APRIL Cleaning Tips

Allergy season and tax time? If it weren’t for Easter, April really would be the cruelest month. Don’t fret. You can shorten the sneezing season by allergy proofing your home. As far as the taxes are concerned, well, I can’t tell you how to pay less, but I can help with things like pencil marks and sweat stains. So turn your attention to Easter and the beauty of the month -- those blue skies that remind us that the best things in life are free.

Spring Fever

The experts say that allergies are reactions to harmless substances that don’t bother most people. Huh! If that’s the case, why do so many people suffer from them? Seasonal allergies are reactions to things like dust particles, animal dander, mold and dust mites. Whatever their cause, allergies can make us sneeze, sniff, cough and generally feel miserable -- but you don’t have to take it lying down.

CAN YOU DO WITHOUT IT?

Many detergents contain petroleum distillates -- a major irritant for allergy sufferers. It freshly laundered clothes make you sneeze or itch, consider changing detergents. Be selective. Look for products marked “dye and perfume free,” and check the label for colors or perfumes -- you’ll want to steer clear of them. People with severe allergies or asthma may benefit from environmentally friendly products. If you or anyone in your family suffers from allergies, you owe it to yourself to shop around.

Dryer fabric softener sheets can exacerbate allergies --- best to do without them. Instead, use ¼ - ½ cup of white vinegar in each wash load.

Allergy sufferers should use pump dispensers rather than aerosol sprays, which can fill the air with minute particles of irritants.

• If you must use hair spray, apply it outside the house so that the fumes won’t linger.
• Look through your cleaning supplies and eliminate those with a strong scent, those loaded with chemicals, and those you’ve had for a long time. Products can undergo changes after time, and irritants can increase.
• Don’t mix chemicals.
• Look for natural cleaning products such as baking soda, lemon juice, club soda, white vinegar, etc.
• Furniture polish can attract dust and dust mites. Best not to use it.
• Stuffed animals are huge dust collectors, so if your children have allergies, it’s best to limit their exposure. Any cloth or fuzzy toy can be a potential allergy problem. If your child is having difficulties with allergies, remove toys one by one to determine those that can be tolerated -- and those that can’t.

Stuffed fabric toys that can’t be washed can still be cleaned. Just place in a plastic bag with some baking soda and salt and shake vigorously a few times a day for several days. This should remove dust, dirt and odor.

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FILTERS: NOT JUST FOR COFFEEMAKERS

• If there’s a filter, clean it!This means vacuums, fans, airs purifiers, etc.
• Change the furnace filter at least once a monthor invest in one that can be washed. Make sure to wash it frequently.
• If your allergies are severe, consider wearing a filtration mask while vacuuming and dusting.

DON’T GET HAULED ON THE CARPET

• Dust and dander cling to carpets, so if you have server allergies you may want to consider hard floors such as wood, laminate, and ceramics. These floors can be washed frequently and will do a lot to keep allergy symptoms at bay.
• If you have server allergies but are unable to remove carpets, apply benzyl benzoate dry foam or 3 percent tannic acid, then vacuum using a cleaner with an effective filter system. Tannic acid breaks down mite allergens, and benzyl benzoate dry foam actually kills mites and helps remove them -- and their waste products -- from carpet.

Avoid placing houseplants directly on carpets and rugs. Moisture in the plant can cause condensation, and that in turn can cause mildew -- a powerful irritant to allergy sufferers.

• Vacuuming can stir up dust mites and their droppings, so don’t vacuum too frequently. Once a week is fine.
• Vacuum hard floors prior to moppingso that you don’t stir up dust.
• Wash all hard floors with a quality cleanercreated with allergy suffers in mind. Look for natural products.
• Damp-mop hard floors with a good quality mopthat can be washed in the washing machine. Try a microfiber mop.
• Change the bag in your vacuum frequently. If you have a vacuum with a collection canister rather than a bag, empty it each time you vacuum.

SOFA, SO GOOD

• Stay away from fuzzy or flocked fabricsthat are difficult to clean. Buy only upholstered pieces that can be cleaned with water.
• Vacuum upholstered pieces weekly.
• Stay clear of furniture with ruffles or fringes. They’re notorious dust-catchers and notoriously difficult to clean.
• When shopping for upholstered furniture, look for pieces without loose pillows. Buy tailored pieces in tightly woven fabrics.

AND SO TO BED

• Sealing your bedroom door with weather-stripping will give you more control over your sleeping environment.
• Keep pets out of your bedroom.
• Something as innocent as wallpaper can cause mildew, so keep walls -- especially bedroom walls -- clear of papers and fabrics.
• Use an air purifier in your bedroom.
• Vacuum your mattress frequently. Invest in a good mattress cover -- one that forms a protective cover but still allows the mattress to breathe.
• Wash all beddingin 130-degree water at least every 10 days. That includes blankets, pillows, comforters, and mattress pads.
• If you can’t wash pillows and comfortersas frequently as you’d like, try placing them in the dryer on air fluff. That will help.
• Keep bedspreads, dust ruffles, decorator pillows, etc., dust free. Better yet, get rid of that dust ruffle.
• Stay away from down and feather pillows. They can aggravate allergies, even if you’re not allergies to them. Use foam pillows encased in hypoallergenic covers that can be zipped shut.

AND DON’T FORGET . . .

• Wash windows and screens frequently.
• Keep the house closed upas much as possible, especially on windy days.
• Plant flowers and treesthat product as little pollen as possible, such as ivy, African violets, and leafy plants such as philodendrons, piggyback plants, creeping pileas, and prayer plants.
• Install an air cleaneron the furnace or invest in a standalone air purifier.
• Don’t keep fresh flowers indoors, no matter how beautiful.
• Keep your fireplace cleanand make sure the damper is closed.
• Use natural lambs wool dusters. The lanolin traps the dust and keeps it from spreading.
• If you don’t like to use lambs wool dusters, use a clean, damp cloth.
• Insects love stagnant water, so don’t allow water to stand in fountains and plant bases.
• Remove dried flower arrangements. These dust catchers are very hard to keep clean.
• Invest in a dehumidifier and maintain it well. Empty it weekly and clean it, too. Wash it with a solution of 1 quart warm water and 2 teaspoons of chlorine bleach. Make sure you wipe down coils, and pay special attention to the container that catches the water.
• Make sure your curtains are made of synthetic fiber.Natural fibers contain more lint and may aggravate allergies.
• Dust mites survive in dampness, so do everything in your power to keep the air dry -- except moving to my house in Arizona!
• Keep coking pots coveredto eliminate steam.
• Use an exhaust fanover the stove when you cook.
• Don’t hang clothesin the house to dry.

The Cat’s Meow

• Brush your pet outsideand often. Try to wash him weekly -- if he’ll let you!
• Allergy sufferers should avoid cleaning litter boxes. If that’s not possible, use a filtration mask and dispose of waste outside, never in a trash can.
• If your pet hates a bath, wipe his coast with a damp microfiber cloth. This will remove loose hair, dander and saliva -- all of which contribute to allergy problems.
• Don’t take your dog for a run in the woods, through the filers or in tall grass where can pick up allergy-causing mold spores, died grass, leaves and pollen. Hmph . . . Dogs!

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Taxing Times

Now that we’ve dealt with allergies, it’s time to deal with those other seasonal irritants -- taxes! Read on to find out how to deal with those stains and other little annoyances that come up at this time. Just think of me as your own personal support group!

No, I’m not going to tell you how to launder money. LOL

First, stock up on aspirin. You can use it to treat underarm stains, as well as that tax-season headache! (What do you mean you’re not sweating?) For underarm stains on tee shirts and other cottons, dissolve 8 to 10 aspirin tablets to 1 cup of warm water, then saturate the underarm area of the garment. Allow to sit for 30 minutes and then launder as usual. If you’re wearing the same tee night after night (hey, no judgements), rub the underarms with a bar of Fels-Naptha® Laundry Soap -- then go change your shirt!

Pencil marks? Just take a nice clean, soft eraser and gently rub the mark away.

If you’re one of those confident types who prepares her taxes in pen, treat ink stains by soaking the garment in milk for several hours before laundering. You can also blot with rubbing alcohol available a office supply stores or Amazon Amodex®.

Paper cut? After disinfecting, secure it with a piece of Scotch® tape. The tape will protect the cut from the air and will also help to ensure that it doesn’t get pulled farther apart. And if it doesn’t get pulled farther apart, it won’t hurt.

If you don’t have any tape on hand, even a dab of super glue will help. Really -- it’s a great little healer. A little dab on the paper cut and no more pain! Is it dangerous? No just don’t use it on deep cuts, and please, don’t glue your fingers together. Uncle Sam will not accept that as an excuse for late filing. You did glue your fingers together? A little acetone polish remover will un-stick you -- fast!

It’s Easter

Now it’s time to turn our attention to something more cuddly than the taxman! I have such fond memories of gatherings around the table to dye Easter eggs with Dad and the Queen Mother. It’s something I love to do and I love to include as many friends and family members as possible. The Queen Mum always insisted on covering the kitchen table with an old plastic tablecloth to prevent those stains from spills (where did you think I got it from?) so that our creations wouldn’t harm the table. Here’s what else you can do:

Place a clean washcloth or potholder in the bottom of the pan and add cool water. Gently place the eggs in the pan, being careful not to overcrowd them. The cushion on the bottom of the pan will help prevent cracks, but if you add a tablespoon of white vinegar you’ll be sure to avoid them altogether. (Vinegar will seal any cracks and help the egg to congeal.) Turn the heat on to medium and bring the eggs to a gentle boil. Continue to boil gently until they are done -- about 20 minutes.

Check your eggs for freshness by placing them in a bowl filled with cold water. Eggs that float to the top are od and should be discarded.

• Keep raw eggs fresh in the refrigeratorby applying a light coat of solid vegetable shortening. The shortening seals the egg, which keeps the air out and helps the egg last longer.
• If you drop a fresh eggduring any of this process, just sprinkle it with a heavy layer of salt, wait several minutes then wipe up with a dry paper towel. The salt will “cook” the egg so that it its easy to remove. A turkey baster also works well.
• Prepare for coloringby putting out several glasses of hot water (plastic will stain). Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to each cup. The acid in the vinegar will help the dye adhere to the eggs.
• You can use natural things to make great Easter egg dyes. Mustard and turmeric create a wonderful yellow shade, coffee and tea turn eggs tan to brown, red onions skins soaked in water create a purple dye, hot cranberry and cherry juice make vivid reds, and heated orange pop gives you orange! Use your imagination and create additional colors or mixtures.
• Remember: If you plunge hard-boiled eggs into cold water as soon as they are cooked, you won’t be bothered with that gray ring on the inside of the egg white.
• Need to know which eggs are boiled and which are raw?Just give them a spin on the counter. A hard-boiled egg will spin easily, whereas a raw egg will wobble.
• IMPORTANT:If you are going to allow your colored Easter eggs to sit out in baskets, don’t eat them. Eggs spoil rapidly at room temperature and can cause anyone who eats them to become very sick.