Shelf Life of Olive Oil and Lemon Juice Wood Polish

A homemade wood furniture polish gives a safe, natural alternative to chemical- and petroleum-based polishes. A easy polish made of olive oil and lemon juice excels furniture and offers a comfortable lemony odor, evoking an nature of clean air. Because the polish contains actual lemon juice, it should be used within a couple of days or stored in a refrigerator to guarantee freshness.

Polish Recipe and Shelf Life

Make your own lemon-scented furniture shine using one part lemon juice, two parts olive oil, or the juice in 1/2 of a lemon mixed into one cup olive oil. Any inexpensive, unflavored olive oil will do. Mix the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, like a mason jar. Secure the lid tightly and shake the jar to mix the liquids. Lemon juice may go rancid after a couple of days, so mix only what you feel you may utilize in that amount of time, or store the mixture from the refrigerator after use, allowing it to warm back to near room temperature before using it. In the refrigerator, the homemade polish lasts at least a few weeks. If it still looks and smells good, it’s. If it smells rancid or looks moldy, discard it.

Applying the Polish

To utilize the homemade wood shine, twist the jar lid tightly closed and shake the jar to mix the materials. Pour some of it onto a lint-free white fabric; then stain the fabric onto the wood. Rub in the fluid, generally following the grain of the wood. Wipe excess away with a dry cloth. Test the shine in an inconspicuous area first to make sure that you are delighted with the results.

Shelf-Stable Substitution

To adapt your lemon furniture polish so that it continues without refrigeration, substitute lemon essential oil for your lemon juice. Essential Oil carries the exact same pleasant lemony odor in concentrated form and continues indefinitely, even without refrigeration. Use 10 to 20 drops of essential oil from the mixture for starters; include a couple more drops for a more powerful odor, if you would like.

Polish Plus Cleaner Recipe

To clean and polish wood at precisely the exact same time, mix two parts white vinegar, 1 part olive oil, and only enough lemon juice or lemon essential oil to add odor, like 10 to 20 drops essential oil or one tablespoon lemon juice per cup of combined vinegar and oil. Shake the mixture in a sealed jar; then rub it over the wood using a soft, lint-free fabric. Adjust the recipe as desirable to make the process more or less oily, depending on the dryness of the wood. If using lemon juice, store it in a refrigerator or utilize it within a couple of days.

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Buffalo Gnat Deterrent

Like its mammalian namesake, the buffalo gnat includes a hunched back and stocky build. The small insect, also known as black fly (Simuliidae), uses its scissorlike mouth parts to cut the skin and suck a blood meal. Although black bows’ pesky cousins, mosquitoes, often bite at dusk, black bows feed throughout the day, making it hard to function at a garden and enjoy other outdoor activities. Black flies breed in running water, such as streams and creeks, where their larvae grow. This preference, along with the adults’ ability to fly a few miles away from their breeding habitat, makes control of this pest difficult. Keep black flies from biting pest repellents and protective clothing.

DEET-Based Repellents

Insect repellents containing the active ingredient DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) are effective at preventing black fly bites. Concentrations of DEET vary by product, with higher concentrations supplying repellent properties for extended periods. A 5-percent solution provides about 90 minutes of protection. Concentrations above 30 percent can lead to skin and eye reactions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency signals no hazards to human health exist with the appropriate use of DEET. Avoid applying DEET-based repellents on injured skin. Even though the products are usually safe for children, avoid accidental ingestion by not applying them to their fingers or near their mouth or eyes. Just like all pest repellents, wash off DEET products thoroughly before eating and when returning indoors.

Picaridin Repellents

Introduced in the USA in 2005, pest repellents containing a pepper derivative known as picaridin tend to be as effective as DEET-based repellents in preventing black fly bites. Picaridin is a relatively new repellent and may be more appealing to use than DEET because it is odorless, non-greasy, non-damaging to plastic and other synthetic substances and doesn’t seem to have the skin-irritation possibility of DEET. Picaridin remains effective for four to eight hours.

Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus Repellents

Repellents using the active ingredient oil of lemon eucalyptus will help discourage black bows but for a shorter time than the usual DEET-based repellent. The oil is derived from your lemon-scented gum eucalyptus tree (Eucalyptus citriodora Hook) and chemically processed to p-menthane-3,8-diol, abbreviated PMD. PMD is not safe for children under the age of 3 decades. Avoid contact of this oil with eyes because it is an irritant.

IR3535 Repellents

Registered for use in the USA in 1999, IR3535 (ethyl butyl acetyl aminoproprionate) is somewhat helpful in deterring black flies. Insect repellent formulas that are 10 to 30 percent IR3535 are usually effective against biting insects, such as black flies. The compound IR3535 is a known eye irritant and can dissolve plastics, but it also poses several health hazards.

Non-Chemical Protection

If you want to avoid using chemical repellents, then wearing appropriate clothing and preventing peak pest activity will keep black flies from biting you. Wear light-colored clothing because black flies are attracted to dark colours. Tuck your long pants into your socks, wear a suede shirt along with a hat when working in your lawn. Black flies are most abundant in late spring and early summer, and they are inclined to bite most frequently on overcast, humid days with little wind.

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Feng Shui Fix for a Bedroom Next to the Bathroom

En suite bedrooms, also known as a master bed and bath package, have been a staple feature of house building since the mid-20th century. However, according to feng shui — the ancient art of creating a harmonious surroundings — difficulties are presented by this layout unless it designed. Feng shui seeks to maximize the flow of chi, the very important life energy, throughout the house. The chi flow can be interrupted by Putting a bathroom or guide it in manners that are inharmonious.

Why It’s a Problem

En suite bedrooms appeal to homeowners that want to create a private retreat away from the bustle and sound of the household. Putting two incompatible actions — rejuvenation and the rest associated with the functions of the bath — in precisely the same area contributes to challenges that are practical in addition to energetic. When a few shares the package, the light and sound of pipes flushing from the bathroom can disrupt sleep. Also, according to feng shui, pipes station powerful chi, although the watery energy of the bathroom leads to an ungrounded feeling. Since we spend one third of our life in the bedroom, the stress from such adverse conditions can be draining, especially for sensitive men and women.

Best Bathroom Feng Shui

Improving your bathroom’s feng shui is important regardless of where in the home it’s situated, but it is bathroom. Make it a habit to keep the toilet lid shut and sink and bathtub drains stoppered; the two steps can help stop your home’s chi from rushing”down the drain” Bathrooms should have at least one window. If windows are missing, which is often the case in en suite baths, utilize crops — artificial or real — to bring in the power of expansion and freshness. Ceramic accessories or tile, which signify the earth element, at the bathroom helps offsets the watery element of the bathroom and soil the chi.

Placement Pointers

Never place the head of the bed against a wall which contains kitchen, bathroom or laundry . If you can, arrange an en suite bedroom so that no component of the bed is directly opposite the bathroom door. You might also consider converting your en suite bedroom to a different use, such as an office space, game room or playroom and sleeping at the bedroom. These measures, if feasible, can avoid bed-bathroom juxtaposition’s feng shui issues.

Shut the Door!

Hiding the door to the bathroom is the solution when placement cures aren’t feasible. Shutting the restroom door during sleep time or at night is an obvious remedy; for additional benefit, tie a ribbon to the bathroom doorknob to keep the chi circulating. This option may pose accessibility issues, especially for older people who should visit the restroom. Put a folding screen to hide the door from the bed, while still leaving an opening for entry. A gentle nightlight in the bathroom attracts chi and adds a measure of safety.

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Show Us Your Garden Gnomes

Gnomes have been occupying gardens for decades, sitting toadstools, pulling carts, sometimes even making their own villages. Gnomes were initially produced in Germany. They were used as decorative guards to keep burglars from farms. Their popularity hasn’t waned, and they have played roles in movies and literature from fairy tales into the Harry Potter series. One of my personal favorites is their role in The Full Monty, populating the lawn of a stiff manager and showing his sensitive side.

Recently gnomes have taken on different roles. Ironically used alongside their southern cousins, pink flamingos, they have been awarded modern cred by designers such as Philippe Starck with his Napoleon and Attila gnome table stools. One roaming gnome functions as the spokesperson for Travelocity. A large group of gnomes celebrity in Gnomeo and Juliet. They’ve even been announced “invasive” by a single botanical specialist in this humorous short movie.

Show us Have some merry gnomes taken up home in your garden or inside your home? If that’s the case, please post a picture in the Comments section. Your gnome could appear in a follow-up feature on our homepage.

I will begin with my little gnome. He’s a bit worn out, what with holding up this marijuana for all this time. I guess he is waiting for me to plant something in it.

I love to move him about. In this area he is guarding my termite bait trap.

Whitney Lyons

Send in the gnomes: To include your gnome photo, type a comment about it below, then click “Attach Images” and select the picture on your desktop to share.

Tell us where you are and where you’ve got your gnome(s)!

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Removal of Peach Borers

With showy pink flowers and succulent fruit, peach trees (Prunus persica) are both ornamental and practical components in the garden. Hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8, peach trees are susceptible to frost and several wood-boring insect insects. Established, healthy trees withstand these insects with minimum intervention, but younger or injured peach trees need treatments to remove the insects.

Bacterial Treatment

Peach twig borers (Anarsia lineatella) will be the larvae of a sort of small, light gray moth. These brown striped larvae grow up to 1/2 inch long and assault peach shoots in spring and the fruit in summer. During peach bloom period, spray the tree with Bacillus thuringiensis var. Kurstaki, a natural bacterium that affects the belly of immature insects. Shake that the Btk concentrate and mix 4 teaspoons in 1 gallon of water in a garden sprayer, or follow the directions on the package. Spray all surfaces of the coral tree foliage and repeat the procedure in five to seven days or after heavy rain. Avoid getting the spray in your eyes, wear protective clothing and avoid squeezing the mist.

Parasitic Nematodes

The light brown or pink larvae of this blue and black clearwing moth (Synanthedon exitiosa) are known as peachtree borers. They damage peach tree trunks just above or slightly below the dirt. The parasitic nematode, Steinernema carpocapsae, can be found online and at garden centers, and comes packed in an inert powder or about a sponge. It targets soil-dwelling and surface-living larvae. In a watering can or garden sprayer, mix 1 teaspoon of nematode powder in 1 gallon of water. Evenly cover the ground across the peach tree, shaking the remedy contstantly to stop settling. Keep the area moist for the next seven days to keep your nematodes alive.

Chemical Insecticides

Heavy Risks of American plum borers may cause peach branches to snap off in winds or using the weight of its fruit. These insects are white, green or pink larvae around 1 inch long with dark brown heads. Adults of this American plum borer are gray moths. Orange droppings, called frass, and gummy deposits on the trunk are signals of American plum borers. Sizes young trees with evidence of the pest with carbaryl, sold under the trade name Sevin. To get hose-end sprayers, shake the bottle of carbaryl well then attach your garden hose to the spray nozzle. Use the spray to your peach trunk and limbs in mid-April and then every six weeks. Carbaryl is toxic to beneficial insects, particularly bees. Do not apply when the peach tree is in bloom. Spray on calm days and keep people and pets away until the solution has dried. Wear long trousers, a long-sleeved shirt, sturdy shoes, socks and rubber gloves when applying this chemical and read all safety instructions before you start using it.

Cultural Methods

Since most boring mammals target young, injured or sunburned peach trees, prevent infestations with proper care. Whitewash that the trunks of young trees to reduce sunburn. Mix equal parts of water and white interior latex paint. Paint the peach trunk around approximately 2 feet above ground. Prune and dispose of branches which have evidence of shothole borers, small brown or black beetles that drill holes in coral twigs, bark and branches. Dig just below the soil surface across the trunk to reveal peachtree borers and carefully use a pocket knife to remove them. Drop the insects into a bucket of soapy water to kill them.

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Types of Hardy Hibiscus Insects and How to Get Rid of Them

The big, delicate blossoms of the hardy hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos), also referred to as rose mallow, range in size of three or four inches across up to 12 inches in diameter. This herbaceous perennial shrub graces gardens with its own gaudy, crepe paper flowers from late summer up to the season’s first killing frost in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 5 through 10. Many insect pests pose a risk while the hibiscus is easy to grow. They may destroy leaves and lead to sooty mold.

Japanese Beetles

Japanese beetles (Popillia japonica) feed more than 275 species of ornamental shrubs, trees and blossoms. They’re known pests of the majority of hibiscus species. Japanese beetles destroy plants by chewing the leaves, making holes that the leaves take on appearance. The metallic-green adult is easy to see with the naked eye and you may choose them off leaves to control infestation. Other methods of control include insecticides and traps. However, traps are not recommended since they bring more beetles.

Mealybugs

Many species of scale insects (Superfamily Coccoidea) destroy an assortment of trees, shrubs and plants. Among them is the soft-bodied mealybug (Pseudococcidae) that uses its own mouth parts to suck sap and inject toxic salivary secretions that spread disease and contribute to the growth of sooty mold. Mealybugs feed resulting in yellowing of stunted plant growth, leaves and even death. Insecticides can also be available, although natural predators, such as wasps, usually keep down the population.

Sawflies

The hibiscus sawfly (Atomacera decepta) feed mainly on rose mallow and its hybrids. Cultivars like”Belle,””Lord Baltimore,””Lady Baltimore,” and”Luna” are all prone to strike. The pest is closely related to wasps and bees. It is dark colored, except for the orange peel on the upper thorax. The adult sawfly lays eggs in the tissues on the underside of leaves, allowing larvae to feed, consuming all the tissue and leaving the veins. Leaves have a lacy appearance. Hand-picking is an effective method of control that is pure. For heavy infestations, you will have to use insecticides.

Thrips

The western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) feed may types of herbaceous ornamental trees and shrubs. These insect scar and stipple blossoms, leaves and other parts of the plant by sucking mobile contents . Plant damage is not ordinarily caused by the small-winged pests, because healthy ornamental or sterile plants can defy their presence. In the event of heavy infestation, even some type of control may be necessary.

Aphids

The miniature aphid feed plants by piercing the stalks, leaves and plants part and consuming plant fluids. Various species of aphids will normally feed on certain types of plants. However some species, like the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) feed on many kinds of plants, including the hibiscus. These insects cause leaf curling, hardening of flower distortion and buds. Mold is also a problem, as it interferes with a plant’s photosynthesis, affecting its growth. Washing aphids helps control themas do natural predators.

Whiteflies

The giant whitefly (Aleurodicus dugesii) feeds on many ornamental plants, including hibiscus. Both the adult and nymph feed on the leaves and suck the sap, causing the plant to lack in nutrients and needed water. Seldom although its leaves are lost by the diminished plant dies. Predatory insects, such as wasps and others, help control the populace. Do not use insecticides in which insects are present.

Spider Mites

Spider mites (Tetranynchus urticae) feed on many types of trees, vegetables and ornamental plants. The insects damage plants. Normally, little harm is caused by them — but can produce the plant. In large quantities, they can cause plant damage that is considerable. Plant leaves turn reddish or yellow and drop off. Use methods of control, these may be killed by insecticides too and as the pests have all-natural predators.

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How to Update the Panels of Old Fluorescent Ceiling Lighting

Modern trends in ceiling light panels are acrylic panels which look like stained glass or a skylight window with a scene of white puffy clouds in a sky that is blue or flowering trees on a bright spring day. Some lighting panel makers can print your art onto the panel for a personalized, trendy addition to your house. Additional types of fluorescent lighting panels include pyramid shaped drop diffusers and lighting covers. Use spectrum bulbs or daylight fluorescent bulbs to bring out all the colours of your home decor and brighten up the room.

Select. Bring some character and to start up the room you can use a sky panorama, which is composed of panels which fit together to make panels that are single or a large image with cloudy skies. For an appearance that is elegant, yet booked, you may use a stained glass print or a marbled glass print in colours that fit your decoration strategy. Order your prints from your regional lighting store. Ask if you’re able to have them cut to size for you, as some shops can do that for you, while placing your order along with your regional lighting store.

Turn off the power to the lighting at the circuit breaker panel. Use a sturdy step ladder to achieve the lighting panels. The tabs on the frame of the panel that is light down to unlock it. Start looking for the frame’s hinged tab side and then take good care of the other side and slowly pull the frame . Tilt the hinged tab end out of the frame to eliminate it.

Set the light panel frame on a flat surface. Pry off the spring clips (if any) that grip in the old panel with a flat-blade screwdriver. Look carefully at the frame and look for screws or tabs which hold it together. Remove the screw thread on one short end to start the panel channel if there are screws. If there are tabs, bend the tabs back.

Analyze the panel that is old. If the panel fit the frame correctly you can use it like a cutting template.

Put on gloves. Eliminate the old fluorescent lighting panel in the housing. Panels are brittle and might be sharp on the edges, so take care when handling them.

Set on the panel and then correct the position over the desired pattern when the panel cut so you keep it, or print. Trace across the panel with a pencil to make a cutting guide line. Assess the perimeter of the interior of the lighting panel, where the panel sits in the frame when it’s set up, with a stride on the frame to obtain the correct size if the panel did not fit properly. Whenever you make the cut transfer these dimensions to the rear of the new fluorescent lighting panels with a metal straightedge and a pencil; position the lines to keep the desired pattern on the panel.

Put on gloves and safety glasses. Set on a sturdy work space. Place the metal straightedge and operate a utility knife utilizing the metal straightedge. Take your time to make certain that the cut is right and doesn’t deviate from the cutting guide. Use a metal straightedge as before and operate an acrylic scoring knife down each cutting guide line four days to score the plank if you are cutting on an panel. Move over the panel to the end of a table or a counter top, align the score line with the edge of the table and then pull the edge down to snap off the acrylic on the line that is . The break is going to likely be an even edge when performed properly.

Set the panel print-side-down against the frame’s end. Align the edges with the frame’s stations and slip it in. Close to the frame and secure it or bend down the tabs to hold it in position. Add in their slots on the frame.

Hold the hinged tab end up to the ceiling lighting fixture. Insert the tabs and then tilt the end of the frame up into position. Push the fixture tabs back into position to lock the panel onto the lighting fixture.

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The Way to Pack Plants for Moving

Whether you’re moving in the Bay Area or outside of the Bay Area, correctly packing your home and garden crops is essential for their well-being. Moving is an exciting yet stressful encounter. If while being hauled, your plants become damaged or die, it may become a traumatizing experience. After watching them grow and nurturing your crops, a psychological attachment may develop. To prevent losing or having to give up your companions that are cosmetic, learn how to correctly package them.

Contact your local U.S. Department of Agriculture office to see whether you can legally import your plants into the state you’re moving to. Rigorous regulations apply to prevent the spread of diseases, insects and other pests, if you’re moving to California. As an alternative, take a look at the National Plant Board website to read up on regulations and laws pertaining to the state you’re moving to.

Transplant your houseplants about 3 weeks prior to moving. Remove from their clay pots and place them. Wrap the pots with bubble wrap and box them. Before moving, avoid repotting your plants. The crops won’t have time to correct and might get stressed and damaged.

Before moving, prune your plants fourteen days. Pruning promotes new development and makes the plants compact. Avoid pruning ferns and succulents — these are much better without.

Before moving, pests present one week. Consult with a nursery about the right way to kill pests on your plants. Use a flea collar, put off a bug bomb, then you might have to use insecticide or use flea powder. Leave the plants beneath, if you can’t get rid of the pests in time for your move.

Water your crops about two days prior to moving. Avoid overwatering your crops, because this can trigger the growth of fungus during warm weather or suspend the plant root system.

Box your crops on the day of the transfer. Line your boxes with plastic bags to prevent water and dirt damage. Place collectively plants in distinct box and boxes little plants. Place packing peanuts or bubble wrap from the box out of moving around to keep the plant. Punch holes in the box to permit air and light to penetrate.

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Indications of House Foundation Issues

Issues with a home’s base may result in expensive repairs or property damage if not caught early. The base is the base or supporting structure the home is situated on over the ground or rock of the floor below the home. The base shifts the property’s weight to the floor or rock underneath to keep the house stable and settled in its existing location.

Interior Clues

One of the first base problem signs on the inside a homeowner sees is the windows or doors jamming. The walls in the home can show little cracks, particularly toward the top and at corners. Cracks in a brick fireplace wall or doors and windows that don’t meet the frames properly are found in a home with a base issue. Floors can be uneven, according to the Foundation Repair Network.

Exterior Red Flags

The bottoms of windows and doors outside revealing cracks that run diagonally or caulk that’s separating signals a problem with the base. Damage, excessive chipping, and cracks in the cement that forms the base of the home may be an early indication of this base needing repair, based on Dave Thrasher of Foundation Supportworks. A roof that’s in great physical shape but is leaking is just another telltale sign that the base has to be assessed.

Yard and Yard Areas

Cracks and intermittent elevations in connected lawn structures, such as a connected patio, may be a indication of foundation issues. Gaps between a garage door or in the sidewalk close to the doorway signal the base needs repair, as per the Foundation Repair Network.

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How Do I Raise the Appraisal Value of a Home ?

Home appraisals are a necessary part of any house loan process, whether for a purchase, refinance or home equity loan. Ensuring your home gets the highest possible evaluation value is vital. A high evaluation value can spare you on mortgage insurance, net you more money in a refinance or subtract a sale. Though many remodels net just a percentage of what you spend on these, there are easy things which you can do to increase your evaluation value.

Clean the house completely from top to bottom, repaint walls in neutral colours and paint the trim white. Warm beiges like wheat or sand or a creamy off-white with white trim are appealing, yet allow the trim work pop. A clean house looks, feels and smells better, and will produce a positive impression on the appraiser.

Complete all the minor repairs which place things back in working order. Leaky faucets, holes in walls, broken caulk, broken hinges and other signs of tear and wear indicate that a home isn’t well maintained. If cosmetic issues have gone awry, the appraiser will presume that you have left larger repairs undone too.

Replace dated lighting fittings, kitchen and bathroom hardware, countertops and kitchen appliances. Updating these items with something new and present can make your house look like brand new.

Have all significant components and systems, such as air and heating, roof and septic system, serviced and repaired as required. Make sure you store the receipts to show the appraiser.

Clear out all overgrown landscaping, freshen up mulch and plant a few flowers or shrubs to make a huge impact outdoors. Freshly painted trim, brand new door hardware and a blank driveway also greatly improve curb appeal.

Undertake minor renovations at the kitchen or baths, if they are in bad condition or seem old, using simple materials and neutral colours. Refacing cabinets, putting in a new backsplash, replacing countertops and putting down new floors nets you a greater yield than a remodel.

Add more open living space. Expanding a living room, adding a family room to the house, enlarging the master suite and creating an eat-in kitchen are all valuable improvements. Be certain the addition flows with the rest of the home and is useable.

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