The backyard used to be just a patch of lawn, a shed and a Hills hoist. These days you’ve got tiles, pavers, decks, barbecues, fences, feature walls, pool surrounds and the rest of the landscaping to look after. Fortunately, much of it can be weather-proofed and spill-proofed so you can play, entertain and tinker with ease.
| Incident: | ‘I was helping a mate paint his fence. But I didn’t change my clothes and, wouldn’t you know it, I got paint on my shorts. The other complication is I don’t know what kind of paint it is. Can I rescue the shorts? I really like them!’ |
| Solution: | To work out what kind of paint it is, get three small containers—one each of turpentine, methylated spirits and acetone. Dip a cotton bud in each one and apply it to the stain, then rub the stain between your thumb and forefinger. Whichever takes colour first is the solvent. Then dip two cotton balls in the solvent and place them on the top and bottom sides of the paint mark. Wipe the top cotton ball in circles until the paint is removed, working from the outside to the inside of the stain. If this doesn’t work or if the paint mark is old, soak the painted part of the shorts in the appropriate solvent and then apply the cotton balls. |
A friend of mine bought a beautiful house situated on top of an escarpment, with massive timber decks from which to enjoy the vista. But because the place hadn’t been lived in for ten years, lots of birds and animals had taken up residence on the decks and they were badly stained. The solution involved some methylated spirits, tea, and lots of scrubbing. Prevention is always better than the cure!
Whether you should seal timber depends on the wood. Some timbers such as teak, oak and treated cedar can handle exposure to the elements. But if you don’t want it to wear or change colour, treat it with tung oil or a good outdoor sealant. If you have logs from the 1970s get rid of them because most were treated with copper and arsenic and are toxic. Remove them with great care.
There are some significant differences between cleaning sealed and unsealed timber and if you mix them up, you’ll be in trouble. Clean sealed timber with 3 teaspoons of dishwashing detergent in a bucket of warm water. Use a broom rather than a mop because it can reach into all the crevices.
Don’t use detergent on unsealed timber because it dries it out and causes splinters. Unsealed timber should be cleaned with 1 bucket of warm water and 1 cup of vinegar and a couple of drops of eucalyptus oil. The eucalyptus oil both cleans and feeds the timber. But don’t use eucalyptus oil on painted surfaces because it’s a paint stripper. Rinse a pot of strong tea (use 4–5 tea bags) in a bucket of hot water and mop the timber. This will help prevent it going that silvery colour.
Bricks and pavers can be cleaned with bicarb and vinegar. Sprinkle the bicarb then splash vinegar over the top. Wipe it down with a stiff broom then rinse with water. To deter mould and algae, add a couple of drops of oil of cloves to the rinse water. If you want to encourage mould and mosses, add yoghurt to the rinse water.
| Problem: | Masonry beetle in the mortar. |
| What to use: | WD-40. |
| How to apply: | Use the extension nozzle on the WD-40 and spray into the holes dug by the masonry beetle. This kills them. |
Q: ‘Is there anything you can do if you’ve spilled methylated spirits on spray-on faux brick?’ asks Amanda. ‘It’s left white scaly marks between the bricks.’
| Problem: | Methylated spirits on faux brick. |
| What to use: | Surface insecticide spray; or methylated spirits, shellac, cloth. |
| How to apply: | The white marks indicate there’s shellac or a similar kind of sealant in the faux brick. To get rid of the marks, use surface insecticide spray on them. It contains kerosene and will remove the marks. To seal the faux bricks, mix 1 part methylated spirits to 1 part shellac and apply with a cloth. |
Clean tiles with a mild detergent solution. If your tiles have a tendency to become slippery, create a non-skid surface by adding vinegar to the rinse water. Seal terracotta or Spanish quarry tiles with a proprietary product or make your own temporary sealant with 1 part Aquadhere or Multibond to 20 parts water. Apply with a mop. (Make sure you wash the mop with soap and water afterwards or it will stiffen.) If the tiles are particularly slippery, mop the floor then scatter a small amount of sand over the surface, then mop again. I did exactly this at my doctor’s surgery because I was worried someone would slip on the sloping tiled path. It lasts for about three months.
Q: ‘I’ve got some lovely camellia plants and palms in my courtyard,’ reports Shirley. ‘But the petals and leaves are leaving dark stains on the ceramic tiles. Is there a solution?’
| Problem: | Plant stains on tiles. |
| What to use: | Effervescent denture tablet, wet cloth; or bicarb, vinegar, brush, mop. |
| How to apply: | Place 1 effervescent denture tablet on the stain and then place a wet cloth over the top and leave overnight. Alternatively, sprinkle bicarb and splash vinegar over the area with a brush, scrub and leave for two hours. Then rinse with a mop and water. |
Q: ‘We’ve been meaning to seal our terracotta tiles,’ says Pat. ‘But, of course, I managed to spill some two-stroke fuel on them before we did. Is there anything I can do?’
| Problem: | Fuel on unsealed tiles. |
| What to use: | Mask, bucket, Bacquicil or chlorine, brush, vinegar. |
| How to apply: | Put on a mask and in a large bucket of water, mix 10 per cent of the amount of Bacquicil or chlorine you would normally use in the pool each day (see the directions on the packet). Then scrub the stain with a brush to remove the oil. Rinse thoroughly. Make sure you still have your mask on when you neutralise the chlorine with a splash of vinegar. Then seal the tile as described above. You can also buy commercial sealers. |
The best way to clean stone and sandstone is with the pool-cleaning product Algene. Algene is an alternative to chlorine and doesn’t kill plants like chlorine does. Use 1 cap of Algene per bucket of water and apply with a broom. Leave it for a couple of hours then rinse with water. Add a couple of drops of oil of cloves to the rinse water to inhibit mould, or add yoghurt to encourage mould and mosses.
| Problem: | Paint splashes on sandstone. |
| What to use: | Methylated spirits, stiff brush; or turpentine, stiff brush; or methylated spirits, cloth, brush; or cloth, soap. |
| How to apply: | If the paint is water-based, put methylated spirits on the end of a stiff brush and work out the paint. If the paint is oil-based, use turpentine the same way. If the stain is old, leave a methylated spirits soaked cloth on water-based paint for a while then scrub it with a brush. If the paint is oil-based, soak a cloth in hot water and soap and place it over the paint first. |
Q: ‘I’ve got some purple droppings on my sandstone patio,’ reports Shelly. ‘I think it’s from a bird. Can I get rid of them?’
| Problem: | Bird or possum droppings on sandstone. |
| What to use: | Dry-cleaning fluid, cotton ball, damp rag. |
| How to apply: | The droppings could be from a bird or possum and, in most cases, will fade in sunlight over time. The purple comes from berry juice and can be removed with dry-cleaning fluid. Dab it on with a cotton ball. Then rinse with a damp rag. |
Q: ‘We moved our barbecue recently,’ says Robin, ‘but some of the fat from the drip tray fell onto our coloured sandstone pavers. How can we get it off?’
| Problem: | Oil/fat on sandstone pavers. |
| What to use: | Mask, swimming pool chlorine, scrubbing brush, vinegar. |
| How to apply: | The fumes are very strong so wear a mask. Mix ¼ tablet of swimming pool chlorine in a bucket of water. Apply this mixture to the stain and scrub with a brush. Neutralise with vinegar, then rinse with water. |
Concrete is best cleaned with bicarb and vinegar. Sprinkle the bicarb over the surface, splash the vinegar on top and scrub with a broom. Then rinse with water. Hydrochloric, or muriatic, acid is often suggested to clean concrete. I don’t recommend this because it’s toxic, difficult to use and can cause corrosion in bricks. To stop leaves staining the concrete and to make grease removal easier, seal concrete with a proprietary product or with a temporary sealant of 1 part Aquadhere to 20 parts water. Apply with a mop. Make sure you rinse your mop afterwards or it will stiffen.
| Problem: | Ivy suckers stuck on concrete/brick. |
| What to use: | Heat gun, stiff brush. |
| How to apply: | Apply a heat gun to the suckers until they go hard. Allow them to cool and dry, then scrub them off with a stiff brush. |
I always have a mat at the front and back doors of the house. It’s also a good idea to have mats on the inside to prevent dirt tracking into the house. If you don’t want to use a mat inside, spray the carpet regularly with scotchguard. It’s also handy to have a shoe cupboard near the back door for dirty gumboots. Alternatively, go old-fashioned and use a boot scraper.
Outdoor furniture can be made of sealed or unsealed timber, aluminium, glass, plastic, cane or polycarbonate.
To clean sealed timber, use a mild detergent solution. Many outdoor settings are made of red cedar, which can be cleaned with water. Re-stain it every three years. Painted surfaces should be cleaned in a mild detergent solution.
To clean unsealed timber, add 1 cup of vinegar and a couple of drops of eucalyptus oil to a bucket of water and wipe with a cloth.
To clean aluminium settings, use bicarb and vinegar. You could also try cold black tea! I discovered this recently when I accidentally spilt some tea over aluminium meshing and it came up like glass! Have one sponge with bicarb on it and another soaked in vinegar. Press the vinegar sponge through the bicarb sponge and wipe. You can remove water marks the same way.
To clean polycarbonate or plastic, use a mild detergent solution. Don’t confuse polycarbonate with polyacetate. Polyacetate or polyurethane can be cleaned with Brasso but this cleaning method ruins polycarbonate. Don’t risk it if you’re not sure. If you have scratches, use whiting and glycerine. Mix them to the consistency of runny cream, then rub over the scratches with a silk cloth. It’s best not to leave opaque polycarbonate in the sun because it becomes weak and a chair may collapse while you’re sitting in it—as happened to me at a party one time. I looked like a turtle with my arms flailing around! It was embarrassing, but very funny.
To clean cane and wicker, scrub with soap and water, leave in the sun to dry and seal with shellac or a good outdoor sealant. Spray the sealant on if possible with a plastic spray bottle. Clean the spray bottle with methylated spirits afterwards.
Some outdoor chairs are made of shade cloth and should be washed regularly with mild soapy water. Wash them after it rains because they collect mildew. Add a couple of drops of oil of cloves to the rinse water.
Where possible, keep outdoor cushions under cover when you’re not using them. A potential hazard with outdoor furniture is the nasty surprises that take up residence under the table. Keep spiders away by regularly wiping some lemon oil on the underside of it.
| Problem: | Outdoor furniture has gone grey in the sun. |
| What to use: | Strong solution of tea, varnish. |
| How to apply: | Wash it with a strong solution of tea before re-varnishing it. |
| Problem: | Rust on cast iron. |
| What to use: | Vinegar, wire brush, rust converter. |
| How to apply: | Loosen the rust with vinegar then scrub with a wire brush. Then apply rust converter. This produces a hard surface that you can then repaint. |
These are essential in the Australian summer. Clean canvas with 2 cups of salt added to a small bucket of water and apply with a brush or broom. Leave to dry then rinse the salt away.
Clean plastic with water. If it’s very dirty, add some detergent to the water.
Raffia umbrellas attract bugs so hose or wash them regularly and spray with surface insecticide.
Metal poles can be cleaned with graphite. Rust can be cleaned with glycerine.
Plastic attachments should be cleaned with glycerine.
| Problem: | Mildew on canvas. |
| What to use: | Strong salt solution, bucket, brush or broom, oil of cloves, spray pack. |
| How to apply: | Scrub the canvas with 2 cups of salt added to a small bucket of water and apply with a brush or broom. Leave it to dry. There should be a lot of salt on the surface. Scrub it again to help loosen any remaining mildew. Hose or wash it clean in a sunny spot. Then spray the canvas with a few drops of oil of cloves and water in a spray pack. This will prevent the mildew returning. |
Never leave anything made of rubber sitting in the sunshine. This includes flippers, masks, trays or seats. To prevent rubber perishing, rub it with talcum powder after cleaning. If it has perished, rub some salt on the perished area then dust with talcum powder. The salt acts as a sander.
Barbecue hotplates are made of cast iron and should be cleaned after each use. It’s preferable to do this while the barbecue is still warm. Pour a little oil over it then wipe with a newspaper. Sprinkle some bicarb and splash over some vinegar. Then scrub with a paper towel. Give the hotplate a light oiling once it’s cooled, to prevent rusting. If the stains are really stubborn, try bicarb and vinegar then apply sugar and vinegar to a hot hotplate. Keep the heat on until the vinegar completely evaporates. Then oil the barbecue. Turn it off and wipe down with a towel. The reason sugar helps is that it bonds with the dirt and burns. The oil goes under the sugar and lifts it off. This is how they clean hotplates at McDonalds!
To stop the oils in fish staining the barbecue and leaving a smell, place a piece of aluminium foil on the hotplate and cook the fish on top of it. Wrap aluminium foil around the fish to steam it.
I love spending time in the garden. And I’m particular about avoiding toxins. My preference is for natural rather than chemical solutions. For example:
To keep birds away, hang old CDs in the trees.
To grow moss in the garden put a handful of moss into a bowl with 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 can of beer and mix with a hand-cranked cake beater until all the ingredients resemble a chunky soup. Spread the mixture over rocks or any ground where you want moss to grow and don’t water it for at least 24 hours. Then water it very lightly, making sure you don’t wash the moss away. To encourage algae and lichen, paint everything with yoghurt.
| Problem: | Aphids. |
| What to use: | Detergent, cooking oil, water, spray bottle. |
| How to apply: | Thoroughly mix 1 tablespoon of detergent and 1 cup of cooking oil. Add 2–3 teaspoons of this mixture to 1 cup of water, put it into a spray bottle and spray your plants. |
| Problem: | Snails and slugs getting into pot plants. |
| What to use: | Vaseline. |
| How to apply: | Rub some Vaseline each month on the outside of pot plants. |
| Problem: | Preventing mildew forming on terracotta pots. |
| What to use: | Aquadhere, water, oil of cloves. |
| How to apply: | To stop mildew forming on terracotta pots, seal with a mixture of 1 part Aquadhere, 3 parts water and a couple of drops of oil of cloves. It should be the consistency of runny cream. Paint it over the pots and let them dry inside and out. |
If slugs and snails are eating your vegetable patch, crush a whole clove of garlic and steep it in 1 litre of water for a couple of hours. Strain it, then spray the liquid on your vegetables. Another way to stop them is to put a circle of sand or sawdust around each vegetable. Snails and slugs don’t like either so they won’t cross them to eat the vegetables. To make a trap for snails, cut an orange in half, eat the flesh and half-fill the two orange skins with beer. Put these near the vegie patch and the snails will climb in and won’t be able to get out. You could also persuade children to collect them in return for pocket money.
If you have a garden pond, stick water hyacinths in it. They clean the water, are easily pulled out with a rake and make a great fertiliser.
Statues can be large or small. If you want to encourage moss to grow on them, paint them with a mixture of skim milk and yoghurt. If you can, use a yoghurt containing acidophilus. To inhibit moss and mould, paint with 1 part oil of cloves to 50 parts water.
Leaf blowers are the jet-skis of the land—the latest gadgets to wake up the country on a Sunday morning. Along with the lawnmower, whipper snipper and other equipment, they should be stored in a cool, dark place. Protect all blades against rust by wiping them with machine oil applied with a cloth. Wipe the outside of the lawnmower, whipper snipper, etc, with a mild detergent solution.
Don’t throw old hedge clippers away. Pull them apart and recycle them into trowels, a hole digger or to cut grass edges around concrete.
If it’s hot and you’ve got a pool, everyone wants to be your friend. But despite the range of accessories, cleaning a pool can be painstaking. If it’s all a bit too much for you, hire a professional pool cleaner.
There are a few things that need regular maintenance. Firstly, make sure the water level is high enough. Maintaining the right pH level is also very important. You should already have a testing kit but if you don’t, you can buy them. Be aware that chlorine is affected by the sun. The more sunny days there are, the more chlorine you’ll need to use. If you don’t like chlorine, try Algene or Bacquacil.
Skim the top of the pool regularly to collect leaves so they don’t clog the filter. In fact, don’t leave anything in the pool because it could get caught in the filter.
Clean the tiles with Gumption and a stiff brush. Create traction on slate surrounds by mixing 1 part Aquadhere, 20 parts water and 1 cup of sand. Clear potentially slippery moss from stones with chlorine or Bacquacil.
Make sure the pool is fenced and the lock childproof. Keep the lock oiled because chlorine can cause corrosion. It’s a good idea to have a sign illustrating how to perform CPR in case of an emergency.
Keep sunscreen and spare towels near the pool. That way you won’t have wet feet tramping through the house.
Q: ‘My swimming pool has a stain all around the wall edge,’ reports John. ‘The wall’s made of pebble-crete.’
| Problem: | Stain around swimming pool. |
| What to use: | Stiff brush, Gumption. |
| How to apply: | It’s painstaking but it works. Get a stiff brush, put some Gumption on it and scrub the stain off bit by bit. |
Bacteria can thrive in spas. Backflush with vinegar after every second use and change the water regularly. Maintain the right chemical level, which is generally higher than that for swimming pools. Check the manufacturer’s instructions. If the spa has a timber surround, add a couple of drops of oil of cloves to the rinse water to keep mildew at bay.
Maintain the heating and filter units of a sauna by cleaning regularly according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add a few drops of oil of cloves to keep mildew away and add your favourite herbs to the hot stones for a super sauna.
Pet baskets and kennels should be elevated so air can circulate. Put some bricks underneath or build some stilts. Hand wash all pet bedding regularly, adding no more than 2 drops of oil of pennyroyal to a bucket of water to prevent fleas. Don’t do this if you or your pet is pregnant. Oil of pennyroyal kills existing fleas and deters new ones. You can also add no more than 2 drops to the pet’s bath. Spray the inside of kennels and baskets with a mixture of 2 drops of oil of pennyroyal to 1 litre of water in a spray bottle. Again, this shouldn’t be used by pregnant women or pregnant pets.
To prevent cats coming into the yard, spread Vicks Vaporub onto a few stones. Turn them over to prevent sun and rain damage.
To stop dogs digging in a particular area, bury some of their poo in the spot and they’ll stay away. To encourage digging, leave bones in a particular spot.
Do this regularly if there are people in the house who are allergic to cats. With this cleaning technique, you won’t be left with scratch marks across your face! Secure a tea towel over the cat’s head and front legs, wrapping it firmly. It won’t be able to scratch and the darkness calms it. Clean the back with a pet brush. Then wrap the tea towel over the cat’s back legs and wipe the front with a washer going from front to back. Don’t use a brush because it irritates them. Use a pet shampoo over the entire cat and apply a mixture of no more than 2 drops of oil of pennyroyal with 1 litre of water in a spray bottle (but do not use if you or your pets are pregnant). Pamper the cat afterwards so it has a positive association with washing.
When I was at infants school, we had a goat that ate the garbage! With contemporary bins, deter flies, mosquitoes and dogs by adding a couple of drops of lavender oil to a paper towel and wiping it around the edge of the bin. To keep fleas and mites away, place no more than 2 drops of oil of pennyroyal on a cloth and wipe around the edge of the bin (but do not use if you or your pets are pregnant). Lemon oil will keep spiders away. To preserve the environment, try to avoid using plastic bags. Instead, put rubbish directly into the bin or wrap it in newspaper.
Two of the best ways to clean oil stains and other scum off a driveway or garage floor is to scrub with bicarb and vinegar or spray it with diluted chlorine. Leave it until almost dry, then give it a good sweep with a nylon broom before hosing or washing it down. If you have plants nearby, substitute Algene or Bacquicil for the chlorine. You can also clean oil stains with the carbonated drink Coca Cola. If you do, wash the area well or ants will be attracted.
Clean upholstery and carpet in the car as you would the same fabrics in the house. To add another layer of protection, spray scotchguard each time you vacuum. Clean plastics with glycerine on a cloth and keep an old pair of pantyhose in the glovebox to clean windows. To protect the heel of your shoe when you’re driving, either fix a piece of towel to the mat, or have a dedicated pair of driving shoes.
| Problem: | Sticky adhesive on car window. |
| What to use: | Clingwrap, detergent. |
| How to apply: | Tear off a piece of clingwrap larger than the size of the adhesive. Mix 1 part detergent and 20 parts water and spray on the clingwrap then place this over the sticker. Leave it for about five minutes or until the adhesive comes loose. Then peel off the cling wrap. The adhesive will peel off, too. |
Q: ‘I’ve got the smell of mould in my car,’ says Pete. ‘I think the carpet must have got wet at some stage. What do you suggest?’
| Problem: | Mould smell in car. |
| What to use: | Oil of cloves. |
| How to apply: | The smell comes from the bacteria and mould and the best way to fix it is with sunshine. If possible, take the carpet out of the car and leave it in the sun. If you can’t, park the car on a funny angle or slope and leave the doors open so sun gets in. Or wipe the carpet with a little oil of cloves. |
Some caravans and boats could be considered houses in their own right. I won’t include a comprehensive guide to their upkeep but here are a couple of real-life problems.
Q: ‘I’ve got a pop-top caravan and the nylon zippers have become stuck,’ says Rick.
| Problem: | Sticky nylon zippers. |
| What to use: | Glycerine; or lead pencil or graphite. |
| How to apply: | Wipe the zipper with glycerine. For metal zippers, use a lead pencil or graphite. |
Q: Val’s husband and son are going away for a boys’ holiday in their caravan. But they’ve left her with the job of fixing the scratches on the polycarbonate dome skylight. ‘We were advised to clean them with a particular product, but it scratched them. Are there any solutions?’
Q: ‘We’ve got a boat and the inside is covered with a white nylon carpet,’ says Lynn, ‘but it’s starting to stain black and mildewy. What can we do? It’s really hard to put new carpet in a boat!’
| Problem: | Mildew in boat carpet. |
| What to use: | Pool chlorine, bucket, water. |
| How to apply: | Because the carpet is nylon, wash it with diluted pool chlorine. Use ¼ of a tablet of chlorine to a bucket of water. |