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  • Pests
  • Pests
    From "Talking Dirty With the Queen of Clean"
    episode DQOC-133


    If there are cockroaches in your kitchen and moles ruining your landscape, don't panic: there are fast-acting natural remedies for pest problems. Your home could be spotless, but if you have bugs, it sure doesn't feel clean. How to get rid of pests is our agenda: whether they fly, crawl or leap, there's a way to get rid of the pesky critters safely and economically.

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    But first a few questions:

    Q: How do you remove tar from carpet? Dish soap didn't work.

    A: Dish soap isn't an effective cleaner for carpet -- it's too sudsy. First flush out the dish soap with club soda and let the area dry. Mix glycerin 50/50 with water, apply to the tar and let the area soak. Then begin pulling the tar up out of the carpet. Keep pulling until it's up; then use a carpet spotter on the area. Or call a professional carpet cleaner.

    Q: What will remove set-in stains on a fiberglass tub?

    A: Spray on heated white vinegar and then apply 20 Mule Team Borax to the stains. Finally, scrub the stains with fine drywall sandpaper, which looks like window screen. This cleaning method should be used only on the bumpy bottom of a fiberglass tub.

    Q: Is it possible to stop faux wood blinds from fading and discoloring from sun exposure?

    A: The best solution is to have the windows tinted to keep out ultraviolet light. You can also try oiling the slats, if they are wood; this often removes the discolored look of the wood.

    Q: How do you remove and prevent shower and shower-door scum?

    A: Remove the scum with an application of lemon, almond or bath oil. Apply the oil, leave on for a few minutes and remove with a scrubbing sponge; the scum will roll off the shower surfaces. To keep scum off shower surfaces, apply car wax to the walls and doors. Do not put the wax on the shower floor: it will make the floor far too slippery.

    Bugs on Houseplants


    • Removing bugs from houseplants Mix a drop of liquid dish soap in a cup of warm water (figure A). Pour into a labeled spray bottle and mist the leaves of the plants (figure B). The soap irritates and kills the bugs.

    • Removing bugs from houseplant soil Put on rubber gloves and thoroughly mist an organic bug spray over the top of the soil. Next, wrap the pot in plastic wrap or a plastic dry-cleaning bag (figure C). Leave on a few hours to overnight to kill all the bugs in the soil.
    Photo

    Figure A

    Photo

    Figure B

    Photo

    Figure C


    Tip: To keep bugs away from a picnic, place a dish of sugar water in a place close to the picnic table. The bugs will be attracted to the water instead of the food.
    Photo

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