I’m pretty sure everyone is intimately familiar with aluminum. You can barely toss a cat across the room without having it hit something that’s made from it. I think, because it’s so common, that it’s often times not even thought of or given any attention. It’s just always there. My favorite use for it is naturally bee….uhh…..soda cans. A very close second, however, is cookware. Aluminum is very well known for it’s ability to conduct and transfer heat. And it’s inexpensive. Yay! But, just because aluminum cookware is somewhat inexpensive doesn’t mean it should be neglected. Even things that don’t cost an arm and a leg get expensive if you’re constantly replacing them. With that in mind, I put together this article on how to clean aluminum. Now don’t get me wrong, this article is not only for aluminum cookware. The advise given here can be used on any bare aluminum surface. So if you’ve got some aluminum that you’re looking to clean but don’t know the best way to go about it, look no further. Have a gander at my article on How to Clean Aluminum.
Archive for February, 2009
The notion of cleaning concrete sounds just about as fun as watching paint dry, watching grass grow, counting raindrops or whatever other mundane activity you can think of. But in all actuality it’s not that bad and it doesn’t take nearly as long as one might expect. Yeah, you’ll probably have to devote an afternoon to the chore but so what? Cleaning concrete is easy work and you get to be outside while you’re doing it. Just make sure there’s a couple beers in the fridge and remember to check the weather before you set a date. Also keep in mind that if you choose to (you certainly don’t have to) you get to play with a pressure washer. Good times. If you don’t want to use a pressure washer you get to pretend to be a pirate scrubbing the deck. OK. Maybe not. If you’re doing that you might want to dump the rest of that beer out. Really though, whether you’re cleaning concrete indoors or outdoors, there’s several easy and completely safe ways to do it. If you want a crash course, read my article on concrete cleaning.
I’ve been dropping good cash on CDs for more years than I care to count. Through improper care I had become the proud owner of a pile of scratched CDs that no longer played correctly. That pissed me off to no end. To make it worse, I knew that every scratched CD, due primarily to improper cleaning, was my own fault. The music I listen to is an integral part of my life, it’s also one hell of an investment. I’ve only recently learned how to protect that investment. Like anything else of value that you own, you wanna extend its life for as long as possible. And like those other valuable things in your life, it starts with basic maintenance. If you want to get the most out of your music, start by keeping your CDs clean. It’s easy, and you’ve probably already got everything you need to do it and do it right. And there are a number of ways to clean a CD incorrectly. If you want to avoid ending up with a bunch of music that you’ve rendered unplayable through improper cleaning, check out my article on How to Clean a CD.
What I miss more than anything about living with my parents (except for their dogs) is sitting out on the deck, drinking coffee and listening to the birds’ morning chorus. A deck is, and should be, a great place to either quietly relax or raise a raucous with friends and family. With as much time as we spend chilling on our decks, why don’t we try a little harder to make the experience even more enjoyable. The aesthetics of the things surrounding me are important. It’s just plain hard for me to relax properly if I see something that needs doing. Maybe the deck is actually filthy or maybe it’s just gray and weathered from too many years without enough deck maintenance. Either way, I know I enjoy the deck more when it’s clean. I also know I’m not alone in this. Fortunately, it’s actually pretty easy to clean a deck. It’s even easier to do it safely, naturally and without risking harm to yourself or the environment. I can show you how. Just take a quick look at my article on How to Clean a Deck.
