Now I know that the temps are falling to the single digits and below and the wind has been whipping like crazy but why is it that the stairs to my basement feel like I'm outside? On inspecting a small separation probably from the house settling, I felt the cold wind coming through it. Oh no! That can't continue. I didn't have any Great Stuff. What am I going to use to fix this. Hmmm... I know. I'll use my glue gun. So I gathered lots of glue sticks and got to it. That's what you call improvising. What have you improvised lately?
Nice fix! I usually keep caulk around for such repairs, but by the time I need it, it has dried up. My big lighted 30 years old snowman wouldn't light up and the new fused plug I put on last year wouldn't stay tight on the wires and the electrical tape wrap fix didn't last, so I used a short piece of galvanized wire and made a loop around it and twisted it tight using pliers and the problem was solved. Frosty is lit and happy.
Good job, Von. It's a two-fer. You used something that was already laying around and probably would have gone to waste. I love things like that. Off hand the only thing similar I can think of are corks. This house had gas space heaters and stove at one time so most every room had a hole in the floor where the gas line came through. I plugged the holes with corks. You can hardly notice them. I left one hole in the dining room. It reminds me when I forgot to turn off the basement lights at night.
Great idea Nancy. Corks are a good fix for holes and they can be slightly recessed and finished over. I plugged old water line holes using Champagne corks. Since they are hidden in the cabinet under the sink, no one questions what those knobs are for. I was afraid mice might eat the cork, but the plastic they might find less tasty.
Hey @Nancy Hart, find a translucent Champagne cork for that dining room hole and you can block the air and still see if the basement light is on.
@Faye Fox same here with the caulking. @Nancy Hart that was definitely a waste. My glue gun will always be useful with my crafting. I just finished a project today.
I discovered Dawn PowerWash spray a couple of years ago and always have a bottle on the kitchen sink. It's easy and effective to clean a couple of dishes or whatever, or to spray on a pan to "soak." It is a very good product but pricey. I found a recipe online to make it myself, and I've been making my own "refills" for a year or so. I don't know if any of you enjoy this product, but here's how you can refill your dispenser much cheaper. This is for the 16 oz size. Pour 13 fl oz (380 ml) of water into an empty container. Mix in 4 tbsp (59 ml) of blue Dawn Original Dish Soap. Add 2 tbsp (30 ml) of rubbing alcohol. Shake the container to combine the ingredients and the cleaner is ready to use.
I have been mixing my own for years in a generic spray bottle. Beth's ratios sound about right to me. I just eyeball the amount of Dawn, then add water. Sometimes I add Everclear, sometimes not and it does wonders for cleaning my granite countertop and appliances. I use it at least twice a day. Dawn cuts grease as nothing else will. It also kills germs on hard surfaces. Separate from my spray bottle (that stays under the counter), I have two automatic dispensers, one with straight Dawn for washing hands and one with pure Everclear for quick sanitizing after coming home from shopping.
I tried it in a generic spray bottle, but it doesn't get the same "foam" as the PowerWash spray bottle for some reason. I'm sure it cleans exactly the same, though. I've been using the same bottle for over a year and the sprayer is still going strong. Are you talking about the alcohol Everclear? I haven't heard of that since the boys were spiking the punch bowl in high school.
Yes, because Everclear is kind to your hands and not as drying as other alcohol. I have been keeping 1.5 liters on hand ever since I started doing French Polishing, a shellac wood finish method. Since I quit that and covid came around, I go through 1.5 liters every 6 months. It can be mixed with aloe vera for hand sanitizing. I prefer it straight and keep the bottle locked up when serving punch at senior mixers. Boys will be boys but sadly my patience is shot by such juvenile behavior.
i like that glue gun fix...i used to say...like the old paladine show/western... "have glue gun...will travel"...on the business card