OCTOBER Cleaning Tips

The days are getting shorter. The nights are getting longer. And that nip in the air tells us without a doubt that the seasons are changing. I hate to be the one to mention this, but it’s time to get ready for the colder months. So let’s store our summer clothes and soon-to-be out-of-season sports and gardening equipment. Then let’s move inside and turn out thoughts to brighter things, like lighting fixtures. Once we’ve done that, we can get dressed up in costumes and scare the living daylights out of the neighbors. What else is Halloween for?

Storing Summer Clothes

Summer is finally over and now it’s time to store your warm weather clothes. Try to avoid the temptation to just push them to one side of your closet. You’ll feel better organized all year long if you make the effort to adjust your closet to the seasons. You won’t have to many items to sift through when looking for something to wear, and your clothes are less likely to become wrinkled in the crush.

Clothes should be washed before storage; otherwise, stains will have a nice long time to set, and you’ll never get them out. It’s best to have everything laundered (or dry-cleaned, as the case may be), even if they seem to be clean. Some stains are hard to detect and only materialize over time, like a rash. Best to tackle them right away.

Another good reason to launder clothes before storing them? Moths are attracted to your scent.

Try to avoid using fabric softener on clothes you’re about to store. Fabric softener can leave grease spots, which can attract undesirables and weaken fibers. Best to forego the softener, or use a vinegar rinse

For surprise spots on washable clothes, try using ½ cup of hydrogen peroxide and 1 teaspoon of ammonia. Then launder.

Make sure that swimsuits are washed before storing them. Chlorine residue can damage fibers and may give you a nasty shock when you head to the beach next year. It’s best to wash swimsuits using your machine’s gentle cycle and cold water along with your favorite laundry detergent. (If you have been swimming in salt water, soak the suit in cold water for 15 minutes before washing.) If you hand wash your suit, make sure to rinse well to get rid of all detergent. Air-dry your suit out of the sun. Don’t put it in the dryer. Heat can break down the elastic and spandex that keeps the shape of your swimsuit.

Don’t forget to protect your natural fibers from those natural predators: moths. Mothballs work well, although some people find the odor offensive. Cedar chips are also reliable. Just insert a handful into the container with your clothes. Perhaps the best deterrent, though, is this lovely homemade citrus remedy: Take some oranges, grapefruit, lemons or limes, remove the peels and cut them into thin strips. Place the strips on a cookie sheet (making sure it’s clean) and leave in a warm place to dry. You can also speed the drying process by placing the tray in a 300-degree oven. Preheat the oven, then turn it off before putting in your citrus tray. Prolonged heat will burn the peels. Once the peels are dry and cool, put them into clothes pockets, storage drawers or boxes. No nasty smells, and no damage from moths, either.

Suitcases come in handy for storing seasonal clothes, but I like under-the-bed storage boxes best. Choose between cardboard or plastic, whichever suits your space and budget. I like the transparent plastic boxes because they allow me to see at a glance what’s inside. Nevertheless, I also tape a list of the contents to the top of the box so I can get things in a hurry, if need be. (I am an organized Queen!)

Don’t store clothes in plastic dry cleaner bags. They can cause yellowing.

Be creative as to where you store boxes. Under-the-bed storage boxes don’t have to go under the bed. Look at the unused space in the children’s closet, for example. And who says that the linen closet is strictly for linens? Just be careful of storing clothes in the basement, attic, or other places where mold and mildew can damage clothes.

Give some thought as you want to pack the boxes before you start the process. Use separate storage receptacles for each person, try not to overstuff boxes, and be sure to group types of clothes together. You’ll be glad you did when, next summer, you find how easy it is to unpack boxes that have already been organized with care.

Bring the Outdoors In

Now that summer is drawing to a close, it’s time to take a few steps to make sure that your tools and summer gear are safe and dry for the winter ahead. A word of caution: If you store your seasonal equipment in the garage (and most of us do), don’t forget to leave room for your car!

• Lawn chairs and summer gear can be suspended from the ceiling of your garage with sturdy hooks.
• Open rafters make great storage space, too. Secure items there with bungee cords.
• Don’t overlook the simple solutions. A shopping bag hung on a nail can be great for storing the small and medium-sized balls.
• An inexpensive string hammock, the type you might use to display a child’s collection of stuffed animals, makes a great home for soccer balls and other large items.
• Pegboards are endlessly versatile. Use them to hold hand tools and other small equipment. There’s a reason they’ve stood the test of time!
• Sand doesn’t freeze, so store your small gardening tools in the same container of sand that you’ve been using all summer.
• Garden hoses can crack and split in severely cold weather, so store them inside. Just make sure they’re empty first. Pockets of water can collect and freeze in cold weather, and that can result in a tear.
• Take steps to ensure that your lawn mower will start in the spring. Old, unleaded fuel can solidify over winter and that will clog up the working on your mower. Empty the gas tank and then run the mower till it stops. Only then should you store it for the winter.

Let There Be Light

Now that it’s too cold for outdoor lanterns and citronella candles, let’s turn our attention to indoor lighting, namely, the main light in your dining area. It may not be the chandelier from The Phantom of the Opera, but the light over your dining room table is still important. Keep it clean and sparkling -- it will reflect well on you.

Use a pre-moistened alcohol wipe to quickly shine chandelier crystals for no drips and lots of sparkle!

Chandeliers have a reputation of being difficult to clean, but it doesn’t have to be that way. First, turn off the light and give the bulbs a chance to cool down -- don’t stare until they’re cool to the touch. Place a small, plastic snack bag over each bulb and secure with a twist to tie to prevent moisture from seeping into the socket. Next, position a table directly under the chandelier, covering it with a sturdy plastic table cover and a good layer of old rags (towels work well). This will five you a work base and will also catch the cleaning solution as it drips off the chandelier.

Now for the cleaning solution: Make a mixture of 2 cups of warm water, ½ cup of rubbing alcohol and 2 tablespoons of an automatic dishwasher spot stopper, such as Jet Dry™. Pour the solution into a spray bottle -- you can pick them up quite cheaply at the dollar store -- then spray the chandelier liberally. Allow it to drip-dry. Pour the leftover solution in a cup and you can use it to hand-dip the crystal teardrops or other decorative hanging pieces. No need to remove them from the chandelier; just dip them and let them drip-dry. The chandelier will be sparkling.

I hate when it that happens . . .

If a lightbulb breaks off in the socket, just grab a bar of soap and push it into it the jagged edges. Turn the soap counterclockwise and presto! You’ve safely removed the broken bulb!

But wait: You’re not finished -- not until you clean the bulbs themselves. Lightbulbs collet dust and that prevents the beauty of the light from shining through. Make sure that the bulbs have had a chance to cool down, then wipe them with a soft, dry cloth. Don’t apply much pressure to the bulb -- it may break.

Of course not all overhead lights are chandeliers. You may have traditional fixtures with a flat base attached to the ceiling. You may have track lighting or lights connected to fan. The glass may be clear, frosted or colored. No matter, it still needs to be cleaned. Remove fixtures carefully. If the light is hard to reach, make sure you use a step stool or ladder to remove it -- easier on you, and easier on the light. Keep one hand firmly on or under the fixture while you undo the screws or brackets that hold the fixture to the ceiling, and remove with great care. You don’t want to chip the edges.

Now, place an old towel in the bottom of your sink. That should prevent the fixture from hitting the hard bottom and breaking or cracking. Fill the sink with warm water and a little bit of dishwashing liquid. Wash the fixture gently, then remove it from the water and sit it safely to one side on another towel. Empty the sink, then fill it up again with warm water, this time adding ¼ cup of white vinegar. You’ll need to put another towel in the water, too. Place the fixture in the sink one last time and leave I there for a minute or so before removing. Gently remove excess moisture with a soft, lint-free cloth, then allow to air-dry thoroughly. Use this dry-time to gently wipe down any metal components with a damp cloth. Buff well with a dry one, and wipe down the lightbulb(s) with a soft cloth. Be sure the fixture is shut off and the bulb and metal are cool. Now you can put the fixture back in place and let the light shine through!

Trick or Treat

Okay, the chores are done and now it’s time for fun. And because it’s October, that can mean only one thing -- Halloween!

THE TREAT

• Makeup is much safer for children than masks, which can obscure their vision.
• Remove glitter makeup and heavy dark makeup from kids’ faces with petroleum jelly. Gently work in the jelly (use care with glitter makeup not to get it into the eye area), then tissue away the makeup. Wash face well when done.
• Make sure to leave plenty of room for your child’s clothes under the costume. And make sure the costume isn’t trailing on the ground. You don’t want your child to trip!
• Make sure to check your children’s candy before you let them eat it. If little ones are impatient, give them a piece of the candy you bought until you’ve had time to check the bounty.
• Put some reflective tape on costumers and shoes so that your child will be visible. Consider making a cute flashlight part of the costume.
• Did you color your hair green for Halloween only to discover that the color won’t come out? Don’t give up hope. Reach for the baking soda, liquid dish soap and shampoo. Make a paste the consistency of thick shampoo, work it well into your hair -- concentrate on your hair, not your scalp -- then rinse thoroughly. No more green!

THE TRICK

Sometimes those little pirates and princesses come home with a lot more than candy. Here’s how to treat those muddy problems.

• When mud gets tracked onto your carpet, don’t try to clean it up right away. Cover the wet mud with baking soda; that will absorb the moisture from the mud. Once the mess is dry, vacuum, using only the hose. A beater bar will grind the mud into the carpet, but a hose will concentrate the suction on the muddy area. Finish off with your favorite carpet cleaner.
• Wet mud on your clothes can be treated by flushing the wrong side of the fabric with lots of cool water. Hold the garment under a faucet and direct a forceful stream of water at the clean side of the garment. (Flushing the dirty side with water will only grind the mud into the fabric.) Once the water runs clear, work some Fels-Naptha Heavy Duty Laundry Bar Soap® into the area and launder as usual.
• Muddy shoes should be allowed to dry, then vigorously brushed with a shoe brush. Use fast, downward strokes rather than circular motions, which could grind the mud into the shoes, clean with a bar of soap (Dove® Moisturizing Bath Bar works well) and a soft cloth. Canvas or athletic shoes should be cleaned using Fels-Naptha Soap® and a nailbrush.
• Mud on car upholstery, whether fabric or leather, should be allowed to dry before treating. Use the attachment hose on your vacuum to remove all the mud you can. For fabric upholstery, use your favorite carpet and upholstery cleaner (I like Spot Shot Instant Carpet Stain Remover®), following the directions on the container. On leather, wash the area using a moisturizing bar soap, such as Dove® and wipe with a clean soft cloth.

The Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkins decay and mold quickly, so make sure to put something under your pumpkins, such as a couple of paper plates or a plastic tablecloth. You don’t want to have a black stain as a reminder of the holiday.

If you already have a black stain you may be able to remove it with one of the following remedies.

For pumpkin mold on a porch or concrete, try cleaning the area with oven cleaner. Spray the area with the cleaner and allow to sit 10 minutes, then agitate with a brush and rinse well. Do this on a cool day, and make sure to keep kids and pets away.

For wooden tabletops, use a little non-gel toothpaste on a damp cloth and rub in a circular motion. You can also try some 0000 steel wool dipped into turpentine. Do this in a very small inconspicuous spot first. Apply some lemon oil to the area when you are done, let it soak in and buff with a soft cloth. You can avoid that stain altogether by making pumpkin pie out of that pumpkin.

Let’s Dish!

Dad’s Favorite Pumpkin Pie

2 cups canned pumpkin

1 can evaporated milk and ½ cup regular milk to equal 2 cups

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, well beaten

½ teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ to ¾ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

1 deep 8- or 9-inch pie shell

Using a mixer, combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Pour into a pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then turn down temperature to 350 degrees and bake until a knife pushed into the center of the pie filling comes out clean, approximately 30 minutes. Serve with whipped cream or nondairy topping.