Miscellaneous Spring Cleaning and Yard Hints

1. If your window sills are spotted, pour a little diluted rubbing alcohol on a soft cloth and rub the entire surface. The spots will disappear and the sills will look freshly painted
    
2. Try to avoid washing windows on as sunny day, they will dry too fast and will leave streaks
    
3. Once your just washed windows have dried, rub them down with a clean blackboard eraser to a really fine shine
    
4. To save yourself time and energy, rub inside panes with vertical strokes and outside panes with horizontal strokes. You will be able to tell how much easier which side has the smudges
    
5. To remove insects from windows, use net bags that onions come in
    
6. Clean the tracks on a sliding door by wrapping a small cloth around an eraser and rub away
    
7. Clean guilt frames without tarnishing them by using beer as the cleaning agent. Once the project is complete consume the rest of the beer
    
8. Clean smoked areas of your fireplace with an art gum eraser. This works well on porous, rock-front fireplaces
    
9. Remove old decals from surfaces by painting them with several coats of white vinegar. Allow the vinegar to soak in. After a few minutes, you can wash off the decal
    
10. Keep your air fresher by occasionally adding vinegar to your furnace humidifier
     
11. You may also freshen your house by applying vanilla to a cloth and wiping down the lights in various rooms. Every time you turn on a light, it will have a clean, fresh smell
     
12. You can sometimes remove mildew from papers and books if you dust with cornstarch and allow the powder to remain for several days before brushing off
     
13. Use coffee grounds to feed your Geraniums
     
14. Place a layer of gravel on the top of your window boxes to prevent dirt from splattering on your windows when it rains
     
15. Before you fill your window boxes with earth, whitewash the inside. This will keep insects away and will also prevent the boxes from rotting
     
16. Cracks in driveways and sidewalks where grass is growing can be cleared with vinegar
     
17. Plant your radishes in the carrot and lettuce rows. They will help mark the slow-germinating carrot rows and will protect the lettuce from bugs