DIY Life

I'm sort of embarrassed to admit it, but mildew got its spotty little grip on my bedroom curtains this winter. The fabric was sort of bunched up against the window pane a lot. Little did I realize it, but every sunny morning was like a mildew fiesta back there.

When sunlight and warmth hit the cold glass, condensation formed on the inside of the pane. The curtains soaked up the moisture and the warmth. Lo and behold, a big ugly patch of mildew was the result. Yikes!

What makes mildew so revolting is its sheer persistence. Once it gets its hooks into any household surface--whether it be a painted ceiling, an item of clothing, or a home fabric such as curtains--removal is genuinely tough.

You chose vinyl siding for its clean look, and because you'll never have to deal with it flaking or rotting the way cedar will. Vinyl siding has lost its tacky reputation and has quickly become the most popular siding material in the United States.

Although it's more durable than alternative sidings, over time vinyl siding can start to look dull and dirty. When that happens, you'll want to give it a good cleaning. Luckily, this is a project that you can easily take on yourself. You'll start with some important prep work, then grab your power washer or bucket and give your siding a solid clean.

How to prepare your vinyl siding for cleaning

1. Cover any outside light fixtures or electrical outlets
2. Move all your outdoor furniture and toys away from the house
3. Cover any plants close to the house with plastic sheets
4. Check for mold, mildew or dirt. These will be dark spots on the siding. To test it out, put a drop of bleach on the dark spot. Mold will turn white while dirt will stay black.
5. Get rid of mildew with 5 parts water to 1 part oxygen bleach.

Once you've finished the prep work, you're ready to get started washing the siding. There are two schools of thought when it comes to cleaning vinyl siding. Many people prefer using a power washer, while others use a bucket, cloth, and some good old-fashioned elbow grease. Whichever you choose, these are some great instructions on how to clean vinyl siding. If you'd like to avoid commercial cleaning chemicals, Diane has an eco-friendly vinyl cleaning solution. The luxury of this material is that you won't find yourself having to clean it very often, but when you do, it will be restored to its original clean, vibrant condition.

When it comes to how-to advice on cleaning vinyl siding, I'm amazed at how often the word "bleach" comes up. Like here and here, for example. But think about it -- is bleach really necessary? After all, it's harmful to the environment, including your very own local waterways, flora and fauna. And not just wild fauna -- I met someone whose little dachshund was killed when a careless neighbor accidentally sprayed the pup with a bleach solution while cleaning his siding.

Here are eco-friendly tips to help you keep your vinyl siding looking like new.

Imagine this scenario: two blocks of wood are sitting side-by-side on a table. At first glance they seem nearly identical -- same size, same length, same type of wood -- but when the lights are flipped off, you discover that one of the blocks glows with an eerie hue. The lights are switched back on, and you're immediately asked, "which block of wood is cooler?"

"Cooler?" you ask, not quite understanding the question. "Cooler as in temperature, or... ?"

"Cooler as in most AWESOME!" the imaginary question-asker replies.

What would you answer be? More likely than not, you'll reply that the glowing block is much cooler than the non-glowing version, and with good reason -- things that glow are always cooler than things that don't. For example, glow sticks are cooler than regular sticks; glow worms are cooler than plain worms; fireflies are much, MUCH cooler than pesky old flies; and thus glowing tomatoes must be cooler than their boring, non-glowing counterparts.

If you don't believe me, I challenge you to attempt this project -- how to make a tomato glow -- and judge for yourself just how incredibly awesome a glowing (inedible) tomato really is... or you could cheat and watch the video after the jump.

Simply put, weeds are the bane of my existence. They surround our building -- peeking up from cracks in the concrete, mocking me as they brazenly poke their haughty heads through the weed-proof layer beneath the mulch. I hate weeds!

Luckily for me, living in a highly-urbanized downtown area doesn't leave much space for weeds to grow, which keeps my weed stressing at a tolerable level. I can't imagine how crazy I'd be if I had a real yard, with real grass, and lots and lots of real weeds. Suffice it to say, weeds and I don't get along, and I'm always on the look out for new, ingenious ways to kill them.

The most obvious way to kill weeds is to buy some name-brand chemicals from your local hardware store, and spray those suckers till they shrivel up and die. Over the years, however, there have been allegations made that certain weed killers are harmful to the environment (beyond the weeds) and wildlife. So what's the best way to get rid of weeds using safer, less expensive ingredients? The three most common DIY weed killers are: