Читать книгу Clean as a Whistle - Gloria Oxford - Страница 8

In the beginning, Man sallied forth from his cave with a club, grabbed a female by the hair, and dragged her back to do the cooking, cleaning, breeding and caring. Since then, everything has changed. Even the description of the cave has changed but, regardless of what it is named—house, home, apartment, flat, palace or chateau—one thing remains constant. The cave still needs to be cleaned and cared for.

The first introduction to your place of abode is the surrounding area, and if nothing else, it should be clean, tidy, and look as if someone cares.

The gate should be free of spider webs and dust. Paths should be swept regularly, and the front door clean. If the front door needs painting, don’t delay - paint it.

ALUMINIUM WINDOW FRAMES

To clean aluminium window frames, make a paste with powdered whiting (available at hardware stores) and methylated spirits. Put some of the paste onto a cloth and polish the frames. Buff up with a soft, clean cloth. If the frames have caked-on dirt, use a brush, very hot water and wool wash before applying the whiting paste.

ANIMALS

When cats or dogs exercise their territorial claim by urinating on, in and around doorways, wash the claim away with hot water and a good disinfectant. Let it dry, then spray with one of the commercial deterrents, available from hardware stores and garden supply shops.

ANIMALS ON GARDENS

When animals choose one particular spot to urinate or defecate on the garden, apart from the smell, plants are likely to die. While there are commercial products which certainly act as a deterrent, it might be better to plant Coleus caninus, a small perennial which deters both cats and dogs. Use a bird and animal repellent, available from garden supply shops and some hardware stores. Respray Multicrop after rain or watering.

ANTS – IN THE GARDEN

An old recipe for keeping ants out of the garden is to mix 250 grams (½ lb) salt, with half a litre (1 pint) of water then mix in 5 kilograms (10 lbs) of sawdust or bran and about 10 cups of molasses. It makes a very crumbly mixture to spread around plants and shrubs, and is not dangerous to children and pets.

ANT – REPELLENT

I have had a great deal of success ridding my place of ants with diatomaceous earth. It is sold under different brand names for swimming pool filters. It is a powder and looks a bit messy when spread around but within two days the scurrying lines of ants slow to a crawl and after four days, disappear. They come back of course but with their numbers rapidly diminishing. As with talcum powder, don’t breathe it in.

APHIDS

One of the best ways of keeping the aphid population to a minimum is to plant lots of garlic in the garden. It has the added advantage of producing an extra crop for kitchen use. Garlic chives have the same effect, so two or three clumps of them could also be added to the garden.

An effective natural spray for aphids is made by putting 1 tablespoon Epsom salt and 1 teaspoon Condy’s crystals in a bucket of water and once every two weeks spray a little around the plant. A good idea is to save a pump spray from one of your household cleaners, wash it out, fill with the Condy’s spray and use it to spray around the plants. Alternatively, boil onions in water and when cold, sprinkle the strained water around the plants.

If a plague of aphids attacks washing on the line, a yellow plastic bucket, smeared with lanoline, and hung on the line will turn the aphids from the washing to the bucket. Aphids are attracted to yellow. They stick to the lanoline, making it a simple matter to rinse them away with hot water. Another way to rid the washing of aphids is to put the washing into a heavy green garbage bag, make it airtight and leave for several hours. The aphids suffocate and can easily be shaken from the clothes. Putting the washing into a tumble dryer also rids the clothing of aphids, but contain it in a pillowslip or the tumble dryer will be full of dead insects.

AZALEAS

If azaleas are to be planted in a cement tub, the container needs to be treated before planting. Put 125 grams (⅓ oz) of alum into the tub, then fill the tub with cold water and leave for three days to neutralise the lime in the cement.

BANANA SKINS

Don’t throw the skins away. They are good food for staghorn ferns tucked in at the back of the plant. For potted maidenhair ferns, chop up banana skins and mix with the potting mix.

BEANS TO GROW

Seeds won’t germinate if the ground is too cold, but if you want an early crop, sow them indoors in peat moss then plant out when the weather is warmer. In the springtime the seeds will need to be planted only about 2 cm below the surface, but as the hot sun penetrates the soil in summer, plant the seeds 3 cm down. Beans need plenty of water and fertiliser, and yield more if you keep picking when young and succulent.

BIRDS NESTING

Birds can be nuisances, particularly under the eaves of verandahs. To frighten the birds away from the nesting area, strips of aluminium foil can be tied on string and put up. The strips tinkle together as the birds flutter about. The combination of glittering tinsel and the noise will often scare the birds away. Chinese or Japanese “windsongs” can also be used as bird chasers or spray with a bird repellent. For bird droppings on the car, or other paintwork, get it off quickly, with plenty of hot soapy water. Bird droppings can damage paintwork.

BROOM HANDLE

Don’t throw away that old broom. Remove the head and drive a 7.5 centimetre nail firmly into the end of the handle. Walk around the lawn pushing it into the grass. The holes will not be noticeable and will allow the water to penetrate instead of running off the top.

CANVAS MILDEW

Mildew on canvas should be scrubbed with two cups of salt dissolved in about half a bucket of water. If lemons are available put the juice of five or six lemons into the water with the salt. Moss, mildew and rust can all cause disintegration of the fabric which may not be noticeable until the fibres break, so proceed carefully.

CATS

Keep cats away from favourite plants by splashing a little kerosene or cloudy ammonia on a cloth and leaving it on the garden. Another tip that works well is chilli sauce. Sprinkle it around where cats like to go. One sniff and they’ll quickly go somewhere else. Or, hose the cats with the garden hose; it won’t hurt them but they will go elsewhere. Or, spray with a commercial product, available from nurseries and some hardware stores.

CONCRETE

To prepare concrete tubs for plants that may be allergic to lime, put in about 125 grams (4 oz) of alum and fill the tubs with water. Leave for about three days. Empty the tubs and wash them thoroughly before adding soil to plant azaleas, or other plants that don’t tolerate lime.

Moss on concrete can be slippery and very dangerous. To kill moss, use 30 grams (1 oz) of sulphate of iron (available from hardware stores or nurserymen) to 4½ litres (152 fl oz) of water and scrub with a hard broom. Another way to rid paths of moss is to rub crushed butchers salt into the moss. Leave it until the moss dies then sweep with a stiff broom.

For rust on concrete use spirits of salts (obtainable from hardware shops or pharmacists). Cover the rust with spirits of salts, then with sawdust and leave about 12 hours. Use gloves to avoid burning your hands.

Strange but true! Kitty Litter will clean concrete. Dampen the concrete. Spread the litter, leave overnight then brush with a very hard yard broom.

To remove an oil spill on concrete, buy some chalk powder from a hardware store. The amount needed is dependent upon the size of the oil spill. Mix the chalk to a creamy paste with white spirits, or shellite (naptha). Spread the paste over the oil stain, cover it with plastic and leave for a week before brushing it on to a shovel and discarding it. If there is any residual staining, repeat the process. Finally, scrub the area with very hot water and disinfectent liquid. Use about two tablespoons of disinfectent liquid to a quarter bucket of water.

DOG FLEAS

There are a number of herbs that are said to repel fleas. Fennel can be planted around the dog’s kennel if it is an outdoors dog. If the dog lives indoors, fennel can be rubbed into its coat. Pennyroyal rubbed into the skin of the dog, or used in pets bedding is also said to be a good repellent. Commercial products have been tested by experts who add herbal chemicals in amounts that are unlikely to harm your pets, so do take care to watch your dog’s reaction to the herbs you use. It is a good idea to check any herbal remedy with your vet before using it.

DOG PLANT

Coleus canis is a name used in nurseries for an unpleasant smelling, blue-flowered, succulent herb with a reputation for repelling dogs. The specific epithet canis is a misspelling as the species name should be Coleus caninus.

DOOR SCREENS

Sometimes impurities in the atmosphere eat into the finish of a security door. If the door is painted, repaint it, and once the paint is thoroughly dry, spray it regularly with a good silicone car polish. If the door has a metal finish, use a matching colour like a wax colour, available from car accessory shops. If you don’t want to go to that expense, try a matching shoe polish.

EARWIGS

Earwigs come out at night and an easy way to get rid of them is to use folded newspaper or a cardboard box in the garden. Put the newspaper or box in the garden at night, the earwigs will swarm into the paper for their daily rest. When daylight comes, gather the paper or box and burn it, along with the earwigs. Another method is to put pieces of garden hose, about 20 centimetres long where earwigs gather. They will go into the hose and can be knocked out into the incinerator. Burn immediately or use boiling water to kill the insects.

FENNEL

This herb has an aniseed-type flavour and is ideal with fish, salad and spaghetti sauces.

FERNS

Potted ferns are most attractive indoor plants and are also an effective deterrent to flies. Place a hanging basket, or a pot, containing ferns near the door or window where flies come in. It may not stop a really determined fly, but the timid ones will go elsewhere.

GARDEN FURNITURE

White, plastic garden furniture is best cleaned with very hot water, a scrubbing brush and woollen mix. The plastic will not come back to its former, pristine white because heat, cold, rain and sun all cause changes in the plastic. Yellowing will certainly take place, and sometimes, the plastic will become brittle and crack. After cleaning, a softener should be applied. Any good, cream car polish is suitable. If at all possible, store plastic garden furniture indoors, or at least under cover, during the winter months when it is not in use.

GARDEN SPRAYS

• In a bucket of water, put 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt and 1 teaspoon of Condy’s crystals (obtainable from pharmacists). Use as a garden spray for plants, shrubs and vegetables. This spray is non-toxic.

• Garlic spray. Four hot peppers, four big onions, two bulbs of garlic. Crush the peppers, onions and garlic and cover with water, leave up to 24 hours. Strain, and add water to make up 4 litres (135 fl oz). This spray is non-toxic.

• The leaves of rhubarb can be used as a garden spray for vegetables. Roughly chop the leaves and put them into a large saucepan with enough water to more than cover them. Bring to the boil and keep simmering for about twenty minutes. Strain; allow to cool; then bottle. While this is a natural product, it is still highly toxic so it is important to wash vegetables thoroughly before use and use a non-cooking pot.

LIGHTS

For outdoor parties, try punching holes with a nail in an old fruit tin. Secure a candle in the tin. It gives a very soft light and prevents the candles from being snuffed out in the wind.

MASON BEES

Spread kerosene, or wipe with a kerosene saturated cloth, where mason bees are nesting.

POSSUMS

Use a pesticide for possums, such as a bird and animal repellent, particularly for roses and small plants. Follow the instructions on the packet. For fruit trees, light is an excellent possum deterrent, so why not rig the trees with fairy lights? Turn them on when the fruit begins to form and the possums are looking for a smorgasbord.

Tabasco sauce mixed with a water-glue then daubed over the trunk of the trees will also help to deter the possums.

In addition, spray the trees with lapsang souchong tea. Put 125 grams (4 oz) of tea into a bucket, cover the leaves with half a bucket of boiling water. Let it stand, with a cover to retain the aroma, until it is cold. Strain, and use as a spray. Lapsang souchong tea smells like creosote that is unpalatable to possums. It will be necessary to re-spray after rain.

SANDFLIES

A few dabs of citronella on the skin will help to keep sandflies at bay. If you are bitten, equal quantities of cold tea and methylated spirits will ease the itching almost immediately.

SEEDS

To successfully store seeds, it is important that the seeds reach maturity before they are picked from the plant. Spread the seeds to dry either in the sun or in a warm dry room. When thoroughly dry, dust lightly with a good powder fungicide, before storing. Don’t store in containers where sweating is liable to occur.

SLUGS

To rid the garden of slugs without using chemicals, heat some cabbage leaves in the oven or microwave until soft, then coat the leaves with unsalted butter or clean dripping. Put the leaves in the garden where the slugs gather. Once the leaves are covered with slugs, they can be picked up and destroyed

SNAILS

An old-fashioned method of ridding the garden of snails is to mix lime, soot and bran together in equal quantities and sprinkle around the edges of the beds. Lime mixed with salt will also kill snails, but keep the lime away from azaleas.

UMBRELLA

Use a solution of salt and water to remove mould from a canvas umbrella. Scrub all over the umbrella using a soft brush with a solution of approximately two cups of salt to half a bucket of water. The umbrella should be open and it is best to scrub both sides. Leave open until dry.

VERANDAH – WOOD

Clear timber varnish will cover and weatherproof a timber verandah without altering the colour or grain of the wood. It may need two or even three coats, depending on how much use the verandah will get. Any coating will wear off with time but you should get a fairly long life from timber varnish.

WALLS - STAINED

Wasps, swallows and ivy, all leave discolouration on walls. First, try scrubbing with hot water and wool wash (see recipe). If that is not successful, it may be necessary to resort to liquid sugar soap, following the instructions on the bottle, but use at half strength because you only want to remove the stains. Check a small area first to evaluate the effect on the wall.

WASPS

Wasps nest almost anywhere. Spray at night when the wasps have retired. Cover your head with a scarf or see-through curtain. Spray quickly, then leave the area. Repeat the next night if necessary. Some local councils and government authorities have a wasp eradication program and it is a good idea to check this out first.