Skylights:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What better way to let natural light into your home--while maintaining your privacy--than with skylights. To keep from looking into a dirty sky, do some simple maintenance to preserve your view. The materials depend on whether you have glass or acrylic skylights.
To clean the exterior of your glass skylights, either climb to the roof and clean while standing securely on a ladder, or reach the sky--light with a telescopic pole and attachments--a squeegee and a sponge mop end. (If you feel safer, climb onto the roof and squat next to the window.) You can use a detergent-and-water solution (1 ounce of dishwashing detergent to 20 ounces of water), any alcohol-based cleaner (such as Spray Away), or a 50-50 solution of vinegar and water.
To remove loose and caked-on dirt, wet the window with a hose, dip the sponge mop into your cleaning solution (or spray it onto the mop head until it's damp), and wipe over the window. Rinse out the mop and wipe again with water, then dry it with the squeegee. Clean the frames around your skylights at the same time that you clean the glass, watching for any sharp edges.
A twice-a-year cleaning of your skylights and frames is sufficient because you don't want to wear down the silicone seal around the skylight and cause leaks.
The interior of your glass skylights is cleaned much the same way. Remove loose dirt and dust with a barely dampened mop, rinse out the mop or change it, and then clean with one of the solutions mentioned above. (Don't forget to protect your carpet or floor.) Do this monthly--or perhaps just twice a year if the skylight is difficult to reach. Wooden frames can be cleaned with a
furniture polish if reachable. They'll also need to be finished, painted, or stained every three years to protect the wood against damage from ultraviolet rays.
If your skylight is made of acrylic, strong cleaning solvents can easily scratch and damage the acrylic. Even using glass cleaner on acrylic can be a problem. To clean the inside and outside of your acrylic window, mix 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid in 1 gallon of warm water. Dip a soft cloth into the solution, wipe over the window, and rinse well. If stubborn stains remain, use any
plastic cleaner, such as Permatex Plastic Cleaner, also referred to as 403D cleaner. Spray the cleaner on a cloth and wipe over the acrylic pane. Also use the plastic cleaner to remove marks on vinyl frames
If you find that roof tar or pinesap has stuck to the exterior of the acrylic window, use a citrus-based cleaner, such as Orange Glo. If it doesn't work, try a little kerosene dabbed on a cloth and wiped over the marks. Don't forget to wear gloves. Rinse thoroughly with a garden hose or a bucket of clear water. Don't use a power washer; it could damage the insulation around the window.
, cause leaks, and loosen roof shingles.
If your skylight has a screen, you'll need to remove it to clean the inside of the window. If this is too difficult, open the window and clean the inside at the same time that you clean the outside. To clean the screen, vacuum it using the brush attachment. If the screen is really dirty and you can remove it, wash it with a soft brush dipped in a solution of dishwashing liquid and warm water.
Then rinse thoroughly.
slate
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Whether you have slate flooring, a slate mantel, or a slate kitchen counter, light cleaning is simple.
To remove dust on slate, just vacuum or wipe it with a damp cloth or a damp mop.
To remove floor dirt, mix 1/2 cup of ammonia in 1/2 bucket of water (1.5 gallons). Apply the cleaning solutions with a sponge mop. (You can use other cleaners, such as Mr. Clean, Comet Cleanser, or warm water with a squirt of dishwashing liquid. However, the advantage of ammonia is that it requires no rinsing.) if you dust weekly, you can do a thorough cleaning with ammonia once a month or every
other month.
To protect slate floors from staining, apply a stone sealer--either gloss or satin--after it's installed. Slate is especially susceptible to oil stains (from salad oils, for instance) So sealing a slate floor in a kitchen or eating area may be a good idea. If you wish, follow the sealer with a wax finish that can protect the sealer and make it last longer. The sealer and the wax work together to make
slate easier to clean.
To clean a slate countertop, scour the surface using a cleaner such as Comet Cleanser and a damp sponge. Do not use abrasive pads, because they might remove some of the stone and change its appearance.
To clean up oil stains on a slate countertop, sprinkle a liberal amount of cornstarch on the surface and let it sit for `10 minutes. Then scrub the surface with a grease-cutting cleaner, such as Fantastik or Formula 409, or use warm water with a squirtof dishwashing liquid.
To protect a slate kitchen counter, oil it with a 50-50 mixture of boiled linsed oil and turpentine. Wipe the solution on the slate with a cloth and then buff the slate with a soft cloth, terry cloth rag, or old bath towel until it's dry. Oil will darken the slate and give it a satin finish while creating a protective barrier. Oil your kitchen couter once or twice a year. Oil other non-floor surfaces--mantels or hearths, for instance--every two years
Note: See Tomorrow Medical Blog
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------What better way to let natural light into your home--while maintaining your privacy--than with skylights. To keep from looking into a dirty sky, do some simple maintenance to preserve your view. The materials depend on whether you have glass or acrylic skylights.
To clean the exterior of your glass skylights, either climb to the roof and clean while standing securely on a ladder, or reach the sky--light with a telescopic pole and attachments--a squeegee and a sponge mop end. (If you feel safer, climb onto the roof and squat next to the window.) You can use a detergent-and-water solution (1 ounce of dishwashing detergent to 20 ounces of water), any alcohol-based cleaner (such as Spray Away), or a 50-50 solution of vinegar and water.
To remove loose and caked-on dirt, wet the window with a hose, dip the sponge mop into your cleaning solution (or spray it onto the mop head until it's damp), and wipe over the window. Rinse out the mop and wipe again with water, then dry it with the squeegee. Clean the frames around your skylights at the same time that you clean the glass, watching for any sharp edges.
A twice-a-year cleaning of your skylights and frames is sufficient because you don't want to wear down the silicone seal around the skylight and cause leaks.
The interior of your glass skylights is cleaned much the same way. Remove loose dirt and dust with a barely dampened mop, rinse out the mop or change it, and then clean with one of the solutions mentioned above. (Don't forget to protect your carpet or floor.) Do this monthly--or perhaps just twice a year if the skylight is difficult to reach. Wooden frames can be cleaned with a
furniture polish if reachable. They'll also need to be finished, painted, or stained every three years to protect the wood against damage from ultraviolet rays.
If your skylight is made of acrylic, strong cleaning solvents can easily scratch and damage the acrylic. Even using glass cleaner on acrylic can be a problem. To clean the inside and outside of your acrylic window, mix 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid in 1 gallon of warm water. Dip a soft cloth into the solution, wipe over the window, and rinse well. If stubborn stains remain, use any
plastic cleaner, such as Permatex Plastic Cleaner, also referred to as 403D cleaner. Spray the cleaner on a cloth and wipe over the acrylic pane. Also use the plastic cleaner to remove marks on vinyl frames
If you find that roof tar or pinesap has stuck to the exterior of the acrylic window, use a citrus-based cleaner, such as Orange Glo. If it doesn't work, try a little kerosene dabbed on a cloth and wiped over the marks. Don't forget to wear gloves. Rinse thoroughly with a garden hose or a bucket of clear water. Don't use a power washer; it could damage the insulation around the window.
, cause leaks, and loosen roof shingles.
If your skylight has a screen, you'll need to remove it to clean the inside of the window. If this is too difficult, open the window and clean the inside at the same time that you clean the outside. To clean the screen, vacuum it using the brush attachment. If the screen is really dirty and you can remove it, wash it with a soft brush dipped in a solution of dishwashing liquid and warm water.
Then rinse thoroughly.
slate
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Whether you have slate flooring, a slate mantel, or a slate kitchen counter, light cleaning is simple.
To remove dust on slate, just vacuum or wipe it with a damp cloth or a damp mop.
To remove floor dirt, mix 1/2 cup of ammonia in 1/2 bucket of water (1.5 gallons). Apply the cleaning solutions with a sponge mop. (You can use other cleaners, such as Mr. Clean, Comet Cleanser, or warm water with a squirt of dishwashing liquid. However, the advantage of ammonia is that it requires no rinsing.) if you dust weekly, you can do a thorough cleaning with ammonia once a month or every
other month.
To protect slate floors from staining, apply a stone sealer--either gloss or satin--after it's installed. Slate is especially susceptible to oil stains (from salad oils, for instance) So sealing a slate floor in a kitchen or eating area may be a good idea. If you wish, follow the sealer with a wax finish that can protect the sealer and make it last longer. The sealer and the wax work together to make
slate easier to clean.
To clean a slate countertop, scour the surface using a cleaner such as Comet Cleanser and a damp sponge. Do not use abrasive pads, because they might remove some of the stone and change its appearance.
To clean up oil stains on a slate countertop, sprinkle a liberal amount of cornstarch on the surface and let it sit for `10 minutes. Then scrub the surface with a grease-cutting cleaner, such as Fantastik or Formula 409, or use warm water with a squirtof dishwashing liquid.
To protect a slate kitchen counter, oil it with a 50-50 mixture of boiled linsed oil and turpentine. Wipe the solution on the slate with a cloth and then buff the slate with a soft cloth, terry cloth rag, or old bath towel until it's dry. Oil will darken the slate and give it a satin finish while creating a protective barrier. Oil your kitchen couter once or twice a year. Oil other non-floor surfaces--mantels or hearths, for instance--every two years
Note: See Tomorrow Medical Blog
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