JOBJAR

Mixing Cleaning Products together

Jobjar — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 16:18:00 +0000

NEVER mix common cleaning products together.

People sometimes mix cleaning products together in order to make the cleaning easier or faster. With such products as bleach and acid or alkalitype products the results can be disastrous.

Often a poisonous gas is produced from the mixture of two or more common household cleaning agents. When, for example household chlorine bleach (asodium hypochlorite solution) is combined with an acid-producing substance, such as a toilet bowl cleaner or even vinegar, there is an instant release of chlorine gas. Also, when chlorine bleach is mixed with ammonia, or other alkaline substance, this releases a highly irritating gas.

If these gasses are inhaled, it can cause serious injury and possible death.

Accidents like this can happen anywhere not only in the kitchen and bathroom, but also in the cleaning and treating of the water in swimming pools.

It is not true that the combination of two or more good household cleaning products is twice as good as one on its own. Very often mixing them actually neutralizes their effect and often is highly dangerous.

Follow the safe rule –

Use chemical cleaners according to the manufacturer instructions on the labels, and keep in mind some scouring (abrasive) powders also contain chlorine bleach.

It is not recommended, to use hypochlorite (chlorine) bleach in toilet bowls, sinks, or bathtubs, or on electrical appliances, as it can in time injure, dull or roughen a fine, smooth porcelain surface.

Don’t mix: Abrasive powder containing chlorine bleach, or chlorine bleach with the following: Toilet Bowl Cleaners, Ammonia, Rust Remover, Oven Cleaner

For Chemical Safety

1. Know what chemicals you are using
2. Always read the labels
3. Measure all chemicals as per instructions
4. Do not substitute chemicals
5. Never mix one type of chemical with another
6. Do not rely on the smell of chemicals as a means of identification
7. If the solution you are using is a strong acid or alkali, protect yourself with safety glasses, rubber gloves and adequate protective clothing
8. Always secure the bottle cap or lid before the container leaves your hands.
9. Do not store strong chemicals on overhead shelves
10. Store all flammable or combustible products in metal containers

Note: If you splash any cleaning product in your eyes you should flush your eyes with cool water for 15 to 20 minutes

Remember: diluting any chemical with water, you should always “Pour the chemical into the water ” and NOT the water into the chemical” because if it splashes the splash will be water.

Granfather Clock 1

Jobjar — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 15:21:36 +0000

A Grandfather Clock

The condition of the clock on day one.

The clock moved house some years ago and hadn’t worked for years before that.

Movement as received

Creaking Stairs

Jobjar — Sun, 02 May 2010 10:42:21 +0000

CREAKING STAIRS

: Image via Wikipedia

Central heating dries out the timber in floors and stairs and causes squeaks and creaks. If you can reach the underneath of your stairs, it’s a relatively straightforward job to solve the problem.

First stand under the stairs and ask someone to walk up them so that you can see the movement and mark the loose or moving boards.

1. Replace the wedges
Often the thin wedge

s that are between the upright

pieces or risers as well as the treads have worked loose and even dropped out altogether.

Remove the wedges underneath each problem board and use an old chisel to remove as much of the dry glue as possible. Spread a generous amount of glue along both sides of the wedges and push the wedge back into its place. Use a mallet not a hammer ( as it damages the wedge) to tap the pieces firmly into place again.

Tip: To make new wedges saw thin angled pieces of new timber to replace any missing wedges.

2. Replace the triangular blocks

The stairs may also be missing triangular glue blocks along the joint between the risers and treads. Look for areas of lighter coloured wood to show where the blocks have come loose. Saw some new triangular blocks around 75mm (3in) long. Use a piece of 50mm (2in) square timber and cut diagonally along its length to make the blocks. Fix to the stairs with PVA glue and one or two panel pins or screws to hold in place while the glue is drying.

3. Fixing a stair from above

If the underneath of the stairs is inaccessible and has been plaster boarded, you may be able to reduce the creaking by making clearance holes in the front of the stair tread and screwing into the riser beneath to tighten the joint.

Baking soda to eliminate odours

Jobjar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:36:20 +0000

a). Remove odours from your fridge and freezer by putting in an open container of baking soda to absorb odours. Stir and turn over the soda from time to time. Replace every 2 months.
b). Soda absorbs cat litter odours. Cover the bottom of the cat box with 1 part soda; then add a layer of 3 parts cat litter on top.
c). Wash out thermos flasks and cooling containers with soda and water to get rid of stale smells.
d). Reduce odour build-up in your dishwasher by sprinkling some soda on the bottom.
e). Remove that bad smell from ashtrays with soda and water.
f). Sprinkle a bit of dry soda in your ashtrays to prevent smouldering and reduce odour.
g). Remove strong odours from your hands, wet your hands and rub them hard with soda, then rinse
h). Use to sweeten sour dishcloths.
i). Add to water to remove the “gamey” taste from wild game.
j). Soda can be uses as an underarm deodorant.
k). If your baby spits up on his shirt after feeding, moisten a cloth, dip it in baking soda and dab at the dribbled shirt. The odour will go.
l). Sprinkle soda in tennis shoes, socks, boots and slippers to eliminate odour.

REPAIRING A GERMAN REGULATOR CLOCK

Jobjar — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:25:38 +0000

REPAIRING A GERMAN REGULATOR CLOCK

(and practicing my photography)

July 2009

The clock has not worked for years and on inspection the chime was not functioning correctly at all.

I removed the essential parts for repair and left the case and the winding Key with the customer

The Dial. Pendelum and the movement of the Kienzle Clock

It is a German Regulator clock made by Kienzle
A bit of history on Kienzle is below

History:
1822 Johannes Schlenker began to run a clock shop at Schwenningen. He made typical Black Forest clocks with wooden works and a lacquered shield, the so-called “Lackschilduhren”. Johannes Schlenker, born in 1782, died in 1864, He had three sons who were involved in the clockshop.
On April 18th 1883 the grandson of Johannes Schlenker Karl Johannes and the husband of his daughter Jakob Kienzle became directors of the family run business.
They started producing clocks in an industrial way. The brandmark of the famous Schlenker & Kienzle clocks was a wheel with two wings. In the first years they sold their clocks mainly in Germany and Austria.
In 1887 they founded another factory in Komotau (Austria). Before 1908 several other factories and sales offices in Germany, France, England and Italy were built.
In 1908 three quarters of all clocks were exported. Until 1893 the factory only produced clocks with massive plates. Then they started to produce also cheaper clockworks with skeleton plates in the way most American clocks were made, the so-called “Amerikaneruhren”.
Between 1883 and 1907 they made 2,301,240 clocks with massive plates, and between 1894 and 1907 they made 5,327,450 clocks in the American way.
The company was founded by Johannes Schlenker, then passed down through the family. In 1892 production was 162,000 clocks. The name was changed in 1919 to Kienzle Uhrenfabriken and the company merged with Thomas Haller in 1929
In 1939 it had 3500 employees. Transferred to China in 1997. Now it is part of Highway Holdings Ltd

The sequence in pictures:…………..

The movement disassembled and ready for cleaning

The clock was taken completely apart.

The Barrels containing the mainsprings

Various parts were checked and repaired: the barrels, the escape wheel and all the pivots. The ones that needed polishing were polished and all the centres were checked and adjusted.

The tension and friction on the minute wheel was adjusted. All the wheels were checked for wear and tear and adjusted as necessary.

The Movement plate

Once all the repairs were carried out all the parts were cleaned and checked again and then assembled

All repaired, cleaned and ready for assembly

All the timing and chime was then setup and checked

The Kienzle stamp can be clearly seen on the movement

Kienzle stamp on main movement plate

The movement was completely assembled, oiled, wound and set in motion for timing

The assembled movement

The Hands Dial and Pendulum were now added and the timing done……….

The clock was now setup on my veranda, on a stand to run for a few days being observed and adjusted before returning to the customer

A beautiful clock …….…….

The Working Clock

ENERGY SAVING IDEAS

Jobjar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 18:39:44 +0000

• Install ceiling insulation.
• Keep curtains closed. This prevents heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer.
• Close off unheated areas.
• Don’t overheat the room. Increasing the thermostat by 1 degree can increase costs by 3 percent.
• Dress appropriately.
• Choose energy-efficient appliances. Compare energy rating labels before you buy.
• Turn off appliances when you aren’t using them.
• Remove dust and fluff from the fan and reflective surfaces of heater to keep clean, efficient and safe.

IMMEDIATE ACTION: Turn down the boiler thermostat by 3 Degree and save up to 9% on the energy bill with no noticeable effect.

ASSEMBLING FLAT PACK FURNITURE.

Jobjar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:30:14 +0000

Flat pack furniture is the new furniture vogue with IKEA opening its doors in Dublin. The instructions are a nightmare to understand at times and all the bits and pieces, it seems impossible but there is a logic to it all. Although I have assembled my fair share of flat pack furniture its important to consult and follow the instructions closely as I have found out many a time. So understanding the instructions is paramount to completing the job, and as a bonus you won’t need to get marriage counselling.

Tools:- A fully charged cordless drill / screwdriver, Philips (cross head) screwdrivers, Stanley knife, scissors, small hammer, small adjustable spanner, a few small jars or containers.

Its important to note before you start that you can return the goods and get 100% refund only on boxed that are unopened and 66% refund on opened and checked boxes, at least this is the status in Belfast IKEA where I have collected and assembled lots of units already, I have also been Liverpool IKEA but I don’t know their conditions of sale. Something worth asking about before you buy.
Then start by opening only one box and assembling that completely before moving to another box. Place the box on the floor and use the Stanley knife to cut it open.
The package will protect both the floor and the unit from being scratched, if you are assembling a large item, such as a wardrobe make sure you have plenty of room in which to build it and an assistant to help if required. Have the room well ventilated as the room temperature can increases with the stress and effort.
REMEMBER to do final assembly in the room where the item is intended to live an not find that it wont go up the stairs and round the corner.
There is always an assembly drawing and parts list with the unit, spend a while checking all the parts and fixings are included with the unit, Group all the same parts together and place them all in a container so they don’t get lost and place the container close by but away from where the construction is happening.
Have a good look at the ‘How to assemble’ drawing, read it from start to finish before you pick up any tools, it’s all too easy to say “what do I need a drawing for”.
Notice the different sizes of parts and where they go on the drawing.
The cordless drill / screwdriver can help to speed up assembly of most units, just make sure it is set on low speed with a low torque setting as screws can easily be driven through chipboard etc by mistake, make sure its charger up fully before you start. I find it better to tighten up the last couple of turns of screws and bolts with the screwdriver as I can judge it much better than the cordless.
Hopefully you have assembled your first piece of furniture successfully and without incident or accident, experience is all you need to become at flat pack Master.

Sparkling Windows

Jobjar — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:25:34 +0000

Now is the time to spring clean the house and cleaning the windows has, by far the greatest effect on the spring cleaning feeling you get when its done.

Clean bright sparkling windows add a new look, and require their own cleaning methodology to keep them looking clean and tidy. Here are some simple ideas to give your windows a wonderful shine.

1) Windows are very sensitive to dirt. You should therefore apply only clean water in cleaning windows and in cases where you use damp cloth, use only clean cloths.

2) Before you wipe the glass, remove all the dust from the windows so that applying a wet cloth does not leave mud on the window. Dust mixed with water forms mud.

3) If you are cleaning the window sills, rub the whole surface with a damp cloth sprayed with alcohol so that all the spots will clear off for a beautiful shine. Don’t use the same cloth for the windows.

4) If the glass is greasy or smoky, apply some vinegar to the water before you clean the window. Vinegar removes grease without leaving streaks or stains.

5) Ensure that you dry your windows in one direction – to the left or to the right. Mixing the direction will leave unpleasant streaks on the glass and make it look very untidy.

6) When cleaning windows which are beyond your reach, use a step ladder or a regular ladder. Always ensure that the safety clip is on and if possible, get some one to hold the base of the ladder.

7) Sprays are more convenient to use than buckets of water. When cleaning windows on a ladder use sprays instead of buckets of water as they are awkward, dangerous and can spill and cause damage and the weight will tire you easily.

Baking soda eliminates odours

Jobjar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 20:26:05 +0000

a). Remove odours from your fridge and freezer by putting in an open container of baking soda to absorb odours. Stir and turn over the soda from time to time. Replace every 2 months.
b). Soda absorbs kitty litter odours. Cover the bottom of the kitty box with 1 part soda; then add a layer of 3 parts kitty litter on top.
c). Wash out Thermos flasks and cooling containers with soda and water to get rid of stale smells.
d). Reduce odour build-up in your dishwasher by sprinkling some soda on the bottom.
e). Remove that bad smell from ashtrays with soda and water.
f). Sprinkle a bit of dry soda in your ashtrays to prevent smouldering and reduce odour.
g). Remove strong odours from your hands, wet your hands and rub them hard with soda, then rinse
h). Use to sweeten sour dishcloths.
i). Add to water to remove the “gamey” taste from wild game.
j). Soda can be uses as an underarm deodorant.
k). If your baby spits up on his shirt after feeding, moisten a cloth, dip it in baking soda and dab at the dribbled shirt. The odour will go.
l). Sprinkle soda in tennis shoes, socks, boots and slippers to eliminate odour.

Cleaning with Baking soda tips.

Jobjar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:25:29 +0000

a) Clean vegetables and fruit with baking soda. Sprinkle in water, soak and rinse the produce.
b). Wash your rubbish bins with baking soda.
c). Soak and wash nappies with baking soda.
d). Grease & Oil stained clothing washes out better with soda added to the washing water.
e). Clean your fridge and freezer with dry soda sprinkled on a damp cloth, rinse in clear water.
f). Clean combs and brushes in a soda solution.
g). Wash food and drink containers with soda and water.
h). Wash marble-topped furniture with a solution of 3 tablespoons of soda in 1 litre of warm water. Let stand awhile, then rinse.
i). Clean Formica counter tops with baking soda on a damp cloth or sponge.
j). To remove stubborn stains from marble, Formica or plastic surfaces, scour with a paste of soda and water.
k). Wash glass or stainless steel coffee pots (but not aluminium) in a soda solution ( 3 tbsp. soda to 1 litre of water).
l). Run & rinse the coffee maker through its cycle with a soda solution.
m). Give baby bottles a good cleaning with soda and hot water.
n). Sprinkle soda on barbecue grills, let soak and rinse off.
o). Sprinkle soda on greasy garage floor. Leave a while and scrub and rinse off.
p). Run your dishwasher through its cycle with soda in it instead of soap to give it a good cleaning.
q). To remove burned-on food from a pan: soak it in soda and water for 10 minutes before washing. Or scrub the pot with dry soda and a moist scouring pad.
r). For a badly-burned pan with a thick layer of burned-on food: pour a thick layer of soda directly onto the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle on just enough water so as to moisten the soda. Leave the pot overnight, scrub it clean next day.
s). Clean plastic, porcelain, glass with dry soda on a damp cloth. Rinse and dry.
t). Clean your bathroom with dry soda on a moist sponge – sink, basin, tiles, shower, etc.
u). Keep your drains clean and free-flowing by putting 4 tablespoons of soda in them each week. Flush the soda down with hot water.
v). Soak your shower curtains in water and soda to clean them.
w). Use dry with a small brush to rub canvas handbags clean.
x). Use to remove melted plastic bread wrapper from toaster. Dampen cloth and make a mild abrasive with baking soda.

JOBJAR

Mixing Cleaning Products together

Granfather Clock 1

A Grandfather Clock

Related articles by Zem

Creaking Stairs

Baking soda to eliminate odours

REPAIRING A GERMAN REGULATOR CLOCK

ENERGY SAVING IDEAS

ASSEMBLING FLAT PACK FURNITURE.

Sparkling Windows

Baking soda eliminates odours

Cleaning with Baking soda tips.