Solutions for Refreshing Your Home

Handy Tips Before Company Arrives

When it comes to our homes, we can be very funny humans. I find we fall into three major categories, and then there are hundreds of sub categories:

1. The neat people
2. People who care
3. The live for today people

From those three, there are hundreds of sub categories, but for me, Wendy, I am a neat freak. I must have a place for everything. When my pets or any visiting animals have little accidents, I go into my “have to fix it” mode!

Funny Story

I do have a funny story for you today, I am going to make this very short so I can get to this week’s Cat Tip, but I feel this will lead you right to my tip.

This past weekend, I spent the whole weekend getting ready for my mother to visit me and stay at my home for the very first time. She usually stays at my sister’s home with the grandchildren, so this is a big deal and I was very excited to show off my newly remodeled home. I ended up having to baby-sit for my friend’s two children, who ended up having to sleep over, and sleep in my bed; they are four and seven years old. They are great kids, and they too knew my mom was coming to town. So when the poor little four-year-old girl had a small accident in my bed, the look of horror in her eyes made me realize what a neat freak I really am.

We laughed and I told her not to feel bad, everyone has accidents. I told her to look at my own dog. Little Man is wearing a diaper right now, as I re-housebreak him. This leads me to this weeks’ tip…

Tips for a Pet Owner's Home

We play a game in my family called Did You Know? It has grown as we have all grown up, and now the grandchildren play with us. This week’s tips have a lot of Did You Know? in them. I hope you have fun with this and I hope some of these will come in handy for you.

Scratches on the Furniture

Picture this: Right before the company comes over, you find a few scratches and chew marks on the furniture. Did you know there are a few quick fixes you can use to camouflage these blemishes?

1. You can use several items to fill in the color over the scratches: shoe polish that matches the color of the wood, the meat of a walnut or pecan, colored markers or even commercially prepared boiled linseed oil. Test first on an inconspicuous place before using.
2. You can go to any home improvement store like Home Depot and buy a few wax crayons made specifically for wood. They come in a pack in all different wood stain colors. They work because you can blend them together to get a good match color wise, and the waxy part fills in the scratch.
3. I got this tip from my friend who is a woodworking teacher on the weekends. Get some paper towels and an iron and wet the paper towel. Squeeze some water onto the wood you want to fix and then lay the wet paper towel over the wood. Now iron the wood as if you were ironing clothes. It actually puffs up the wood to the level of the surface, or at least close if the scratch is not too deep.
4. When pieces of wood are missing and you have a bit of time, try this handy tip: If you know what kind of wood it is, go to your local hardware or lumber store. Ask them for some wood shavings or a small piece of discarded wood of the same type, and make your own shavings. Mix the shavings with a bit of carpenter’s glue, until you have a paste-like consistency, and carefully putty the mix into the furniture until you’re happy with the result. You may have to purchase a small bottle of wood stain, wax crayons, varnish or special wood stain pens to try to match the color. Make sure you have a few different colors so you are able to do some blending to match the color of the piece. This does work well if you don’t mind a little work

Pee Pee Will Happen

Did you know...

1. If your cat has a last minute accident on your carpet, as soon as you smell or see the spot go get some white paper towels and blot up as much as you can. Afterward, spritz some white vinegar, or try some hot water mixed with mild, low odor dish soap and spritz that to help remove the urine.
2. If you are lucky enough to have on hand some of the great odor neutralizers that are on the market today, then follow the directions and repeat until your wee wee stain is gone. Please always do a spot test before doing the whole carpet or rug.

The Natural Bug Repellant

Did you know...

Lavender oil, as well as wintergreen oil or citronella oil, will all help to keep the flies away.

I love this one: take a clean make-up sponge or any small sponge and soak it in the natural oil, then place it in a bowl in the kitchen, or anywhere you are having a bug and fly problem. I like to place a small oil-soaked sponge in my garbage cans both outside and in the house. In the kitchen one, it smells great and it helps to keep the flies away when I have stinky trash like cat food tins and discarded litter.

Grease in the Driveway

Did you know?

Your kitty litter will also help you soak up the big oil spot your guest just left in your driveway. If you should find a oil spot on your concrete driveway, then go get some of your cat’s litter (new not used?), and place it on top of the oil spot. Let it sit for as long as you are able, but it should sit for at least three hours. Next, wipe up the litter and wash the drive with a suitable cleaner for concrete or asphalt.

I hope some of these fun tips will come in handy for you. I know they have worked for me in a pinch.

“Remember the animals in your life are not just your pets they’re your friends” WNR

Previous Tips

• Make a Cat Supplies Storage Pouch
• Homemade Cat Repellant
• Introducing a New Dog
• Holiday Safety for Cats
• Washing Cat Bedding