WHERE TO THROW STUFF AWAY

SEPARATE YOUR WASTE

Everyone seems intent on helping preserve the environment and so recycling was created to ensure we took extra time with sorting our rubbish.  

With that in mind, please do not bundle up all you are intending to throw away into a plastic bag and just toss it in the red-lidded bin outside -- or throw plastic bags in the recycle (yellow-lidded bin) outside because I do not like diving into those disgusting bins to fish out stuff that could result in our getting a fine from the council (the cost of which I will pass on to everyone in the house).

Here is what you need to know about where to throw stuff away:

1. Trash bin/ waste basket (middle)

This bin is for other rubbish, plastic wrap, leftover food stuff that doesn’t go to the compost (such as rice, meat, bones, hot grease or liquids.  This bin has a plastic liner so when it is full, it is easy to pull out, tie up and take to the General Waste Bin, see below.

2. Recycle Box (to the right of trash bin)

The black, plastic square box to the right of the trash bin is for all things that go in the Recycling bin (see below).  Please do not throw plastic wrap, tissues, potato chip bags or other types of plastic food bags or paper towels in it.  And if it is full, please take it outside and dump it in the recycling bin.  If it is slimy with stuff, please use the hose outside and rinse it out as the slugs/ snails love to slip and slide around in that muck.

3. Paper box with white plastic basket in it (to left of trash bin with dust pan and brush on it)

This contains ONLY clean, reusable plastic bags (feel free to use them.  If you have a clean plastic bag someone else might be able to use, please fold it and place it in there).

4. Compost (on the counter)

If you have vegetable or fruit peelings, these go in the ice cream container beside the coffee machine.

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General waste bin

This bin is for waste that can’t be composted or recycled through the other weekly services.

The following materials are NOT to be put in your general waste bin:

·   Vegetation (put it in the vegetation bin with the green lid)

·   Ashes, either hot or cold

·   Liquids like paint, oil or chemicals

·   Building materials like concrete, bricks and sawdust

·   Large pieces of metal

·   Tree stumps

·   Excavated material such as soil, sand or stones

Weight limit: 80Kg

Recycling bin

This bin is for recyclable items. Rinse out all containers (no food bits please!). Remove bottle lids and discard separately in this bin.

The following materials are permitted to be put in your recycling bin:

·   All rigid disposable plastic containers from the kitchen, bathroom and laundry*

·   Glass bottles and jars** that are clear, brown or green

·   Aluminium cans

·   Steel cans

·   Milk cartons, Tetra Paks, and Poppers

·   Aerosol cans

·   Paper, newspapers, magazines

·   Cardboard

* If the plastic items can easily be squashed in your hand (i.e. plastic film and chip packet wrappers) they cannot be recycled through the yellow-lid recycling bin.

**Jar lids can be recycled (they are large enough to be captured). Remove them from the jars and put them into the recycling bin separately.

The following materials are NOT to be put in your recycling bin:

·   Plastic bags and plastic wrap

·   Window or mirror glass

·   Plastic toys

·   Crockery or porcelain (plates and mugs)

·   Coffee cups and lids

·   Drinking glasses

·   Light bulbs

·   Pizza boxes (unless clean)

·   Meat trays

·   Foam or Styrofoam

·   Bubble wrap

·   Wax-coated fruit boxes

·   Paint tins

More information on how to recycle tricky items can be found in the A-Z of Recycling.

Council does not use the plastics identification code to distinguish between “accepted” and “not accepted” items as this code does not represent whether an item can successfully be recycled – it only identifies the type of plastic in the item. Council’s recycling contractor is able to process all of the seven plastics types as long as they are fall into one of the collected categories (e.g. clean rigid plastic containers from the kitchen, bathroom or laundry).

Weight limit: 80Kg

Vegetation bin

This bin is for garden material only, as it is composted to create garden products and soil additives. Food waste, pet litter and bioplastics/compostable plastics are not accepted in vegetation bins as they require specialist composting and disposal. 

Bins weighing over 90 kilograms cannot be emptied. 

The following materials are permitted to be put in your vegetation bin: 

·   Grass cuttings (put it in last to avoid it sticking to the bottom of your bin) 

·   Leaves and twigs 

·   Prunings 

·   Weeds 

·   Tree loppings (must be less than 50 mm in diameter and 400 mm in length) 

·   Dead flowers 

The following materials are NOT to be put in your vegetation bin: 

·   Food scraps and waste 

·   Pet litter 

·   Bioplastics/Compostable plastics 

·   Plastic bags 

·   Building timber 

·   Tree stumps or loppings bigger than the above 

·   Treated, painted or stained timber 

·   Other general household waste 

·   Fence posts

Weight limit: 80Kg

If you need more information search ‘Willoughby City Council Recycling or go here:  https://www.willoughby.nsw.gov.au/Residents/Waste-and-recycling/Weekly-collection

Best Way to Clean the Oven

To clean the oven properly here is a process that will make the boring task quick, easy and safe and it will not damage the surface (which makes it even harder to clean in the future). 

Preparation:

1.      Before you begin, check the amount of vinegar and baking SODA (not powder) on hand.  You will need quite a bit, at least one jar of the soda and probably half the container of vinegar.

2.     Remove the racks from the oven (small one too on the counter next to the toaster) and put them on the top shelf of the dishwasher.  The little ones you may need to fit in on the bottom.

3.     Remove the other elements from the top of the stove and fit them carefully into the bottom part of the dishwasher (being careful not to let them interfere with the movement of the washing spray arms). 

4.    You will likely be able to fit in the exhaust filters in too. 

5.     Before you fiddle with them, turn off the power at the powerpoint in the cupboard with the salt, I believe. 

6.    Then carefully remove both filters and put them on top of the oven racks at the top of the dishwasher. 

7.     Put in the dishwashing soap and turn on the Pots and Pans cycle.  Do not turn it on yet.

8.    Leave the roasting tray inside the oven at the bottom (if it is not at the bottom, just put it on the bottom).

9.    Fill the tray about half full with some of the vinegar and turn the oven on to about 200 degrees and close the door.

10.            Let the vinegar do its work for about 40 minutes, the kitchen will spell of vinegar and if its warm enough outside, you might better open the window and doors. 

11. Also, I need to know when you turn the oven on so I can go and hide away from the fumes.

More Preparation

12.            By letting the hot vinegar begin to soften any baked-on stuff it becomes quite an easy task.  So very little scrubbing is needed.

13. Get two cloths from under the package of dishwashing pellets under the sink on the right side of the cupboard.  They are clean and fresh, just a little raggedy from previous use.

14.            Get the big blue ice cream container (in the corner cupboard, beside the sink where my rubber gloves are) and fill it with hot soapy water and drop one of the cloths in for later. 

15. You may wish to use the green rubber gloves (your size) when you scrub, but the vinegar and soda are not toxic in fumes or on your hands but I always do to keep my hands dry. 

16.            Find two of the red cereal bowls and a small saucepan (not the shiny Scanpan one). 

17. Fill one of the bowls with about half the container of baking soda and wait till the next steps are complete.

18.            Once the 40 minutes has passed, turn off the oven and let it set for about another 20-30 minutes. (The idea is that it will still be hot on the surface, but not too hot for you to touch).

19.            Once it is cool enough to touch the surface of the inside of the oven, CAREFULLY remove the tray of vinegar.  Please do this slowly so as NOT to spill any on you. 

20.           Carefully pour the hot vinegar into the small saucepan to use for the next steps.

21.            Put the oven tray now empty -- with vinegar on top of the racks in the top of the dishwasher. 

22.           Put in a dishwashing pellet and turn on the dishwasher – the ‘pots and pans’ cycle -- and let it do it’s magic while you do yours.

Cleaning without Scrubbing with a Scratchy

a.     Take the bowl of baking soda and add water a little at a time, stirring thoroughly, until you make a thick paste of the mixture. 

b.    Dip a portion of the cloth in the vinegar and then in the soda mixture (which will fizz a bit) throughout the process, so there is always enough of the mixture on the cloth.

c.     While the oven is cooling, clean the outside of the door, dividing the surface into quadrants about 10 x 10 inches and then move on to the next using the soda-vinegar cloth.  The soda is gritty enough but so fine that it does not scratch. 

d.    After you are satisfied with the results of a quadrant, wring out the cloth in the blue container and wipe the soda-vinegar mix off and move onto the next quadrants.

e.     Once finished, you need to disconnect the oven from the electricity, the plug is in the cupboard to the left of the oven.

f.      Then clean the inside surface of the oven door in the same way you did the outside. 

g.    Then begin the surfaces inside the oven, scrubbing with the vinegar-soda mixture until you’re satisfied.  I usually start with the floor of the oven, because it seems the worst and the easiest to take pride in cleaning, but you will find a way that suits you.

h.    By the time you are finished with the oven, you could wipe down some of the stove surfaces if they need it and around the exhaust fan, although the fan is a bit of a lost cause because of so much frying in grease.

i.       Take a break and when the dishwasher is complete, open the door of the dishwasher and let the steam escape and then reassemble the stove, oven and exhaust fan.

j.       You should feel very proud of this accomplishment and I will be able to breathe again.  Hope you are up to the task!

Dishwasher Loading Wisdom

http://dishwashers.reviewed.com/features/youre-loading-your-dishwasher-the-wrong-way?utm_source=usat&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=collab  

Vinegar - Vodka - Baking Soda Plus

Propagating Roses

Who Knew! Vinegar & Aluminium Foil Secrets

And the wonders of Vinegar!

Tips for Hot Weather

Well, when it is rainy and cold we have mould to contend with.  When it is hot, it brings other challenges -- not the least of all is hot temperatures inside.  Upstairs is usually ten or 15 degrees hotter as heat rises.  So, it is helpful if everyone could please be compassionate and develop some new habits.

KEEPING IT COOL INSIDE

Keep outer doors closed as much as possible.  Keep windows closed and the blinds drawn shut during the day when you are not here.  It will make such a difference.  By the time you get home at night, the weather almost always cools down and it is a relief to open the windows and get a breeze through the house. 

On the weekends, when it is really hot, keeping the doors, windows and blinds closed keeps the radiant heat (from the sun) out.  It helps keeps the hot wind out, too. 

ANTS, ETC.

Ants and flies and sometimes spiders, but mostly ants come inside during the heat for two things:  food and water.  They don't dive into a dish of water typically, but will look for little bits of water that has been dropped or a tap that is leaking. 

And food.  Keep the counters wiped clean especially of anything sweet.  It is time for everyone to take time to look at what they have in their food cupboards (well not Geroge, because I think he still has no food in there):

·         Take everything out

·         Put about 1/4 cup of vinegar in warm water (the blue ice cream plastic container under the sink (where the garbage bags are stored) is what I use). 

·         Then wipe down the shelves, sides, doors (inside and out)

·         Let it completely dry inside - leave the doors open

·         Before putting the food back in the cupboard, wipe the bottoms and check the lips and around the lids of any glass jars or plastic containers to be sure there is no spilled sweet, sticky stuff to tempt ants

·         Put opened food in plastic or glass containers or use clothes pins to shut the packages tight or rubber bands or plastic bags (grocery bags are good and if it is something small, there are ziploc bags that you can use to protect your food..

·         It may be a good time to check to see if everything is still fresh.

·         Then put everything back in.

·         Keep alert if you see little ant armies moving around or even a couple "scouts".

·         Ants love sugar, honey, fruit juice, candies and syrup. 

·         If you spill some, it is not enough to just wipe it up loosely.  It is sticky so you need to use a little soap or Windex and a paper towel to ensure there is nothing sticky to step in (such in front of the garbage bin)

·         The container next to the kettle, by the way should be no problem because it dispenses a teaspoon at a time and is "closed" otherwise. 

·         When you use sugar, honey, syrup be sure to wipe the lips and tops of the bottles to get all the drippy bits. 

·         Finally, ants are clean creatures, so you just have to shoo them away (move the object where they are feeding) and they will leave - but not if they can find something to eat!  

Spraying around food should not be done.  It can make you sick and Mandarin to be kind to.  Most bug sprays are toxic for pets (cats especially track through it and do not realise and then lick their paws).

OK, stay cool and safe!