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Home - This Month's Feature
Home - This Month's Feature
Home/Outdoor Plants/Yard
•Change your home's furnace filter at the beginning of the fall season to save money. Filthy old furnace filters can block air flow and force the blower to work harder to pull air that's needed to move the heat throughout your home. A fresh, clean furnace filter allows the air to move through freely. You should check your filter at least once a month and change it every three or four months. To test for replacement: If you hold the filter up to a light and can't see much light passing through it, it is time for a filter change.
•Check all weather stripping in your home before cold weather hits and replace if worn or damaged. Cold air seeping in will make your heating costs sky-rocket. For a few dollars of prevention, the savings is significant.
•When shoveling snow, spray nonstick vegetable spray on the snow shovel and the snow will slide off it easily. Be sure to pile all shoveled snow to the right of the driveway so that, later, a snow plow won't undo your hard work. If you're no longer in your 20s, there are some precautions you should take when shoveling snow. Make sure that the shovel is the right length. It should let you keep your back straight while you lift. If it's too short, you'll have to lean over while shoveling. Too long and the snow feels heavy. Lift small loads of snow, rather than large ones, to protect your back. Bend your knees. Keep your back straight and lift with your legs, not your back. Don't twist and bend forward. The best time of day to shovel your driveway or sidewalk without hurting your back out is in the afternoon. You're more likely to rupture a disk in the morning because they fill with fluid while you sleep. Also, the sun melts some of the snow, making it easier to lift. Another note is to step in the direction you're throwing the snow and take frequent breaks. Gently walk around and straighten a bit to extend your lower back. If you have a history of heart trouble, do not shovel snow unless your doctor gives permission.
•Coating the outside of pipes during winter with WD-40® will help prevent freezing damage or pipe bursts. For more money-saving tips and uses for WD-40 around the house, click here.
•To protect your plants in the yard or garden, lay down layers of wet old newspapers followed by a layer of mulch around the plants. Recycling newspaper in this way is not only frugal, but it will help insulate the roots and keep them from freezing, as will the mulch. Both will help retain heat. The newspaper will also help keep down emerging weeds when spring arrives. Poke several holes in the newspaper before covering with mulch so that water can drain. In regions where freezing overnight temperatures are infrequent, tropical or desert plants need to be protected. Cover with fabric, like sheets, towels, or blankets, or pull container plants under patio roofs or awnings. Cold-sensitive container plants can be brought into the house or garage for protection.
•Some additional pro-active prevention can protect your trees and shrubs. Be sure to gently brush off the branches of the shrubs and trees in your yard. Snow can be extremely heavy. A cubic foot of snow can weigh from seven pounds for snow that is new and dry, up to 30 pounds for old, compacted snow. Rain falling on accumulated snow will add more weight. Granted, small branches likely don't support a cubic foot of snow, but larger ones with more girth or are close enough to other branches so as to "cradle" a large accumulation, most certainly can. When branches get wet and freeze, they can snap off from the added weight. Dormant plants are especially fragile and brittle, so be gentle and take care when removing snow from the branches.
•Watering your plants before a freeze will protect the plants' roots from freezing. Water, even when frozen, is warmer than freezing air.
•Spray some WD-40 on the bottom of your garage door to keep it from sticking to the concrete during winter. Other applications that will help include petroleum jelly and baby oil.
•If you have an outdoor fountain, before freezing temperatures hit, be sure to thoroughly drain the fountain and, if possible, cover it to protect it from harsh winter conditions. This will extend the life of it because frozen water expands and can permanently damage the fountain if water is trapped and frozen.
•If you live in a rural area, install snow fences to reduce snow from drifting in roads and paths, which could block access to homes, barns, and animals' feed and water.
Vehicles
•As winter approaches, inspect the tread depth on your vehicle's tires. Put a penny headfirst between the treads. If you can see the top of Lincoln's hair, it's time to replace the tire. While you're checking the tires, be sure to do the same with checking your spare tire.
•Check all rubber hoses and belts on your vehicle to be sure that they're not damaged from the summer heat or old age. Coolant hoses wear from the inside out. Inspect for heavy cracks or chunking in the belts. If necessary, have a professional inspect all the hoses and belts.
•You can prevent ice from covering your windshields during a storm with these easy (and frugal) measures. If you're traveling during a storm, once you've parked, put a large, flattened piece of cardboard or the floor mats from your car over the windshield, securing them under the wipers. When you're ready to leave, gently crack the wipers free and remove the covering. Your windshield will be clear and ice-free, without any scraping. Another option to eliminating ice is putting large garbage bags that are taped together across the windshield, closed in the driver and front passenger doors. If you forget to cover your windshield, rather than buy an ice scraper, a heavy, sturdy plastic spatula or old credit card will make for an adequate ice scraper substitute.
•To keep your car or truck door locks from freezing during the winter, spray them with a little squirt of WD-40. Another option, if they should freeze, is to warm the vehicle key with a match or a lighter, then try putting it into the frozen lock, thawing your way in. You'll have to do this several times. You can also try putting the key in as far as it will go, then burn a piece of twisted paper near the frozen lock and key.
•Check your vehicle's antifreeze before winter sets in. The best ratio of antifreeze to water is 50/50. After adding any antifreeze to your vehicle, thoroughly clean up any spills. If your cat walks through a small spill of antifreeze and then licks its paws to clean them, that could be enough to kill it. Many animals like the smell and taste of antifreeze. Ingesting even a small amount can be deadly. Store antifreeze in tightly closed containers and store where pets and children cannot get to them.
•You can eliminate foggy windshields and car windows during the winter months. Buy an inexpensive chalkboard eraser and keep it in your vehicle's glove compartment. When the windows fog up, rub them with the eraser. This method is great, working better than a cloth rag.
•In Minnesota, snow and ice in the roads are melted by using vast quantities of salt. This salt can build-up under your car and create all sorts of havoc, including rust. For a DIY solution to remove the salt and mud from your undercarriage, try this on warm winter days or when the worst of the storm is over. Place a lawn sprinkler underneath the car and run it for half an hour. An easier, but more expensive, option is frequent trips to your local car wash to remove the salt. To get the tracked-in salt out of the car's carpets and floor mats, wash them with a solution of one part vinegar and two parts water. The vinegar should break down the salty residue.
•A light coating of WD-40 will easily prevent your car's antenna from freezing.
•Baby oil is a cheap and useful polish for vehicle hub caps, keeping them preserved and shiny. Don't put too much on, though, as you don't want them to become dirt magnets. Whatever dirt, mud, or salt does collect should wash off extremely easily.
•Assemble a winter emergency kit for the trunk of your vehicle. It should include a blanket, extra boots and gloves, jumper cables, an ice scraper, windshield washer fluid, a first-aid kit, flares, a small snow shovel, a flashlight, non-clumping kitty litter (for traction, should your vehicle get stuck in the snow), a small container of Vaseline, and bottled water. Tossing in a few packaged energy bars and beef jerky strips wouldn't hurt, either, should you or your family be incapacitated or stuck for an extended period of time.