TRICK AND TIPS
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
YOUR HOUSE |  |
 |
Heating the basement against humidity
Piping hot air from the furnace into the basement is a well-known method of controlling humidity. To make it twice as efficient, position the hot air duct at floor level.
A natural electric baseboard humidifier
In the winter, electric baseboards cause the driest air of any type of home heating system. Fill an empty can with water and place it on a baseboard. The water will evaporate and humidify the room each time the baseboard comes on, neutralizing its drying tendencies.
Début de la page
|
DECORATION AND FURNITURES | |
|
For dripless candles
Some candles drip, staining your tablecloths and furniture. To easily avoid the mess, place your candles in well-salted water overnight. After spending a night in brine, they shouldn't drip.
Giving oil-based varnish a shine
To get oil-based varnish to shine, use a fine, soft cloth soaked with a mixture of equal parts turpentine and olive oil. Rub the entire furniture surface with the mix and finish with a clean, dry cloth. When using new cleaning products, try them first on a less conspicuous part of the piece.
A clean wood stove glass
After a winter of burning wood, your stove glass can get covered with soot and creosote. Use an oven cleaner like Easy-Off, or if you need a more environmentally friendly method, some warm ashes from your stove that you rub on the glass with a sheet of newspaper. You'll see the soot disappear in no time.
Début de la page
|
EVERYDAY DUTIES | |
|
Baby oil removes glue
Some glues can only be removed with a metal ice scraper. But you may see that many others can't resist an application of baby oil.
Bicarbonate makes stainless steel shine
Your stainless steel cooking utensils will shine if you polish them with an old brush and bicarbonate of soda and rinse with water. The results will sparkle.
Hairspray against ink stains
When you can't get an ink stain out of a fabric, spray it with hairspray. You should see the stain dissolve. Rinse and wash as usual.
Toothpaste on the shower door
To get rid of the calcium deposits that constantly accumulate on a shower door, try a scouring brush and toothpaste. You may be surprised with the results.
Début de la page
|
PAINTING | |
|
Conditionning for paintbrushes
When your good paintbrush gets old, loses its flexibility and accumulates dried paint between its frizelled bristles, give it a hair conditioner treatment.
You'll be surprised by the results.
Filling holes with flour
To quickly fill small nail holes in walls, mix flour with the paint that colors the wall to make a paste. With a putty knife or a spatula, fill the holes in the same way that you would using joint compound and wipe off the excess. This colored paste will fill the holes and you won't have to get out the paintbrush.
Reducing paint odors
To eliminate the smell of oil paint, add a teaspoon of vanilla to the can before starting. Another method consists of soaking onions in a pail of water placed in the room. The water and onions will absorb a part of the odor.
Removing paint on glass and windows
It is well known that dried paint can be removed from glass with a razor blade. If the glass objects are textured or uneven, soak them in water and dishwasher liquid for a few hours.
Début de la page
|
DOORS AND WINDOWS | |
|
Washing house windows like the car
To make it easier when you have many windows to wash, use a rubber scraper like those used by pros and take care of the windowsillls afterward. Wash with a solution of water and vinegar (or water and ammonia) consisting of three tablespoons of vinegar in four litres of water.
Polishing window and patio door rails
With windows and patio doors, a clean rail is no guarantee of a perfect slide. Teflon spray is a product which is designed for this purpose, but a polish with a "Pledge" type product will also fit the bill.
When Hinges squeak
Oil is an option on squeaky door hinges, but it also traps dirt and dust. WD-40 will not only clean the hinge, but it will also assure silent hinges.
Not running into the patio door
To stop children or your guests from running into the screened patio door, draw a clean, white line so that they'll notice the screen. Stick two wide pieces of masking tape horizontally on the screen. The space between the masking tapes can be lightly painted with an aerosol. Place the tape at the door handle level to make them visible, but not a nuisance.
Début de la page
|
TOOLS AND HANDCRAFTING | |
|
Padlocking electric tools
Are you worried that your kids might play with your circular saw, drill or other dangerous tools? Insert small padlocks in the holes at the ends of the prongs on the tools' plugs.
Lightening blackened wood
To a degree, it's possible to lighten wood that has been blackened by mold by rubbing the stains with a solution of water and chlorine bleach. When it comes to mold, chlorine bleach is hard to beat.
Début de la page
|
THE GARDEN | |
|
GREEN TIP: Recycling flowerpots
Instead of discarding plastic flowerpots, use them to protect plant bases by cutting out the bottoms and making a vertical cut along the side to make height adjustment easier. They can also serve to spread seed or granulated fertilizer through the holes in the bottom.
GREEN TIP: Watering with reccled water
There are many practical ways to reuse water that would otherwise go down the main or blind drain. Connecting a pipe to the clothes washer drain is an option, but a pretty complex one. A better way is to place interconnected tanks or barrels under the gutter downspouts to collect the rain, a good water source for the garden. You may find your complete equipment at Rona Matériaux Forget.
More elegant outdoor stairs
Outdoors, to enhance the appearance of treated wood stairs, use matching wooden trellis as simulated staircase risers. You'll be able to stain the trellis the same or a different color to get the right effect.
When weeds grows between paving stones
To avoid having weeds growing between your patio paving stones, spread a little ice melting calcium over the sand in the grooves between the stones, but without covering the entire patio surface.
Début de la page
|
HOLIDAYS | |
|
For dripless candles
Some candles drip, staining your tablecloths and furniture. To easily avoid the mess, place your candles in well-salted water overnight. After spending a night in brine, they shouldn't drip.
Keep your noise at home
It's always best to avoid disturbing one's neighbors, as they may be inclined to return the favor. For instance, your downstairs neighbour is likely to resent those "vibrations" from your stereo system when the volume is set too loud. To dampen sounds, slip foam pads under your speakers, keep your doors and windows closed, avoid wearing high heels, etc
Début de la page