Renovation & Design
Renovation & Design
SOLUTIONS: Making your computer screen clean again
QUESTION: I enjoy your weekly column in the Winnipeg Free Press and always look forward to seeing the tips for the week. My question is regarding how to clean a flat-screen computer monitor. Our three-year-old daughter was recently sitting at the computer and when she opened the lid of her cup, chocolate milk sprayed the monitor. Now I am left with a streak of chocolate milk on the monitor that I don't know how to get rid of. Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! Cathie, Winnipeg
ANSWER: In my experience good 'ol rubbing alcohol works well at cleaning computer and LCD screens. Test on a small inconspicuous area first but I have found this solution to be amazing. For regular dusting use a soft microfibre cloth. Each fibre of a good quality microfibre cloth is 100 times finer than human hair and is the best at picking up dust particles. Never found microfibre to scratch surfaces but use with gentle caution.
QUESTION: I have leather furniture in black and wine colours. I would like to find something to cover scratches made by my cat. Hope you can help. Elma, Winnipeg
ANSWER: For small slightly damaged surfaces use a matching colour non-permanent marker, wax stick or my personal favourite; shoe polish. Dab and blend until the scratch is no longer noticeable. For large obvious scratches, begin by applying leather cleaner conditioner (available at most shoe stores). Purchase a dye and repair kit to fix the area.
Extra Tip: To freshen the smell of leather upholstery, clean with a small amount of tea tree oil on a damp cloth, or baking soda on a damp cloth (always test first). Taken from: Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions
QUESTION: I look forward to Saturday's paper because of your useful tips. My problem happens when I am beating icing sugar with my electric mixer and spatula (to make icing). When I am finished mixing, I seem to be left with icing sugar pieces the size of a pin head. This is noticeable when the cake is iced. Please help. Evelyn, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Icing sugar is granulated sugar that has been beaten, crushed and ground into a fine powder. Because it tends to form clumps, confectioners' sugar (icing sugar) is augmented with about three per cent cornstarch to keep it loose and flowing. But sometimes cornstarch is not enough to keep the sugar loose as a goose. Since you are finding clumps in your icing sugar, you will benefit from the added step of sifting your icing sugar, this is especially necessary on humid days. The other option is to purchase or borrow a mixer that mixes ingredients finely.
QUESTION: I love to read your column. You seem to have solutions for everything! My problem is surely one that you have addressed many times, but it is new for me. I love doing laundry, and especially love nice fresh-smelling towels. Unfortunately, I have a problem lately with just that. At the end of June, my old washer quit and we bought a new front load set. I am enjoying the front load for everything... except my towels! Since I have used the front-loading machine, my towels have a mildew smell. They seem fine when they come out of the dryer, but it is instantly noticeable as soon as they get wet.
I have tried a number of things over the summer to remedy this problem. I started to use Downy during the cycle... didn't work. I made certain I was using hot water... no change. I started to add a "water plus" to the towel loads... also didn't help. I looked in three stores for "So Clean" which you have mentioned in you columns, but could not find it, and I was concerned about how to use it in HE front-load washing machines. I have not tried vinegar (not sure where to put it in the front-load) or bleach (all my towels are coloured, though the few that I could bleach are looking dingy).
I have been washing my family's clothes and towels for 21 years, and this is driving me crazy! I would be so grateful if you could offer me some advice on this matter. Thanks so much! Michelle, Winnipeg
ANSWER: Most low-water-consumption washing machines have this problem. Manufacturers recommend the doors be left open to help dry the interiors and door seals to reduce bacterial growth. They also recommend an occasional wash cycle with chlorine bleach with the washer empty to kill any growth. Instead I use vinegar, add two cups of white distilled vinegar into your wash dispenser along with the detergent. Studies have confirmed that regular five-per-cent acidity white vinegar kills 99 per cent of bacteria, 82 per cent of mould, and 80 per cent of germs (viruses).
Make sure that you do not overload your washer. Since front-end machines only use a small amount of water you want to make sure that all fabrics have enough room to move and get a full soaking of water. The clothes must tumble to get clean and can't if the machine is too full. Liquid fabric softener residue may also provide a medium for bacteria; if you use vinegar you should not need liquid fabric softener.
Fabulous Tip of the Week:
Here is another way to use up soap slivers. For years I have been using the little mesh bags that the garlic heads come in from the grocery store. Snip off the tag, tie a knot in the end, insert the soap slivers, knot the other end and scrub. You will find that you can hardly wait for the big bar users to wear down their soap so you can add it to your cache. Yours truly, Lorna, Kenora
Reena Nerbas is the author of the national bestselling Household Solutions series. Her website is www.householdsolutions.org You can contact her at Box 429, Blumenort, Man., ROA 0C0.
Renovation & Design
ASK THE INSPECTOR: Slow watering closes gaps next to foundation
QUESTION: We just went through all your articles from the Free Press concerning foundations, and while they did answer a lot of questions, we wanted to specifically ask about dry weather and the soil drying and pulling away from the foundation. In some places, we have large gaps.
Do we fill in the gap left by the soil pulling away with loose soil, or do we water the soil near the gap so it expands once again? Is there a better alternative? Hoping you can help.
Peggy and Dave
ANSWER: With the extremely dry weather in one of the driest summers ever experienced on the Prairies, I have seen your issue on numerous homes in the last few weeks. The soil surrounding most homes has shrunk so much that gaps of two to three centimetres between the concrete and the dirt are not uncommon. There may not be anything critical that you have to do, but I will offer some suggestions that may prevent problems related to this issue next year.
Because our wonderful soil in the Red River Valley is primarily composed of expansive clay, it has tendency to expand and contract significantly with varying precipitation levels. This may vary from complete saturation, where any additional rain or melted snow will not be absorbed, to extremely dry, where cracks and fissures appear in the surface.
This summer the latter has been seen due to almost three months of above-average temperatures combined with minimal rain. This issue may be even more dramatic because it follows two years of abnormally wet weather, when the soil reached saturation on more than one occasion. While it may be difficult to understand, the wetter the soil gets, the more it will shrink when it dries out, and that is why huge gaps are now being seen along your foundation walls.
The good news is this should not cause any significant issues for your home if your foundation is in good condition. If you have minimal or no significant cracking in the foundation walls, your drainage and weeping-tile system is working, and the damp-proofing on the outside the foundation is still intact, there should be little problem with the space beside the walls.
However, if there are problems with any of these systems, there is a greater chance of moisture intrusion into your basement because of the void. If we do have a significant downpour or heavy snow cover and spring melting, the space next to your foundation may allow easier access for water to flow through your foundation walls. If you have previously had seepage issues, you should take action now to prevent a reoccurrence next year.
The main thing you can do to prevent such a problem from happening is to add water to the soil right now. Slow watering of the soil around the foundation, before the weather turns cold and the ground freezes, is the way to go. This should be done slowly to return the soil to a more natural moisture content and to allow the parched earth to absorb this water and not have it all drain away.
If you add water to the soil too quickly it may either run down the dry surface and drain too far away from the house for any major benefit or toward the foundation and the large gap you have described. In that scenario, something designed to help prevent a seepage problem may actually cause it. Slow watering every few days, until you physically see the gap disappear and grass or other vegetation return to their normal colours, is recommended. If we do have a day or two of significant rainfall, then much less watering will be required.
You should not add more soil along the side of the foundation unless it has eroded as well as pulled away. In that case, topsoil or mixed soil could be added to build up the grading and provide a slope away from the foundation, but that should be done next spring, after the soil has regained a more normal moisture level.
You don't want to fill the gap with topsoil because this can be quite fine granular material that can wash through small gaps in the foundation if it becomes too wet. It may also push its way out of the crack anyway once the clay rebounds and expands as it gains moisture.
While it may counteract the normal cycle of the vegetation around your home, which should be drying out and preparing to go dormant for the winter months, watering to increase soil moisture is still needed. Avoid excessive fertilizers and chemicals that may absorb excess moisture and just add water. These chemicals, if you choose to use them on your lawn, are normally best applied early in the season next year after the ground has thawed for best performance. Watering trees and vegetation in the rest of your yard will also help with the dryness, as these may be seeking moisture a long way from their normal reach due to the recent dry summer.
While it may seem like a prudent step to fill in the gap between your dry soil and your foundation, it can work against you for the reasons presented. The complicated solution to your question is you should attempt to reach a median level of soil moisture, but the simple answer is to water the area slowly and frequently until the gap disappears.
Ari Marantz is the owner of Trained Eye Home Inspection Ltd. and the president of the Canadian Association of Home & Property Inspectors - Manitoba (www.cahpi.mb.ca). Questions can be emailed to the address below. Ari can be reached at (204) 291-5358 or check out his website at www.trainedeye.ca
trainedeye@iname.com
Renovation & Design
SOLUTIONS: Make sure your survival kit isn't a disaster
QUESTION: I am starting to put together a long-term survival kit as I have loved ones dependent on me in the event of a disaster. My questions are: What is the shelf life for dried lentils, beans, rice, peas, barley and Quinoa? What is the shelf life for rolled oats and dry pastas, canned vegetables and meats for powdered milk, for bottled water, for packaged dried fruit like apricots and cranberries and nuts? How long will garden seeds keep and still germinate? How long can batteries be stored for and still be good? Any suggestions you have for putting together this type of kit would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Mona, Winnipeg
ANSWER: The key to a great survival kit is to collect enough supplies to last at least three days. Survival kits are available in stores but are quite pricey and may not contain everything that personalizes your family's needs. If you have space, store your sturdy lidded plastic kit in the basement. If you do not own a basement the bathroom is another option as it is the sturdiest room in many homes. Along with the items that you mentioned, remember to pack duct tape, bandages, medicine, rubbing alcohol, tweezers, fishing line, scissors/knife a flashlight, candles and matches/lighter.
You will need to store all dry food in an air-tight food-grade storage container. Temperature changes are a key component when it comes to shelf life; food should be stored in a cool dry place. The shelf life of dried beans varies depending on the bean, black eye and black turtle beans have a shelf life of 15-20 years while Adzuki beans and small red beans can be kept for 8-10 years. Brown rice 6 years, lentils 8-10 years, white rice 8-10 years. Quinoa 8-10 years, rolled oats 30 years, dry pasta 15-20 years.
Most dried fruits can be stored for one year at 60F, six months at 80F. Non-acidic foods in cans: corn, green beans, mixed veggies, mushrooms, potatoes, yams, asparagus, carrots, store for a minimum of 24 months. Beyond these dates, there is a steady vitamin loss in percentage points each year for individual veggies and fruits.
In terms of canned foods, your best bet is to check the best-before date. The codes that are stamped on canned food are manufacturers' codes that usually designate the date the product was packaged. Many manufacturers offer a toll-free number to call for questions about canned food expiration dates. The general rule of thumb is that canned foods have a shelf life of at least two years from the date of purchase. It is recommended that all canned food be stored in moderate temperatures (75�F and below). Honey, salt and sugar can be stored indefinitely.
Dry milk products are probably the most sensitive to environmental conditions, particularly to temperature and moisture content. Vitamins A and D found in dry milk are also photosensitive and will break down rapidly if exposed to light.
Reena Nerbas is the author of the national bestselling Household Solutions series. Her website is www.householdsolutions.org You can contact her at Box 429, Blumenort, Man., ROA 0C0.
