Winter is on the wane. (We hope!) Now that much of the snow has melted, take this opportunity to assess the damage salt, ice and snow may have done to your buildings. Check roofs, drains, walkways and vegetation. The freeze thaw cycle can do incredible damage to almost anything if water gets trapped and freezes before it can drain or dry up. Damaged branches can fall on your roofs and shrubs.
Rensselaer asks about drains: I was prepping an apartment for re renting and noticed the kitchen sink and the bathtub were draining somewhat slowly. This worried me, but I hate to use harsh chemicals since I have septic system and not municipal sewers. The drains are not clogged, just a little slower than normal.
Yes, I have a suggestion, a little off beat, but VERY economical. Go to the Dollar Store (I used Dollar Tree) and purchase 4 bottles of their generic Cola. It comes in the super, giant king size of 93 ounces for only a dollar ! Pour 2 bottles down each drain. Do not flush with water at this time. This “beverage” contains phosphoric acid and it will helps scrub out some of the grease and soap scum in the drains. You could, if you want, reserve about 8 or 10 ounces to mix with some rum for a refreshing drink while you are completing this task.
Colonie wants to talk about blood. OK, but not too gory please.
One of my tenants (An aspiring chef) cut himself with a rather large knife and got blood all over an expensive scatter rug that I foolishly supplied with the apartment. What to do ?
Fortunately, I was home and got the call right after it happened. I had a solution which needed to be used right when the blood is fresh.
Mix l cup of ammonia, 1 cup of Dawn Dish soap and one cup of water. Spray liberally on the stain. Wash the item right away. He reported that it worked. I believe this rug to be cotton. I have no idea if it would work on wool, nylon or blends.
Glenmont has high heating bills. I have a four family apartment house where 6 people live. All have jobs and are paying the rent. How nice for me you say ! I thought so too until Corona came along. At that point 4 of them are working from home instead of the office. They now doing at home what they used to do at the office. Lots of cooking, more laundry (No more dry cleaning) Opening & closing entry doors. Turning up the heat during the day and taking more showers. All this adds up to MUCH larger gas and electric bills. Since all utilities are included in the rent, I pay the bills. What can I do? Mac says: Not much. When folks are home all day, this is what happens. You can ask them to be more careful. Such as: Do only full loads of laundry instead of 4 small ones, take shorter showers. There are many other common sense tips for saving energy. Your best bet is to ask the utility company to put you on a budget plan to ease the pain of those big bills in the winter.
See you next month – Mac Mowbray
