Pearls:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unlike hard, crystalline gemstones, pearls are as sensitive as they are beautiful. Perfume, cosmetics, and hair spray can stain them. The acids in your perspiration can eat away at their fine coating,
called the nacre. And since a pearl's value is largely determined by its color, luster, and thickness of nacre, cleaning your pearls is essential for maintaining value. Fortunately, cleaning is also easy and harmless to the pearl, as long as you stick to the following simple regimen.
Wipe off your pearls after each wearing. Use a barely damp, very soft cloth. (Chamois is best.) This removes harmful substances such as perspiration, perfume, and makeup that can penetrate the pearl's porous surface. As a preventive measure, always apply perfume, makeup, and hair spray before you put on your pearls.
Occasionally clean your pearls more thoroughly to restore their natural finish and luster. Use a mild bar soap, such as Ivory, and lukewarm water to create light suds. Dip a soft cloth in the suds and gently wipe the pearls. Rinse with clean water and dry with another soft cloth. Never soak your pearls because that will get the string too wet.
When drying pearls, here are some things to keep to in mind:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unlike hard, crystalline gemstones, pearls are as sensitive as they are beautiful. Perfume, cosmetics, and hair spray can stain them. The acids in your perspiration can eat away at their fine coating,
called the nacre. And since a pearl's value is largely determined by its color, luster, and thickness of nacre, cleaning your pearls is essential for maintaining value. Fortunately, cleaning is also easy and harmless to the pearl, as long as you stick to the following simple regimen.
Wipe off your pearls after each wearing. Use a barely damp, very soft cloth. (Chamois is best.) This removes harmful substances such as perspiration, perfume, and makeup that can penetrate the pearl's porous surface. As a preventive measure, always apply perfume, makeup, and hair spray before you put on your pearls.
Occasionally clean your pearls more thoroughly to restore their natural finish and luster. Use a mild bar soap, such as Ivory, and lukewarm water to create light suds. Dip a soft cloth in the suds and gently wipe the pearls. Rinse with clean water and dry with another soft cloth. Never soak your pearls because that will get the string too wet.
When drying pearls, here are some things to keep to in mind:
- To make sure the pearls and string are dry, lay them on a slightly damp cloth. when the cloth is dry, the pearls will be too.
- If you wear pearls when their string is wet, the string might stretch and attract hard-to-remove dirt.
- Never hang pearls to dry, since that might also stretch the string.
To remove stubborn lumps of dirt, use your fingermail, which has a hardness of 2.5 orless on the Mohs' scale ( a scale of mineral hardness on which 1 represents the hardness of talc). Pearls have a hardness of 2.5 to 4.5, which means your fingernail probably won't scratch them.
Pencil Marks
Pencil Marks
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you have children, it is inevitable: Pencil marks will find their way onto their clothes and your walls. White pencil marks can be tricky to clean, they are not as difficult as some inks.
If it's pencil, reach for an eraser. Try removing pencil from walls and fabric using a soft eraser, preferably a white vinyl eraser that will not leave marks of its own.
To remove pencil marks from washable fabrics ( if the eraser does not work), put a few drops of ammonia on the mark. Rinse with water. Put a little bit of laundry detergent on the stain. Rinse. Repeat until the stain is gone.
To remove pencil marks from walls (again, if the eraser didn't work), try rubbing with a slice of fresh rye bread.
Pests
If you have children, it is inevitable: Pencil marks will find their way onto their clothes and your walls. White pencil marks can be tricky to clean, they are not as difficult as some inks.
If it's pencil, reach for an eraser. Try removing pencil from walls and fabric using a soft eraser, preferably a white vinyl eraser that will not leave marks of its own.
To remove pencil marks from washable fabrics ( if the eraser does not work), put a few drops of ammonia on the mark. Rinse with water. Put a little bit of laundry detergent on the stain. Rinse. Repeat until the stain is gone.
To remove pencil marks from walls (again, if the eraser didn't work), try rubbing with a slice of fresh rye bread.
Pests
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Removing pests is not as simple as blasting the buggers with some pesticide. For one thing, today we know more than ever about these chemicals' harmful side effects on humans. For another thing, this single-minded approach does not necessarily work. To really rid your home of pests, you've got to devise a strategy that includes killing and prevention, removing pests and blocking their entry. Sometimes it may not involve harsh chemicals at all.
For general pest prevention, tighten up the house. Fill gaps in basement floors and wall with caulk and grout. Make sure baseboard molding, forms a tight fit between the wall and floor. (If you have gaps, fill them with a paintable caulk or cover with quarter-round trim.) Inspect things like boxes and firewood for hitchhikers--roaches, ants, and spiders, for instance--before bringing them into your house. Cockroaches, for one, will eat nearly anything that is organic, including cardboard.
Next cut off the pests' food and water supplies. /caulk around sinks and tubs to stop water from leaking behind fixtures. Repair leaky pipes. Don't let water stand in appliance drip pans or houseplant dishes. Keep food in tightly sealed containers. Wipe down countertops. Remove food that spills on the sides of and behind the stove.
Also attack pest breeding and living areas by filling holes in walls and floors, removing piles of cardboard and paper bags inside or around the house, and eliminating general clutter.
Rid your home of cockroaches. Kill existing roaches with powdered boric acid, available at supermarkets and hardware stores. Boric acid kills roaches but does not harm humans when used correctly. Wearing gloves and a dust mask, sprinkle it under and behind kitchen cabinets and appliances and in basements, bathrooms, and anywhere else they might live. Use a dust applicator, available at feed and seed stores and through gardening catalogs, to make the job easier and to get to hard-to-reach spots.
To keep your abode flea free, here are some tips for controlling fleas (besides th to clean light setup suggested in the Simple Solutions sidebar, which makes a decent trap). Even though your pet probably attracted the fleas, it's vital to keep your home clean, because 90 percent of a flea's cycle is spent off the pet and in the bedding or rugs in its egg, larva, and pupa stages. Designate a pet
sleeping area, such as a tiled mudroom, that is easy clean, and clean it regularly--more often than the rest of the house if necessary. Cover your pet's bed with a washable blanket. Then all you have to wash is the blanket, not the bed. When you pick the blanket up, carefully lift all four corners, so flea eggs won't roll off. If you have fleas, vacuum rugs and upholstered furniture, the seal
SIMPLE SOLUTIONS
A Deadly Pool for Fleas >
If you think you have fleas but aren't sure, turn on a gooseneck or folding arm lamp about 6 inches above a shallow pan of water containing a dash of dishwashing liquid. If you do have fleas, at night they will spring for the light and drop into the soapy water and drown.
the flea-contaminated vacuum bags in plastic bags and discard them immediately. Steam cleaning carpets is even more effective.
To kill adult fees and their eggs, bathe ,pets with a pyrethrin flea shampoo. (Careful: Pyrethrin is toxic for some cats, so checkingTwith your vet is a good idea.) Treat infected areas with an insect growth regulator (IGR), such as methoprene (found in Precor and other Products). IGRs have not been found harmful to pets and humans. Although IGRs don't kill adult fleas, they prevent fleas from reproducing
Trap pesky fruit flies. Even though they were part of our high school genetics lessons, fruit flies are still a major annoyance, hovering over countertop fruit bowls like vultures over fresh road kill. Before you waste any more energy trying to swat them away, try this trick; Put banana slices in a mason jar and sprinkle them with yeast. Make a paper funnel and slip it into the top of the jar. When the jar fills up with flies--and their larvae--fill it with very hot tap water and slap the cap on it to kill both. Empty and then insert a new funnela and fresh bait.
Eliminate clothing moths. Thoroughly clean clothes before storing them in closets or drawers. These moths are attracted to the food, perspiration, and urine on soiled fabrics rather than to the wool or cotton itself. Once clean, seasonal clothes before storing them in closets or drawers.
These moths are attracted to the food, perspiration, and urine on soiled farbrics rather than to the wool or cotton itself. Once clean, seasonal clothes (except leather, which needs to breathe) should be stored in airtight bags or plastic containers. Commercial moth repellants usually contain paradichlorobenzene or naphtahlene, which are harmful to humans, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Instead of using such toxic chemicals, kill and deter moths with essential oils--cedar, eucalyptus, pennyroyal, lavender, and tansy--available at health food stores.
Make mice vanish for good. Did you know that in six months, two mice can eat 4 pounds of food and leave behind some 18,000 fecal pellets? Scary. Even more reason to keep your house free of these pests. While plenty of people have tried, it's hard to invent a better mousetrap than the standard snap-back trap. Poisons can be dangerous to your pets and can leave dead mice out of reach--where they can become a food source for other household pests.
For acute rodent problems, use lots of the traps, baited with peanut butter, oatmeal, or cheese, and spread them strategically around the house. Put them perpendicular to walls that mice scamper along. Mice are renowned for their powerful noses, so wear gloves when baiting the traps to avoid leaving your scent. You don't like the mess of baiting traps with food? Use cotton balls, which greedy mice will try to grab when building nests.
Removing pests is not as simple as blasting the buggers with some pesticide. For one thing, today we know more than ever about these chemicals' harmful side effects on humans. For another thing, this single-minded approach does not necessarily work. To really rid your home of pests, you've got to devise a strategy that includes killing and prevention, removing pests and blocking their entry. Sometimes it may not involve harsh chemicals at all.
For general pest prevention, tighten up the house. Fill gaps in basement floors and wall with caulk and grout. Make sure baseboard molding, forms a tight fit between the wall and floor. (If you have gaps, fill them with a paintable caulk or cover with quarter-round trim.) Inspect things like boxes and firewood for hitchhikers--roaches, ants, and spiders, for instance--before bringing them into your house. Cockroaches, for one, will eat nearly anything that is organic, including cardboard.
Next cut off the pests' food and water supplies. /caulk around sinks and tubs to stop water from leaking behind fixtures. Repair leaky pipes. Don't let water stand in appliance drip pans or houseplant dishes. Keep food in tightly sealed containers. Wipe down countertops. Remove food that spills on the sides of and behind the stove.
Also attack pest breeding and living areas by filling holes in walls and floors, removing piles of cardboard and paper bags inside or around the house, and eliminating general clutter.
Rid your home of cockroaches. Kill existing roaches with powdered boric acid, available at supermarkets and hardware stores. Boric acid kills roaches but does not harm humans when used correctly. Wearing gloves and a dust mask, sprinkle it under and behind kitchen cabinets and appliances and in basements, bathrooms, and anywhere else they might live. Use a dust applicator, available at feed and seed stores and through gardening catalogs, to make the job easier and to get to hard-to-reach spots.
To keep your abode flea free, here are some tips for controlling fleas (besides th to clean light setup suggested in the Simple Solutions sidebar, which makes a decent trap). Even though your pet probably attracted the fleas, it's vital to keep your home clean, because 90 percent of a flea's cycle is spent off the pet and in the bedding or rugs in its egg, larva, and pupa stages. Designate a pet
sleeping area, such as a tiled mudroom, that is easy clean, and clean it regularly--more often than the rest of the house if necessary. Cover your pet's bed with a washable blanket. Then all you have to wash is the blanket, not the bed. When you pick the blanket up, carefully lift all four corners, so flea eggs won't roll off. If you have fleas, vacuum rugs and upholstered furniture, the seal
SIMPLE SOLUTIONS
A Deadly Pool for Fleas >
If you think you have fleas but aren't sure, turn on a gooseneck or folding arm lamp about 6 inches above a shallow pan of water containing a dash of dishwashing liquid. If you do have fleas, at night they will spring for the light and drop into the soapy water and drown.
the flea-contaminated vacuum bags in plastic bags and discard them immediately. Steam cleaning carpets is even more effective.
To kill adult fees and their eggs, bathe ,pets with a pyrethrin flea shampoo. (Careful: Pyrethrin is toxic for some cats, so checkingTwith your vet is a good idea.) Treat infected areas with an insect growth regulator (IGR), such as methoprene (found in Precor and other Products). IGRs have not been found harmful to pets and humans. Although IGRs don't kill adult fleas, they prevent fleas from reproducing
Trap pesky fruit flies. Even though they were part of our high school genetics lessons, fruit flies are still a major annoyance, hovering over countertop fruit bowls like vultures over fresh road kill. Before you waste any more energy trying to swat them away, try this trick; Put banana slices in a mason jar and sprinkle them with yeast. Make a paper funnel and slip it into the top of the jar. When the jar fills up with flies--and their larvae--fill it with very hot tap water and slap the cap on it to kill both. Empty and then insert a new funnela and fresh bait.
Eliminate clothing moths. Thoroughly clean clothes before storing them in closets or drawers. These moths are attracted to the food, perspiration, and urine on soiled fabrics rather than to the wool or cotton itself. Once clean, seasonal clothes before storing them in closets or drawers.
These moths are attracted to the food, perspiration, and urine on soiled farbrics rather than to the wool or cotton itself. Once clean, seasonal clothes (except leather, which needs to breathe) should be stored in airtight bags or plastic containers. Commercial moth repellants usually contain paradichlorobenzene or naphtahlene, which are harmful to humans, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Instead of using such toxic chemicals, kill and deter moths with essential oils--cedar, eucalyptus, pennyroyal, lavender, and tansy--available at health food stores.
Make mice vanish for good. Did you know that in six months, two mice can eat 4 pounds of food and leave behind some 18,000 fecal pellets? Scary. Even more reason to keep your house free of these pests. While plenty of people have tried, it's hard to invent a better mousetrap than the standard snap-back trap. Poisons can be dangerous to your pets and can leave dead mice out of reach--where they can become a food source for other household pests.
For acute rodent problems, use lots of the traps, baited with peanut butter, oatmeal, or cheese, and spread them strategically around the house. Put them perpendicular to walls that mice scamper along. Mice are renowned for their powerful noses, so wear gloves when baiting the traps to avoid leaving your scent. You don't like the mess of baiting traps with food? Use cotton balls, which greedy mice will try to grab when building nests.
No comments:
Post a Comment