Easy Ways to Winter-Proof Your Home
Winter is coming, and due to the economy and growing environmental awareness, many of us are pretty energy-conscious this year. Nonetheless, the prospect of winter-proofing your home can seem daunting – but there are easy and simple steps you can take to make your home more winter-proof without a complete overhaul. It does not have to be a big, expensive project. Here are some easy ways to keep out the cold out and keep in the heat.
1. Caulk: it’s not just for the bathroom
Caulk is an excellent and inexpensive way to seal air leaks around your home. It can be used in the attic, around non-moving window panes (particularly between the window frame and the wall), in cracks in your home’s siding, around door jambs (where they meet the wall), and even at the base of the siding where it meets the foundation.
2. Install a programmable thermostat
This is a simple way to ensure that your furnace will not be working to heat your home when you don’t need it. It also covers for you in case you leave the house or go to bed and forget to turn down the thermostat.
3. Get your furnace serviced
Keeping your furnace in top working order is important for energy saving. Make sure it is running properly before winter begins to avoid repairs in the winter, when going without central heat while awaiting repairs can be uncomfortable or even dangerous.
4. Put a hat on your home
Insulating your attic is like putting a winter hat on your house. It keeps heat from escaping through the roof – remember, heat rises. While you are focusing on the top of your house, check your gutters and see that they are clean and free of debris, and check your chimney for air leaks. Such leaks can be sealed easily with caulk.
5. Consider storm windows
Interior storm windows are an inexpensive way to keep heat from escaping, and they can be taken down when winter is over. They even come in plastic sheets which are the least expensive option.
6. Insulate your water pipes
One of the concerns with turning the thermostat down is freezing pipes. Pipe insulation, though, is a relatively easy way to ensure against this occurring. Pipe sleeves or tubes made of foam can be purchased at most hardware stores, and are cut so that they fit right over the pipes.
7. Apply weather stripping to doors and windows
Weather stripping is inexpensive and easy to apply – it should be put along the edges of windows and doors, including basement and attic windows and the garage.
8. Weather-proof the front door
You may want to replace your existing front door with a more energy-efficient one, or add a storm door to your current one. The most important thing is to be sure the edges of the door are tightly sealed and square, which may mean a new door and frame are necessary.
Hopefully, these ideas and tips will enable you to enjoy the winter weather without worry.
Making Your Own Non-Toxic Window Cleaner
Window-washing may not seem like a potentially harmful activity (unless you fall off of a ladder). But there are potentially harmful chemicals such as solvents in commercial window cleaners, and each time you use them you are inhaling toxic chemicals, getting them on your skin, and putting them into the environment. Besides, commercial window cleaners rarely deliver the streak-free results they advertise.
Home-made recipes for window cleaners are not new; people had to wash glass windows long before commercial sprays came along. But home-made window cleaner is a novel concept to many in this generation. This is one of those times that looking to the past can solve some of our current dilemmas.
Below are some inexpensive, easy-to-make recipes for effective window cleaners. You probably have some of these ingredients on hand. If not, these products are inexpensive and diluted with water so they last a long time.
1. Vinegar
No list of home-made cleaning products would be complete without some mention of vinegar. A germ killer and grease cutter, white vinegar (not apple cider, balsamic or other “fancy” vinegars) is responsible for those streak-free, clear results we all desire for our windows. You can clean windows with just vinegar and water – 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon vinegar per 2 cups of water (going too heavy on the vinegar may cause fogging). Or, you can combine this ratio with:
2. Liquid soap
To the above vinegar-water solution, add 1/2 teaspoon castile soap or other biodegradable, natural liquid soap. Spray on, wipe with a soft cloth, and use a squeegee to scrape off the remaining cleaner.
Simply using soap and water is an option, too. Mix 1 tablespoon castile soap, which is made from saponified vegetable oils and thus environmentally friendly, with 2 cups of water. Soak a sponge in this soapy water and apply liberally to windows. Use a squeegee to remove the excess and wipe dry with crumpled newspaper or a soft cloth.
3. Club soda
Perhaps you have heard of club soda’s ability to remove stains. It can also be used to wash windows. Combine 1 tablespoon white vinegar per cup of club soda and spray onto windows. Use a soft cloth or crumpled newspaper to get streak-free results.
Note that windows should be cleaned when the sun is not shining on them. If windows are warm and/or in direct sunlight, glass cleaner (home-made or commercial) will be likely to leave streaks or fogginess on the glass.
Ways to Teach Your Kids Where Food Comes From
If you ask a group of children where apples come from, chances are several of them are going to say that apples come from the store. And they do – but only after being grown and harvested. It’s important for children to know where food comes from. Informed choices are the best ones, and the more kids know about what goes into their food, the better equipped they will be to make healthy choices in the future.
But how can you teach your children about the origins of food? Here are some ideas:
* Visit a local farmer
You don’t have to visit the exact farm where your grocery produce comes from (that would probably be impossible anyhow). But visiting a farm of some sort and seeing how familiar foods are grown can be very educational. Some farmers open their land up to customers who want to harvest their own produce – strawberries and apples are popular “pick your own” choices.
* Go to the farmer’s market
When you go to your local market, make a point of talking to the vendors. Most of them love to discuss their gardening and farming experiences. Not only does this help children understand what goes into growing food, but this experience puts a face on food and makes it personal. A child may be more likely to eat food that is connected to an interesting individual, too.
* Start or visit a community garden
Community gardens are a wonderful educational and social experience. They teach personal responsibility and foster a sense of interdependence. Those are key elements to teaching our children with regard to the origins of food – they need to see how weather, people, soil, etc. are connected, and that they are part of that interconnectedness.
* Start or visit a city allotment
City allotments are the urban dweller’s answer to a community garden. Vacant lots in various cities in the U.S. have been plowed up and planted, and have proven to be an excellent teaching tool for inner-city children. Helping to plant, tend, and harvest food gives children an appreciation for it. In our instant-gratification, packaged-for-your-convenience culture, cultivating an appreciation for food is vital.
* Grow your own
Before you think you don’t have enough outdoor space, consider container or window gardening. City dwellers have been known to grow lavish container gardens on the roofs of buildings, and still other urban gardeners use sunny windows and home-made growing containers. Even if you just grow some kitchen herbs like basil and oregano, your child can harvest these and make pesto or flavor spaghetti sauce. It still illustrates a connection between the living plants, the child, and the food on the table. And that’s the ultimate goal.
