Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/667345
Youmayrecall(sinceI can't stop talking about it) that we moved into our new home in April 2015 just in time to experi- ence our first Rocky Moun- tain spring. There are no words to de- scribe it ade- quately, so I won't even try. The first thing I no- ticed walking into our new house were the windows — there were tons of them, and every one of them was filthy. It looked to me like they'd never been washed before. I did my due diligence to research professional window washers, know- ing that we'd have to pay to have them done. But it would be a one-and-done deal. Keeping them clean after would be an easy task. The price was ridic- ulous, but the windows sparkled afterward. That's when I set out to discover the best (the easiest, fast- est, cheapest and sparkli- est) way to keep these win- dows clean. I found that it's not with Windex, paper towels, newspaper or other methods I may or may not have recommended in the past — those often result in a bunch of wet, drippy and dirty paper towels that are difficult to clean up. Here are some clean- ing suggestions: THE RIGHT TOOLS. I have invested in the right window-washing tools (which cost way less than it cost us to get them done professionally). You need the right tools or you are going to waste so much time and money trying to get your windows spar- kling like diamonds. Microfiber Window Scrubber. This comes with a handle that can be at- tached to a pole, which you will use to wash the window. The key here is the microfiber material. Silicone Blade Squeegee. A silicone blade is far su- perior to rubber because it will not crack or tear. It produces a streak-free re- sult. Combo Scrubber Squee- gee. You can get the scrub- ber and squeegee two-in- one option where both of these tools are attached to one handle. It's all a mat- ter of preference. I like to use this combo option for the low windows that I can reach easily with a step stool. However, I've found that it's awkward to attach this to a long pole for higher windows be- cause it's challenging to turn the thing around to switch the tools. So, as you may have guessed, I have the combo and the sepa- rate scrubber and squee- gee. Bucket or Tub. This doesn't have to be gigan- tic. It just has to be big enough to dip the scrub- ber into easily. The scrub- ber is 11 inches wide, so you'll want a bucket that's at least 12 inches wide for easy dipping. A deep dish- pan works well for me. Blue Dawn. I'll bet you already guessed that this is my cleaner of choice. You're right. Microfiber Cloths. Mi- crofiber cleaning cloths are soft and nonabrasive. They won't scratch glass or painted surfaces. They do their job with or with- out chemical cleaners, they don't leave lint and (the best part) they don't leave streaks. A microfiber cloth also absorbs eight times its own weight. And you can rinse and reuse these clothes hundreds of times, too. Extension Pole: If you use the combo scrubber/ squeegee for second-story windows, you'll need only one pole. But I choose to use the tools separately for high windows, which re- quires two poles. STEP 1. Fill the tub with warm water about 3 inches deep. Add a few drops of Blue Dawn dish- washing liquid. STEP 2. Dip the scrub- ber into the soapy water and shake it out so it's not dripping. Apply it to the glass from left to right, starting at the top. Make sure you get into the cor- ner. Then, move back-and- forth in an S-shaped pat- tern until you have passed over the entire window. STEP 3. Switch quickly to the squeegee. Starting at the top left-hand corner, wipe from one side to the other, left to right, until the entire window is clean. STEP 4. Use a microfi- ber cloth to reach into all of the corners, wipe the frame clean and dry any drops or drips you may have missed. That's it. It's fast and easy with amazing results. Because you are using so very little water with this method, window washing ceases to be a big dirty, messy job like you may re- member it to be. That's es- pecially a good thing for me, because I learned an- other new thing about liv- ing at an altitude of 5,280 feet where we get four dis- tinct seasons: Windows don't stay clean for very long. Want to lift your spirits, clear your mind and beau- tify your world? Get out there this weekend (or as soon as winter has passed) and wash the windows. Your world is about to be- come even more beautiful. Visit my website for exam- ples of these magical prod- ucts. Wouldyouliketosend a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Ste. B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Cheaper, better and faster sparkling windows Mary Hunt PLEASE RECYCLE THIS NEWSPAPER. Don't panic if you haven't done your taxes yet. There's no time like the present to prepare and file your 2015 tax return. Visit IRS.gov for tax tools and help to make filing less taxing. 1. Don't delay. Don't wait until the last minute to do your taxes. If you rush to beat the deadline, you may miss out on tax savings or make a mistake. An error may delay your refund and could cause the IRS to send you a letter. 2. Use IRS Free File. If you made $62,000 or less, you can use free tax soft- ware to do your taxes and e-file. If you made more, you can use Free File Fill- able Forms. These are elec- tronic versions of IRS pa- per forms. Free File will also help with the report- ing requirements for the Affordable Care Act. 3. Try IRS e-file. No mat- ter who does your taxes, you should file them us- ing IRS e-file. It's the safe, easy and accurate way to file your tax return. You're 20 times less likely to make a mistake when you e-file compared to filing a pa- per return. Tax software catches and corrects com- mon paper filing errors. It also will alert you to tax credits and deductions you may otherwise miss. 4. Visit IRS.gov. Go on- line for tax information and resources. The Inter- active Tax Assistant, Tax Trails and IRS Tax Map are useful question and an- swer resources. 5. File on time. If you owe taxes but can't pay by the April due date, you should still file on time and pay as much as you can. This will reduce poten- tial penalties and interest charges. If you can't pay all the tax you owe, you may apply for an installment agreement. The easy way to apply is to use the On- line Payment Agreement application on IRS.gov. You can also apply by mail us- ing IRS Form 9465, Install- ment Agreement Request. 6. File an extension. If you're not ready to file by April 18, you can get an au- tomatic six-month exten- sion. You can e-file your extension request for free using IRS Free File. If you owe tax, you can request your extension when you make a payment with Di- rect Pay, Electronic Federal Tax Payment System or by debit or credit card and se- lect Form 4868 as the pay- ment type. You may also file using Form 4868, Ap- plication for Automatic Ex- tension of Time To File U.S. Individual Income Tax Re- turn. Make sure to e-file or mail the form and pay an estimate of any tax due by the April due date. 7. File to reconcile Ad- vance Payments of the Pre- mium Tax Credit. You must file a tax return and submit Form 8962 to reconcile ad- vance payments of the pre- mium tax credit with the actual premium tax credit to which you are entitled. You will need Form 1095-A from the Marketplace to complete Form 8962. Fil- ing your return without reconciling your advance payments will delay your refund and may affect fu- ture advance credit pay- ments. IRS Last-minutetipsforfilingyourtaxes Applications are being accepted for the 2016 Arlo Stroing Internship and Scholarship, established in memory of long time rancher Arlo Stroing, who passed away Dec. 27, 2011. It is the desire of the Stro- ingfamilytokeepArlo'sdeep love of ranching and stew- ardship of the land alive by offering a scholarship and internship for college un- dergraduatestogainneeded experiencewhileworkingto- ward their degree. The candidate selected will experience first hand the many facets of range and livestock management, working alongside the UC Livestock and Natural Re- sources Advisor Josh Davy at the UC Cooperative Ex- tension office in Tehama County. The selected candidate will work weekly for two summer months as a volun- teer intern. A $1,000 schol- arship will be awarded to the selected applicant with the first $500 given at the beginning of the summer internship and the second half awarded at the conclu- sion of the internship. This will be a volunteer, two days per week intern- ship position with a flexible weekly work schedule, be- tweenlateMayandJuly.This positionincludesbothindoor and outdoor work during di- verse weather conditions. Applicants must be ma- joring in range manage- ment, animal science or a closely related field, be en- rolled in a college or uni- versity and be able to work from the Tehama County UCCE office weekly. To apply complete and submit a resume and cover letterbyApril15andinclude name, address and contact information, name of col- lege and years attended, academic coursework and transcripts and references. Applications must be mailed or hand delivered to: Josh Davy, UC Farm Advisor, 2016 Arlo Stroing Memorial Scholarship and Internship, 1754 Walnut St., Red Bluff, 96080. Sub- missions may be emailed to jsdavy@ucanr.edu. For more information, call 527-3101. EDUCATION Ranching scholarship, internship deadline is today CHICO The Mustang Proj- ect will be celebrating the ASPCA — The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals — national Help A Horse Day on April 24 and competing for a chance to win up to $25,000 in grant prizes to assist with their efforts to protect horses. To celebrate the day, The Mustang Project will be hosting an event in con- junction with the Chico Equestrian Association on April 24 at the Chico Equestrian Arena in Up- per Bidwell Park. There will be food, activ- ities for the whole family, and a silent auction. In honor of the ASP- CA's 150th Anniversary celebration this year, the contest has been ex- panded to include a to- tal of $100,000 in grant prizes, including a grand prize of $25,000. This nationwide compe- tition is for equine rescues and sanctuaries to raise awareness about the life- saving work they do year- round to care for at-risk horses in their communi- ties. Horses have been central to the ASPCA's work since its founding, when Henry Bergh stopped a cart driver from beating his horse, re- sulting in the first success- ful arrest for the mistreat- ment of a horse on April 26, 1866. "The ASPCA Help A Horse Day contest is a wonderful opportunity for us to encourage local residents and businesses to find out more about The Mustang Project and help spread awareness about America's horses," said Tracy Mohr, presi- dent of The Mustang Proj- ect. "Wild horses are quickly vanishing from the American landscape, and we hope the com- munity will come out on April 24 to help us win a $25,000 grant, which will help us provide sanc- tuary for some of these horses who have been re- moved from their homes and were at risk of going to slaughter." Celebrating ASPCA Help a Horse Day CONTRIBUTEDPHOTO The Mustang Project will be celebrating the ASPCA — The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals — national Help a Horse Day on April 24. MUSTANG PROJECT EVICTIONS Fast, Efficient & Affordable 530.527.2104 756 Rio St, Red Bluff www.atwellpropartners.com (530) 529-1220 100 Jackson St. Red Bluff UnlimitedTanning $ 25 .00 only April Tanning Special! 734MainStreet 530-690-2477 11am-9pm Mon.-Thur. 11am - 10pm Fri. & Sat. 11am-8pm Sun. 9 CRAFT BEERS ON TAP Pizza Restaurant 744 Main St., Red Bluff NEWARRIVALS • ONE SIZE SUMMER DRESSES • PLUS SIZE SUMMER BLOUSES • UNIQUE SILK SCARVES • MYSTIC DREAM LOCKETS • MIXED LAVENDER/CEDAR/SAGE • BIRTHDAY/ANNIVERSARY GIFTS COME&SHOPWITHUS. LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Friday, April 15, 2016 MORE ATFACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A5