Health & Household Tips
Arthritis Today‘s Supplement Guide
Arthritis and gardening can be a painful combination. And there are
many popular supplements on the market for the treatment of arthritis
pain – but
do they work? “Many, despite their claims, lack solid scientific
evidence that they do what they say they do,” according to the
Arthritis Foundation.
To assist arthritis sufferers in finding real therapeutic potential
in the hundreds of bottles, jars and cans in the world of “dietary
supplements,” the Foundation has put together a free 24-page
supplement guide. A panel of doctors, health care professionals and
supplement experts
prepared this guide.
It provides the basic tools for understanding what a specific supplement
is, what it does, how it works and whether it is worth taking. The arthritis
foundation also recommends consulting your doctor before adding anything
new to your health care plant for the treatment of arthritis. To order
call 1-800-283-7800 or visit online at www.arthritis.org.
Deadly Combination: Ammonia and Household Bleach
Spring is just around the corner and some of us immediately think
of “spring
cleaning.” For the do-it-yourselfers, caution must be taken when
using household cleaning chemicals. Many household cleaning products
are formulated with chlorine bleach or ammonia. Kitchen scouring powder,
stain removal formulas and oven cleaning formulas are a few examples.
Mixing these products with either chlorine bleach or ammonia can result
in the production of deadly fumes. Inhaling these fumes can cause serious
respiratory impairment and may be linked to some forms of cancer.
Spring Cleaning: Painted Walls
If spring brings out the cleaning bug in you, washing the walls is
a good project. Freshly washed walls can give your home a new look.
And
it helps to rid the home of dust and mold spores. You can also get
rid of the winter grime from heating systems, spider webs and dust
threads.
Follow these steps for painted walls.
- You will need two pails, one for washing and one for rinsing.
If you are using detergent and water, add one tablespoon Borax per
quart
of water
to soften the water, which makes the job easier.
- If you are
using a commercial paint wall remover, follow manufacturer’s
instructions exactly as they are given. Too much product could damage
walls. Purchase a product with a degreaser for best results.
- Change the water in each pail as it gets dirty or you will just
frustrate yourself.
- Remove all art from the walls, pull the furniture
to the middle of the room, cover it with sheets or plastic, roll
up your sleeves
and
take action.
- Begin by dusting the walls. Dust from the bottom of the wall
up. Use a dust mop or cover a broom with an old pillowcase.
- After dusting, start washing again from the bottom of the wall
up. Washing from bottom up eliminates dirty water from running
down over
the dirty wall, which leaves streaks that are hard to remove.
- Squeeze your cloth or sponge as dry as possible and clean
a small area, not more than three square feet, at a time
using a circular
motion. Rinse
with a sponge squeezed out of clear water. Overlap the
areas as you clean until the entire wall is washed.
Spring 2003
Hort
Shorts | Hort Tips | Crabgrass:
A Weed’s Weed! | Health & Household
Tips | Perennial Plant of the Year 2003 | Mulch
Reminder | Using Organic Fungicides | Bug
Bites: A Bug Bite is Not Always a Bug Bite | Lawn
Care Calendar | Cybergarden Sites | Pondering
Early Planting? Think Lettuce | Eggology | Soup
for Supper | Protein-Rich Diets and Weight
Loss
Index
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