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That annual ritual we all love to hate
Wood needs special attention
(NU)—Most of us start the
season off fresh with the age*
old ritual of spring cleaning.
But If you’re like most people,
you probably don’t know mat
the wood in your house - fur
niture. floors, mantles, cab
inets. paneling and painted,
wood - takes an extra beating
during the winter months.
Indoor heat often robs the
wood of much-needed mois
ture, and soot generated by
fireplaces can further dry out
the wood. In addition, some
heating systems produce a
film that settles on wood sur
faces. Left uncleaned, this
film can affect the wood's
beauty.
That’s why spring is the
perfect time to do a thorough
cleaning and begin a year
round, wood-cleaning routine.
The experts at Murphy-Phoe
nix Company, makers of Mur
phy’s Oil Soap, offer the
Clean Wood
I In Your Home
|Reg^l^y^;;j^
• Wash
cabinets
and tables
: often
• Remove
waxy
buildup
with mild
soap
•Wash floors
frequently
ana vacuum
between
washings
/ A
Source: Murphy's Oil Soap
Heidi E. Capousis lor News USA
following advice to help you
maintain the beauty of the
wood In your home:
• Dust and clean wood
regularly with a doth slightly
damped with a gentle soap
product.
• Occasional waxing and
a can further protect the
. But remember to dean
the surface with a mild, natu
ral soap to remove the waxy
buildup before reapplying wax.
• Kitchen cabinets and ta
bles demand more constant
deanlng, since grease, smoke
and food stains accumulate
and can harden over time.
• Sweep or vacuum wood
floors frequently, and wash
regularly with a mild soap.
This will remove dust and
other partides tracked into the
house.
Outdoor chores: That first mowing
By BOB TRACINSKI
John Deere Corp.
Spring has sprung, the grass
is growin’l I wonder how that
mower’s doin?
Ever find yourself asking the
same question? With spring
time’s arrival, most homeowners
do. The last time most of us
thought about our lawn mower
was in the fell when we pushed
it into a dark comer, happy to
have one less chore to do. But
eventually, one bright, sunny
morning we all face the inevi
table - that first spring clipping.
Before you turn a key or pull
a cord, do yourself a favor. Thke
a few minutes to think about
your mower and how to use it
safely. It could make the differ
ence between a summertime full
of fun activity and a serious acci
dent
Whether you've just bought a
brand new machine or are sim
ply dusting off “old reliable,” the
key to mower safety Is knowing
your equipment and how to use
it properly. That means reading
the operator’s manual and famil
iarizing yoiurself with mowing
techniques.
Over the seasons, here are
some safety tips I try to keep in
mind.
Drsu for the job.
Wear close-fitting clothes,
long slacks and closed-toe shoes
with traction soles for protection.
Tuck in that shlrttail and avoid
dangling jewelry or flowing
scarves.
Toko a hike
Before you mow for the first
time each spring, take a hike, or
at least a walk, around the lawn.
Pick up any stones, stocks, toys
or other debris that can get
caught in whirling blades and
become unidentified flying ob
jects.
Oas up.
Be sure to add the correct
fuel or fuel mixture for your
mower.
If you smoke, leave ciga
rettes. matches or lighters inside
so you’re not tempted to light up.
Add fuel outdoors where there’s
plenty of ventilation and never,
never add fuel when the engine
is running or hot
Ctoan up.
Remember to think safety first when preparing for that first
mowing of the season. *
Move the mower away from
any gasoline that may have
spilled before starting the engine.
Store fuel In an approved safety
container.
Check-up.
Visually Inspect your mower.
Make sure all safely devices are
in place and working. Tighten
nuts, bolts and screws to keep
equipment in safe working condi
tion. Replace worn or broken
parts immediately. Keep guards
and safety shields in place. If you
haven’t had your mower serviced
in a while, you may want to take
it to an authorized service center
for a maintenance checkup.
If It’s not running
right, turn It off!
Don’t be tempted to make,
even the slightest adjustment to
your mower with the engine run
ning. Even if you have a “hard
starter,’’ turn off the mower and
give the engine and muffler time
to cool before working on the ma
chine. On riding equipment, dis
connect the battery ground cable
before working on the electrical
system.
A lawn mower is a powerful
cutting tool and like any high
speed equipment with sharp
blades, it needs to be operated
with your complete attention and
a great deal of respect. It takes
only a few moments to make
sure that you and your equip
ment are properly prepared to
kick off the new mowing season.
Investing the time to get to know
your lawn mower and observing
a few basic safely rules will help
prevent mishaps and ensure a
safety mowing season. Happy
Mowing!
Here are some common
questions ITn often asked about
safe mowing techniques:
Are there any specific safety
tips for mowing in “tricky” areas
like hillsides and around trees?
If you have sloping ground in
your yard, mow across the slope
with a walk-behind mower. That
way, should you trip and fall, the
mower is less likely to tumble
onto you. With a riding mower,
travel up and down a slope be
cause this Is more stable. If a
slope is simply too steep to mow
safetly, plant a decorative
groundcover to avoid mowing the
area altogether. Likewise, con
sider a groundocver for tight cor
ners that require you to mow
forward, then back up. Spread
shredded tree bark or pine straw
along the borders of the lawn
and around trees. This saves
trim time and prevents damaged
to trees from the mower hitting
against the trunks. Fill low spots
with soil and replant grass to
avoid turning an ankle while you
mow. If you have trees on your J
lawn, prune lower branches that
can flick an eye or knock you off
balance while mowing.
1
Why you’ll never see 96%
of our advertising.
At Hurdle & Webb Construction Company our best advertising is done by word of mouth. The truth is >
96% of the people who choose us to bufld their new home do so at the recommendation of our past.
clients. That says a lot about our company. We believe that happy homeowners are the very best refer
ences a builder can have. We try hard to please our customers by offering a fine quality home at a . ■ !
reasonable price. We take pride in being a full service company. From helping you choose the perfect
house plan and location, to finding the financing that best suits your needs, to closing on your new
home, we are with you every step of the way. Your satisfaction is the foundation on which we build so
we give you the individual attention that you deserve. We are F.A., FHA and Conventional approved
builders who offe.r a 10 year HOME OWNER’S WARRANTY on all of our homes. Also, our homes are .
bust to North Carolina Power’s standards as Energy Saver homes to save on your heating and cooling V
costs. We believe that we offer the very best home value available in new homes today. So, if you are
thinking of bulding, cal us or fill in the card below and let us add you to our list of happy homeowners.
Please send more information on your homes,
Nam__;__
Address
Stale.
Zip
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Hurdle O Webb
Construction. 1
1000 Joyce Drive
Elizabeth City, NC i
27909
<910)264-3373
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Below knee and above eye level: ^
Good rule for spring cleaning i f
(NU)-Sprlng cleaning should
include areas that may be
missed during regular day-to-day
cleaning activities.
These areas include celling
light fixtures, draperies, the tops
of door and window frames, and
underneath furniture, according
to ServiceMaster, a recognized
leader in heavy-duty residential
and commerical cleaning serv
ices.
Dr. William Bond, vice presi
dent for Technical Development
for ServiceMaster, advises mat “a
good rule of thumb for front-line
cleaning troops is to concentrate
on cleaning everything that’s
below knee level and above eye
level, as those areas are more
likely to get missed during reg
ular cleaning."
Aside form cleaning areas
that may typically be oyer- '
looked, a good, once-a-year
cleaning in the spring is nec
essary to remove the mold and
mildew that tend to build up
during cooler winter months.
Closed-up, heated homes
cause musty odors within a
home and add to problems
many people have with aller
gies.
Below eye level, Service
Master urges homeowners to
vacuum underneath furniture,
as well as dust in comers and
around the bottom areas of
furniture. With hard surface
floors, vacuum or mop regu
larly, and apply floor finish two
or three times a year. During
the spring, clean baseboards
by wiping them with a rag
dipped in a mild detergent
Above eye level. Bond recom
mends dusting light fixtures and
window and door frames. Drape
ries also require spring-cleaning
attention.
“A drapery’s close proximity
to a window causes it to collect
as much or more dirt as other
furnishings and also leads to de
terioration of the fabric,” Bond
said. “To avoid this, vacuum the
header or remove dust and cob
webs, and professionally dry
clean the rest of the drapes every
two years.”
Bond cautions homeowners
against vacuuming the entire
drapery, as the auction pulls dirt
from the far side into the center
of the fabric, where it could get
caught in the weave.
In some areas of the country, .
spring cleaning is further chal- 1
lenged by salt and water that are
tracked into the home following.-.!
snows.
Carrying out a comprehensive „
cleaning effort will rid your home
of the unwelcome dirt and dust of*
winter, and leave you ready for
the sunshine and warm weather ,
to come.
• Carpets
• Vinyls
• Bedspreads
• Accessories
• Curtains
• Fabrics
• Upholstry
• Slipcovers
lifgiefb
S. 17 South - Hertford
426-1104
MARCH 1993
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