Homemade Christmas tree preservative keeps your evergreen fresh
It's hard to believe it's time for the holidays again! This year, “green” means a fresh tree or, that is, a tree grown as a cash crop, either cut for use during the Christmas season or potted and transplanted in the yard after the holidays.
If you like the traditional pre-cut tree, here are some tips to picking the perfect specimen. Make sure it's actually fresh. Look for supple branches that bend when you press down on them. Also look for loose needles. A lot of loose needles mean a not-so-fresh tree.
When you get your fresh tree home, cut the bottom inch of the trunk off so that, when you put it in water, it will soak up the liquid and keep the tree from drying out. Go ahead and get it into the water or tree preservative (recipe below) as soon as possible, even if you are just setting it in the garage or on the back porch.
If you choose a tree that is “alive” and growing in a pot, make sure you keep it in a cool area indoors might be too hot, but outdoors might be too cold. Keep it watered, especially when indoors, as it can dry out quickly. Consider decorating it outside or bring it inside and decorate on Christmas Eve.
No matter what type of tree you choose, keep it away from your heating vents. It will dry out very quickly then, no matter how much water is at the base.
Never leave the lights on when you are not at home. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher in the home not just for the tree, but for all of those candles and other things that are associated with the holidays.
For those who want to make our homemade Christmas tree preservative, here goes; you'll need the following items:
• 1 gallon of warm water
• 4 tablespoons of horticultural iron powder
• 4 teaspoons of liquid laundry bleach
• 2 cups of clear corn syrup
Mix this up and use it instead of water around your cut tree base. It will feed and preserve the tree and, hopefully help it last until you are ready to take it down.
“Fishing” for lost items
No matter how careful we are, things get dropped or kicked or, by some other means, find their way behind an appliance, workbench or in some other hard to reach area. Then what? We found a great tool for retrieving metal doodads. It has a magnetic tip on it and is perfect for fishing out these items. But, for what it costs, you could replace those items! Why not make one from an old TV antenna with a magnet attached to the end. Or you could just tie a magnet onto a string and “fish” the item out. You also could use a yardstick or a hanger that has been straightened out. So do a little fishing in your spare time and see what you can catch!
Painting around obstacles
Some people can move furniture all day. We aren't those people, so when we run into an obstacle while painting, we have come up with a great idea. You can tape a paint pad onto the end of a yardstick and get the paint on the wall with that. It's a great way to paint behind a radiator, toilet or some other hard-to-move item. Give it a try if you aren't into bodybuilding or don't have a posse to help you do the job of moving things around.
Super hints
• It's best to caulk outdoors when the weather is nice, but when you wait too long or find a spot you missed, you still can take care of it. Just warm the tube of caulk with a hair dryer or heating pad and then apply it.
• The holidays are a great time for decorating. They also are a great time to stock up on outdoor lights for the rest of the year. We use the twinkle lights on some of our plants in the backyard year-round. The problem is that they are usually only for sale during the holiday season. If you don't buy them and the replacement bulbs now, you won't be able to find them the rest of the year. So stock up now, while you can. Better yet, wait until they go on sale a few days after the holidays, and save even more loot!
• If you use ceiling fans to circulate the air in your home, remember to reverse them during the wintertime. This will pull the hot air off the ceiling and push it back down into the room for extra warmth.
Q, I want to remove the brick facade from my kitchen wall. It was put up years ago and is the thin-type brick veneer, not real bricks. How do I remove it? If I can't remove it, can I just paint it?
A. Pulling down the old bricks, even though they are thin, might be rather difficult. You probably will need to chisel them off, and the wall behind it will need to be replaced or covered with new drywall. If you paint it, you probably can clean it, use primer and then paint over them. A third option might be to cover the old brick facade with a new brick or stone facade.
Q. My new roof is a lighter color than the old one. Now I am seeing some dark smoke stains on the roof from the fireplace. What can I do to clean the roof and prevent more stains?
A. Check your chimney to make sure you have proper draw. You also should burn only “seasoned” wood. That's really all you can do to avoid the smoke stains.
Q. How difficult is it to replace a chrome drain in a bathroom sink?
A. It shouldn't be that hard. You just need to loosen any locknuts from the bottom side of the sink and pry it up. Be careful not to chip the sink in the process. Then clean the hole, apply a bead of plumber's putty and push the new drain piece into place.
Reader tips
• This might sound crazy, but it really works. I keep a little powdered soap in my nail pouch when I'm working. I prefer to use a hammer for nailing rather than a nail gun, and this soap trick acts as a lubricant for the nails. They go in easier and rarely split or damage the wood. I started doing this when I worked with my dad years ago, but still do it because it works so well. You ought to try it and see for yourself what the difference is.
• I love your list of uses for petroleum jelly. I have one for you. I have noticed that sometimes an electric plug will be hard to insert into the wall. I have found that if I put a dab of petroleum jelly on it and push it into the receptacle a few times, it works a lot better and it doesn't get stuck anymore.
• I thought I was doing well when I moved my large palm tree indoors so it wouldn't freeze. Then I watered it. It leaked all over the tile floor. I was glad it was on tile, but it still made a big mess. I threw the newspaper down on top of the water, and it soaked up the whole thing. In just a little time, I was able to pick it up, along with all of the mess, and throw it away. I barely had anything else to clean up.
• I try to save money on the yard wherever I can. I take the time during the winter months to create more plants. I harvest the seeds, dry them and store them in plastic sandwich bags for next spring. I also take cuttings and get them ready for starting new plants. Before the last frost, I start the cuttings and seeds indoors, and they are ready to go outside as soon as it warms up. I've saved a bundle doing this for the past few years and have made some great plant-trading friends in my neighborhood.
• I've gone back to the old standards of cleaning. I use lemon juice, baking soda and salt for most of the cleaning around my house. Lemon juice is great for bleaching and removing grease, and the baking soda and salt are pretty good abrasives to use with it. You should give it a try. It is also a lot less expensive than the prepared, store-bought stuff.
Shop talk
• The RotoZip RFS1000 is a super cutoff saw that can handle a ton of odd jobs around the workshop. It easily cuts through copper pipe, drywall, floor tile, wood, laminate, plastic, plywood and even granite. You'll get a smooth, clean edge that usually doesn't require any finishing. A special universal wheel flange makes it compatible with all RotoZip cutting and grinding wheels, as well as standard 4-inch cutoff wheels. It has a built-in dust collector, and the lightweight body is easy to grip and control. You may even get rid of the old, heavy circular saw you've had for years. To find out more about RotoZip Saws, visit the website www.rotozip.com, and see what there is to offer. You also can contact the company by phone at (877) ROTOZIP.
• Skil has been making our favorite tools for the home for many years. The latest 2-in-1 Cordless Screwdriver and Flashlight is a must-have for every home toolbox. One end houses a screwdriver, while the other end is a flashlight. The flashlight uses an LED bulb, so it will last a long time. The cordless screwdriver has a magnetic bit holder, a built-in site light, a rubberized hand grip and a standard forward and reverse switch, as well as a couple of starter bits. It charges fully in three to six hours and runs quite a while on a charge. It's small enough to fit in your glove box, gadget drawer or your toolbox. To find out more, go to www.skiltools.com and check out the new products.
We here at the Carrell Communications want to wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas, and we look forward to another Happy New Year.
• Write to Al and Kelly Carrell in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006, or visit the Carrells' website at thesuperhandyman.com.