How To: Clean Your Car

Step 1:
Rinse & wet the car (with standard tap water)- DO NOT USE A SPONGE because it will pick up grit and you'll be rubbing the grit around and it'll act like sandpaper. A high pressure hose is best for this but a hosepipe with a strong jet will help. Once you have removed the loose grit and the car is wet the rest of the dirt will start to loosen as the water gets into it. (To allow time for the water to start dissolving the dirt it's a good time to clean out the inside of the car.)

Step 2:
Inside of the car: Pick up crisp packets, sweet wrappers and those car park stickers. Remove removable mats and vacuum them then move on to the rest of the interior with the hoover. Wipe down the dashboard, console and all other plastic with a damp (not wet) cloth. (for soiled areas use a mild detergent but wipe off thoroughly). Avoid using products with Silicone in as they leave a greasy residue & over spray onto the pedals can be lethal. Do not polish the dashboard because this can cause glare on sunny days. Carpet & upholstery stains can be easily removed with CAR PLAN interior valet (this is the only product I have found that could remove dark engine grease stains on a light grey interior.) Finally wipe over the sills, boot (USA Trunk) seams (the internal bits you only see when the door is open with a damp sponge.)

Step 3:
Back to the outside - the car should still be wet - hose over one more time ready for the pre wash. Use a very soft sponge or soft wool mitt, and very gently wipe over the entire car the aim is to remove all grit particles. (Do not scrub tar or mud deposits at this stage) Start at the top of the car and work round it in circles like peeling an orange making the sills and bumpers the last thing you touch overall - these are generally the dirtiest and most gritty items.

Step 4:
Pre wash. Using a bucket of clean (for perfection use filtered) water and a car pre wash product - choose something that does not foam up or cause lots of bubbles. (Autoglym car shampoo is very good and conditions the water to avoid streaks.) Don't use a shampoo with built in polish this would effectively seal the dirt and stains under a thin layer of wax and makes the cleaning job 100 times harder and makes the windows go hazy every time you use your wipers. Use a tar and bug remover spray to soften the really stubborn stains.

Step 5:
Main Wash. Again with a quality car shampoo. Time to use a slightly harder sponge or cotton cleaning pad. Like last time work in circles using the orange peel method. A scrub pad can be used for really tough stains but only on areas of paint work hardened like the sills and lower front bumper. You want to avoid creating those wheel mark scratches caused mainly by bad cleaning methods or automatic car washes.

Step 6:
Wheels and tyres - clean off with a brush first, then use a hard sponge or scrub pad. Do not use anything you'll use to clean the wheels on your bodywork next time or it will be full of grit and scratch your paintwork. Brake dust is hard to remove and you'll usually require a chemical brake dust and alloy wheel cleaner. These usually need brushing on leaving for a while then sponging off. As fairly nasty chemicals are used in most of these products wear gloves and avoid contact with your skin.

Step 7:
Rinse off. Time for some fresh clean water. A watering can filled with water (again for perfection filtered) is the easiest method of rinsing off the car.
TIP: Work on one panel at a time starting with the roof, next for UK people do the bonnet (but if your in the USA do the hood)! Also use two buckets - one with clean water for rinsing to avoind grit contamination.

Step 8:
Dry the car off using a Chamois leather. They need to be slightly damp to work best and you are buffing the water into small droplets, a mist then a haze then the water is gone. Most people expect the Chamois to work like a towel and soak up the water but it works more like a wiper blade - creating a thin film of water and letting it evaporate itself. Patience is the key.

Step 9:
Glass - using a glass cleaning product go over the windows inside and out in a circular motion. DON'T USE HOUSE GLASS CLEANER - make sure its a proper automotive glass cleaner. This is also the time to fix the stone chips (You'll have to wait for the paint to dry before moving on to the polishing stage.) We are doing an article on stone chip removal so check back soon!
Tip: The best cloth to use on glass is a piece of Hessian which has been hot washed to remove the colour and shrunk. (Window cleaners swear by it.) It's handy to keep in the car for cold morning when the windows mist up. We also recommend the use of microfibre cloths for paintwork, chrome and other areas this leaves a streak free finish.

Step 10:
The polish. Generally you rub it on (in straight lines not circles) to a light haze then buff off. An electronic buffer can really cut the polishing time but be careful. IE: If you used an electric buffer to clean your face it would be quick but hurt. Car paintwork is also delicate and pressure should not be applied and only soft cloths should be used. Use one cloth to apply the polish, another to buff it off and then with a really soft cloth buff up the polish to a showroom finish. Two mist & buff off coats are far better than gobbing on as much polish as you can (the extra is just rubbed off and less shiny residue is left behind.)
The quick method. Jet wash the car down and rub it over. Add your polish to a litre of water and rub it into the paintwork only - don't do the windows. Jet wash to rinse off. Then with a fine sponge rub the car all over with clean water. Squirt your windscreen washer and set your wipers to fast. Go for a drive to dry the car off. Buff off the damp polish residue with a chamois leather and &shiny within 15 minutes.

How To: Decorate Room So It Looks Bigger

Open up the room by maximizing views of the outdoors or of an adjoining, more spacious room.

Keep the walls light in color, as light colors recede.

Provide good illumination, which will enhance the sense of space.

Paint moldings, doors and the like in the same color as the walls. Strongly contrasting elements chop up the space.

Put away some of the tabletop bric-a-brac. It makes the room seem cluttered, busy and crowded.

Paint the ceiling white. Rooms have a greater sense of space with high ceilings, and white ceilings seem higher than darker ones.

Run linear flooring such as wood strips and ceramic tile on the diagonal. This creates the longest straight lines possible in the room, and the eye will follow them.

Use the same flooring material throughout the space to unify it and make it seem more expansive.

Select ceramic tile that's oversized - even in small bathrooms.

Use furniture that is scaled appropriately to the room. For example, an oversize sofa will eat up too much space in a small room.

Decorate windows simply. Besides being the wrong scale for a small room, show-stopping treatments such as billowy draperies encroach into the space of the room.

How To: Pay Taxes

You may pay your tax liability in various ways. You may pay the IRS electronically or by sending a check or money order, made out to "United States Treasury". You may pay the full amount of your outstanding balance or any other amount you are able to pay. Be sure to include your social security number on your payment.

Consider financing the full payment of your tax liability through loans, such as a home equity loan from a financial institute or credit card. This is because your unpaid balance is subject to interest that is compounded daily and a monthly late payment penalty, so it is in your best interest to pay your tax liability in full as soon as you can to minimize the amount of interest and penalty charged. The interest rate a bank charges is usually lower than the combination of interest and penalties imposed by the Internal Revenue Code. Full payment will stop any further collection notices or other collection actions.
If you cannot pay in full immediately, the IRS offers short-term extensions of time to pay in full from 10 to 120 days.

Installment Agreements
If you cannot full pay your tax liability in a lump sum, the IRS offers a partial payment option.

You may apply for an installment agreement. Installment agreements may be set up in various ways:
Direct debit from your bank account
Payroll deduction from your employer

Regular installment agreement

If you enter into an installment agreement, your payment amount should be based on your ability to pay and should be an amount that can be maintained over the lifetime of the installment agreement. Direct debit or payroll deduction installment agreements provide you with the opportunity to make timely payments automatically, and therefore, these payment methods reduce the possibility of defaulting your agreement.
Responding to Your IRS Notice

It is important not to ignore an IRS notice. If you do not make payments or other arrangements to pay the amount you owe in full, the IRS may file a Notice of Federal Tax Lien, and may take enforced collection action which could include serving a Notice of Levy or offset of a tax refund. Refer to IRS Topic 201 for information about "The Collection Process".

If you are unable to make any payment at this time, you may call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040.
If the IRS determines that you cannot pay any of your tax debt, it may temporarily delay collection until your financial condition improves. Be prepared to provide pertinent financial information from documents you should have available to you during the call, such as current pay stubs, rental agreements, or mortgage statements, and car lease/loan statements.

How to: Clean Kitchen

Have a place for everything. It's much easier to use a utensil or appliance, clean it and put it away when it has a home. I use foil as an example in my kitchen. I have a special drawer that is used just for foil, plastic wrap and parchment paper.
Those items are always easy to find, and are put away after each use because they have a special home.

Don't mix ammonia and bleach because it will create toxic fumes.

Identify spots in your kitchen that accumulate clutter and take a few minutes every day to clear those spots and place objects in their correct homes.

Try to end each day with a clean, empty kitchen sink. Run the dishwasher before you go to bed and unload it first thing in the morning.

A sponge is actually a great way to spread germs. I prefer using paper towels, discarding them after cleaning each surface, to totally prevent cross-contamination.

QUICK FIXES:

To quickly clean burned food on a pan, add some dish soap and 1/2" of water. Bring to a boil, then let the liquid cool in the pan. The burned food will be easy to remove.

When food spills over and burns on the oven floor, sprinkle a handful of salt on the mess. The smoke will be reduced and the spill easier to clean after the oven cools. You can add some cinnamon to the salt to help reduce odors.

To clean your microwave oven, mix together 2 Tbsp. of lemon juice or vinegar and 2 cups of water in a 4 cup glass microwave safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH for two to three minutes. Carefully remove the bowl and wipe the microwave with paper towels. Repeat as necessary.

To clean sluggish drains, pour 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain. Add 1/2 cup white vinegar and cover the drain. Let this mixture foam for a few minutes, then pour 8 cups of boiling water down the drain. to flush it. Do not use this combination after using any commercial drain opener or cleaner.
I like to put lemon or lime pieces through the garbage disposal every few days for a clean fresh smell. To freshen the garbage disposal, sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of baking soda down the drain, drop in two ice cubes and turn it on. Then run the hot water for a few minutes while the disposal is working.

If plastic from the bread wrapper melts onto your toaster, use a little nail polish remover to get it off. Let the toaster cool before you try this.

Clean your coffee maker every few weeks by filling the water reservoir with equal parts white vinegar and water and putting it through the brew cycle. Then use clean fresh water and repeat the brew cycle to rinse the machine. Repeat with fresh water two more times.

If you don't have a self-cleaning oven, scrape up any large spills, then spray cleaner inside the oven, close the door and let it sit overnight so the cleaner has time to work.

For glass cooktops, there are special commercial cleaners that work well. Use them with a hard plastic scraper to remove burned-on food. Clean your glass cooktop as soon as it cools to avoid having to scrub burned food.

To clean a blender, squirt a few drops of liquid soap into it, fill halfway with warm water, cover and blend away the mess. Rinse and repeat if necessary. You can also use this method for food processors.

For lime and mineral deposits on your kitchen sink faucet, wrap vinegar-soaked paper towels around faucets for about an hour. This breaks down the mineral scale, and the chrome will be clean and shiny after buffing with a dry paper towel.

If you don't have a self-cleaning oven, place racks in the bathtub with about 1/2 cup dishwasher detergent and cover them with several inches of warm water. Let the racks soak for 45 minutes, then rinse and dry