ARTICLES LIBRARY | EASY HOME MAINTENANCE

• To protect your windows over the years, remove the winter muck and summer grime on a regular basis. Heat and high altitude work against you by cooking dust, dirt and mud into windows, leaving them cloudy, with permanent streaks, rough patches and pits.
  
  
• Calling that unit a garbage disposal is misleading. Refer to it as “really-tiny-bits-of-leftover-food disposal unit.” Home garbage disposals, due to size, tend to become jammed when “normal” portions of food are put down the disposal. Scrape off plates and put that food in the regular trash.
  
  
• Clean your carpets on a regular basis. Chemicals tracked in from the road, pollen, sand and mud from our famous mud season, can shorten the life of your carpet. Apply Scotch Guard™ to help repel dirt.
  
  
• Wood decks need to be properly treated to help them survive the rough elements of mountain living. Depending on the type of stain you use, decks need to be stained every two to three years. Prior to staining, it helps to power wash to remove all the dirt. An alternative to wood is a recycled plastic that has a long life span, needs little maintenance and is long-lasting for the mountains.
  
  
• How often should your chimney be cleaned? Usually a cleaning is needed for every cord of wood burned. The National Fire Protection Agency recommends a yearly inspection and cleaning for fireplaces, freestanding wood stoves and fireplace inserts used to heat the home. Treated wood should never be burned in open fires, stoves, fireplaces or residential boilers.
  
  
• Clean dryer vents at least once a year. A clean dryer vent can save you money on electricity or gas costs by allowing the dryer to move the proper amount of air through the system. Cleaning the dryer vent can also lower the possibility of a fire in your house or, in the case of a gas dryer, can prevent dangerous carbon monoxide gas from entering the house.
  
  
• Furnace filters need to be replaced or cleaned at least two to three times a year, depending on the filter type and exposure to excessive dirt or animal hair. Pleated or foam filters are the best.
  
  

There are many high-tech ways of cleaning things, but here are a couple of good old-fashioned tips using natural products you probably already have.

• For a clogged drain, pour a handful of baking soda and half a cup of white vinegar down the drainpipe and cover tightly for one minute. The chemical reaction between the two will cause pressure in the drain and clear it out. Rinse with hot water, repeat if needed. (Your septic system will love that you didn’t use a harsh chemical!)
  
  
• Vinegar has many uses around the house. To clean a microwave and get rid of cooking odors in one step, fill a small microwavable container with white vinegar and place it in the center of the microwave. Run the microwave on high until the vinegar boils. Let the boiling vinegar sit in the oven for a few minutes and then use it to wipe out the oven. Vinegar dissolves mineral deposits from grease, removes traces of soap or wax buildup, deodorizes and cleans brick or stone. Running your jetted bath with vinegar will remove buildup in the jets. Vinegar is usually used in a solution with water but can be used straight.