Do not use kitchen sink as a parts washer & leave a dirt/solvent ring in it IF you have wife or girlfriend.
You will never hear the end of it

Addendum: The microwave should not be used for drying gloves.

This thread should bocome sticky so all members can add sage advice.

Don't spray paint a frame in the basement while the gas furnace is on.
Don't use girlfriends makeup sponges to clean between cogs.
Make sure ALL the grease is off your hands BEFORE touching anything in the bedroom.

Enjoy

Don't spray WD-40 anywhere in the house...

Ah, reminds me of the days when I rebuilt a 318 V8 in the living room of one of my apartments. Course that was long before the wife and kids came along!

The dishwasher works great as a parts cleaner, but make sure you unload it before wifey gets home.

Never bake painted parts in your oven if you ever plan on cooking in it again.

Az

Never, never NEVER use a toothbrush as a parts cleaner....especially since you might find out the next moring you lacked a spare.

Never throw away old parts until you are CERTAIN the replacements are the correct size and type.

Corollary: Check that the parts are the right ones at the LBS. Don't wait until you get home.

Don't talk about the bikes in front of 'er indoors too much. Jealousy, deceit and general nastiness will ensue promptly in case on non-compliance with this warning.

Also, don't tell her how much you spent on part X or even tell her that you bought part X. Demands for a shower of gifts will surely follow "because you've obviously got spare money lying round." Yeah, right.

Tire tracks from the back door to the basement stairs are frowned upon, as well.

Never inflate a newly-installed tube to its full pressure indoors. Even if you're certain that it's seated properly. Except...while wearing hearing protection.

Sleeping newborn babies are especially sensitive to this. I speak from experience.

I had three tubes on two bikes do this about an hour after I went to bed. Took 10 years off my life.

+1 to hiding bike purchases. Alternatively, get her something for her bike when you get stuff for yours. It totally works.

This reminds me of the time my uncle rebuilt the engine of his VW on his dining room table...

+1. The only escaping gas to be heard in my house...should only be coming out of me.

I LOVE my bike I'll share my tooth brush

Actually, one of the great things about having babies in the house is you've got someone else to blame for that stink. And it took the pressure off the dog.

Do not knock over the old wet cell lead/acid battery you had for your lights while it is sitting on the living room carpet. She did not like the hole the acid ate in the carpet.

If you must put your rear wheel in the back of her car for Meryx sake put the cluster up and put something over it.

Do not squeeze the bottle of Phil Wood Tenacious Oil so hard that the nozzle flies off and a big line of sticky, greasy oil gets on the carpet. Also, if possible, do not work on bikes anywhere near carpet.

After cleaning all the muck off your bike in the garage, wipe your feet very well before entering the house.

If you're going to be working with any solvents or lubes, wear disposable gloves. Especially if you wear contacts and think you might be touching your eye in the next 24 hours.

I must be lucky. The only peep I've heard is "look out for upgrade-itis" ...

She did come home one night, smelled the soft scrub and exclaimed, "Oh, you cleaned?!".

My response was that I scrubbed the tub after washing my bike in the bathroom.

I can only be counted on to do household cleaning when I've really hogged something up with one of my projects, and I know that I'm a deadman if she sees it before it's clean.

My wife complained of me keeping my tubular wheelset in the bedroom, hanging on the wall next to my race trophy and framed numbers, then I pointed out the her home crafts she has all over the house. I actually won that argument.

What's the lesson here everyone??? Class?? The next time she asks "Did you clean?" you should reply with "Yes. Yes I did." If she responds with "Doesn't look like it..." say "You're right. I'm horrible at this. You do a much better job than me. I can only hope that some day I'll be good enough to help you do it."