Tips for Your Home

Worried about that fateful day when you will be stopped by a policeman and given a ticket because your tail light is burnt out? Want to know an easy way to prevent the problem forever? Are deer a problem where you live? Want to know how folks all over the country are ridding themselves of these beautiful but pesky, flower-devouring creatures? Want to learn how you can keep cold air from entering your house through your fireplace this winter? Solutions to these problems and more can be found just ahead – and the cost is – On The House!

Got A Messy Power Strip?

If you have a home-office or an at-home student then, more than likely, you have a power strip sitting on the floor covered with an array of messy cords. A great way to clean that mess up is to attach the power strip on the underside of the desk structure. The task is easy because plug strips come with keyhole shaped screw slots that make mounting possible. However, if you aren’t real good with a measuring tape the prospect of hanging the plug strip can prove to be disheartening. Here’s a simple procedure that will make the job easy:

• First get a piece of paper and a pencil.
• Next, use the pencil to rub the position of the keyhole screw slots onto the paper – a pencil rubbing.
• Next, use the tracing to transfer the exact screw locations onto your desk.
• Then, use the rubbing as a pattern to locate the position of, and install, the mounting screws.
• Now all you have to do is use the plug strip. Was that easy or what!

Upside-down Tomatoes!?!

Don’t you hate it when you’re trying to grow tomatoes and half of them end up growing in the soil and getting dirty and discolored? It doesn’t have to be that way you know. You may want to try growing your next tomato plant in the air and upside-down instead. Here is all that you have to do:

• First you will need to find a pot with a hole large enough for the tomato root to fit through. Either that or you will have to drill the needed port.
• The pot will then have to be hung about 5-feet above ground (on a fence or wall).
• With the tomato roots relatively bare and holding the plant upside-down place the roots through the hole in the bottom of the pot. At this point someone will have to gently spread the roots around the inside of the pot and begin covering them with potting soil. The newly added dirt will hold the plant in place as it hangs downward from the pot.
• Water the pot as usual and watch your ripe, red fruit bear in mid air and free of dirt and other imperfections associated with ground contact.

No More Burnt Tail Light Tickets

Drive more safely without worrying about whether your taillight (or brakelight) is working. All you need is your garage door and some tin foil:

• First, staple or tape a piece of tin foil onto you garage door behind each tail light.
• The foil should slightly extend beyond the side of the vehicle.
• Prior to raising the garage door, and before starting the engine, turn the ignition key on and check tail lights, brake lights and turn signals by using the rear-view mirror to check to see what’s working and what’s not.

By the way the same procedure can be used to check the front lights. If you really want to get fancy you can use glass or plastic mirror tiles or sheets of polished metal. When it comes to safety the sky’s the limit.

A Deer Deterrent That Works

We have several friends who like us love deer, but have difficulty with all of the damage that these beautiful creatures can cause to landscape and gardens. Recently, it has been discovered that hanging a piece of bar-soap from a string will do the trick every time. Naturally, you will want to hang the soap between where the deer live and you favorite foliage. One taste of this meal and they are sure to decide on a different restaurant.

Make Your Fireplace Completely Energy Efficient

If you felt cold air coming into the house through your fireplace last winter and couldn’t figure out why then you may want to study the mechanics of a fireplace damper a bit more closely. They are made of metal, have no weather-stripping and as the fireplace gets used they can warp and rust to the point where they simply don’t close tightly. So, if a leak (at the fireplace) is in your life, then you may want to look into a “chimney pillow”. The chimney pillow is like a beach ball or an air mattress and it is really easy to use. Here’s all you have to do:

• Place the chimney pillow into the fireplace flue just above the damper.
• Inflate it by using a hand pump or by mouth.
• Finally, just close the “tap” on the fill hose.

From this point on the chimney pillow will keep hot air in and freezing cold air out. A label or some kind of reminder should be placed on the hearth or in the firebox reminding you to remove your chimney pillow before starting a fire. By the way, deflation takes about a minute or so and no tools are required. And, that’s all there is to it.

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