Entries Tagged as 'Ms. Fix-it'

Cleaning Gutters: Don’t Be Like Heather

July 11th, 2009 10 Comments

Heather says:

Learn from me add clean out the gutters to your list of semi-annual maintenance.

Why?

Unless you have one of those clog free gutter systems like they advertise on the radio. all. the. time.  Gutters collect leaves and twigs. These leaves, twigs, and ahem, saplings prevent the the flow of water. When the water doesn’t flow down the spout, it can pool which will rot wooden gutters, rust metal ones, or eventually cause the gutters to pull from the roof. During a heavy downpour clogged gutters overflow instead of diverting the water from the home. This increases the possibility of damage to the foundation, or excess moisture or flooding (aka really excessive moisture) in the basement or crawlspace. High humidity can be a welcome mat for some pests as well as the ever obnoxious mold and mildew problems that may develop.

Gutters are not for gardening.

Gutters are not for gardening.

If you have access to a pressure washer the chore goes quickly. Use the fan setting and do not spray the roof or in your eyes. Seriously, it’ll hurt, in fact, wear protective eye wear.

Pressure washer in action

Tell the kids to play elsewhere, this gets messy. Really messy.

It’s important not to spray water under your shingles as the high pressure may damage or loosen shingles and then you’ll be out the time and money you could have saved by attempting this relatively simple chore yourself. If you don’t have a pressure washer, it will take a little longer but it can still be done.

Make sure you have a sturdy pair of work gloves and scoop all the crud out by hand. Tedious? Yes. Effective? You bet.

Be careful as most gutters are attached with sharp screws. The gloves are mandatory.

Gutters CleanOnce the debris has been cleared from the trough, use a garden hose to ensure water flows down the spout. Most spouts have a bend within reach of the top. With your gloves on, pull out any debris that may be blocking the flow.

If all the reachable debris has been removed and water is still not flowing freely, feed a snake* up from the bottom. This handy tool will allow you to pull out almost any clog.

*Not a live snake, a plumber’s auger, these come in handy and I highly recommend all home owners have one in their tool box.*

Check to ensure all the the downspouts are properly diverted away from the house and you’re all done until next time.

Good luck.

Tags:  

I’m All Alone with my Musty Drawers

February 6th, 2009 2 Comments

Dear Home Ec 101,

An old roommate of mine borrowed a dresser from me and used it while we lived together. After she gave it back the drawers had a musty smell that I couldn’t get rid of. If I put any clothes in the drawers they come out smelling funky and musty too. What should I do??

Signed,
Funky in Fults

Heather Says:

Would you mind opening a window? Thanks. Now that the air has cleared a little, let’s get down to fixing your little problem and get your social life back on track.

Mold and mildew love nothing more than damp and still environments. Pull all of the drawers out of the dresser and give them a good wipe down with denatured alcohol. Typically you can find denatured alcohol at hardware stores, but I have seen it at WalMart in the past. Thanks to the meth dealers the quantity you can buy is limited and I wouldn’t purchase Sudafed on the same shopping trip. (Have I ever mentioned how much I hate people who make me feel like a criminal?)Wipe all the interior surfaces with the alcohol to kill any mold or mildew spores. If your drawers are painted a mild bleach solution may do the trick.

If you don’t live in a swamp, like me, set the drawers and dresser outside in the sun for a few hours to dry thoroughly. Otherwise leave it disassembled in a dry room (not the basement) for a few days.

Give it a good sniff. Still funky?

Pick up cedar chips, the same kind used for pet bedding. Fill the drawers partway and shut them tightly. Again, give it a few days.

If your friend raised a powerful stink, you may have to resort to drastic measures. Yes, I’m afraid it’s time to break out the sandpaper and lightly sand all of the interior surfaces. After sanding, apply a thin coat of varnish to all of the sanded surfaces to seal in any remaining odor.

If you need help getting the funk out of your pants, we’ve talked about that before.

Send your domestic quandries to helpme@home-ec101.com

Tags:  

Acetone and Furniture Do Not Mix

December 17th, 2008 13 Comments

Dear Home Ec 101,

My daughter spilled finger nail polish remover on her dresser.  What can I do to repair it?  Thanks.

Signed,

Acetone ACK!
Heather says:

There are a few options to make the best of the situation.

First, we have the disguise it and pretend it didn’t happen approach. With this method, you clean up any remaining acetone and find a knick knack or doily to place over the damaged area. Obviously, this solution is limited, besides who really wants a lot of doilies lying around, right?

A more costly approach is to call the manufacturer and ask if they offer repair services. Even if they don’t, they may be able to provide the color of the stain and the type of the finish and the type which will aid in repairing the piece yourself.

If the dresser is old, time, sunlight, humidity all take a toll on furniture, changing the coloration over time. This makes a perfect match unlikely, but it can be disguised. If the damaged area is small, there are pens available that stain dents and dings to hide the bare wood. For larger areas, sand and use a matching stain, followed by the appropriate finish to match the rest of the piece. Follow the stain and finish manufacturer’s recommendations for the best results.

You mentioned that this was your daughter’s dresser. If she is a child and the finish was badly damaged, consider stripping and refinishing the entire piece, either with a new color of stain or as a painted piece.

Don’t forget to join in our carnival on Monday:
<a href=Copy the Code below

Send your domestic questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.

Tags:  

Bagless Vacuums, the Dirty Secret

July 9th, 2008 16 Comments

Dear Home Ec 101,
I admit, I was one of those – a bagless vacuum cleaner! What an amazing idea! No thought was given to what I was going to do with the container full of dust and debris. I’ve figured out that one – dumping out the junk is fairly easy although many people including myself dislike the cloud of who-knows-what that comes from dumping days’ worth of stuff sitting in the canister.  What I can’t figure out, nor find online, is how the heck to clean the filter.  Everything says, “clean the filter,” but then i see, “don’t touch the filter.” How does one clean the filter of a bagless vac? I’m pretty confident I’m getting lower performance because the filter is, um, gross. (The same can be said for my handvac but I’ll be satisfied today with knowing how to clean the filter on my less-than-a-year-old hoover.)
So i turn to the experts – how do I clean the filter on a bagless vac?
Signed,
Could Be Cleaner
Heather says:
After emptying the canister, pull the cartridge filter out.   Bang it carefully on the inside of your trashbin.  (This will help contain some of the dust that is going to fly out).  Be sure to only tap the rubber gasket portion of your filter. If you hit the paper portion it may be damaged by the impact.  This should loosen most of the debris.  If you have access to an air compressor, once the loose debris has been removed, blow any stubborn dust away. Using a rag or paper towel wipe out any lingering dirt and debris from your dust cup before replacing the filter.
With care these filters can last for quite a while, but they must be replaced on occasion.  Before ordering a new filter inspect your vacuum carefully, occasionally small toys, change, or string can lodge in a tube or hose and reduce the suction.   Don’t forget to examine the agitator and belt while you are down there.  A beater bar full of hair will certainly reduce your machine’s capability.  Use a box cutter or scissors to carefully cut away tangled hair and string.  Hopefully you’ll be back to Hoovering the floor in no time.
On a side noteI suckered talked Mr. Heather into a refurbished Dyson four* years ago.   It’s still going strong, and I still love it.  There, yet another shameless plug for a company not currently sponsoring us.
*Hey refurbished was half the price of new.
Submit your household questions to helpme@home-ec101.com

Tags:   · ·

Razor Blades: Not Just For Shaving, Great for Melted Plastic Removal

February 18th, 2008 9 Comments

Dear Home Ec 101,
My husband nearly burnt our house down recently because he turned the stove on and forgot to take our plastic strainer out of it. The plastic is everywhere, now hard and stuck. I’m not exactly kitchen-smart, especially when it comes to the stove. (I’ve been known to mess up cup-a-soups by forgetting water.) The kitchen is mostly my husband’s domain, but he’s not even sure about what to do. We’ve thought about over cleaners, but aren’t sure how it would affect the chemicals in the plastic. We cannot use our oven at all until we figure out what to do, and I’m not sure how much fried food, microwaved food, and take-out we can have before we completely go insane. Please help!

Sincerely,
Messy Meltdown

retrochick.JPGIvy says:

Oh, man.  That’s seriously terrible. The good news is, we can most likely help you clean it up.

You need to get a bag of ice and a window scraper with a razor blade in it, like this:

window-scraper.jpg

Put the ice on the plastic area for several minutes. Ice makes the plastic brittle and easier to scrape off. Then get your window scraper and gently scrape the plastic off. If you have an outdoor fire pit, you can take the racks out there and burn the plastic off. I’m not going to lie and say this is going to be an easy process, because it’s not. The problem is being gentle enough not to damage the bottom plate of your oven, but scraping hard enough to get the plastic off. It’s going to take patience, but I have faith in you, you can do it!

Just be careful, you don’t want to hurt yourself or put scrapes on the bottom plate of your oven. There’s a chance you still may end up having to buy a new bottom plate, but that’s certainly better than having to buy a whole new oven, huh?

Good luck!

Tags:   · · ·