How Do You Find An Auto Repair Shop

The best way to find an auto repair shop is to ask questions. Ask your friends and family if they have had a good experience when getting their own car repaired at a shop. Ask yourself a few questions also. Like, What is important to me?, Price? Quality of repair?, Getting the repair done quickly? First you have to know what you expect in order to find an auto repair shop that will suit yourself.

Which Auto Repair Shop Is Right For Me?

Everyone is different and every auto repair shop is different. Some auto & truck owners want to wait until their vehicle breaks to repair it. Some owners want every detail of auto maintenance taken care of for them. There are so many shops to choose from that you must have some qualifying questions to ask before you take your vehicle to an auto repair shop. Asking how much the repair is going to cost is the biggest mistake an owner can make when trying to find the auto repair shop that’s right for them. Instead ask if the auto repair shop is a member of AAA, American Automobile Association or the BBB, better Business Bureau. Ask if any of the auto repair shop mechanics are ASE Certified. Ask what the shop warranty on repairs is.

The old bait and switch trick

Asking for a price over the phone before anyone has had looked at your car is a bad idea because you will get auto repair shops that will gladly give you a low price to get you and your car into their shop. Unfortunately, when you get the bill after the repair is done the price you were quoted is sometimes a fraction of what they want you to pay to get your car back. This called “bait and switch”. The shop lures you wit ha low price to get you to bring your car to their shop with no intention of honoring that price. Don’t think this can’t happen to you.

The Car Whisperer Online aka, David DuPont, is an ASE Certified Master Mechanic and has been working on cars since he was 9 years old. For the past 17 years David has been helping car owners with their auto repair problems at his auto repair shop, Kar Hospital, 3419 Ella Blvd., Houston Texas, 77018. www.KarHospital.com

How To Buy A Bariatric Step Stool

Let’s look at how to buy a safe bariatric step stool. It doesn’t matter what type of step stool you are considering, folding step stool, a wooden step stool or a plastic step stool. The step stool has to be rated at 500 pounds for bariatric needs. What you are looking for is the load rating to be stamped on the step stool somewhere. Most large corporations with safety departments require a minimum of a 500 pound rating be stamped somewhere on the step stool. You should do the same.

Does that make it a safe step stool? The load rating only gives you an idea of how much a person can weigh and still stand on your particular step stool safely. Then look at the step stool, does it look sturdy? Does it have a large top surface? A large top surface will make stepping onto the step stool much easier. It also allows a person to turn and move in a different direction easily, like getting into a car or truck. Mobility is a problem for some bariatric patients, so a large top area on your step stool to maneuver is a feature you should definitely consider.

But maybe you don’t need a step stool with a large surface. Perhaps you need a bariatric step stool that is smaller and easy to store. If this is the case, be wary of folding step stools. They tend to be load rated less than 250 pounds and may not support larger people.

The next thing you will want to look at are the non-slip pads on the bottom of your bariatric step stool. Make sure your bariatric step stool has non-slip rubber pads to keep it from sliding on a smooth or wet floor. To check the non-slip pads on your step stool, feel the pads with your hand. If the pads feel like the soft rubber on your tennis shoe, it’s probably a good non-slip pad

David C. DuPont has been finding solutions to step stool problems for 9 years. He has helped people solve their problems by helping them find kitchen step stools, wooden step stools, kids step stools, plastic step stools and step stools for senior citizens. To see his step stools or to contact him to find a stepstool for you, go to www.Shure-Step.com.

Safe Step Stools for Auto Repair Shops

Mechanics working at dealerships and auto repair shops will use what ever is convenient to make their work easier, even if it’s unsafe; like using a milk crate instead of a step stool. The reason a technician would do this is because they think it might save them a little time. Milk crates are a poor choice for a safe step stool. Milk crates will tip over if the mechanic is standing on the edge trying to reach over. Milk crates have nothing on the bottom to keep them from sliding and they are not designed to stand on them.

Auto mechanics have a couple of choices when it comes to buying a safe step stool for their repair shops. Let’s take a look at a couple of the step stools to see which will work for your auto repair shop. “How can you get the best step stool for your shop?”

Which Step Stool Is Right For Me?

Let’s take a look at the shop step stools out here. The most popular step stools for auto repair shop are the hook over the wheel step, a heavy duty metal 2 step stool that has attachments like a tray for holding tools and then there’s a plastic stackable step stool. The hook over the wheel step has no legs, but you are limited to working on either side of the truck by the wheel. The metal 2 step stool is kind of big & heavy making it difficult to move around. The plastic step stool is light and pretty easy to move around. It comes in different sizes to fit your specific needs.

Do your mechanics work on 4×4 trucks?

Do you have different size trucks come into your service bays, like half-ton, 1-ton. 4×4’s? Are there different size employees servicing these trucks? You might want to consider which of the above designs works best for your shop. But before you purchase a safe step stool for your auto repair shop, ask yourself what’s important to you. Do you want a lightweight easy to move step stool? Are there specific problems with the step stool you are currently using? Is a warranty important? When you’ve answered these questions it will make your step stool decision much easier.

David C. DuPont has been finding solutions to step stool problems for 9 years. He has helped people solve their problems by helping them find bathroom step stools, kitchen step stools, wooden step stools, kids step stools, plastic step stools and step stools for senior citizens. To see his step stools or to contact him to find a stepstool for you, go to www.Shure-Step.com

Safe Step Stools for Pediatric Dentistry

When your youngster has to get a panoramic x-ray at their children’s dentist office, it can be difficult for the dentist to get the child’s mouth at the right height for the x-ray machine without a safe step stool for the child to stand on. Most of the panoramic x-ray machines are designed for adults (think tall). The task of elevating a young child to the correct height while having the kid remain calm & still during a panoramic x-ray of their mouth is no easy task. So what should a pediatric dentist look for in a children’s step stool?

In order for the children’s dentist to buy the best step stool for the job in their office, here’s what they need to look for:

1)Look for a large standing surface area so the child can feel comfortable for extended periods of time standing in one position. The large area allows the child to move their feet if they get fidgety.

2) Make sure the base of the children’s step stool is significantly larger than the top of the step stool. This one little detail adds a lot of stability to the child’s step stool.

3) Look for a load rating on any step stool you plan to use in a business. A 500 pound rating for any step stool seems to be what the military and large corporations require and so should you.

4) Legs are bad. If your step stool has legs, they will eventually either bend, break or the rubber pads on the end will wear out, not good because the step stool will wobble or slide.

David C. DuPont has been finding solutions to step stool problems for more than 11 years. He has helped people solve their problems by helping them find kitchen step stools, wooden step stools, kids step stools, plastic step stools and step stools for senior citizens. To see his step stools or to contact him to find or design a stepstool for you, go to www.Shure-Step.com

Safe Step Stools for Little People

Little people have special needs in our big world. Being able to use a safe step stool that works at home or work can be a big problem because they usually need help up to a counter. If you drive a truck or some type of Sport Utility Vehicle, your little friends will definitely need a step stool to get in your vehicle.

Some step stools fold to store easily and some step stools are very light-weight (and small). So which step stool is right for little people?

Let’s look at the differences, the folding step stools do as the name implies, they fold up to store easily. The folding step stool usually has 2 or more steps, and when it’s open to stand on, takes up quite a bit of room or floor space. So the folding step stool wouldn’t make a good choice where space is tight. If you have to reach over or turn around a lot in one place this type of step stool just isn’t going to work very well.

Safe step stools that look like large platforms, think Coke crate or milk crate, perform much better where space is limited. This type of step stool can be very useful if the little person is going to be doing a lot of repetitious chores like standing at a cash register in a store or chopping vegetables on a home countertop. This type of step stool can also make the little person’s kitchen much friendlier to use. The drawback is that this platform type step stool has to be the correct height to be useful. Otherwise you’d be better of with a folding step stool that has 2 or more steps.

David C. DuPont has been finding solutions to step stool problems for over 9 years. He has helped people solve their problems by helping them find bathroom step stools, kitchen step stools, wooden step stools, kids step stools, plastic step stools and step stools for senior citizens. To see his step stools or to contact him to find a stepstool for you, go to www.Shure-Step.com

Bariatric Step Stools

People that weigh 300 plus pounds have a hard time when trying to use a step stool for exercises. The step stool must be rated at 500 pounds for the bariatric exercises. There are step stools that are called bariatric step stools such as wooden steps, but if you look at the step stool you will NOT find a load rating on them. Does it make sense to go to your physical therapy class to exercise only to get hurt from a step stool that couldn’t hold your weight while working out?

The bariatric population of the United States is growing at a rapid pace and rehab facilities and physical therapists are the busiest they have ever been. Rehabilitation facilities aren’t using the correct step stools for their bariatric patients partly because the therapists are not aware of how dangerous the step stools can be if the step stool is over loaded. The patients should alert their physician or rehab technician if they feel unsafe on any step stool used for rehab.

Some hospitals and rehab facilities aren’t aware of the concerns of bariatric patient’s special needs when it comes to finding quality products for bariatric uses. You still see the little chrome step stool in hospitals because they have always used them not because the step stools work. Why? Because the little chrome step stools are cheaper than the 500 pound load rated step stools that bariatric patients need.

David C. DuPont has been finding solutions to step stool problems for 9 years. He has helped people solve their problems by helping them find kitchen step stools, wooden step stools, kids step stools, plastic step stools and step stools for senior citizens. To see his step stools or to contact him to find a stepstool for you, go to www.Shure-Step.com

Kids Library Step Stool

Have you ever been in a library and seen a child standing on one of the round step stools trying to reach a top shelf and the step stool that they were standing on tips over? One of the reasons this happens is the shape of the library step. The other is because the library step stool has wheels.

Round is not the best shape for any step stool. It just isn’t stable. A square or rectangle step stool is much more stable than a round step. The other problem, wheels, is asking for an accident to happen. Wheels are great for dollies, carts and anything you want to move. The purpose of a library step stool stool is to help kids reach the higher shelves. It should be stable and allow the child to reach up and over. If the step stool has wheels and the child doesn’t weigh enough, the step stool will roll with the kid on it. Not good.

Libraries should have a step stool with a wide base and a large standing surface. Enough of a surface to allow for some lateral movement. Sometimes a library will have an event with a children’s display in a case that is elevated. The younger children will have to use a step stool to view the contents of the display. If your child goes to the library make sure they have a safe step stool for her to use.

Some libraries use a folding step stool. Why? They are usually the cheapest to purchase and they fold up for storage, taking up very little space. You can find these folding step stools in some hardware stores like Lowes or in department stores like Target. But be warned of these folding step stools!! The load capacity on these step stools is usually between 150-225 pounds. If you stand on the second step of the folding step stool and reach over, you may find yourself on the floor. These step stools are not very safe.

David C. DuPont has been finding solutions to step stool problems for 9 years. He has helped people solve their problems by helping them find kitchen step stools, wooden step stools, kids step stools, plastic step stools and step stools for senior citizens. To see his step stools or to contact him to find a stepstool for you, go to www.Shure-Step.com

How Do You Buy a Safe Step Stool For a Child

Let’s look at how to buy a kids step stool. It doesn’t matter if the kids step stool is a wooden step stool or a plastic step stool. You really are looking for a safe, easy to use step stool that a child can easily move.

What you should look for is ease of use and stability. Some children’s step stools fold to make storage of the step stool convenient for you. Others are very lightweight and only hold a child weighing less than 100 pounds. And then there are others that allow for storage. If you’re looking for a child’s step stool the load rating may not be an issue. But if you’re buying a step stool for anyone that weighs over 150 pounds, be sure the step stool you’re buying has a load rating printed on the step stool itself.

Folding children’s step stools are convenient for home use because they take up very little space when folded and store easily. In most homes space is a problem so the folding step stool makes good sense because it can easily be stored in a closet. But folding step stools can be dangerous if they are not used properly. Read the warning label on any folding step stool about the maximum allowable reach.

Next, make sure your kid’s step stool doesn’t slide on the floor too easily. Some of the step stools are made from plastic or wood that will slide on a smooth floor. Check the bottom of your step stool for non-slip pads. To make sure your step stool has rubber pads good enough to keep them from sliding on a smooth floor, feel the pads. If the pads feel like soft rubber, it’s a good non-slip pad. If the non-slip pad feels hard, don’t buy it. Another test to make sure your children’s step stool won’t slide is to simply put the step on a slick linoleum floor and push the step stool with your foot.

David C. DuPont has been finding solutions to step stool problems for over 9 years. He has helped people solve their problems by helping them find kitchen step stools, wooden step stools, kids step stools, plastic step stools and step stools for senior citizens and bariatric rehab. To see his step stools or to contact him to find a step stool for yourself, go to www.Shure-Step.com

Make Money Selling Children’s Clothes

An easy way to make extra money is to sell your children’s new & gently used furniture, clothing, toys & books. Resale shops and consignment events will sell your child’s items for you and you will make more money than selling your child’s clothing & toys in a garage sale.

Making Money is easy. All you have to do is clean your attic!!

You will be surprised at the amount of toys & children’s clothing you will find in your attic! Once you have cleaned your children’s gently used clothes, toys, etc… take them to a resale shops or a resale event. Remember, they only take items that are in great shape. Electronics will need to be in working order and must include batteries: Only sell items to others that you would purchase.

Kids resale shops will price and sell children’s clothes, shoes, toys, equipment, accessories, etc. They will keep your money in your account and will mail a check only when requested. Most kids resale shops will give you 20% – 50% of the sale items. If by chance your items do not sell within 90 days, they become property of the resale shop.

Kids Resale events operate like a consignment shop but the resale events only a couple of days and have more consignors with higher quality kids clothing and toys. You get to prepare your kids clothing, sign them in & name your price. You make 60% to 80% of the price and a check is usually presented the last day of the event or mailed within 2 weeks after the sale. Unclaimed items are usually donated to a charity.

Now more than ever, parents of young children are discovering that consignment & resale events will save them a lot of money. Consignment shops are expanding and consignment events are popping up everywhere. Selling your child’s new or gently used clothes & shoes is a great way to make money! To find a kid’s consignment shop or resale event, do a Google search….you’ll be amazed at how many kid’s consignment shops or resale events are in your area! You’ll also be amazed at how easy it is to consign your items. All you need to do is to prep your items and consign. Happy selling!!

Buffy the Bargain Queen never pays retail!! She founded “Children’s Resale – Kids Consignment” in Houston Texas – Houston’s largest children’s consignment sale. After decades of bargain shopping & consigning she decided to start her own children’s consignment sale and has been excited to offer Houstonians great bargains and an exciting option to retail & consignment shops! Her next sale is July 30th – August 1st at the Houston Farm and Ranch Club. To find out more information about this event or to sign up as a consignor go to http://www.ChildrensResaleHouston.com.

Who Should Consign Children’s Items At A Resale Event

Anyone who has children’s clothing, kids furniture or toys that are not being used. Outgrown kid’s sporting equipment in the garage, furniture in storage and clothes in the closet should be consigned at a resale event. Why? Because resale events pay higher commissions and the items are sold fast. It’s easy to consign for an event and it’s a lot of fun because if your kids have outgrown their clothes or toys then it must be time to replenish your kids clothes and toys with “new” ones. At most consignment events the consigners get to shop the inventory of kids clothing before the public. So you get to clean out your closets & storage units and get first chance at replacing those clothes with “like new” name brand clothing that fit your child.

If you just want to sell your kids clothing, toys and furniture to make more space in your home it makes more sense to sell your items at a consignment event than at a resale shop because your items sell in days not months. Selling fast means you get paid sooner for your items and have more space in your home. Check out the local listings for your area to see where and when the next childrens resale or kids consignment event is. All you have to do is go to Google and type “children’s resale” or “kids consignment” plus the name of your city and you’ll be on your way to becoming a consigner.

It’s almost time to outfit your kids with new clothes for school and in this economy who wants to pay full price? Nobody!! At a consignment event you can buy the exact same name brand clothing at 75% of what you would pay for new clothes at Macy’s, Target or any other retail store you might shop at. If your kids are at the age where they outgrow clothes in a year or less then it makes so much sense to buy them clothes at a huge discount.

Buffy the Bargain Queen never pays retail!! She founded “Children’s Resale – Kids Consignment” in Houston Texas – Houston’s largest children’s consignment sale. After decades of bargain shopping & consigning she decided to start her own children’s consignment sale and has been excited to offer Houstonians great bargains and an exciting option to retail & consignment shops! Her next sale is July 30th – August 1st at the Houston Farm and Ranch Club. To find out more information about this event or to sign up as a consignor go to http://www.ChildrensResaleHouston.com.