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Money | Longtime industry leader Simonton Windows (Simonton.com), based in West Virginia, has compiled a checklist of key steps to window preservation. The company’s top three tips:
Never wash windows or doors with high-pressure spray, as it weakens materials. Instead, take time to individually clean the windows.
For average stains? Fantastik. For tougher stains (tar, pencil or oil)? Soft Scrub. And for crayon? Lestoil.
Vacuum around the edges of your weatherstripping to remove any dirt buildup. Carefully vacuuming window screens regularly also staves off the need to remove them for soap and water washing.
Time | The November issue of Good Housekeeping touts the Grease Bullet in its “Lazy Cleaner’s Shopping Guide.” This is a non-toxic enzyme tablet designed to kill cooking grime without tedious scrubbing. Look for it for about $10 at major retailers.
Space | You can’t beat the curves on the U-frame, two-level dish rack from the efficiency-driven designers at simplehuman. This is the company that helped put stainless steel into kitchens everywhere six years ago with its “butterfly” step trash can. This dish rack boasts the ability to hold a high-capacity load, and handy hooks for mugs and glasses. It sells for $49.99 at simplehuman.com.
Energy | The Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association says roughly 118,000 homes purchased wood-pellet-burning stoves last year, and their popularity has only increased this year. People with pellet stoves are reminded to stock up early on enough fuel for the winter. Here’s what the rest of us should know: Pellet stoves are clean-burning, energy-efficient and well suited for “zone heating,” according to the nonprofit Pellet Fuels Institute. Learn more at pelletheat.org or call 703-522-6778.
