HOUSEHOLD TIPS NOT FOUND IN WOMAN'S WEEKLY

[Cathy]

Many times I've been amazed because of what food stuffs some people pour down their sinks and toilet .
What's wrong with the bin ? Crazy!!

[Stanley]

And other things as well Cathy. When I was in charge of the toilets and sewers at Bancroft Shed the bane of my life was the short-lived fashion for disposable paper knickers! Guaranteed to block old inadequate sewer pipes! Happy days.....

[Tizer]

When Mrs Tiz's engineer Grandfather took over in charge of the Auckland, NZ, water and sewage one of his first tasks was to remove a Maori war canoe from a main sewer! It had been there for ages because no-one would go down and deal with it. He put overalls and wellies on and went down himself. The lads followed and they got the job done. Many years later when he retired they did a traditional Maori hangi for him.

[Stanley]

That story doesn't surprise me at all. The common feature of culverts, drains and sewers is that they are out of sight, out of mind. Too often nothing is done to maintain them until they cause trouble. Look at the number of sewer blockages caused by accumulation of fat. Most of these problems could be avoided if householders occasionally lifted the cover on their sewer outlet and had a look. Ideally it should be spotless and running freely, if not, do something about it! Don't wait until it backs up and you get sewage coming back through the pipes into the house! Daft as it sounds, this is often the first sign that many people notice that signals something is wrong. I look after my drains, frequently give them low doses of bleach and avoid putting fat down them. I'd recommend that others do the same.

[Stanley]

One consequence of all the wet weather is that many people have found that their gutters and roofs have leaks. Not a bad plan to get a competent man in to do an inspection and put any faults right at least one a year. It's money well spent and better than waiting until water damage brings faults to your attention which is always more expensive than prevention....

[Stanley]

I was warning a friend whose wife is coming out of hospital at weekend after a serious operation that he should make sure the house was in order otherwise she'd be wanting to start spring-cleaning. However I wonder whether this is just an expression of my reaction to what I see as disorder. I am never more secure than when things are going to plan, the ash and trash is taken out and the washing done. I've often wondered where this comes from, I am the same in the shed. Newton used to laugh at me because even while I am doing a job I am cleaning up all the time. I hate working in muck and disorder. Perhaps it's just me....?

[chinatyke]

I was warning a friend whose wife is coming out of hospital at weekend after a serious operation that he should make sure the house was in order otherwise she'd be wanting to start spring-cleaning. However I wonder whether this is just an expression of my reaction to what I see as disorder. I am never more secure than when things are going to plan, the ash and trash is taken out and the washing done. I've often wondered where this comes from, I am the same in the shed. Newton used to laugh at me because even while I am doing a job I am cleaning up all the time. I hate working in muck and disorder. Perhaps it's just me....?

Not just you, Stanley. It's much easier to work when everything is in its proper place. I have an electrician friend who is over here at the moment and has just finished a small job for me. He's the most disorganised person I know. "Where is the screwdriver, where is this, where is that?" My reply: "It's where you put it!"

[Tizer]

Don't worry, me too. I like things to be tidy and organised. That was especially important when I was working in labs with inflammable solvents, explosives, toxic chemicals and pathogenic bacteria. You don't get a second chance then! I enjoy those `behind the scenes' TV programmes about the day to day events around the Royal Family. It's not surprising that they often employ ex-military people.

[Stanley]

I always said that about HGV driving and running large steam engines. You had to do everything right and at the right time. If you didn't you were tried, sentenced and punished immediately. No second chances..... Weasel words couldn't save you.

[Tizer]

The same applies to Major Tim Peake today on his `little foray outside'. I wish him a safe, uneventful six hours and a smooth return into the mother ship.

[Stanley]

It was his American colleague that got into trouble.....

[Tizer]

It makes a change from the Americans always saying they have to get us out of trouble!

[PanBiker]

A revelation last night on Stargazing Live, while following Tim Peaks spacewalk that NASA only have about 6 EVA suits for use on live missions. They cost millions of dollars to manufacture and are recycled round the crews that need them. One of the suits used by the two Tim's yesterday was the same one that leaked water into the helmet of an Italian astronaut a few years ago when they were building the ISS, he could have drowned with the amount of water accumulating in his helmet. Apparently they use a nappy type garment now at the back of the head to catch potential leaks from the water based cooling system built into the inner layer of the suits.

[Stanley]

I was taking notice of the discussion on mystery objects on the merits of plastic bags. I always recycle mine by making sure they are not thrown away but used again for other purposes. Large ones for rubbish and bin liners and small ones as poo bags for Jack. The big culprit is the plastic sticks used in cotton bud manufacture. Just about indestructible they survive for God knows how long and almost all end up in the sea. I ensure that all mine either go on the fire or into landfill. At least that protects the fish!

[Tizer]

...he could have drowned with the amount of water accumulating in his helmet. Apparently they use a nappy type garment now at the back of the head to catch potential leaks from the water based cooling system built into the inner layer of the suits.

I was quite amused to see that under the topic heading `Household tips not found in Woman's Weekly'!

It's interesting to think about the danger of water inside a spacesuit under zero gravity. We tend to think of water gathering and filling up the suit until it was above the mouth and nose and drowning the poor person inside as if in a diving suit. But at zero gravity the water globules will float about in the suit and even small amounts can be inhaled. No wonder they get worried when it happens...

[PanBiker]

The air supply for the astronaut is fed from the backpack from behind the head and flows over and around. If they have a co2 build up in the suit they have a small venting valve that can be opened at the bottom of the helmet. The breathing environment within the suit is pressurised so opening this has the effect of flushing any build up of co2 out of the system. It is closed again when the levels drop. Another housekeeping fact is that the environment controls and any other adjustable items on the suit have all their instructions and direction of turn arrows printed backwards on the controls. Their helmet does not allow them to look down to where the gauges and controls are located so they have a small mirror on the left lower forearm that allows them to see and operate the controls.

You will see on any suit camera footage that the astronauts working in the EVA suits quite regularly stop and inspect their gloves. As these are the heaviest used part of the suit they are checking for any damage that they may have inherited when carrying out their tasks. They have no option for replacement on the job and is a high risk during EVA's that can last anything up to 8 hours.

All good housekeepng tips definitely not found in Woman's Weekly.

[Stanley]

Sprinkle salt on the flags in the backyard to prevent it snowing during the night......

[Cathy]

How does that work Stanley, do you mean to stop the flags from getting slippery?

[Tizer]

I think he dances around in it muttering strange words to the snow gods, Cathy!

[Stanley]

Haven't you ever noticed Cathy that when you take a precaution against something happening, like putting a waterproof on when rain threatens the rain never comes? Same with the salt, the Gods laugh at us..... (If you want to make God laugh, tell him/her your plans....)

[Stanley]

I came back to an oldie.



In a cold damp country like England it isn't always possible to dry the washing outdoors and the clothes rack is a wonderfully fuel efficient way of getting the job done. I can remember the days when I used a clothes dryer which gobbled energy and discharged the heat outside. The old fashioned rack is the answer and is also handy for drying oat cakes!
I have this snatch of poetry in my head; "Cat sat on the rannel baulk (rack) eating musty bannocks". God knows where I got that, I suspect it was from Billy Entwistle but am not certain.

[Cathy]

Clothes racks are a great idea that has stood the test of time but these days they would mostly be found in a laundry room (utility room to you).

[Stanley]

The benefit of having them in the kitchen is that the clothes dry faster in our climate because the temperature is usually higher. The fridge waste heat is rising 24/7 and spreading across the ceiling. I washed the padded shirt that insulates me in the shed yesterday and it will be dry enough to wear in there today.
Have you ever noticed that something that has a nap on the cloth like the lining of this shirt or a woollen blanket always dry remarkably quickly considering their thickness? I reckon it's because the fibres sticking up wick the moisture away faster.

[Tizer]

On a sunny day in winter our unheated conservatory, which is separated from our house by French windows, gets up to 22C or higher and we can then dry clothes in there.

[Cathy]

I washed my woollen under-blanket the other day, popped it on line and gave it a good shake to fluff it up and it was dry within about 40 minutes ( mind you it was also 35C ).