Keep cool and save on your power bill

<p>As summer sets in, a local utility is offering tips to help ensure the heat doesn’t get the best of your health or your wallet.</p><p>”Although summer officially started June 2l, people living in southeast Louisiana have already experienced temperatures in the low 90s with heat and humidity indexes reaching over 100 degrees,” said Joe Ticheli, manager of South Louisiana Electric Cooperative Association.</p><p>Based in Bayou Blue, the utility serves about 16,000 customers in Terrebonne, Lafourche, Assumption, St. Mary and St. Martin parishes.</p><p>Some tips:</p><p>Limit your activities: If you know you have work to do outdoors, plan it for the morning or evening, when the weather is cooler and the sun not so strong.</p><p>Keep cool: Dress in light, loose and comfortable clothing. Drink plenty of liquids. </p><p>Don’t add heat: Cook outdoors in late afternoons when possible, and bake as little as possible. Save washing, ironing and other hot chores until late evening or early morning. Use the microwave rather than the conventional oven. Take short showers and baths and use exhaust vents to remove moisture and humidity.</p><p>Fans can help: Use box, oscillating or ceiling fans to supplement or replace air-conditioning demands.</p><p>Air conditioning: Every degree you set your thermostat below 78 adds 3 percent more to the cost of cooling your home. Change air filters once a month. Have your air conditioning system checked and serviced regularly. If you don’t have air conditioning, go someplace that does.</p><p>Keep out the sun: Close curtains, blinds or shutters during the day to reduce sunlight invading your home. Strategically planted trees can be your best ally in this effort.</p><p>Other options: Do you have enough insulation in your attic? What about those leaky hot water faucets? Is the damper in the fireplace closed? How often do you unnecessarily open and close the refrigerator and freezer doors?</p><p>”The more energy you use the more it costs,” Ticheli said.</p><p>For more, call SLECA’s member services department at 876-6880.</p>

Keep cool and save on your power bill

Spring cleaning: How to clean your house and keep it that way

One of the things most people don’t love about spring or any time of the year is the thought of giving your home a thorough cleaning — inside and out.

It’s just filled with all those major projects that involve seemingly overwhelming tasks like cleaning out closets, deep cleaning room by room, decluttering and more.

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But it doesn’t have to be that way. Experts advise setting a goal and doing something every day or every week until the jobs are done. Don’t worry whether it’s enough to pass the white glove test. What you are going for is an easy, comfortable and non-stressful living space that makes you and your family happy.

Amy Bates, owner of Merry Maids Tulsa Metro, offers the following tips for tackling spring cleaning at your home or apartment.

1 Declutter, donate and toss: Get rid of the clutter that’s taking up space in the home. So donate it or toss it. Or hold a garage sale to get rid of those unwanted items and make a little extra cash in the process. That includes old clothes (if you haven’t worn it in a year, it’s old), old books, broken toys, etc. Spring cleaning is the perfect time to declutter.

2 Go the natural way: Use natural cleaning products rather than harmful chemicals. Stock up on natural cleaning products like vinegar, baking soda, lemons, and tea tree oil. Those are effective and inexpensive.

3 Start top to bottom: Start upstairs and tackle one room at a time. Get that sense of accomplishment by focusing on one room at a time. Stopping and starting to go from one room to the other seems to slow down the process. Or spread your cleaning out over two days. Do the upstairs on day one and the downstairs on day two. It makes the tasks seem much less daunting.

And really clean top to bottom. Don’t forget to dust on top of book shelves and mantels.

4 Use simple cleaning tricks: Faster, more effective cleaning can be accomplished using simple tricks. For example, cleaning windows and mirrors with newspapers instead of paper towels leaves fewer streaks and no paper towel lint. Dryer sheets work great on baseboards. They clean off the dirt and dust and reduce future dust buildup. And have you ever thought of using an extra sticky roller on couches to get rid of pet hair? Try it.

5 Don’t forget the big stuff: Don’t overlook major appliances when you’re doing your spring cleaning. Give them a nice, deep clean. Run baking soda and vinegar in your clothes washer for a clean, fresh scent upon completion. Run vinegar through the dishwasher to get rid of hard water. Wipe down the inside of your refrigerator with a vinegar and water mixture to sanitize and freshen.

6 Get your outdoor spaces ready: You’ll be spending more time outdoors, so wipe down chair handles with a damp cloth and vacuum the dust out of cushions. A quick trick is to put cushions in a trash bag, insert a vacuum hose into the bag, wrap the bag around the hose and turn it on. The suction from the vacuum will flatten the cushion and inhale all dust and pollen. Get those outdoor grills clean and ready, too. And sweep away the cobwebs from the corners of your porch.

7 Organize your closet by color: Organizing your closet is one of the first steps to the rest of your home. Organizing your clothes by color will make your closet look nice and uniform and makes getting dressed in the morning a snap. Your closet will look appealing, and your everyday routine will be easier.

8 Give your carpet a fresh, clean smell: Give it a boost with ½ cup of Borax, ½ cup baking soda and several drops of your favorite essential oil. Sprinkle it on the carpet and let it sit 30 minutes. Then vacuum away. Your carpet and your entire room will have a fresh aroma. And ask people to take their shoes off when entering your home. It will take away from tracking in the outside.

9 Change things up: One way to give your home a fresh feel is to make some simple changes. For an easy makeover, change out your couch or bed pillows to set a different mood. Or place fresh-cut flowers throughout the house. You will instantly feel revitalized in your home.

10 Change those filters: It’s a great idea to use spring cleaning as a time to change all your filters — air filters, water filters, etc. Changing the air filters in your home will cut down on the amount of dust you see on surfaces, and the air will smell fresher.

Rita Sherrow 918-581-8360

rita.sherrow@tulsaworld.com

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Spring cleaning: How to clean your house and keep it that way

Steps to keep your home allergen-free this spring

Q • What are the best ways to prepare my home for allergy season?

A • Spring is in the air, bringing beautiful blooms and pollen that can cause headaches for allergy sufferers. Take a few extra precautions to keep your home clean and reduce indoor allergens this spring.

Shutting windows and doors are not the only way to stop pollen and dust from coming inside. Choose the right air filter for your furnace to filter allergen particles. Several types and levels of filtration are available. Filters are rated using a Filter Performance Rating scale, with 1 being the lowest filtration level and 10 being the highest. For homes with severe allergy sufferers, use an FPR 10 filter to remove virtually all particles from the air when the furnace or air conditioner is running.

In addition to getting rid of airborne particles, it is also important to clean dust and pollen off of your surfaces correctly. Microfiber towels and static cling dusters hold the particles rather than releasing them into the air. The right vacuum can also make a big difference. Choose a sealed system vacuum such as the Shark Navigator to filter the air while vacuuming and stop particles from being released into the air. Be sure to stop dust, pollen and dirt at the door by using two doormats, one outside and one inside.

Spring showers and rising humidity levels outdoors create the perfect conditions for mold and mildew, especially in damp areas in the home. Mold spores are among the most harmful allergens and can be difficult to remove. Begin cleaning and treating for mold in the shower or bath, or anywhere that is wet for extended periods of time. Black spots often grow in the caulk or in crevices in your shower. Left untreated, the mold can grow into a much larger issue. Use a mold- and mildew-specific cleaner to immediately stop the growth of the mold. It is always a good idea to recaulk the area using a product with Microban to inhibit future mold growth. For other areas of the home, use a mold test kit to help identify problem spots.

Ensuring your home is clean and allergen-free during the spring can help allergy sufferers sleep better and provide a place to recover from the outdoors during the season. By following these steps, you and your family can have a more enjoyable spring at home.

Steps to keep your home allergen-free this spring