Some “How To” Know How: Squeaks, holes and paint!!

That Squeak is Driving Me Nuts!

     Got a door or window that squeaks when you open and shut it?  Head for the hardware store (and most grocery stores too) and buy a small can of WD40.  This is a lubricant and it comes with a little straw for spraying into small spaces.  Don’t loose the straw, you will want it someday.  Keep it taped to the side of the can.

     Spray WD40 on the squeaking hinge and odds are your squeak will disappear.  One can will last for years and is a standard item in any garage. 

Patching Small Holes   

     Remember when your mom nagged you to use those little tacky, gummy things to put posters up on your walls, but instead you used tacks, nails and screws?  Now, at last, you are going to know why you should care.  Because…you’re landlord will be unhappy about all those holes in the walls and YOU WILL NOT GET YOUR DAMAGE DEPOSIT BACK!!

     So, what do you do?  Go to the hardware store and buy a small tub of spackle, or a tube of caulk for walls, as well as a piece of sandpaper—not too rough, not too fine (you’ll see what I mean when you get there). 

     Lightly sand the edges around the hole so that they are smooth.  Using your finger, apply a small amount of spackle or caulk to fill the hole and blend in around it.  Don’t use too much, or it will cover the texture of the wall (yes, you care), and make it harder to cover up the patch. 

     Let the patch dry.  If it’s a very large hole, you may have to add more spackle or caulk, and you may have to try to give it a bit of texture to simulate the texture around the hole.  If it’s a large hole, you can buy cans of texture, just follow the directions

     When finally dry, sand LIGHTLY to blend in the rough spots.  If you have paint to match the wall, touch it up with paint.  Hopefully, you can barely tell where the hole was.  Hopefully.

     If you have accidentally missed your roommate and punched a hole in the wall, this is a bigger project than a finger full of spackle can tackle.  Hardware stores carry kits that include screens, cutting guides and spray cans for retexturing the area.  This is a bigger and more expensive project, but if you take your time and do it right it will look pretty good, and save you a lot of grief from your landlord.  You also might reconsider how you and your roommate handle differences of opinion…just a thought.

 

Speaking of Painting  

     So you’ve decided to spruce up a room or two with a fresh coat of paint.  Great idea, but first, get the plan okayed by your landlord, and be clear about who pays for the paint.  Some landlords may be happy to foot the bill if you supply the labor.  It can’t hurt to ask.

1)     Picking The Paint

There are some things to consider here.  First, if you are tempted to pick an extremely dark color, just remember that it will take a lot more of a lighter colored paint to cover it up, should you ever decide to repaint.  Plus, you’re landlord might not want to pay for black rooms. 

          Second, you will have to pick from a dazzling variety

of finishes.  Should you choose flat, satin, semi-gloss        or gloss?  Choose satin.  It is easier to clean dirt off of than flat.  Also, when you want to touch-up the spots where you’ve spackled over little holes, it’s much less likely to show on satin surfaces than any of the other choices.  By the way, be sure it says “interior” on the can.  Unless you’re painting the “exterior” of the house, in which case, your landlord definitely should pay for the paint, and throw in free rent for at least a  month or two! 

  Third, buy acrylic or latex based products—not oil based.  This means that it cleans up with water.  Check the directions on the can to be sure.  YOU DO NOT WANT OIL BASED PAINT.  Trust me.  However, if you are considering oil based because you want a shiny finish, choose high gloss instead of satin, but don’t do an entire room in high gloss or you’ll feel like you’re living in a fish bowl.

  Fourth, be sure to consider whether or not you are planning on painting the ceiling.  If you are, will you use the same color, or a different one?  Be sure you get enough paint.  Measure the room (i.e. 10ft. by 12ft.) and how high the ceilings are (8 ft.? 9 ft.?) and tell the clerk in the paint department.  They will be able to figure out how much paint you will need.    

2)     Preparing to Paint

Before you open the can, you have to prepare the room.  Either move furniture out of the room, or move it into the center of the room and cover with a plastic sheet.  Sheets of plastic for painting are very cheap at the hardware store; buy a few of them.  Using masking tape, tape off all the edges you don’t want to get paint on.  This would include the top of the base board, the edge of wooden window sills, or any wall or ceiling that you don’t want this color on.

Lay the remaining plastic sheets out to protect the floor.  Wash any obviously dirty spots on the walls with water and dish soap. 

TIP: This is all considered prep-work for the actual painting.  It will take longer than you anticipate–it always does–but don’t get frustrated.  If you take some time on doing the prep-work right, the actual painting process will go much faster and smoother.

3)     Ready to Paint! 

Do not overload your rollers and brushes or you will have messy dripping.  Also, after the first coat, let the paint dry over night and then look for spots that need touch up.  No matter what any brand tells you, I’ve found you will usually need a couple of coats, just to get it all even.  Another reason to wait overnight for the second coat is that painted surfaces look different in different lights, i.e., daylight and evening light.  You are likely to see spots you missed in one light, and not another. 

All done?  Tear off your tape, put the furniture back and enjoy!

 

Miscellaneous Good Things to Know

1)     Be sure to unscrew all hoses on the outside of the house before temperatures drop below freezing.  Otherwise you run the risk of frozen water backing up into the house and bursting pipes.  Not only is this a mess, it’s expensive to fix and your landlord will not be happy. 

2)     Keep spare light bulbs around.  You never know when a bulb will blow just when you need it. 

3) The internet and library are your friends.  There are         lots of how-to resources there, so don’t forget to check them out.

Some “How To” Know How: The Toilet’s backing up…and other clogging issues!

 

     You are not a homeowner, you are a renter.  Therefore, many things that go wrong with your home or apartment should be taken care of by the landlord.  Some landlords are happy to authorize the hiring of professionals to fix a problem and will then either pay the bill themselves, or allow you to deduct the amount from your rent.  Make sure you talk to your landlord about these sorts of things when you sign your lease, and call to get approval when necessary. 

     Emergencies with plumbing, heating or electricity might not be able to wait for negotiations, so know your landlord’s position on these ahead of time!

     Still, there are plenty of little things that will need the attention of someone, and that someone doesn’t always have to be an expensive service person.  It could be you! 

     That is why you should definitely buy a good “How To” book (Addendum A: resources).  There are many to pick from, and no perfect choice.  Pick one that seems pretty thorough, but with directions and pictures that make sense to you.  You’ll sometimes find these books in garage sales or at used book stores, but many people hang onto theirs.  You will too, so it’s a good investment.

Nevertheless, here’s a short list of how-to’s.  These are just to get you started in the most basic, and often the most necessary how-to areas.  I’m not talking rocket science, nano-technology or bio-genetics here; I’m just going to give you some help unclogging drains, tackling squeaky doors, etc….

DISCLAIMER: I am not a professional anything when it comes to home repairs, I am just a person who’s learned a few tricks that work pretty well and sometimes keep me from calling in the expensive people who are professionals.

 

Help, the toilet’s backing up!!

     You’ve flushed the toilet and the water’s not going down.  In fact, it’s rising.  You know this is a bad sign, but what do you do? 

1)     Quickly, remove the lid on the tank.  (This is good reason to resist keeping all your make-up, or a shell collection, etc., on the tank lid!)

2)     Look into the bottom of the tank.  See the rubber stopper that is open down there?  (Check it out now, so you’ll know what you’re looking for in an emergency.)  Reach into the tank and push the stopper shut.  This will stop the water from flowing into the bowl!  Don’t worry, the water in the tank is clean.

3)     Now for the not so fun (but necessary) part.  Place the plunger over the drain in the bottom of the bowl.  Push down and up several times, rhythmically putting your weight into it. 

Usually this will be enough to force the toilet paper (etc.) past the trap, which is the u-shaped part of the pipe under the toilet.  Often, you can tell the obstruction has moved because the water in the bowl begins to go down.  You may have to repeat this a few times, but don’t give up; it may take a couple of minutes.

4)     After the water drains down, plunge the drain a few more times, then flush the bowl again, to be certain the drain is no longer clogged. 

5)     BE PRO-ACTIVE: it’s a great idea to plunge the drain of all the toilets in the house every once in a while, just to keep things clear.  Especially if you have company coming!

TIP: When buying a toilet plunger, don’t get one of those plain, cup shaped orange rubber plungers.  Spend a little bit more to get one of the accordion, cone shaped plastic ones.  It’s worth every penny when you need it!

 

Other Clogging Issues….

     The same plunging techniques used above will work on clogged sinks too.  If you have a two-sided sink, however, be sure to cover one drain while you plunge the other.  Have a roommate hold a small, inverted saucer over the second drain and press down; the force of plunging will push on the saucer.

     If plunging doesn’t work, try pouring boiling hot water down the drain.  If grease has been poured down the drain this may dislodge it.   

     I don’t recommend using liquid drain cleaners.  They are nasty chemicals, and if you plunge on top of them you could be hurt by spraying liquids.  Plus, they’ll only be another thing the plumber will have to deal with.

     BE PRO-ACTIVE: Here are a few things you shouldn’t put down the drain—even into the disposal:  pasta, egg shells, lemons and limes, tough rinds from fruit like cantaloupe or watermelon, and bones.  Put these in the trash.  Pour GREASE into empty juice cans or coffee cans, let it cool and then put in the trash.

 

Jammed Garbage Disposal

     Didn’t I say don’t put bones in the disposal?  You didn’t?  Then why is it jammed?  Well, there are a lot of things that can jam a disposal.  Maybe a glass broke and a piece of it fell in there.  Maybe you cleaned your tennis shoes in the sink and there’s a rock in there.  Or maybe you just tried to dispose of too much at one time. 

No matter, there are things you can do, but first: DON’T PUT YOU HAND INTO THE DISPOSAL!!!!  This is a bad idea, and can get you hurt.  Try these steps instead.

1)              Sometimes overworking the unit will make it stop in self-defense.  Turn off the disposal, then look around the bottom of the unit (you’re going to be under the sink here, you might want a flashlight).  Disposals have a “reset” button that is usually red.  Press it.  Now try restarting it.  Did that work?  Great, you’re done here.  Didn’t work?  Keep reading.

2)              Something may be lodged in there.  First, you want to disconnect the electricity.  Many units simply plug in under the sink.  If this is the case, unplug it now.  If the connection is hardwired, you will need to turn off the circuit at the breaker box.  Not sure which breaker?  Turn them all off, just to be safe. 

Shine your flashlight into the disposal.  Do you see anything that might be jamming it?  Get your hot dog tongs and pull it out.  DON’T USE YOUR FINGERS—EVER!!

Can’t see anything?  Take the end of a long wooden spoon, or a broom handle and put it into the disposal.  Push it back and forth against the blade to see if you can release whatever is causing the jam.  If you do, pull it out with those tongs. 

Turn on the power, press the reset button and try it again.  Not working?  Repeat the steps.  Odds are this is going to work.  But if you try over and over, and it doesn’t, you may have to call in the plumber.  Sometimes, you just have to.

The Geography of Bliss: Happiness is a Place?

It’s snowing out today, and as we edge our way out of winter it’s easy to get that cabin fever itch

for a tropical white sand beach with warm trade winds and ethereally blue Caribbean water. Surely that would be the ultimate bliss. Not so, says Eric Weiner, author of The Geography of Bliss: One Grumps Search for the Happiest Places in the World.

In fact, Weiner’s investigation, aided by findings at the World Database of Happiness (WDH), in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, finds that the island climes, which I have always thought must be heaven on earth, score in the surprisingly middling ranges on the happiness scale. If you can’t find happiness in “paradise”, you may be asking yourself, where on earth can you find it? The answer is not only surprising, but ultimately, perfectly sensible.

It won’t be giving away anything that hasn’t already been revealed in previous reviews and interviews with the author, to disclose that the happiest country on earth is, according to the WDH, Iceland. Yes, cold and in winter, nearly eternally dark Iceland is the home to some of the happiest folks on the planet.

I found that hard to believe, particularly since I’m one of those people who starts shivering when temps dip below 70 degrees, and grows grumpy when a cloudy day deprives me of my daily ration of sunshine. But I must confess, after following Weiner’s world exploits in search of the source of happiness I found myself wishing I could visit Iceland…and a few other countries as well.

It turns out that happiness is less a result of being warm and lazy (rats!) and more the result of an environment that creates a sense of community and allows individuals to explore their inner selves. As a result, countries such as the Netherlands, Iceland and (finally, someplace warm!) Bhutan score high. But other factors can be superior sources of satisfaction, as well. So Switzerland, with its strong sense of structure and history, scores big happiness points, too.

Apparently it’s true what the old adage says about money; it can’t buy you happiness. But, in the case of Qatar, it can buy culture, or at least someone else’s culture. That country’s coffers are over-flowing, but it’s immense and new found wealth has left a country of uber-rich living the high life at so great a cost that they have lost touch with their roots and are buying up the art of others to stoke their own culturally deprived senses. And it’s not making them happy.

Other countries have new found independence, but at too great a cost. Moldova earned the dubious honor of rating at the very bottom of the happiness scale. Though the break up of the USSR should have created new found happiness, instead its countrymen feel disenfranchised from their roots, and the world at large. While the sun shines far more in Moldova than Iceland, Moldavians seem to be emotionally in the dark.

Weiner’s explorations and interviews are not only entertaining, they will definitely leave you considering the nature of your own happiness…and maybe even a trip to Iceland.

Safety and Security (Stuff to Have…Just in Case!)

Security and Safety

(Stuff to Have…Just in Case!)

Avoiding Disaster at Home

     You probably won’t have to worry too much about plagues and pestilence, but you might want to be prepared for the basic acts of nature and man. 

     Your landlord should already have smoke detectors installed in your home or apartment.  If not, this is a totally legitimate thing to request.  In fact, he’s probably required by law to do so.  It’s less likely that he’s installed a carbon monoxide detector, but it’s very worth the cost for you to do so. 

     Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas that is the result of combustion from a furnace or water heater.  Poor or faulty venting can cause the gas to build up in your home, rather than be vented outside.  This can definitely kill you, and you won’t know what hit you.  Frankly, you’ll be unconscious at the time. 

     You don’t need to buy the fanciest detector.  Get the sort that plugs into a wall socket, so you can take it with when you move.  And if it ever goes off, don’t ignore it or think it’s broken.  Get out of the house, call the fire department and let them check it out.  Carbon monoxide has a way of clouding your thinking, so get some fresh air and a professional opinion.     

     Follow the same advice with the smoke detector.  Sometimes that little alarm will beep briefly to let you know the battery needs replacing.  But if the alarm is blaring, it may be for a reason you can’t easily detect.  Once again, leave the house and call the fire department. 

     O.M.O. Life Tip: NEVER HESITATE TO CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IF YOU ARE AT ALL WORRIED ABOUT FIRE OR CARBON MONOXIDE!  This is what they do for a living and trust me, they would much rather find nothing wrong than find you dead!

     It is also good to have at least one fire extinguisher in the house.  There are a variety of types of extinguishers designed to handle different types of fires.  If you only have one, look for the letters “ABC” on the unit.  This means that the extinguisher will put out trash/wood/paper fires (A), liquid/grease fires (B) and electrical fires (C).  Some extinguishers won’t handle all three, they are more specialized, but you don’t have the money to buy a variety of extinguishers so get the one that covers the widest variety of fires and put it in a central place in the house–the kitchen is usually best–and don’t forget where you put it!

     In an emergency, if an extinguisher isn’t handy, remember that fire feeds on oxygen, so if you have something cooking in a pan on the stove and it catches fire, cover it with a lid.  DON’T swat at it with a towel.  Towels are flammable. 

You can also smother small grease and electrical fires with baking soda, so put it where you can easily find it.  Grab a handful, stand back and watch out for splatters when you toss the baking soda on the fire.  But remember, only do this with small fires.  If it doesn’t work, use the extinguisher.  If that doesn’t work, or it’s getting out of control fast, GET OUT!!  Call the fire department from a neighbor’s house.  O.M.O. Life Tip: it is not worth risking your life to put out a fire.  Stuff can be replaced—YOU CAN’T!!   

     Not all fires happen in the kitchen.  Remember to unplug the iron, your curling iron, or any appliance that’s generating heat, after you are done using it. 

     Also, be very careful about burning candles.  Candles set the mood and scent the air, but if you burn them too long, or in the wrong place, you might need that extinguisher!  Be careful not to burn them near curtains, beds or any kind of fabric.  Set them back from the edge of whatever you’ve set them on, so they can’t be easily knocked off, and burn them in glass or metal holders that can take the heat.  Don’t forget to blow them out when you leave!

     As long as we’re on fires, I’m only going to say this once–so listen up–don’t smoke in bed!  Not even when you’re laying down on the couch half asleep, for that matter.  You can imagine what happens to the cigarette when someone falls asleep, so use some (here comes that work again) commonsense.  Sorry, but I had to mention it.

Always Be Prepared…Like Boy Scouts!

     So, you’re using commonsense, you’ve got smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, and you’ve met the neighbors.  What could possibly be left?  Plenty.

1) Blackout!

     It’s eight o’clock at night, there’s a big ol’ thunderstorm rolling in and somewhere nearby lightning strikes and knocks out you electricity.  Now What?  Do you know where your flashlight is?  Do you have a flashlight?  How about candles and matches?     Maybe it’s just your fuse box.  Do you know where it is?  What it is?  The fuse box is the point where electricity comes into your home and is sent to all the outlets and switches.  Do you know how to replace a fuse or reset the switches?

     You’ve learned two things from this.  First, you need to stock up on “lights out” supplies, like flashlights, candles and matches or lighters.  Second, you should ask your landlord to show you the fuse box and explain what to do in the event a fuse blows. 

If lightening has knocked out all the electricity in the area, you will have to be happy with candles until the power company fixes things. 

If a fuse is blown, you can do something about that.  Fuses can also be blown by such innocent activities as plugging too many appliances into one outlet, so don’t over do.  (This can cause a fire too!!)

     When the electricity goes out, phones may go out as well, but your cell phone will work.  So should phones that have the handset attached to the phone by a cord.  These “land line” phones don’t depend on electricity to run.  Cordless phones, however, will not work, because it takes electricity to run the cordless feature. 

Try to have at least one phone in your home that doesn’t depend on electricity.  Does it look like lights are out all over the neighborhood?  Then you can call the electric company to notify them that your electricity is out to see if the outage has been reported.  Then, call your neighbors to see if their lights are out too (aren’t you glad you know your neighbors??) Then call your friends to keep you company in the candlelight.  Or read a book, just like Abraham Lincoln!

2) Toolkit

     If you’re pretty handy already you don’t need me to tell you what tools to have around, you probably already do.  If you’re not so handy, here’s a list of the basics.  As time goes on, and you get more experience, you can add to your kit.  Meanwhile, find a handy friend!

     Toolkit: hammer, flat-head screw driver, philip’s head screw driver, nails and screws (a variety of sizes of both),pliers, needle nose pliers, adjustable wrench, saw,  sandpaper, duct tape and masking tape, toilet plunger, WD40 lubricant and last but not least, a flashlight.

     An electric drill is also a good, basic tool, but not cheap.  Therefore, look for one at garage sales! 

     With these, you can handle most of the basic repairs you’re likely to encounter.

     I have one last bit of handyman know-how that, if you haven’t learned by now, you will find infinitely useful for the rest of your life.  O.M.O. Life Tip: “rightie tightie, leftie loosie.”  No, I’m not nuts, but if you are unscrewing a nut, bolt, screw, light bulb, garden hose or just about anything else that screws in, this is the secret code.  Turning to the right screws things in and tightens them, and turning to the left unscrews and loosens. 

     Millions of normal, well adjusted adults say this to themselves everyday while tackling little chores that require them to tighten and loosen.  Now you can too!

3) First Aid Kit

     No matter how safe you try to be, you could still cut your hand on a broken wineglass while washing dishes, twist an ankle carrying out the trash (those empty beer bottles are heavy!), or pull an all-nighter before finals and end up with a headache–or a hangover.  That’s when the following basics come in handy.

     First Aid Kit: Band-Aids (several sizes), gauze, adhesive tape, antibiotic ointment, hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, tweezers, scissors, q-tips, pain reliever (ibuprofen, acetaminophen, etc.), hydrocortisone cream (for itches and rashes), antacid (Tums, Alka-Seltzer or Pepto Bismol), Immodium (for diarrhea), cold medicine (something that says it covers body aches, headaches, fever, decongestion, etc.), cough drops/cough syrup, sunscreen and bug repellent. 

     Many of the most common, and popular, brand name pain relievers and cold medicines have generic or store brand equivalents that cost much less.  Read the ingredients on both.  If they are identical, but the cheapest!

Over time you’ll discover what works for you and what doesn’t, but this should get you started. 

4) Help Mom, I don’t feel so good!

     Being sick sucks!  A good way to stay healthy is to be proactive.  This means you take care of yourself while you are healthy to increase your odds of staying that way.  You know the routine: eat right, take a good multi-vitamin, get plenty of exercise and rest.    

     If everyone around you is coughing and sneezing, consider taking extra vitamin C–if you are not sensitive to it.  The Mayo Clinic website advises that most people can safely take up to 2000 mg., but check with your doctor to be sure. (see Addendum A: Resources)

Don’t share cups or silverware.  Do wash your hands frequently.  Germs have a sneaky way of getting around, so try to keep them from getting to you! 

     There are also many herbal cold remedies that work with varying effectiveness for different people.  Ask your friends what they have tried (make sure it’s legal!), or go to a natural food store or vitamin store and ask the clerk what people are taking for colds.  These folks know what’s out there and what seems to be working for their customers. 

Doctors advise you, and I will too, to check with your doctor before taking herbal remedies–just in case you are likely to have some sort of allergy or sensitivity to them. 

     So you did everything right and you are still sick?  The very best advice I can give you is to get plenty of rest, take something for your aches, pains and fever, and drink plenty of clear fluids.  Stay comfortable, read a book, snooze, ignore the world for a while.  Dress comfortably, no one expects you to look your best when you’re sick. 

     Having trouble resting comfortably?  Try resting a hot water bottle against your tummy or back. (You can buy on at a drug store and it’s much cheaper, and safer to sleep with than the electric kind.)   Put on a pair of socks, too.  You’d be surprised how my better you feel when your feet are warm!     

     If food doesn’t really appeal to you, try some hot tea with cream and sugar, hot broth or chicken noodle soup.  In fact, keep a couple of cans of chicken noodle soup in the back of your cupboard for times like this.  You won’t feel like leaving the house to shop and you’ll be very glad to have it!  When you’re not feeling well you still need to give your body something to keep the engine going. 

DO NOT stop drinking fluids because it hurts too much to swallow.  If your body doesn’t get enough fluids, you can have a whole different–and far more serious–set of problems. 

     You’ve taken all my advice and you’re still not better?  You’re getting worse?  Go to the doctor!  Don’t hesitate to see the doctor.  Don’t tell yourself to tough it out.  If this is more than a simple cold you should get the advice of a professional.  Besides, simple things can turn into worse things if not treated correctly.  Let your doctor decide what’s serious and what’s not. 

     If you are alone, getting much worse and having symptoms that scare you–call 911.  These people do this for a reason, and that’s to be there when you need them.  Just like the firemen and police, they’d much rather you call for help and find out that you are okay, than not call and suffer terribly when help is available.  Yes, I know, this is the sort of thing you’d hear from your mother, but I’m telling you, we say it for a reason!    

5) Stop Smoking!

     We’ve already covered this territory, but it’s worth one more pass.  In every way you can name, smoking costs you dearly.  You pay for whatever you smoke (and if what you smoke isn’t legal, you can pay even more for that in legal fees and years out of your life in prison).  Think of all the things you can buy with all that extra money—even food! 

You pay in devalued homes and cars that loose their resale value because of the destructive affects of smoke.  You pay in lost friends and missed opportunities because you smoked and others didn’t.  (None smokers can always fit in with smokers when they want or need to.  Smokers carry the scent of their bad habit everywhere they go.)  And of course, you pay most dearly in the health risks, their inconvenience to your life and their extreme costs, the greatest of which is, down the road, when the reasons you started smoking are gone, and all that remains is a bad habit, that bad habit can take you away from a life, and people you love.  Need help?  There are lots of resources.  Look online, ask your Doctor or the folks at your school’s health clinic. But when it comes right down to it, you just gotta do it!  

Robin Nolet is a mom, and a Colorado Realtor who writes about life, real estate, and much more! You can find her regular blogs at: http://denver.yourhub.com/~ParkerPerson

 

    

 

Security and Safety (So Mom Won’t Worry!)

Security and Safety

(So Mom won’t worry)

    I’m assuming you already know the most basic stuff: don’t drive drunk, be cautious with strangers, and use a condom. These are the sorts of things that your folks may have been preaching about for years. Maybe you listened, maybe not. But now that you are on you own, you make your own mistakes and–here’s the big one–you pay for them! So it’s time to take all those warnings seriously.

Only you know if they apply to you, but if they do, here are two guidelines for handling your security and safety, along with just about everything else you will have to deal with for the REST OF YOUR LIFE!!

Commonsense

Personal Responsibility

Commonsense means taking a look at something and saying, “Is it practical? Considering what’s at risk, is it safe? Is it smart? Is anyone beside myself at risk? Is it truly worth it?”

Personal responsibility means just that. You are making your own choices and if you screw up, even accidentally, you are responsible for making things right.

You’ve heard it before so what’s different now? Now you want people to take you seriously and to respect you as an adult. O.M.O. LIFE TIP: if you want people to respect you as an adult, you will need to use commonsense and show personal responsibility. Enough said.

SECURING THE PERIMETER

What perimeter? The one around your body, your purse, your backpack, you car, your home, your everything!

This is a good time to review a previously stated O.M.O. LIFE TIP: it’s a sad but true fact that not everyone can be trusted.

Let’s start with your body and work our way out. Use commonsense (there’s that word!) in public places. Be aware of the people around you. Keep your belongings nearby and in sight. Don’t drink your drink if it’s been sitting unattended. O.M.O. SURVIVAL TIP: Think twice about ingesting ANYTHING given to you by someone you don’t TOTALLY TRUST.

If it’s dark out, stay in well lit areas. If you have to walk to your car in a deserted area or at night, get someone to walk with you. This is good advice for both men and women. Don’t take off with total strangers without at least letting someone know where you’re going. Better yet, don’t take off with total strangers.

When you walk to your car (or anywhere!), be aware of who is around you. Is someone following you? Have your key ready before you get to the car. Before you get to the car, look around it. Is there any sign of someone hanging around waiting for you? Anyone under it? It happens! Do you just have a bad feeling?

If any of this stuff happens, or you feel uneasy for any reason, go back inside and wait for a friend or call for help. If you are truly concerned, call the police. Don’t worry what people will think; the police will think you are smart to be cautious, and people who care about you will be very happy you are safe. That’s all that counts.

Once you do get in your car, leave. If you need to make a call on your cell, or look something up in your checkbook, or dig for your favorite CD, do at your next stop. Don’t just sit there. If someone is watching or following you, you don’t want to give them a chance to catch up to you.

Remember, too, to stay focused on the road when you’re driving. Sure, everyone changes channels on the radio, or takes a sip from their bottle of water while they drive. You can do those things, and still watch the road. But if you need to dig a stick of gum out of your purse, find a CD in the case or dial someone on your cell phone, wait until you’re at a stop light, or better yet, pull over into a parking lot, or off to the side of the road (if it’s safe). O.M.O. Life Tip: don’t mess around with stuff (or friends) while you’re driving. The results can be very painful, expensive and even deadly.

Use commonsense at home too. Lock the doors when you leave, lock up when you are home too. Don’t leave windows wide open. Crack them enough to let air in and put a stick or rod in the track so that the window can only open so far. Do the same with sliding glass doors. Put up shades or curtains, to give you privacy. Make sure the windows and doors will lock when shut. Install chain locks and deadbolts. These are not unreasonable things to ask of a landlord, but do ask first. O.M.O. Survival Tip: always ask the landlord before installing anything.

Leave porch lights on at night–all night. Not only will you be able to see the lock when you come up to the door, you’ll see the area around the door, and neighbors can see you. Get to know your neighbors. Good neighbors look out for each other, know each other’s habits and notice when something is wrong.

Put some of your inside lights on timers if you often come home after dark. Leave the timers on even when you are gone. A house with the lights on looks occupied and that keeps trouble away. Leave the stereo or TV on too, if you are really concerned about someone trying to break in while you are away.

Of course, leaving many lights on all day can really raise the electric bill. But one or two lights, on timers, going on and off at different times can give the impression that someone’s home. You’ll have to decide if your security demands a little extra expense.

Does it seem like this is all a lot of worrying over something that will never happen? Hopefully. But bad things do happen, and smart people learn to be cautious. Does this mean you have to spend all your time watching out and worrying about what’s around the next corner? No way. When you’re in the habit of using commonsense you will do it naturally, and won’t really notice. It will be like a sixth sense that you’re only aware of when you need it.

This reminds me of one more thing. Sometimes, for no reason you can figure out, you will get a bad feeling about a place or a person or something. Maybe its intuition or that sixth sense, or maybe it’s something you ate. You might not really know, but your subconscious is always busy paying attention to lots of little details that you are not, and sometimes it’s picking up on important warning signs you are missing.

What should you do when you get that bad feeling? You might want to change your plans, or maybe simply be a bit more cautious and aware of your surroundings. It’s only commonsense to pay attention.

Let me put this another way. O.M.O. Survival Tip: if a person, a place or something is giving you a bad feeling, pay attention and be cautious. It’s only commonsense!

Robin Nolet is a mom, and a Colorado Realtor who writes about life, real estate, and much more! You can find her regular blogs at: http://denver.yourhub.com/~ParkerPerson

 

American Idol: 24…The Girls

Yawn….oh, I’m sorry, were the top 12 girls on?  Okay, so I watched.  This whole 5 hours a week of Idol is already getting to me.  I could be reading War and Peace or something.  But, hey, pop culture is calling me and I’m doing the dirty work by answering and blogging.  You owe me!

 

I wish I could say the girls “blew me away”, but the whole evening was more blah than wow.  Yes, I understand about the flu and bronchitis decimating the pack.  And unlike Simon, I’m even cutting them some slack, still….   

 

Nevertheless, I must pick someone, so, as with the boys, let me pick who I’d like to see as the top 6 girls–based solely on tonight’s performances (with a little consideration as well for Hollywood week). 

 

First, Brook: Yes, she’s the nice girl who Simon wants to take over to the Dark Side.  I hope they’ll be very “Happy Together”.  But darn it, I just LIKE her.  Her voice is authentically sweet, and she seems so…nice!  And, Brook scored points with me for coming up with the best quote I’ve ever heard from an Idol contestant regarding what the experience is like, “This journey is emotional because its attached to something I love.”  Are you feeling the love?

 

Second, Kady: Poor kid, she put in a decent performance (with what seems like a beautiful voice) and then had the judges basically tell her (after telling so many others to “just be themselves”) that she should be like she was when she impersonated Brittany Spears.  What?  So, if I’m getting this right, she should be someone else in order to be herself?  Honestly, she looked as confused as the judges sounded.  Randy, Paula and Simon: were you listening to yourselves or Kady? 

 

Third, Ash’H: Confident/presence/one of Simon’s favorites.  Judges loved her, America will too.

 

Fourth, Ramiele: Big, deep, smoky voice in a tiny package. Randy: Sang like a pro.  Paula: Force to be reckoned with.  Simon: Out sung everyone/most consistent.  Believe me, I liked her a lot-and that’s saying much for the lackluster kinda evening this was.  (Serious Idol contender?  You bet!)

 

Fifth, Syesha: Consistant and fun, Simon called her one of the most talented girls in the contest.  Adding that she “got it”.  I agree, although Tabacco Road probably wasn’t the best song choice-but she did a good job with it anyway.  (Another contender?  Sure.) 

 

Sixth, Carly: Over at last, and what a voice to end with.  Somehow I’ve missed Carly along the way, but despite another victim of bronchitis, she wowed me.  What’s up with those judges?  They tell them to sing the ‘60’s and then complain when it sounds like the ‘60s’s.  Okay, so they need to make it current and their own.  I liked what she did with The Shadow of Your Smile.  Despite Simon’s cabaret comments, I agree with Randy that she’s at least one of the best vocals of the 24.  (Again, a contender.)

 

Interesting that the last half of the field seemed to hold the most serious contenders tonight.  I know, some would include Amanda-we need a rocker in the girls, right?  If she’s there for the top 12, I won’t be disappointed, but before I can get enthusiastic I need to hear a little more-she may be authentic, but authentic Janis Joplin doesn’t cut it for me.  I hope there’s more. 

 

I can’t say anyone was begging to be sent home, and that whole illness thing has to color it somewhat, so I’m leaving it up to America.  I’ll save my strong opinions for the weeks that count. 

  

American Idol: 24…and subtracting: The Guys

Past the insanity of auditions, past the sleep deprived temper tantrums of Hollywood week, it’s time to sharpen our pencils and do a little subtraction.  We’re down to the final 24, and they’re a talented group-some of the best talent ever, we’re told, though until this week we’ve seen little of some of these folks.

Nevertheless, by now we should all be up to the challenge, likewise, we shouldn’t have to dwell on the obvious.  Let’s cut to the quick.  This season’s Sanjaya is Danny Noriega.  He seems like a nice enough kid, but he’s not the Idol, so America should send him home.  But they won’t.  They just won’t be able to help themselves, so Danny is likely to stick around.  Rather than tell you who should go home, let me offer my pick for who-from what we have seen so far-should be in the final 6 boys.  

First, David Cook: Smokey rock voice with confidence and a measure of presence.  I’ll be interested to see how he translates across song genres.

Second: Robbie: Another rocker, called “authentic”.  He needs to “kick it up a notch” if he wants to be part of the final 5 guys.

Third, Garrett:  Very nice, he’s got a lock on the “tween” vote.  He has the same pre-maturity Clay Aiken had.  You gotta wonder what he’ll be like after a few weeks of molding.  I hope we get to see.

Fourth, Jason: Oh, Paula, she called his performance effortless and joyful.  He was definitely mixing it up and making it his own, and mostly it worked.  Simon said he “got it” and Jason looked like he was in his own happy “daydream”. 

Fifth, Michael: The Aussie who wowed us in Hollywood week with Bohemian Rhapsody (that took guts-and it was good!).  Singing Light My Fire, he was no Jim Morrison, but Simon called him the most consistent, and perhaps he is.

Sixth, and for my money (if I were a gambler) the most likely member of the Idol boys to win: David A. You don’t have to “Shop Around” to find a more confident, natural contestant.  He’s comfortable with his own ability and likable too, reminding me of the character of Guy Patterson, the drummer who gets the girl in That Thing You Do.  You can’t help but to like the kid, and he is a kid at 17, but he seems born to sing.

FYI: there seems to be some speculation that there was lip-syncing going on and I gotta say, there were times I thought the same thing. Word is it’s related to providing I-Tunes, but really, isn’t that sorta, kinda, like…. authorized cheating?  It just doesn’t seem….well, American. 

Tonight, I’ll be looking for 6 girls-let’s hope the choices are so obvious! 

  

Real Life Real Estate: Picking a Pro

While there’s no denying the real estate market has had its challenges lately, there’s also no denying that for qualified buyers it’s a great time to buy. Particularly first time buyers who are giving away rent when they could be earning equity. But where to start?

The idea of a new home is often so exciting that folks tend to dive right in, visiting model homes and stopping by open houses. Next thing you know, they’re calling a Realtor and touring homes in earnest. But wait, this cart is definitely out in front of the horse. While it’s fine to let your Realtor know what you are planning, let’s back up a minute and do a little preparation.

First-and most importantly-talk with a lender to get a clearer idea of just how much house you can afford. It’s always nice to find you can afford more house than you expected, but it’s frustrating to discover you’ve been looking at homes you can’t afford. Save yourself the wasted time, and the disappointment, and pin down your price range BEFORE you start looking.

Need help finding a lender? A reputable Realtor is an excellent resource, and no, they don’t get “kick backs” from the referral. That’s a no-no. What they do get is the knowledge that their clients are working with a lender who is dependable and professional; someone who tells it like it is and stays on top of the details. Realtors usually have a couple of names of folks they trust, most likely they are local, too. It’s nice to deal with a real live human being who knows your name-and your face! Beware of 1-800-faceless-lenders.

Got a Realtor already? If so, you called them ahead of time to let them know your plans. Don’t wait until the day before you want to start looking at houses. There’s a lot of background work that goes into picking the right homes to show clients. Give them the time to do their best, and it will make your search much easier.

If you are still looking, here are a few things to consider. Real Estate agents and Realtors are not the same thing. A Realtor is an agent who belongs to a local real estate board (which isn’t cheap). This is important, because boards require you to follow a code of ethics, and they provide education, marketing opportunities and more.

Have you worked with someone before who you liked? Has a friend recommended a Realtor they liked? Is there a Realtor in your neighborhood you’ve heard about? Look for designations such as GRI (like college for Realtors) and CRS (think graduate school). While they aren’t necessary, they are an indication of a dedication to education in their field.

If you’re still undecided, give them a call and see what you think. You should feel comfortable talking with this person about price ranges, finances, and your personal likes and dislikes in neighborhoods and homes.

You might also have something in common, like sports, kids, gardening-whatever. Realtors should be professional above all else, but we’re human, too. We like people (or we should!) and many of our clients end up being friends.

Should you look for a “Top Producer”? Maybe, but be aware that top producing agents get there because they sell a lot of real estate. You can’ do that alone-there are only so many hours in a day! Odds are you’ll work with their assistants more than with them. Is that okay? You might like to talk with the assistant, too.

Don’t be afraid of newer agents, either. They’ve got the time to devote to you-and the desire. We all have to start somewhere. A wise agent, of any level of experience, knows when and how to say, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.”

Now that you’ve got your team in place, you’re ready to start your search. Remember, stay positive, be honest and open, and be nice.

 Robin Nolet is a Colorado Realtor who writes about life, real estate, and much more!  You can find her regular blogs at: http://denver.yourhub.com/~ParkerPerson

 

What’s That Smell? (Laundry 101): Washing

WHAT’S THAT SMELL?

(Laundry 101)

Corner someone in their 30’s and ask them about their worst laundry horror stories and you are likely to hear one of the following.

They put a new red T-shirt/pair of pants/whatever in with a load of whites and dyed the whole load pink.

They shrunk the waste band on their favorite pair of pants by a size or two/they shrunk their favorite wool sweater so much it would only fit a monkey (the arms don’t shrink proportionally, you know)!

These two stories illustrate why you absolutely MUST read this ENTIRE chapter before you wash a single thing! O.M.O. SURVIVAL TIP: read the entire chapter on laundry before you wash a single thing!

LAUNDRY SUPPLIES

Whether you have a washer and dryer in you home, or you need to visit the Laundromat (tips for that later), there are some basic supplies you ought to have.

1) Pre-Wash

Get the spray kind (Shout, Easy Out, etc.) and pre-treat stains or really dirty areas. If you aren’t going to wash something for a while, spray the stain before you toss it in the dirty clothes pile–it’s worth the extra effort.

2) Laundry Detergent

It doesn’t really matter if it’s liquid or powder, get whatever you like. If your clothes tend to get pretty dirty, buy a detergent that says it has “color safe bleach” in the product.

Look for coupons and sales when you buy any of these products–there are deals out there. If you find something you can save a lot on, but don’t think it cleans as well as more expensive detergents, try this next tip. Before you give up on it: load the clothes in the washer, fill with water and detergent and let it agitate (technical term for letting the machine run) enough to mix it all well, turn it off for about 30 minutes, then turn it on to finish washing. This soaking can get clothes much cleaner, but you need to have the luxury of time.

3) Fabric Softener

This comes in liquid or fabric. What’s it for? It takes out static cling, and makes your clothes smell nice and feel softer. If you don’t have a lot of experience with the liquid type (which goes in the washer), get the fabric (which goes in the dryer), it’s easier and you won’t have to worry about cleaning out the build-up your washer can get from the liquid.

4) Ironing Board, Iron and Spray Bottle

If you don’t have an ironing board, you can use a firm surface like your bed (unless it’s a waterbed) or the couch. Ironing boards are great garage sale finds! Believe it or not, occasionally you will want an iron. There are times you just have to get those wrinkles out. Think dates and job interviews. Before you iron something, spray it with a little water and the wrinkles will come out easier. Rather than buy a spray bottle, use any empty one that held cleaner, or hair spray, but be sure you clean it out very well first!

5) Bleach

If your detergent already has color safe bleach in it, don’t buy additional color safe bleach. You will, however, want to pick up a bottle of regular bleach. This will be a life saver in certain emergency situations– we’ll cover that later—but I can’t stress enough, O.M.O. SURVIVAL TIP: BE CAREFUL WITH BLEACH, if you spill it on your clothes it will take out the color FOR GOOD!

WASHING CLOTHES

This isn’t rocket science, anybody can do it! If you master a few basic guidelines, you can do it without ruining any of your clothes. O.M.O. SURVIVAL TIP: don’t destroy your clothes while cleaning them, because then you will have to buy new clothes, and you’re on a budget! Oh, and one last thing before we begin, O.M.O. LIFE TIP: always read the label before washing a piece of clothing. Those are the directions and they put them there for a reason!

1) How Much Water?

Should you choose small, medium or large water levels. If you are washing only three or four small to medium weight items, pick small. Decided to add a couple more? Pick medium. More? Pick Large. When in doubt between two levels, pick the larger. You want to be certain your clothes have plenty of room to move around in while washing.

2) How Much Detergent?

Read the label on the bottle or box of detergent, it will guide you. Usually, one cap full of liquid, or one scoop of powder will do. If your clothes are really dirty, add a little more. These are the guidelines for a full load, if the load is smaller, adjust the amount of detergent.

CAUTION!!!

DO NOT (EVER!) use liquid dish soap in the washing machine!

You will end up with overflowing mounds of bubbly, soapy water oozing out of the washer onto the floor.

P.S. While I’m on the subject, don’t use liquid dish soap in the dishwasher either. Same result! Only use soap that’s meant for dishwashers.

3) Liquid Fabric Softener?

You can choose to add liquid fabric softener in the wash, or use the little fabric softener sheet in the dryer. If you are using the liquid, follow the guidelines on the bottle. Usually you add a capful. There should be a little cup or hole around the top of the washer to pour this into at the start of the wash, and it will automatically be spread through the wash.

The downside of liquid softener is the residue can build up on the cup and get messy. If you’re not sure about this, use the fabric softener sheet in the dryer. It’s easiest.

4) Temperature does matter!

A top-of-the-line washer can offer a mind boggling variety of temperature settings. Most people, even the ones who paid incredible prices for these machines, never come close to using them all, so we won’t go there. When it comes to temperature settings, your choices are likely to be pretty straight forward. You will either pick Hot, Warm or Cold water for the wash, and usually cold for the rinse. Warm rinses are also an option, but seldom necessary. Already confused? Wondering why you should even care? Let’s make it simple with a few basic rules.

Rule 1: O.M.O. SURVIVAL TIP: when in doubt, use cold water in the wash cycle. Today’s detergents are designed to get dirt out using cold water. Some work better than others. So why use warm or hot? Or, why not? Hang on, we’ll get there!

Rule 2: Wash very dirty, grimy, absolutely filthy clothes and towels in HOT WATER. BUT BEWARE! Hot water can really do a shrinking job on some clothes, particularly cottons, so only use hot water when you either know it won’t shrink, or shrinking isn’t an issue. Towels, for instance, don’t usually mind a dip in hot water.

Rule 3: WARM WATER is your friend! You can wash whites and colored clothes fairly safely in warm water without worrying too much about running colors or shrinkage (technical laundry term). BUT….

Rule 4: If you have even the slightest worry that something will shrink, or the colors will run, wash in COLD WATER. Cold water is the safest bet, and like I said before, these detergents will clean pretty well in cold water.

Rule 5: What about the rinse temperature? Yes, that can be a choice too. Most washers offer you pre-set wash and rinse combinations such as cold/cold, warm/cold, warm/warm, hot/cold. Pick warm water only if the clothes are really dirty, otherwise, pick a COLD RINSE. It’s safer. And since it costs money to heat water, it saves money too!

Little Tips For Big Problems

Those are the basics, but here a few little tips that could save you a lot of trouble and $$$!

Tip 1: Pre-Treat

When your white T-shirt has ketchup on it, or your khakis have ink stains, spray the stains with a pre-wash such as Shout or Easy Out before putting them in the wash. If you have a really dirty load, pre-treat first, fill the washer with water,** clothes and detergent, agitate (again with the tech terms!) for a few minutes, then turn it off for about a half hour and let everything soak. This will help get out the tough stains.

**Odds are you are using an older washer that loads from the top, so you can easily open and close the door during cycles. If, however, you have one of the new washers that use less water but load from the front, you will have to do these sorts of things in a sink, bathtub or tub of water–whatever works.

Tip 2: Bleeding

The dye in bold colored clothes (red, yellow, green, etc.) and darks (black and blue–including jeans) can “run” in the wash and spread their color to other, totally innocent clothes, thereby turning entire loads pink or blue or gray or…well, you get the picture.

This is why you WASH SIMILAR COLORS TOGETHER. If a black T-shirt bleeds in a load of black and dark blue clothes, odds are you’ll never know. But if it bleeds in a load of whites, you’ve got a problem.

What else can you do? Fill a sink with cold water and sprinkle in some salt–enough that you could taste the salt if you dip your finger in and lick it. Now soak that bright yellow pair of slacks, or orange skirt or black shirt for a few hours. This helps keep those colors from running.

Even after this, though, some things may bleed so much that the first few times you wash them you’ll have to wash them alone. How can you tell if something will bleed? Fill a white or clear bowl, or the sink, with warm water and put all or a part of the item in the water. Get it good and wet and then squeeze the water out. Do you see color in the water? If so, it’s a bleeder! No color? Well…let it sit for fifteen or twenty minutes and check again.

Is there color now? If so, it’s still a bleeder, but you won’t have to worry about it for more than a few washes. You can safely wash it with the same colors. If there’s no color in the water, you can safely wash it with colors that aren’t an exact match.

No matter how careful you are, you are still likely to miss something and end up with a load of pink whites, or gray, orange, green, etc.

So here’s a tip for REMOVING BLEEDING. Fill the empty washer with warm water–or hot, if the clothes can take it–add detergent and ¼ to ½ of a cup of bleach, the real stuff! When it comes to using bleach: when in doubt, use the lesser amount. You can always repeat the process using more if it’s not enough. (Read Tip 4 before you do this, because maybe you shouldn’t!)

Be extra careful here so that you don’t get bleach on your clothes, or any other innocent clothes that might be lying nearby. Let the washer agitate for a few minutes so that the detergent dissolves and the bleach is mixed in evenly, then add your clothes and wash as usual. If the bleeding is pretty bad, you’ll want to stop by the washer near the end of the wash cycle and reset the knob to wash a little longer. This might not be possible at a Laundromat, but at home it’s easy to do.

Hopefully, when the wash is done, the bleeding will be gone. If there is still a little color left, repeat the whole process–before drying the clothes! Why? Drying the clothes can set the color and make your job even harder.

This process can be done with colored clothes too, but start with the smaller amount of bleach–you can always repeat–because you don’t want to take the original color out as well!

Tip 3: Dingy whites (yes, you care!)

Whites get dingy either because you’ve been mixing colors in the wash (you know who you are) and small amounts of darker colors have bled into them, or just because they are older and have seen a lot of dirt over the years. Either way, follow the same directions for bleeding and, if it’s possible to brighten them up a bit, you will.

There are other products on the market that advertise they will brighten whites. Some do a better job than others, but they cost more too, and bleach is cheap. Just be careful with bleach, because if you spill a tiny bit on something with color, it will take that color out and there’s just nothing you can do about it. Have I mentioned that before? O.M.O. LIFE TIP: Respect the power of bleach!

Tip 4: Don’t use bleach if…

Some clothes don’t react well to bleach. If this is the case, it will say so on the label, so read the label first! Even some whites should not come into contact with bleach. The result can be yellow or gray whites, and that’s not a pretty sight. In this case, use a non-chlorine bleach instead. This is a separate product from detergent and bleach. It’s designed to whiten whites and brighten colors (sounds like an ad, eh?), and they really do work, but if you follow these rules, you might not need them, and that’s one less thing to spend money on.

Tip 5: Read the label

Yes, I know I’ve already said this a few times, but it is so important, it deserves its own Tip! Labels tell you if clothes like bleach or non-chlorine bleach. If they specifically say “wash with like colors” that can be a tip that the colors will bleed. Some say air dry, some say low heat (don’t worry, we’re getting to drying), some say dry clean only. Respect the label and only experiment after you have some laundry savvy under your belt.

Tip 6: Don’t overload the washer!

When you cram too many clothes into a washer nothing gets as clean as it could. Clothes need wiggle room to get clean. Even if you have to pay for an extra wash at the Laundromat, it’s worth it. Which brings us to….

Tip 7: Avoiding crusty white residue on clothes

You pull your clothes out of the washer (or dryer) and there are patches of crusty white dust on them–what’s that?!? That is residue from your powdered detergent and it can happen for two reasons. Either you put too much detergent in, or–and this is more likely–you crammed too many clothes into the washer and there was no room to wash out the detergent residue, let alone wash the clothes well!

If you have this problem a lot, especially on dark clothes, I’d recommend only using liquid detergent. But don’t overload!

Robin Nolet is a Colorado Realtor who writes about life, real estate, and much more! You can find her regular blogs at: http://denver.yourhub.com/~ParkerPerson

This Place Is a Mess! (Cleaning 101)

 

 

THIS PLACE IS A MESS

(Cleaning 101)

 

     If you have issues, and really can’t live in a place that’s anything less than sparkling clean, I have two bits of advice.

     First, get over it!  Dirt happens, and if you can’t deal with that, you’d better live alone, because you will drive your roommates nuts! 

     Second, if you can’t get over it, you will need greater resources than I will offer here.  We’re just going to touch on the basics, enough to keep your habitat from looking like it needs federal disaster assistance. 

     If you simply must know more, I advise you to head for the library and look for books on cleaning–yes they have them!  While you are reading those books, the rest of us will be done with our chores, out the door and getting on with our lives.

 

Cleaning Supplies

     Many of the basic tools for cleaning can be found at garage sales, but it’s not likely you’ll find them all.  After you’ve checked to see if your mom has extra sponges or one too many mops, hit the discount stores like Target, Wal-mart and K-mart.  Check grocery stores last, as their prices are probably higher. 

     You will find there are many varieties to choose from.  Do you want a sponge mop, or the old fashioned string mop?  Would you prefer an angled broom, or natural bristles?  Pick the ones that appeal to you, because if you don’t like them you won’t use them, and if you don’t use them, nothing will get clean!

     Also, you don’t necessarily need all of these.  Some things can serve double duty; a sponge can clean a toilet bowl as well as a toilet brush…but don’t use the same sponge to wash the dishes too!

The Equipment: broom, dust pan, mop, bucket, sponge, dish drainer, toilet brush, dish gloves (not just for dishes, they make cleaning that toilet less revolting–but get a separate pair just for the toilet!), dish towels, old towels, old toothbrush, vacuum, floor sweeper.

The Cleaning Products: dish soap, automatic dishwashing soap (if you’re lucky enough to have a dishwasher), an all purpose cleaner (i.e. 409), cleanser (i.e. Comet), toilet bowl cleaner, cleanser with bleach, window cleaner.  And club soda–yes, it does work on some things!

 

WHERE DO I START?!?

 

     So, the house is a wreck and your folks are coming to get a look at the place they co-signed for.  What do you do first?

1) De-Clutter

     Everyone has their own style of picking up the clutter.  You can clean one entire room at a time.  Or you can clean different categories of the mess.  First pick up all dirty dishes and wash them (or load the dishwasher).  Second, pick up all dirty clothes, and put them in a hamper for laundry day.   Third, pick up papers, books, and miscellaneous. 

     If neither of these works too well, I advise the just keep moving strategy.  This is exactly what it sounds like.  Pick something up and go put it away, pick something up there, and go put it away, pick something up there….  You get the idea.  This will take the longest, but eventually you may feel compelled to clean an entire room, or category, thereby falling, accidentally, into another, more efficient strategy.  Meanwhile, at least you’re making progress!

2) Dust and Wipe

     Once the clutter is out of the way, use a feather duster or soft towel to dust book shelves, computers, TV screens–whatever needs it.  Don’t forget dust bunnies in the corners of ceilings and under furniture!  Then grab a sponge and spray cleaner and wash the tops of coffee tables, desks, countertops–don’t forget kitchen counters and sinks!  Finally, paper towels and window cleaner to clean mirrors, sliding glass doors (especially if you have dogs that leave nose prints!) and…windows!  You are almost there, only one more basic step left!

3) Mop and Vacuum

     Now you have worked from the top down, so it’s time to clean up what’s left–the floors.  Mop and vacuum!

 

GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF THINGS (sinks, tubs and…toilets!)

     Some cleaning projects require more elbow grease (scrubbing) and serious cleaning products (bleach and disinfectants).  Sinks, tubs and showers, and toilets definitely fit in this category.  O.M.O. SURVIVAL TIP: the longer you wait between cleanings, the worse the crud you have to clean!  This was never more true than it is for is for sinks, tubs and showers, and toilets.

     Unless only one person uses certain bathrooms, this is definitely a job to be rotated between roommates.  You might want to have a day just for bathrooms, that way the whole cleaning thing isn’t such a HUGE deal, and you’ll finish sooner, and that’s a good goal!

1) All Germs Are Not Equal

     Different ar