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[zoomzoom]

When to do laundry during extreme temps.

For our household, we watch the weather to decide when to do laundry. You figure, your dryer has a big blower that's the equivalent of having a fan blowing out a window.

We do our laundry during times when it's as close as possible to "room temperature". This approach makes it easier on your HVAC. E.g. It's been frigid the last week or so. Instead of running the dryer when it's 10°, wait until the warmest part of the week so the furnace doesn't have to run (as much) to compensate for the air being blown out of the house.

Ditto when it's hot. Run the dryer when it's 70° outside instead of when it's 90°.

 

[Pearl]

When to do laundry during extreme temps.

For our household, we watch the weather to decide when to do laundry. You figure, your dryer has a big blower that's the equivalent of having a fan blowing out a window.

We do our laundry during times when it's as close as possible to "room temperature". This approach makes it easier on your HVAC. E.g. It's been frigid the last week or so. Instead of running the dryer when it's 10°, wait until the warmest part of the week so the furnace doesn't have to run (as much) to compensate for the air being blown out of the house.

Ditto when it's hot. Run the dryer when it's 70° outside instead of when it's 90°.

I watch the weather so I can hang clothes on the line!

 

[Mad Dog 1]

When to do laundry during extreme temps.

For our household, we watch the weather to decide when to do laundry. You figure, your dryer has a big blower that's the equivalent of having a fan blowing out a window.

We do our laundry during times when it's as close as possible to "room temperature". This approach makes it easier on your HVAC. E.g. It's been frigid the last week or so. Instead of running the dryer when it's 10°, wait until the warmest part of the week so the furnace doesn't have to run (as much) to compensate for the air being blown out of the house.

Ditto when it's hot. Run the dryer when it's 70° outside instead of when it's 90°.

is it not possible to use that hot air into the house on the cold days , might take some modifications to the system but it could be beneficial , not seeing the situation I could be talking out the back of my head

 

[zoomzoom]

is it not possible to use that hot air into the house on the cold days , might take some modifications to the system but it could be beneficial , not seeing the situation I could be talking out the back of my head

Yes, very doable and very easy.
Inside, take your dryer vent and blow it into a bucket of water (to catch the lint so it doesn't blow all over).
They sell products for around $20 to do this and they have filters for the dust. Here's an example
https://www.amazon.com/VIWINVELA-Indoor-Bucket-4-Inch-Proflex/dp/B09JZ1N5KB

Here's what I'm talking about (homemade version).

 

[angie_nrs]

I know this thread mentioned using citric acid for cleaning washing machines.

I have a humidifier that wasn't working very well. When I took it apart there was a rock like buildup on the metal heater core. I couldn't even chisel it off b/c it was so hard. I used vinegar for weeks trying to get it to breakdown with no luck. I was going to buy a product on amazon that was highly rated but then saw a post by someone who said to use pure citric acid instead. So, I bought a bag (that was way cheaper than the descaler stuff) and put it in my humidifier over night with some water. I couldn't believe how effective it was at getting rid of that rock! It's ready to go again and I didn't have to use any nasty chemicals.

I was going to buy a distiller so that I didn't have to buy distilled water, but I'll just keep using my filtered water and clean the scaling off with the citric acid. So, that just saved me from having to spend $100 on a distiller I don't need. I hear the citric acid also clean toilets well too. And apparently you can use it for your diswaher instead of dishwasher soap. I haven't tried that yet, but I will.

Here's the recipe for dishwasher detergent found in the link below:

• 2 parts baking soda
• 2 parts washing soda
• 1 part citric acid
• 1 part salt
• Essential oils, optional (I used lemon)
  
  https://www.cheaprecipeblog.com/2014/06/less-toxic-dishwasher-detergent/

 

[Pearl]

I know this thread mentioned using citric acid for cleaning washing machines.

I have a humidifier that wasn't working very well. When I took it apart there was a rock like buildup on the metal heater core. I couldn't even chisel it off b/c it was so hard. I used vinegar for weeks trying to get it to breakdown with no luck. I was going to buy a product on amazon that was highly rated but then saw a post by someone who said to use pure citric acid instead. So, I bought a bag (that was way cheaper than the descaler stuff) and put it in my humidifier over night with some water. I couldn't believe how effective it was at getting rid of that rock! It's ready to go again and I didn't have to use any nasty chemicals.

I was going to buy a distiller so that I didn't have to buy distilled water, but I'll just keep using my filtered water and clean the scaling off with the citric acid. So, that just saved me from having to spend $100 on a distiller I don't need. I hear the citric acid also clean toilets well too. And apparently you can use it for your diswaher instead of dishwasher soap. I haven't tried that yet, but I will.

Here's the recipe for dishwasher detergent found in the link below:

• 2 parts baking soda
• 2 parts washing soda
• 1 part citric acid
• 1 part salt
• Essential oils, optional (I used lemon)
  
  https://www.cheaprecipeblog.com/2014/06/less-toxic-dishwasher-detergent/

And don't forget your coffee pot!!

 

[UserNameTaken]

When to do laundry during extreme temps.

For our household, we watch the weather to decide when to do laundry. You figure, your dryer has a big blower that's the equivalent of having a fan blowing out a window.

We do our laundry during times when it's as close as possible to "room temperature". This approach makes it easier on your HVAC. E.g. It's been frigid the last week or so. Instead of running the dryer when it's 10°, wait until the warmest part of the week so the furnace doesn't have to run (as much) to compensate for the air being blown out of the house.

Ditto when it's hot. Run the dryer when it's 70° outside instead of when it's 90°.

We try to avoid heating up the house in the summer. When it's 120 outside clothes dry in about 5 minutes, then at night we put them in the dryer on air for about 15 minutes to soften them up. In the in the winter we use the dryer as it can take 24 hours to dry on the rack.

Along that line in the summer we often cook on the BBQ outside (has a pot burner) to keep the heat out of the house. I'm thinking of getting a propane griddle to move most of our cooking outside in the summer. We also use the toaster oven instead of the gas oven in the summer when we can.

I have a friend who owns a mid-size AC company. He says the best way to keep your house cool is keep the heat out. Cook outside, the more people in a room the harder it is to cool, if you have kids going in and out all the time you'll never get it cold enough.

 

[Weedygarden]

I know this thread mentioned using citric acid for cleaning washing machines.

I have a humidifier that wasn't working very well. When I took it apart there was a rock like buildup on the metal heater core. I couldn't even chisel it off b/c it was so hard. I used vinegar for weeks trying to get it to breakdown with no luck. I was going to buy a product on amazon that was highly rated but then saw a post by someone who said to use pure citric acid instead. So, I bought a bag (that was way cheaper than the descaler stuff) and put it in my humidifier over night with some water. I couldn't believe how effective it was at getting rid of that rock! It's ready to go again and I didn't have to use any nasty chemicals.

I was going to buy a distiller so that I didn't have to buy distilled water, but I'll just keep using my filtered water and clean the scaling off with the citric acid. So, that just saved me from having to spend $100 on a distiller I don't need. I hear the citric acid also clean toilets well too. And apparently you can use it for your diswasher instead of dishwasher soap. I haven't tried that yet, but I will.

Here's the recipe for dishwasher detergent found in the link below:

• 2 parts baking soda
• 2 parts washing soda
• 1 part citric acid
• 1 part salt
• Essential oils, optional (I used lemon)
  
  https://www.cheaprecipeblog.com/2014/06/less-toxic-dishwasher-detergent/

One of the houses that I house sit in, they only use distilled water in things like their electric tea pot. I just figured it was due to scale build up that they do that. They keep several gallon jugs of distilled water in their garage.

 

[angie_nrs]

One of the houses that I house sit in, they only use distilled water in things like their electric tea pot. I just figured it was due to scale build up that they do that. They keep several gallon jugs of distilled water in their garage.

Yes, most appliances call for distilled water to avoid buildup. Even though I run our water through the berky, it doesn't take out the good minerals. That's good for me, but not for appliances. I have a steam mop that I only use distilled water in to extend the life of it. I have friends that have bipaps and cpaps and they go through several gallons of distilled water in their appliances.

If I had one of those medical devices, I would buy a distiller for my home.

 

[Caribou]

Yes, most appliances call for distilled water to avoid buildup. Even though I run our water through the berky, it doesn't take out the good minerals. That's good for me, but not for appliances. I have a steam mop that I only use distilled water in to extend the life of it. I have friends that have bipaps and cpaps and they go through several gallons of distilled water in their appliances.

If I had one of those medical devices, I would buy a distiller for my home.

I have a CPAP, I use rain water, off the roof, at Mom’s house and R/O water at home. I have used a home distiller but that takes lots of electricity and it is slow. I was very happy with a Zero Water Filter. I clean the water chamber with vinegar which removes scale and kills biological growth, which is worse than scale for your health.

 

[Shawn Burkett]

Here's the recipe for dishwasher detergent found in the link below:

• 2 parts baking soda
• 2 parts washing soda
• 1 part citric acid
• 1 part salt
• Essential oils, optional (I used lemon)
  
  https://www.cheaprecipeblog.com/2014/06/less-toxic-dishwasher-detergent/

If you get spots on your glasses, double the citric acid. If you use essential oils make sure it's ok to ingest. I never bothered with the eo's it's mostly there for fragrance.

 

[Weedygarden]

I have a CPAP, I use rain water, off the roof, at Mom’s house and R/O water at home. I have used a home distiller but that takes lots of electricity and it is slow. I was very happy with a Zero Water Filter. I clean the water chamber with vinegar which removes scale and kills biological growth, which is worse than scale for your health.

Grandparents, grandma usually, washed hair with rain water, You can tell the difference.

 

[Peanut]

Rust, a never ending battle, especially on a farm. I used dozens of products over the years with varying results. I’m experimenting with 2 products right now.

First, vinegar… it works very well but its very slow, takes days to work. It’s a keeper, especially for thin metals or more delicate objects I don’t want to damage.

The other experiment is a keeper also, a product called Evapo Rust. I’ve never seen anything work this well on rust. It works best if you can submerge the object. I’m currently cleaning a lot of socket sets. I started with these bolt extractors. They’ve taken a lot of abuse over the last 2 decades on a farm. Had a fine coat of rust, some larger deeper spots. I’ve been soaking these for 24hrs. It cleaned them to the bare metal, took off everything without scrubbing or using a wire wheel. It even cleaned the flutes on the inside.

Best part, the liquid is reusable. I’m gonna pour it through a coffee filter to remove any particulates then back into the bottle. A 1 quart bottle was $12.95 at ace hardware.

 

[Peanut]

About vinegar and rust… @Neb had a great idea. First I tried setting this old metal socket case in a pan with vinegar. It was easy to slosh or spill the liquid and it evaporated fairly quickly.

Neb suggested using a rag. It helps greatly, evaporation slowed and I don’t have to worry about spilling the vinegar. This old wash cloth holds the liquid against the metal and prevents sloshing.

Here I'm using an old baking pan for this job... taking surface rust off this old socket case that belonged to my dad. I'll post an update in a few days...

 

[zoomzoom]

I swear by EvapoRust. I buy it by the 5 gallon bucket.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00370N1UG/

$132 for 5 gallons is a lot cheaper than buying it by the quart.
It is "reusable" to a point then you just need to dump it.

What I do is collect everything I want to clean then size up the pile. The last time I did it, the pile included over 100# of chains as well as the misc tools and such so probably 150# or more.

First, I remove as many contaminates as possible from the steel. My "go to" approach is to hit everything with a pressure washer to remove any dirt and excessive rust. Small items go into a 5-gallon bucket then I hit it with the pressure washer from above. Let everything dry.

Sort what needs cleaned into 3 or 4 piles (after about 4 uses the product is about done). Size up a bucket to hold the biggest of the 4 piles. I normally use a 20 gallon Rubbermaid tote but a 5-gallon bucket or smaller is better for small items. I never use the OEM bucket as I don't want to dirty/contaminate the whole product if I'm only going to use a percentage of it.

Put the important stuff (tools and such) in the first load. Dump the items in the bucket then pour the Evaporust on top, enough to cover everything. Follow mfgr wait time then remove items and rinse with water.

Repeat for piles 2-4 with the nastiest items last.

 

[Neb]

About vinegar and rust… @Neb had a great idea. First I tried setting this old metal socket case in a pan with vinegar. It was easy to slosh or spill the liquid and it evaporated fairly quickly.

Neb suggested using a rag. It helps greatly, evaporation slowed and I don’t have to worry about spilling the vinegar. This old wash cloth holds the liquid against the metal and prevents sloshing.

Here I'm using an old baking pan for this job... taking surface rust off this old socket case that belonged to my dad. I'll post an update in a few days...

View attachment 173481View attachment 173482

I am a fan of Evaporust. I have a 5 gal bucket in my Amazon with list.

Ben

 

[Peanut]

I swear by EvapoRust. I buy it by the 5 gallon bucket.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00370N1UG/

$132 for 5 gallons is a lot cheaper than buying it by the quart.
It is "reusable" to a point then you just need to dump it.

I am a fan of Evaporust. I have a 5 gal bucket in my Amazon with list.
Ben

I'd never heard of it until a few days ago. Happened to see a guy on a youtub video use it cleaning old tools. I ran a couple searches and read some reviews. Then the other night the guy at ace hardware had used it and loved the stuff so I got the only bottle they had.

Frankly I'm astonished how well it works. Nothing I've ever tried has come close to this.

And yes, a lot cheaper by the bucket. Off the top of my head... about 20cents an ounce for a 5g bucket. About 44 cents an ounce by the quart. Less than half the cost.

 

[Peanut]

@zoomzoom @Neb Evapo Rust is $119 for a 5 gallon bucket on amerzit today. That comes to .1859 cents per ounce. Just ordered one for myself.

 

[zoomzoom]

I can't find amerzit web site. Got a link? Did they charge shipping?

 

[Peanut]

I can't find amerzit web site. Got a link? Did they charge shipping?

https://www.amazon.com/Evapo-Rust-Original-Water-based-Non-Toxic-Biodegradable/dp/B00370N1UG/

Another handy tool if you have farm equipment that sits outside... bolt extractors. Old rusty bolt heads round off sometimes when trying to remove them. Bolt extractors cut into the metal and allow you to remove bolts. My set is fairly small, 10mm-19mm, but covers most of the bolt sizes on my equipment.

Anyway, these are freshly cleaned with evaporust.

 

[zoomzoom]

@zoomzoom @Neb Evapo Rust is $119 for a 5 gallon bucket on amerzit today. That comes to .1859 cents per ounce. Just ordered one for myself.

I didn't know you refer to Amazon as "amerzit". Your link is exactly what I buy but I don't see $119.

 

[Peanut]

I didn't know you refer to Amazon as "amerzit". Your link is exactly what I buy but I don't see $119.

Do you live in a state with extra epa type or shipping regulations? $119.95 right beside the bucket!

 

[zoomzoom]

...

 

[Peanut]

Must be something like that. Here's what I see.

View attachment 173568

Sorry man! You're getting ripped off!

I was up at the shop this afternoon and saw tin snips and a pipe wrench that belonged to my grandfather. They were covered in rust in the 80's. I'm giving evapo rust a real test! If it takes the rust off the pipe wrench I will be impressed!

 

[teeceetx]

Sorry man! You're getting ripped off!

I was up at the shop this afternoon and saw tin snips and a pipe wrench that belonged to my grandfather. They were covered in rust in the 80's. I'm giving evapo rust a real test! If it takes the rust off the pipe wrench I will be impressed!

View attachment 173571

Be sure to post an "AFTER" pic!!

 

[zoomzoom]

Sorry man! You're getting ripped off!

I was up at the shop this afternoon and saw tin snips and a pipe wrench that belonged to my grandfather. They were covered in rust in the 80's. I'm giving evapo rust a real test! If it takes the rust off the pipe wrench I will be impressed!

View attachment 173571

Let it sit for a day then hit them with water. I'll bet they come out clean.
Oh, for best results, open the snips so the chemical can reach the cutter edges.

 

[Caribou]

Do you live in a state with extra epa type or shipping regulations? $119.95 right beside the bucket!

View attachment 173566

It said 6 left when I ordered mine. At that price it didn’t last long.

 

[Peanut]

Since EvapoRust worked so well on the bolt extactors I decided I needed a 5g bucket. After ordering same I went up to the shop and got the rustiest tools I could find. An old pipe wrench and tin snips that belong to my grandpa.

Here they are in stages of the process of cleaning...
Just as I put them in the Evrust

This morning after an 18hr soak

Just out of the bath after 24hrs

Rinsed in water and dried.

After the wire wheel on my bench grinder.

Almost as clean as the day they were made. Painting comes next!

I tried to filter the liquid. It helped a little but it's still almost black with fine particulates. I'll save it to use again to see if it's effective at this state. If not... oh well, it did an amazing job on the pipe wrench and tin snips. I have a few more tools this rusted I'll clean when the 5g bucket gets here. I have a lot of tools with a spot or two of rust that should clean up nicely.

Again, I've never seen a product clean rust like this. I highly recommend it.

 

[Neb]

Since EvapoRust worked so well on the bolt extactors I decided I needed a 5g bucket. After ordering same I went up to the shop and got the rustiest tools I could find. An old pipe wrench and tin snips that belong to my grandpa.

Here they are in stages of the process of cleaning...
Just as I put them in the Evrust

View attachment 173657

This morning after an 18hr soak

View attachment 173658

Just out of the bath after 24hrs

View attachment 173659

Rinsed in water and dried.

View attachment 173660

After the wire wheel on my bench grinder.

View attachment 173661

Almost as clean as the day they were made. Painting comes next!

I tried to filter the liquid. It helped a little but it's still almost black with fine particulates. I'll save it to use again to see if it's effective at this state. If not... oh well, it did an amazing job on the pipe wrench and tin snips. I have a few more tools this rusted I'll clean when the 5g bucket gets here. I have a lot of tools with a spot or two of rust that should clean up nicely.

Again, I've never seen a product clean rust like this. I highly recommend it.

I excavated a pipe wrench when digging out the basement of the 100+ year old hobby house. It was absolutely crusty. I will be trying out Evaporust o it when I get another batch.

Ben

 

[zoomzoom]

Almost as clean as the day they were made. Painting comes next!

I tried to filter the liquid. It helped a little but it's still almost black with fine particulates. I'll save it to use again to see if it's effective at this state.

Paint... not always for me. Actually, almost never. Keep reading.

For the moving parts, I really recommend giving it a light spray with Fluid Film.
https://www.fluid-film.com/

BTW - if you like EvapoRust for this project, you'll LOVE Fluid Film for rust prevention, lubricant... I haven't touched my WD-40, PB Blaster or similar in over a decade since using this stuff. Tools, hinges, gun oil, vehicle undercoating... you name it. Fluid Film will take care of it.

For handles, look at PlastiDip.
It's a rubberized product similar to what your pliers and other tools have on their handles.
https://plastidip.com/product/plastidip/
I buy the "DipCan" version. Basically, you dip your handles into the can and they come out rubberized.
It's been awhile but IIRC, once the can is opened, it has a limited life before hardening in the can. Line up your projects to use it up before it dries. It's been a long time but I'd guess you have a month or two before the open can starts to go bad.