When spring cleaning or cleaning in general break down your tasks into small pieces. Start with one room or even a small section of one room. This way you can can see the progress and are not discouraged if distracted from the task. Start with cleaning just the washroom or one part of the washroom, like the mirror and sink. Seeing one part completely clean will encourage you to get back to the task of finishing if motivation is an issue. A quick tip for cleaning the washroom is to clean all the bright work first, mirrors, faucets, handles, shower heads etc. then tackle the heavy cleaning like sink, toilets, tub etc. finish with the floors.
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It is the first really warm spring weekend, the flowers are blooming, the grass is green, the bugs are biting, what a perfect day for a barbeque! Only after dragging out the patio furniture, grabbing a cool drink and pulling a couple steaks out of the freezer do you open the cover on the barbeque. The thoughts race through your mind….. we actually ATE food cooked on this thing? Did winter begin before we cleaned up after our last barbeque? Can we afford a new barbeque? I actually had a lengthy conversation with a friend on the merits of buying a high end barbeque. His thoughts were, that no matter how nice the barbeque, it still needed to be cleaned. He figured that instead of buying an expensive stainless steel unit, he would just buy a cheap barbeque every other year, and then give it away to charity at the end of the second summer instead of having to ever do a thorough cleaning. This works for him, partially because he has more money than brains, but for the rest of us, we usually have to get that old barbeque to be semi-sanitary again. Usually the most disgusting part is the grill and the bottom of the barbeque. Remove the grill, and place it on a newspaper outside. Spray it with oven cleaner, and cover it with a plastic garbage bag. Let it sit overnight, and the next day remove the grill and flip the bag inside out to contain the grease and oven cleaner saturated newspaper. Be certain to wear gloves, as oven cleaner is VERY caustic, and it can burn the skin very easily. Rinse the grill off with your garden hose, but try not to wash the chemical into your lawn, as it has a tendency to kill it. The grill may not be perfect, however the bulk of the burnt on grease should come off with the oven cleaner. As a bachelor, I used the argument that the burnt on residue added to the flavor of subsequent meals. That argument went out the window with my old rugby shirt the day I got married, mind you it is probably for the better. There have been studies finding that the carbon deposits from burnt animal fat can be carcinogenic, so there certainly is reason to keep your grill clean. If you have lava rocks in your barbeque, remove them (Bang them off, but don’t wash them) to get at the burner and all the gunk at the very bottom. If possible, remove the burner from the barbeque. Spiders love to set up house inside of the venturi tubes (the one or two tubes leading from the temperature dial, to the burner). You can clean the tube up to the burner using a pipe cleaner, and it doesn’t have to be perfect, but the less debris there is to clog up all of the tiny element holes the more even you will find the heating. You can actually go around the element, poking each of the holes with a pin to be certain the gas can get through each opening. Scrape as much of the grease, rust, lava rock chips, carbon residue, from the bottom of the barbeque. There is likely even a little hole where excess grease will drain down into an old soup can. Be sure it is not clogged, and it is helpful if the collection can is present. While the whole barbeque is disassembled, you can rinse it down with your garden hose. Keep in mind that you will likely need to clean your patio or deck when you are done, so do your barbeque first! The outside of the cast aluminum or cast iron lid can be cleaned with a mild detergent, and rinsed well. Failure to rinse thoroughly, may leave a white soap residue, however even with thorough rinsing, the barbeque may still look rough after wintering the elements for a few seasons. Most home center’s carry barbeque paint, this time of year, which is a high temperature flat black paint. It will make your barbeque look almost new, however there is no better idea than to protect the original finish with a $20 barbeque cover. There are several different types of grills, including stainless steel, chrome, ceramic coated metal, and plain old iron. Use caution when cleaning a ceramic grill, as abrasive metal brushes can scratch the finish and cause premature failure. With iron grills, season them before using. After the grill has been cleaned with soap, brush with a light coat of cooking oil, and put the barbeque on high heat for 15 to 30 minutes. Some people recommend brushing your grill with oil each time you cook, as it will prevent food from sticking, however a chef I know told me when cooking a steak, you only flip it over when it lets go of the grill itself. If it holds on, let it cook longer, until it looses its grip. And then you flip it ONLY once. I think the best advice is do what works for your style of cooking and your barbeque. Re-assemble your barbeque, placing the lava rocks DIRTY side down (to burn off the excess grease) and take it for a test run. Once you hook up your propane tank, get a cup of soapy water, and rub it over the connections and hoses. If there is any bubbling, shut of the gas and do not use the until a professional has checked out the entire assembly (tank and barbeque). When turing on the propane tank, open the knob only half a turn. The barbeque will still get enough gas, and if there is an emergency, it can be turned off with one quick turn, in a matter of seconds. For the first use of the season, it is wise to let the barbeque run on high for 45 minutes or an hour, to burn off all the soap, mildew, bacteria, mold, bugs, moisture, oven cleaner, excess grease, and all of the other things that make barbequing outside the best part of summer!! Happy grilling! Winter Clothes Most people have clothing for summer and winter, except for those lucky individuals that live in tropical climates, where a sweater is a term for individuals that perspire too much and a parka is a place to leave your car. Then there are those poor souls from England, and Vancouver (myself included) where we too, only have one season. It is called “Wet”, but for everyone else, there is good reason to store your unneeded clothing during the off season. Wool sweaters and down jackets are some of the most prone to being damaged by moths, mildew and mold. Wash and dry very thoroughly before storing, and never store in a plastic bag, or air proof container. The best storage container is likely a rattan trunk, which permits free circulation of air through the clothing. Here are some tips for other types of materials: Furs If the garment is small, store at home in a cold dry place. Cover with cloth or washed muslin. Otherwise, use professional cold storage. Leather and Suede Store in a cool, well-ventilated closet. Cover with cloth or washed muslin. For soft leather, pad with white tissue paper and fold flat. Linen Roll if possible. If you must, re-fold periodically to avoid creases. Cover with cloth or washed muslin. Metallic’s Roll with white tissue paper or washed muslin to separate each layer. If you must fold, place white tissue paper between each layer and re-fold periodically to avoid creases. Cover with cloth or washed muslin. Quilts Fold and store flat. Cover with cloth or washed muslin. Rayon Store flat. if you must hang the garment, pad it well with white tissue paper. Cover with cloth or washed muslin. Silk For sheer or knitted silks, store flat. If you must hang the garment, pad it well with white tissue paper. Cover with cloth or washed muslin. Velvet Pad with white tissue paper and hang on a padded hanger, supporting skirt area from loops attached at waist. Cover with cloth or washed muslin. Wool Clean thoroughly, pad with paper, fold, then wrap in white tissue paper. Add mothballs to storage area. Fighting Mildew: Ventilate storage areas when the weather is dry and cool. Pack storage areas loosely so that air can circulate around clothes. Don’t use starch or fabric finish on items to be stored. When storing clothes, use a chemical desiccant such as silica gel or calcium chloride, but don’t let it touch the garments. Place Para dichlorobenzene mothballs or crystals inside closets and drawers; they prevent mildew and absorb moisture. To reduce dampness in closets, wrap some chalk together and hang them up. To protect garments from snags, and possibly acid damage from wood, line your dresser drawers with quilted fabric or good quality shelf paper that is ungummed. (Gummed paper attracts insects and is hard to remove). For sweet-smelling clothes, put unwrapped bars of scented soap, empty perfume bottles, or fabric softener sheets into drawers. Consider professional cold storage if you have any of the following:
Before you put clothes in storage, make sure they’ve been cleaned thoroughly; insects are attracted by dirt, especially from perspiration, food, and beverages. Storage areas should be clean, dry, free of insects and away from light, which can fade some colors (especially blues and greens) and promote hatching of insect eggs. To wrap folded garment and to line dresser drawers, use white tissue paper or washed muslin. At least once a year, replace the tissue paper and wash the muslin. Store clothing in places that have moderate temperature or humidity; avoid extremes, such as a hot attic or a damp basement. Garments made of natural fibers (cotton, wool, silk, and linen) need to breathe, store them in a well-ventilated area in containers with ventilation holes. When you take your clothes out of storage, put them in the dryer for about 10 minutes on the air-only cycle (no heat). This will help get rid of wrinkles. Mothballs and crystals won’t kill those moth eggs that are already present in clothing when it’s stored. Clean clothing thoroughly before you put it away. Because mothballs and crystals emit a vapor which is heavier than air, suspend them in containers above clothing. Keep them away from children and pets (they are poisonous if eaten). Old stockings or socks make good bags for mothballs. If you’re using moth crystals, sprinkle them on the adhesive side of masking tape and hang them up. To dispel mothball odor, add a pomander or an herbal potpourri to the storage area. Either suspend it or pack it in a small sack. A very simple herbal is five or six bay leaves strung together. To protect sorted clothing from moths, a cedar chest must be made of cedar heartwood at least 3/4 inch thick. It should also have felt gaskets to make it airtight. Although cedar will kill newly, hatched or young worms, it won’t kill eggs, half-grown worms, the pupae or chrysalises, or moths. Handbags and Purses To maintain the shape of your leather bags, stuff them with tissue or plastic bags. Then, to keep them from sticking together when you store them, place each in a flannel bag or a pillowcase. To brighten a patent-leather bag, spray on a little glass cleaner, then wipe with a paper towel. Keep the metal trim on your bag from tarnishing – apply a coat of clean nail polish over it. Every now and then, it’s a good idea to clean and condition your leather purses. Wipe them them with a damp cloth and mild soap, or apply a colorless leather conditioner with a dry cloth. More Articles From This Category
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