Rain, Floods and Water Advice

Living in Florida with hurricanes and monsoon-like rains can sometimes present flooding challenges. My first (and best) advice is for driving in rain--don't use cruise control. If you hit a puddle and hydro-plane, when you come out of the puddle, your car can speed up dangerously because the wheels lost contact with the road while hydroplaning. Do not drive in water that is more than 6 inches deep--or over your hubcaps. You can be swept away in very little water if the current is strong enough.

What about floods--how can you protect your stuff? If water gets into the house, it's almost always a disaster with loss of property as well as damages to the house. So, what can you do to minimize the loss? Try to get as much as possible off the floor first. Move quickly by throwing everything you can into plastic trash bags and putting it up on counters, bookshelves, cabinets or even on the beds. If you have concrete blocks, use them to raise the beds and furniture off the floor. Wrap furniture legs also with plastic bags and tape well with duct tape. Stack furniture--chairs on top of the table, small tables on top of the dressers or bed. Pull dresser drawers out, put them, contents and all into trash bags and stack them on the beds or kitchen, or bathroom counters.

Unplug appliances and try to get them (such as the refrigerator, washer and dryer) off the floor with concrete blocks also.

Finally, stay out of the water and keep your kids out of it. Flood waters are full of disease-producing sewer contents, snakes, and hidden hazards. Never, ever let kids play in flood waters. If you should come into contact with the water, wash your hands with alcohol gel before eating or touching your face and mouth. Do not use or drink your tap water if you are in flood zone. You may not know if it has been contaminated. Boil it to be safe, or use bottled water.

Quick first aid for a cut

For cuts, a plastic squirt bottle of saline solution (contact lens saline also works) squirted on the wound will clean it. You can use wound glue if you can get the wound edges close together. But that stuff burns so be prepared to blow on the wound for a few seconds. If you use an antibiotic ointment, apply it with a q-tip so you don't touch the end of the tube with your fingers and contaminate it. Or apply the ointment to a bandaid pad and then the bandaid to the wound.

I was never properly taught how to do laundry. So since being married it's been something I've had to teach myself. And unsuccessfully I might add. I have a few questions.Is it ok to always run the washer with cold water? If not, when would be a proper time to use hot water?Should I use bleach every time I run a load of whites?After I run a load with bleach should I run an empty load so as not to get bleach on the next load?What exactly is considered 'white'? If I have a shirt that is mostly white but has a small piece of color on it, is it considered white or colored?Thanks!Blessings,Jeni
January 28, 2008 10:56 AM
jehwriter said...
Jeni, Thanks for asking. I, too, get confused byall the choices for detergents, bleaches and water temperatures. So here's the answers to your questions:
On Bleach--There are 2 types: liquid bleach (which is sodium hypochlorite) and Oxygen bleach (all-fabric bleach).Liquid Bleach:
• helps remove soil• disinfects by killing bacteria and viruses
• whitens fabricsIt works in about 5 monutes, a little faster in hot water, a little slower in cold.

It can also come in a powdered form and dissolves in water. Be sure to follow all directions on the label when using. Most importantly, add bleach to the water in the machine and put clothing in last, after the tank is full and beginning to agitate.

Oxygen Bleach (all-fabric bleach)
Oxygen bleaches also comes in dry and liquid form. All dry oxygen bleaches contain inorganic peroxygen compounds, such as sodium perborate tetrahydrate and sodium percarbonate. Water temperature affects the bleaching rate of oxygen bleaches. Hot water accelerates the bleaching action. As water temperature decreases below 130 degrees F, exposure time must be increased substantially. Read and follow bleach package directions.

Add oxygen bleach to the wash water before clothes are added. Do not pour oxygen bleaches directly on wet colored fabrics without testing for colorfastness first. Oxygen bleach is safe for most colored washable fabrics. However, if the care label states "No Bleach," do not use any bleach _ not even an oxygen bleach.

ON Water temperature:When To Use Warm WaterFor most people the majority of their laundry is washed with warm water. Warm water is actually a mix of hot and cold. Some machines mix the hot and cold water 50-50, although newer machines mix 60-40. Warm water is usually the best choice for permanent press and jeans. It allows good cleaning action without as much fading, wrinkling, and shrinking. When To Use Cold WaterCold water is usually used for delicate items, or items with instructions to be washed in cold water. •Set your water temperature to "cold" on your clothes washer. Unless your clothes have oil or grease stains, cold water is usually adequate to clean white and colored clothes.

In fact, washing clothes in cold water allows fabrics to retain their color and strength longer. • If you have hard-to-clean clothes, switch the temperature to warm instead of hot and you can reduce the load's energy use by half. You can also use spot remover or presoak the clothes to help loosen the grease or stains. • Use cold-water detergents whenever possible.

Hope this helps!
January 28, 2008 10:59 AM
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