The hot weather brings moisture in the form of humidity along with scroching temperatures. The hot, humid moisture creates a problematic environment for several things around the house, causing rust, mildew and a variety of other sticky, smelly situations. These hot weather quick-fix ideas will help to solve those problems.
Quick-Fix for Rusty Garden Tools
Corrosive rust will destroy those expensive garden tools unless they are properly maintained and hot weather fosters the growth and spread of rust. To remove rust from garden tools (or prevent rust from starting) remove all loose dirt and debris from the business end of the garden tools with a wire brush, then apply mineral oil or linseed oil with a rag to all metal components of the garden tools. If the garden tool is already rusty, use a dry piece of fine grade steel wool to scrub away the rust after the application of mineral oil or linseed oil. Apply a fresh coating of oil after rust removal.
Quick-Fix to Remove Mildew on Exterior House Surfaces
Mildew thrives on exterior house surfaces during the hot weather. Bricks, patio stones, patio furniture and house siding all develop unsightly green and black mildew. A quick-fix for small areas of mildew is to fill a spray bottle with one part bleach and nine parts water and spray on the spots of mildew. Allow the bleach solution to sit on the mildew for 15 minutes, then rinse with water from the garden hose. For larger exterior house surfaces covered with mildew, mix the bleach solution in a hose-end sprayer and spray the solution on or mix the bleach solution in a bucket and use a long-handled brush to apply. The bleach kills the mildew and helps prevent it from returning.
Quick-Fix for Clumped Salt
Ever grab the salt shaker to sprinkle some salt on food only to discover the contents of the salt shaker was one big clump? Moisture bound the grains of salt together and that happens often in high humidity regions of the country during hot weather. Remove the clumped salt, wash and thoroughly dry the salt shaker, then refill with salt and add a few grains of rice to the salt to absorb the moisture and prevent the salt from clumping again.
Quick-Fix for Stinky Shoes
Hot weather causes the body to sweat, even the feet sweat and leave behind smelly odors in shoes. Stinky shoes will smell fresh by morning when newspaper is stuffed inside them and allowed to sit overnight. The newspaper will absorb the shoe moisture and odors caused by sweating feet.
Quick-Fix for a Door or Drawer that Sticks
Hot weather causes wood to expand. Wood doors or drawers that usually open with ease will stick and require more force to open. Rub a bar of soap all along the edge of the door to prevent sticking. Remove a sticking drawer and rub a bar of soap along the tracks, replace the drawer and it will open and shut smoothly again without sticking.
Quick-Fix for Wilted Vegetables
Fresh garden vegetables don’t look fresh and perky for very long during hot weather. A plunge in ice water will revive wilted vegetables and provide a quick-fix to make the fresh garden vegetables table-worthy again. Trim away any excessively wilted leaves from the vegetables, then soak the vegetables in ice water for a few minutes before preparing.
Humid, hot weather creates problems, and many of those problems have a simple quick-fix like the ones mentioned in this article.
