MaxxAir Fan CO2
A DIY demonstration of a fan-and-screen mosquito trap that uses carbonated water as a CO2 attractant.
Perhaps the weakest link in the US electrical system
Technology Connections explains weaknesses in the US electrical system, centering on how cord and circuit ratings can mismatch and cause fires.
Nebraska retiree uses earths's heat to grow oranges in snow
Kirsten Dirksen visits retired mailman Russ Finch in Alliance, Nebraska, who grows oranges, figs and pomegranates in a backyard greenhouse without paying for heat.
The US electrical system is not 120V
Technology Connections explains that US household power is split-phase, with two 120V legs that combine to 240V for large appliances.
How To Sharpen A Knife In About 5 Minutes With ONE Stone | EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW FAST! 2023
A beginner-focused tutorial on freehand knife sharpening with a single stone, aiming for a shaving-sharp edge in about five minutes.
How to use one paper towel | Joe Smith | TEDxConcordiaUPortland
A short TEDx talk by Joe Smith teaching how to dry your hands with a single paper towel.
Turning Smashed TVs into Realistic Artificial Daylight
DIY Perks shows how to turn old or smashed TVs and monitors into realistic artificial window lights, using the backlight and Fresnel lens to simulate distant daylight.
LED Experiments: Making Holiday Lights Less Garish
Technology Connections experiments with filtering white and colored LEDs to make holiday lights look less garish.
How We Bought Our Abandoned House in Japan | Process, Costs, Risks, Finance, How to Find One
The Tokyo Llama channel details how the creators found and bought an abandoned akiya minka house in Japan.
Primitive Technology: Cord drill and Pump drill
Primitive Technology shows building a cord drill from scratch and then upgrading it to a pump drill, using only primitive materials like a stone flywheel and cord.
EC's Big Announcement
Essential Craftsman announces the start of a spec house build on a scenic lot, kicking off a long series.
New Earthships capture more energy, water & food at lower cost
Kirsten Dirksen tours new Earthships, homes built from tires, bottles and cans that generate their own energy, collect water and grow food.