How to get your yard in super shape after the long winter

Spring cleaning moves outdoors when the weather gets better, and that means it's time to tidy up your landscape. Here are some tips to get you started. The rest is up to you.

Just a general yard pickup is a super way to get started. You can make a paper picker-upper like the pros use from a broom handle or another wooden stick. Just drive a nail partway into the bottom, then cut the head off. Now you have a pointed object to use to stab paper garbage and pick it up.

Trimming grass, weeds and ground cover is another way to give your landscape a fresh look. Use whatever works best for you. Some people prefer gas-powered equipment; others choose electrical; and your third option is rechargeable battery-powered equipment. The last two options usually require less maintenance and don't use gas and oil, which can be preferable today. If you use gas-powered equipment, an annual tuneup is a good idea in order to keep things running cleanly and efficiently. Replace filters and blades for clean cuts.

Sharpen and lubricate all other tools, and they will work more efficiently.

Take care of yard decor. Clean decks, furniture, birdbaths and other landscape items. Make any needed repairs, then touch up paint or stain.

Clean driveways and walkways. A power washer is a great tool for this, but your home center will have great cleaners that you can use with a regular broom and garden hose. Just get the surfaces clean. Then apply a water seal to seal out rain and other moisture.

Clean the outside of your home if you haven't already done this. Touch up paint on trim wherever it needs it.

Finishing touches are the last step. Add new house numbers, and maybe a nice, big flag.

All of these things are fairly simple to do and won't cost a lot of money. They surely will give your home a fresh, clean look that you can be proud of.

Mix and roll concrete: Mixing concrete for smaller repairs is easy enough, but we have a way to make it even easier and less messy. Mix your concrete and water in a plastic bucket that has a tightfitting lid.

With everything inside the bucket and the lid in place, just roll it around on the ground or in your arms to mix the ingredients inside. Once you are sure it's thoroughly mixed, just remove the lid and pour or trowel it into the area where it will be used. All you need to do afterward is rinse the bucket and your tools, and that's it! An easy and neat way to mix concrete.

Waxing your panes: Painting window trim can be a real "pane!" All that masking can take forever, but we have a faster, easier way. Just use a waxy, roll-on lip balm. Place it on the glass right up next to the trim work and wax a line around the edge of the glass. Now if you slop, it will be on the wax and not on the glass. A little window cleaner and a rag will remove the wax when the painting is done.

Super hints

• If you are like me, I usually have small amounts of assorted hardware items to store. I have found that spice racks are great storage devices for smaller amounts of hardware. You can put a little bit of hardware in each jar and mount the rack right on your shop wall, where the items are easy to see and get to when you need them.

• One of the easiest ways to remove old stickers is with WD-40. Just spray it on and give it a few minutes to work. You can use it on any surface that won't absorb it. Just clean it afterward with soap and water.

• To protect trees and shrubs from careless weed-whacking, cut small sections of flexible plastic pipe, open them down the side and slip them around the trunks at the base to prevent damage.

Q. I have noticed that my kitchen sink is starting to drain really slowly. I have used the plumbing snake on it, and Drano also. It seems better but still runs too slow for me. What else can I try?

A. Try using the snake at your main clean-out plug on the house. Perhaps the clog isn't close to the kitchen sink. You also should use that snake on your roof vent to make sure the air vent serving your kitchen drain isn't clogged.

Q. My shutters seem to be fading onto the house bricks. The shutters are light blue, and the bricks are red. The paint seems to be running down the brick walls. How can I stop this, and what should I use to clean the bricks with?

A. A lot of exterior paints will "chalk" as they age. This is a built-in cleaning feature. Supposedly, dirt will wash off with this chalk. However, you are seeing another result of this process. We suggest using TSP (trisodium phosphate) to clean the bricks. When you are ready to repaint the shutters, prime them and use a nonchalking exterior paint.

Q. I was going to replace my front door mat, but when I lifted it up, I found a black stain on the concrete porch. I have tried soap and water and a scrub brush, but still have some dark stains. I know I can just cover it up with another mat, but I would like to see if I can get rid of the stains first. How can I get rid of this stain?

A. It's probably just mold and mildew from excess moisture that collected under the mat over time. Mix a batch of half water and half laundry bleach, and scrub the stain away. If it's really stubborn, you may have to repeat this or use bleach straight out of the bottle. Once you let the surface dry, you should consider applying a water seal to the surface to prevent moisture from being absorbed into the concrete. This will help prevent another occurrence.

Reader tips

• I love to try to fix things around the house. I'm not a super handyman like you, but I do my best. When I give up and get ready to toss a nonworking appliance, I try to take it apart and save some of the assorted screws, nuts, bolts and other items. They go into my "miscellaneous parts" holder. I always need an odd screw or part that I will find in there. It saves me money on these odds and ends - sometimes enough to pay for that new appliance.

• Every year, our outdoor air-conditioning compressor gets so hot that you can't touch it. I know it's supposed to be OK for it to be outdoors and hot, but I figure it has to work a lot harder in this heat, which can't be good for it. I built a small shade that shields it from the hot summer sun. It sits well above the unit so that the airflow isn't inhibited, but it does shade the unit from the sun. I will be anxious to see if it has a positive effect during the summer. I will let you know.

• Our shower head had clogged up and was not working very well at all. I tried to take it off the pipe but couldn't get it to budge. I was afraid to put too much pressure on it, so I tied a plastic bag around the shower head and filled it with vinegar. The shower head was soaking in the vinegar, and I left it in place while I was at work. I took it off and ran some water through it when I got home. It's like a brand-new faucet again, and it was a lot easier than I thought.

• We have to plug our microwave into a receptacle that is too far away, and so we have used an extension cord to hook it up for the past year. I finally got tired of having the extension cord and that connection stretched across my countertop, and replaced it. The original cord was only about 4 feet long. I removed the cord and bought another heavy-duty cord the right size, and it is 6 feet long. Now I can plug it in without the connection that used to sit on my countertop. It looks better, and I don't have to worry about that connection getting in the way or getting wet.

• My daughter is in school now, and they had firefighters come talk to them last week. She came home and asked me where our fire extinguisher was. That's when I realized we didn't have one - never have. So I took her with me to the home center, and we bought two. One is in the kitchen, and the other is in the garage. It's great that they teach our kids about these things so they can remind us to be safe!

Shoptalk

• A screen door will allow you to get fresh air into your home without spending a lot of money. The Retractable Screen Door from ODL is a super way to do this with style and ease. The screen is easy to install in about an hour, operates smoothly and the magnetic catch gives you a secure closure. It comes in a variety of colors, sizes - including a double-door version - and even can be customized for your home. To see it, find a local dealer or get more information, visit the company's Web site at odl.com or call (800) ODL-4YOU.

• Crafting isn't just for kids. "Man Crafts: Leather Tooling, Fly Tying, Ax Whittling, and Other Cool Things To Do," from the editors of Popular Mechanics, is a book containing a series of "crafts" for men. It contains information from Popular Mechanics pamphlets produced years ago to entertain soldiers coming back home from the war for both hobbies and job-skill training. Some of the age-old "crafts" are still fun today. the book features the original artwork, so a guy can learn how to do all of these fun hobbies and many more. So, whether you have a real workbench or just a decent coffee table, you can have fun the old-fashioned way - just like your dad and granddad did. This book would make a super Father's Day gift and will be available in May at bookstores in your city or online at sterlingpublishing.com.

• Write to Al and Kelly Carrell in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006.

© 2009, Cowles Syndicate Inc.