Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/555794
Thesedays,there'sa pricey product available to clean just about any- thing. But why spend the money when you can make your own homemade products that per- form just as well, from ingredients you may al- ready have in your cup- boards and pantry? I'm talking cheaper, faster and, quite possibly, better! Dear Mary: What is the best, most effective way to clean a steam iron? — Bev Dear Bev: You need to regularly clean both the inside and the soleplate of your steam iron to keep it in tip-top condition. Be- fore you proceed with my cleaning suggestions, read the manual that came with the iron to make sure there are no instructions or cautions that might pre- clude the following. INSIDE: To remove buildup from the inside of the iron (which, over time, can really clog things up), pour equal amounts of white vinegar and water into the iron's water cham- ber, up to the maximum fill line. Turn the iron on at the "steam" setting and iron a soft clean cloth to clean out the steam ports. Leave the iron on in an upright position for 10 minutes or so. Unplug it and take it to the sink. Shake it to loosen the min- eral buildup inside and then turn it upside down over the sink, allowing the vinegar and water to pour out. You are likely to see flakes and chunks of gunk come out with the liquid. Repeat this process until only clear liquid comes out of the iron into the sink. Rinse with clear water several times to remove all traces of vinegar. SOLEPLATE: There are numerous ways to clean the soleplate and remove the scorched ugly brown buildup of stains and melted-on fabric, but most are pretty messy. Applying a paste made of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda then vigor- ously scrubbing the sur- face with a rag will do the trick, but you'll be left with a wet soggy mess and steam holes that are hopelessly clogged with the paste. I've been there, done that and found it to be very frustrating. My favorite way to clean the bottom of the iron is with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (or the generic melamine version, which is cheaper in bulk). Make sure the Magic Eraser is wet; then rub the soleplate until it comes clean. No mess, no residue and no clogged steam holes. It re- ally is like magic. Dear Mary: What is the best way to clean hard-wa- ter stains from my gran- ite countertops, especially around the sink? — Sheila Dear Sheila: Granite is tricky, that's for sure. But once you understand a few things, you'll have no trou- ble keeping your counter- tops beautifully shiny and free of streaks and water stains. The enemy of granite is anything acidic. That eliminates any cleaning products that contain vin- egar or lemon juice. Acid can permanently "etch" granite over time. Granite countertops, be- cause they must be sealed (and resealed annually with a good sealant avail- able at any home improve- ment store or online), should not be cleaned with cleaners that contain am- monia (such as Windex). Ammonia strips away the sealant. You already know that water is not great for gran- ite because it can leave marks and a buildup of minerals around the sink. So what's left? Alcohol. You can buy commercial granite cleaners that con- tain some type of alcohol and a lot of water, or you can make your own gran- ite cleaner for just pennies. GRANITE CLEANER: Pour cup of rubbing al- cohol (vodka or gin are good substitutes) into a 16-ounce spray bottle. Add three drops of blue Dawn dishwashing liquid and five drops of essential oil (optional, but makes it smell great). Add enough water to fill the bottle. La- bel and keep out of reach of children. Shake to mix. From now on, use this so- lution to keep your coun- tertops beautifully clean and shiny without wreck- ing the sealant or causing any harm to the granite. MaryHuntisthefounder of www.DebtProofLiving. com, a personal finance member website. You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate.com. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE How to clean steam irons and granite countertops REDDING Plan for a Secure Retirement: Are You Ready will be the subject of a free seminar hosted by the So- cial Security Administra- tion on Tuesday, Aug. 25. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the Redding Li- brary on Parkview Avenue in Redding. Two SSA em- ployees will present a brief overview of Retirement, Survivor and Medicare ben- efits and then answer gen- eral questions about each program. "This informational sem- inar is geared toward peo- ple ages 57 to 65," said Jen- nifer Cooper, district man- ager of the Redding Social Security Office, "because that age group has either re- tired or is seriously think- ing about it. Everyone is in- vited, though, and we'll an- swer as many questions as we can during the two-hour program." Cooper encourages ev- eryone to create a "mySo- cialSecurity" account by go- ing to the agency's website at www.ssa.gov. "They should bring that information with them on Aug. 25 because it will show them approximately how much they will receive at age 62 and beyond," Coo- per said. "There are advan- tages to taking the benefits at the earliest possible age, and there are advantages to waiting. No two situa- tions are ever the same and that's one the points we'll be stressing." For more information regarding this event, call 1-866-964-1236. SOCIAL SECURITY Seminaronretirement preparedness offered Mary Hunt AUBURN The Rooster Tails Fishing Club's monthly breakfast meeting will be held Friday, Aug. 21 at the Auburn Elks Lodge, 195 Pine St. The doors open at 7 a.m. with a $13 buffet breakfast served at 8 a.m. The club will host An- drew Hughan, public in- formation officer for the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, for a spe- cial presentation begin- ning at 9 a.m. Hughan will provide an in depth pro- spective of Fish & Wild- life's hatchery operations and the many challenges that affect fish stocking operations. Members and guests should arrive early to se- cure a good seat. The breakfast meeting is open to the general public, no reservations are necessary to attend. Various fishing related media have highlighted some of the fish-saving ac- tions Fish & Wildlife has taken to save future fish- ing opportunities, but not the complete picture. An- glers are encouraged to at- tend this special presen- tation to learn first-hand how many traditional fish- ing waters will be affected even if we return to normal precipitation. Fish & Wildlife has been rearing and stocking fish in California inland waters since the late 1800s when state government created new legislation requiring the restoration and pres- ervation of fish in state waters. This legislation called for the newly formed Cal- ifornia State Fish and Game Commission to es- tablish fish breederies to stock and supply streams, lakes, and bays with both foreign and domestic fish. In the early 1900s, Fish & Wildlife assumed re- sponsibility for the state for stocking hatchery- trout in California lakes and rivers. Since 1945, Fish & Wildlife was re- quired to rear and stock both inland and anadro- mous fish species at its hatcheries and planting bases located through- out the state. Fish & Wildlife stocks trout in high mountain lakes, low elevation reser- voirs, and various streams and creeks statewide. Salmon have been planted mostly in rivers and di- rect tributaries to the Pa- cific Ocean, with the ex- ception of inland kokanee, coho, and Chinook salmon populations that have been planted in various reser- voirs for recreational fish- ing. The club is a non-profit organization that meets the third Friday of each month to educate, enter- tain and enhance a fishing experience. For more in- formation, call Jim at 887- 0479 or visit www.rooster- tailsfishingclub.org. FISHING Hatchery drought challenges topic of talk COURTESYPHOTO Andrew Hughan, public information officer for California Department of Fish and Wildlife. SACRAMENTO The Ameri- can Red Cross has formally announced Michelle La Pierre Bell as the new ex- ecutive director in North- ern California for the Gold Country Region. In that role, La Pierre Bell is charged to provide leadership and direction to volunteers and employ- ees ensuring the goals and mission of the American Red Cross are effectively delivered. Following an extensive search and review of many excellent candidates, La Pierre Bell was selected as uniquely qualified for this position, which she will be- gin Aug. 24. La Pierre Bell has been a Major Gift Offi- cer with the Region where she was responsible for cul- tivating and stewarding philanthropic corporate and individual major gifts. "Michelle has a repu- tation as a resourceful leader, who has been a key driver in implement- ing new strategies in the fundraising department at the Red Cross," said Te- resa Caver, interim CEO of the American Red Cross Gold Country Region. "When you have great tal- ent within your organiza- tion, it's important to rec- ognize it. We're excited to welcome Michelle to a new leadership role." For more than 10 years, La Pierre Bell excelled in program planning, mar- keting, fundraising, de- velopment, community in- volvement and public af- fairs before joining the Red Cross. She is the kind of leader that will bring the Gold Country Region for- ward. Michelle is dedicated to the mission of the Red Cross, builds and fosters a team environment, and has high expectations for herself and her team. She brings a unique combi- nation of resource stew- ardship and people skills that are very well suited for her new responsibil- ities. "I am honored to accept this position and excited to engage with our commu- nity leaders and working with our volunteers and staff to help make a differ- ence in the lives of those we serve," said La Pierre Bell. RED CROSS La Pierre Bell is named new executive director By Mary Nugent mnugent@chicoer.com @ER_MaryNugent on Twitter CHICO Michael Ajamu wasn't in serious trou- ble, but he was headed that way. Now 16, he looks back on a time when he got straight Fs in school, hung out with other apathetic teens, was rude to his mom and broke things. "I was just unmotivated and I had friends who were like that, too. I was not in- terested in doing good," Ajamu said. While attending Fair View High School, where he is about to start his se- nior year, he heard about Rock Solid Teens. The pro- gram at Azad's Martial Arts Family Center is about changing behavior, but it's also about choosing a dif- ferent attitude. "Michael was doing nothing right. Now he is doing so well, he's my front desk person. He has integ- rity," said Farshad Azad, owner of the center and a martial artist for over 35 years. He holds an eighth-de- gree black belt and is a grandmaster of martial arts. Rock Solid Teens is his brainchild. "Kids can get past chal- lenges and hurts and move on. This program is mak- ing a point, it wakes kids up. It's a lot of work, but I see that kids do completely change their focus." Azad said teens who take part in Rock Solid Teens are beyond busy. "We've had a Rock Solid team for five years now at Fair View, and part of it is a martial arts program. Kids learn life skills through martial arts." Ajamu said the consis- tency of Rock Solid Teens has worked for him. "It's five days a week. I started coming here in December 2014 and I'm still in it. You work on the physical, men- tal and spiritual and find a better focus." Ajamu's mother, Anika Ajamu, said Azad and Rock Solid Teens made a huge difference for her son. "Mi- chael was in trouble and I really didn't know what to do. His dad is not around. He was very close to my mother, but she died and that set him off. He was an- gry and upset. Rock Solid gave Michael direction, and Azad is a father fig- ure to so many of the kids. I couldn't believe it when he brought home a report card with As and Bs." Azad said Ajamu's suc- cess is not unusual. "Mi- chael is a great example that you can change your attitude when you change your perspective, your thinking." Azad explained how Rock Solid works. "First, the kid must show dramatic change in school. He must apply himself; we have no time for losers. I must receive letters of rec- ommendation from teach- ers, counselors, principals. And parents or guardians convey to me if behavior at home is improving." The key to the program's success, says Azad, is teens must feel that changes are their own decision. "In the background, we have a chain of daily emails to steer the kid in the right di- rection," said Azad. Programabroad Earlier this summer, Azad traveled to Rio de Ja- neiro, Brazil, but it wasn't a vacation. Azad was on a mission to share his Rock Solid Teens program with kids living in poverty there. "In Brazil, my goal is to reach kids at an emotional level so they understand changing their thinking and their vision from neg- ative to positive," he said. "The number one purpose for me was to connect with kids in slums." It's important, he said, because "a million people live in slums in Re de Ja- neiro. The dichotomy of economic and class sepa- ration is really heavy. On the Copacabana, there are $10 million apartments and at the same sight in the hills, there are hundreds of thousands of slums. There is hardly any sanitation or water. Some have buckets or barrels on their roofs to funnel rain water into their houses." Azad said the slums are substandard dwellings built on top of each other, right next to each other. ROCK SOLID From Chico to Brazil: Teens help at-risk youth DENTAL HYGIENIST NEEDED PLEASE FAX RESUME TO 530-527-6551 Regular Haircut $ 2 00 off KWIK KUTS FamilyHairSalon 1064SouthMainSt.,RedBluff•529-3540 ANY RETAIL PRODUCT 20 % off withanychemicalserviceof $50 or more Notgoodwithotheroffers Expires 9/30/15 With coupon Reg. $13.95 525AntelopeBlvd Red Bluff (530) 527-5272 Mon.–Fri.8am-5pm Saturday by appointment Visitournewlyremodeled show room &signuptowinsetof4newtires Locally owned & operated 9 locations throughout California & Oregon (530) 529-1220 100 Jackson St. Red Bluff AquaAerobics Classes Mon.,Wed.,Fri. 10 to 10:45am Mon., Wed. 5:30 to 6:15pm Monthly pool pass $25 adult $15 child STOVEJUNCTION The TheNorthState'spremiersupplierofstoves 22825 Antelope Blvd., Red Bluff 530-528-2221 • Fax 530-528-2229 www.thestovejunction.com Over 25 years of experience Tues-Sat 9am-5pm • Closed Sun & Mon Now Carrying! GreenMountainGrills & Accessories Serving Butte, Glenn & Tehama Counties LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Thursday, August 13, 2015 MORE ATFACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A4