Summer tips and tricks

Tips & Tricks For The Summer

1. Spiders & Ants

To cut them off from their tracks, you’ll need to make sure your doors and windows are sealed, but also check where pipes and wires enter your house for tight seals, too.

How to get rid of ants:. Ants leave a scent trail wherever they go, so clean the area with soap and water to knock out the parade route.

Then go after the whole colony with a cup of warm water, 1/2 cup of sugar, and 3 tablespoons of boric acid. Dip cotton balls in the mixture, and place them in dishes in areas where you’ve seen ants.

How to get rid of spiders:
Vacuum your home thoroughly, clear away any cobwebs, and throw away the vacuum bag. (Vacuums typically kill spiders, but their egg sacs are pretty hardy.)
Peppermint oil, diluted with water in a spray bottle, can also help drive away

2.Stinky Garbage

Garbage is garbage, you can deodorize your trash can in a couple of ways:

• Make the night before the garbage truck comes “Clean-Out-the-Fridge Day†to minimize stinky leftovers piling up in the bag.
• Sprinkle a little baking soda in the bottom of each new liner and add a bit more to the trash every morning. Tossing a dryer sheet in the bottom of every trash bag — even if it’s already been used in the dryer — can also help neutralize nasty odors.

3. Mosquitoes 

Clogged gutters with standing water are basically a mosquito maternity ward therefore always keep them clear of debris. Look for other areas that contain standing water and clean them regularly. Installing outdoor fans with their air velocity keeps them away. 

4. Sky High Power Bills

As summer heat rises, so do your utility bills. To fight back against the annual assault of energy bills, start with the basics:

• Install a programmable thermostat and program it. 
• Get your AC maintained regularly to increase its efficiency and replace the air filters regularly.
• Weatherstripping is the best way to seal air leaks around doors and operable windows — according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, air-sealing your home can save you about 15% on heating and cooling costs. To judge the right amount to buy, measure the perimeter of the doors and windows you’re covering and pad by 5% to 10%