Same as Shipping Address If we have questions about your order, where can we reach you? Our Privacy Policy covers details on how we protect your information.Home Depot Inc., which is already the largest seller of flooring in the U.S., stands to benefit from a formaldehyde controversy that has engulfed two of its competitors. The home-renovation king hasn’t been tarnished by accusations that Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. and Lowe’s Cos. sold Chinese-made laminate flooring with excessive levels of formaldehyde. While Lowe’s isn’t as exposed to the furor -- it agreed to stop selling the product in question on Friday -- Home Depot may be in a position to attract customers while its rivals cope with the fallout. “If Home Depot can stay out of the noise fray, it will benefit them,” said Jaime Katz, an analyst at Morningstar Inc. who tracks the retail industry. Home Depot’s stock has climbed 2.9 percent this year, compared with a 2.4 percent gain for Lowe’s.

Shares of Lumber Liquidators, which has a much larger portion of its business at stake, have plunged 59 percent. Laminate flooring, which offers an alternative to hardwood or tile, has grown in popularity in recent decades. It’s easy to install -- pieces just click together -- and relatively affordable. But questions about the manufacturing methods, especially for products made in China, have dogged the industry. Formaldehyde, which has been linked to cancer, is an ingredient in the flooring’s glue.How To Clean Stains Off Bathroom Counter The current controversy ignited in March when the “60 Minutes” news show investigated Lumber Liquidators, following up on allegations first made by a short seller. Tres Chic Black Pink Shower CurtainThat same investor, Xuhua Zhou, pointed his finger at Lowe’s on Friday, saying the retailer also sold a product with similar levels of formaldehyde. Outdoor Furniture Rental Portland Or

Both companies say their flooring is safe, but Lowe’s pulled the criticized product line entirely. The flooring, sold under the Tecsun brand, was offered on Lowe’s website but not in stores. Home Depot, meanwhile, has been praised by the same investors who targeted Lumber Liquidators. Both Zhou and hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson, who helped publicized the formaldehyde issue, have said that Home Depot maintains higher standards. Zhou also said he owns Home Depot shares. Home Depot further burnished its image last month when it agreed to phase out vinyl flooring with phthalates by the end of this year. The company made the move after working with environmental and health advocates, who found the chemical in flooring sold at Home Depot, Lowe’s and Lumber Liquidators. Phthalates can pose risks to human health, including asthma, harm to male reproductive organs, brain development and the immune system, according to advocates fighting to remove the chemical from products.

Lowe’s and Lumber Liquidators both say they’re working with suppliers to seek possible alternatives to phthalates. By the end of this year, Lowe’s says 95 percent of its vinyl flooring won’t have the chemical. But Home Depot’s move to ban the chemical first underscored its reputation as a leader Still, a new front has opened up in the flooring skirmish, and it’s one area where Home Depot isn’t ahead of rivals. Lowe’s and Lumber Liquidators are both dropping Chinese-made laminate flooring, aiming to reassure consumers that their products are safe. Lowe’s expects all of its products in the category to come from the U.S. by July. Chinese-made laminate flooring previously made up less than 10 percent of its sales. Lumber Liquidators also said last week that it has stopped sourcing laminate from China for now, though it may revisit its policy based on customer demand. That’s turning Home Depot into an outlier, since the company still sells laminate from China.

Steve Holmes, a spokesman for Atlanta-based Home Depot, said it requires all suppliers to comply with health laws and regulations. The majority of its laminate is sourced from the U.S., Europe and Canada. He declined to give the percentage that comes from China. The company hasn’t “made a determination” on whether it will continue selling Chinese laminate, Holmes said. “The bottom line is we’re confident that our laminate flooring is safe,” he said.We all could use a few tips or tricks for keeping the house clean. We asked Sarah, author of Thrifty Decor Chick, some of her cleaning secrets. She offered up some spring cleaning tips that cover everything from the microwave and pet hair to de-gunking your iron and deodorizing plastic food containers. This time of year has me wanting to open all the windows, organize everything and clean every surface until it glistens. I love the fresh feeling spring brings! Today I’m sharing a few of the ways I bring it into our home.

I started using this DIY jewelry cleaner a couple years ago and it works incredibly well. The best part is you can make it with items you probably have on hand in your kitchen. The only ingredients are a cup of water and one tablespoon each of salt, baking soda and Dawn dish detergent. Heat the water for one-to-two minutes in the microwave, then place the hot water in a bowl lined with foil. Add the other ingredients and then drop your jewelry in and let it sit for five-to-ten minutes. I love this DIY cleaner because it really gets all the dirt and dust (and occasional paint!) off of my rings from all of the projects around the house. Baseboards get a beating daily, but we don’t often think of cleaning them. I don’t clean them every week or even month, but every few months it’s nice to get them bright and white again. I find scuffs from shoes to be the biggest culprit, and they can be hard to remove. The Magic Erasers do the trick, and I love the new version with the easy to hold handle!

The erasers stick to the bottom, and the handle allows for nice, even pressure. The scuffs come right off! You know that yucky smell your dish sponges get after a while? I used to throw mine in the dishwasher occasionally to try to get rid of that stink, but it didn’t always work. I found this tip and it’s saved me from throwing them out as often. Make sure to get the sponge nice and wet, (I love the Ocelo sponges) then and place it on a paper towel in the microwave (just in case there are any plastics in it that may melt). Also, make sure to include a microwave-safe container with some water inside, as this helps keep the emitter working properly. Heating it the sponge for one minute gets rid of most of the bacteria and two minutes gets nearly all of it. And it comes out smelling as good as new! (Just be careful because it will be hot for a few minutes.) We have hardwood floors throughout our home, and I absolutely love them. But I struggled for months after we had them installed to find a floor cleaner that cleaned without streaking.

I could never find a mop pad that really cleaned well either. I discovered the Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner, and it is now my favorite–especially when paired with the Bona floor mop. Together they make my floors spotless–and there’s not a streak in sight! For years I used caustic chemicals to get rid of clogs in our drains; I thought it was the only option. When I found this small tool and used it for the first time I was hooked. The Zip-It drain cleaner is a long plastic piece that you work down into your drain and then pull up. The material clogging the drain comes up with it and it’s usually not a pretty sight. It works every time and only takes a few seconds to do one drain. And I love that I don’t have to worry about chemicals around our animals and child. Warning: even though it’s hard to look at what comes out of the drain it can get a little addicting. You may just run to each drain just to see what comes out of it. With four animals in our house, I’m always looking for an easy way to clean up the pet hair.

Often I’ll use the sticky rollers, but find they don’t always get everything. When I found this trick I was skeptical but it works better than anything I’ve tried! All you need is a rubber dishwashing glove. You’ll want to get it slightly wet and then just rub your hand over the furniture. The pet hair will clump together and then can be easily removed. I love that I can cover so much surface area with my hand, instead of a small roller. Have you ever washed a food container and then still been able to smell what was in there the week before? There’s an easy way to get rid of the stink:  take one tablespoon of baking soda and wash the container thoroughly with hot water. It neutralizes the food smell for good! At least till next week’s dinner. This is another one we don’t think of doing often, but I like to use this easy dishwasher cleaning method every six months or so. The first step is to run a cycle with one cup of vinegar in a dishwasher-safe bowl on the top rack.

Then sprinkle a bit of baking soda on the bottom of the washer and run it again. (Short cycles are fine.) The vinegar and baking soda combined will help to clean out any food particles and leave it smelling fresh and clean. Getting the gunk off the iron There’s nothing worse than ironing a piece of clothing and ruining it because of build up on the iron plate, right? There’s an easy and quick way to clean your iron though. Just put a white piece of paper on the ironing board and sprinkle salt over it liberally. Heat your iron to the cotton setting and iron over the salt–no need to use the steam. The salt helps to remove any stains on the iron plate, with no scrubbing needed! This is one of those spots that’s out of sight out of mind, but every year or so I pull my refrigerator out and clean the coils. This is recommended at least once a year to keep the appliance running well. Before you do anything, make sure to unplug the refrigerator. It only takes a few minutes to clean the coils so you won’t need it unplugged for long.