Home Improvement Tips

The Care of Marble


Never wash the marble tops of wash stands, bureaus, etc., with soap. Use clean warm water and a soft cloth drying immediately with a soft towel. There is nothing that will entirely remove grease spots from marble, hence, the necessity of avoiding them.



To clean marble or marbleized slate mantles, use a soft sponge or chamois skin, dampened in clean warm water without soap, then polish with dry chamois skin. In dusting, use a feather duster, and never a cloth, as it is likely to scratch the polished surface.



Slate Hearths


Are preferable to marble, as they are not so easily soiled. To wash them, use a clean cloth and warm water. Oiling them thoroughly when new with linseed oil;prepared they never show grease spots.



To Store Brooms


Hang in the cellar way to keep soft and pliant.


To Ventilate a Room


Place a pitcher of cold water on a table in your room and it will absorb all the gasses with which the room is filled from the respiration of those eating or sleeping in the room. Very few realize how important such purification is for the health of the family, or, indeed, understand or realize that there can be any impurity in the rooms; yet in a few hours a pitcher or pail of cold water -- the colder the more effective -- will make the air of a room pure, but the water will be entirely unfit for use.



To Remove Odors From Ice Box, Cupboard Or Pantry


Fill a dish with boiling water and drop in a piece of charcoalChewing Gum Removal


Your best bet getting gum off items is to place a piece of ice ( in a plastic bag) and try to harden the gum. You can also put the stained article in the freezer. Use a dull edged object to scrape away as much gum as possible. Any remaining stain can be removed with some cleaning fluid or turpentine

Change a light and save a bundle. ENERGY STAR qualified light bulbs are 75 percent more efficient than incandescent bulbs. Do the same with appliances.

It's best to wait until you have a full load in your dishwasher before using it. This saves water and energy, and reduces the amount of detergent entering the sewerage system.

Keep a container of water in the fridge so that you won't need to run the water down the sink until it's cool enough to drink.

Small tips for home owners, they will assist in the operation of your appliances and lenghten their life span.

Vacuum the condenser coils at the back of your fridge annually.

Replace your furnace filters seasonally.

Polish your natural wood front door. If painted, surface wash it.

Clean the air conditioner grill and register.

Dust and test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors (twice a year).

Replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors (annually).

Self-clean the oven (it only takes a few minutes to set it up).

Re-caulk your windows every 4-5 years..Family members will be able to share the credit.

Run your washer, dryer, and dishwasher only with a full load.

Thaw frozen foods before you need them or use the microwave instead of placing them under running water.

Prevent taps from leaking by turning taps off lightly and replace washers as soon as they begin to leak.

Automatic dishwashers can use up to 40 litres of water per load. By using a dishwasher with at least a 3 star/AAA rating1, you can get this figure down to 18 litres per load and still get the kind of sparkling clean dishes you're used to.

Washing fruit and vegies in a half-filled sink instead of under running water is a great way to cut back on water wastage.