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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 2012-05-03, Page 14PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2012. “WHERE HOPPER GOES THE WATER FLOWS” W.D. HOPPER & SONS FARMS - RESIDENTIAL - INDUSTRIAL - COTTAGES 519-522-1737 SEAFORTH 888-522-1737 LICENSED BY Ministry of Environment 2 WATER WELL DRILLING MODERN ROTARY DRILLS LICENSED WELL TECHNICIANS FREE ESTIMATES PERFORMANCEINSULATION Helping Families Keep Warm And Save $$ • Polyurethane foam insulation • Blown-in fibreglass wall systems • Blown-in attic insulation Toll Free 1-855-337-9276 (1-85 KEEP WARM) Mobile 519-531-0734 Brussels & Teeswater Residential • Agricultural • Commercial Contact us for all your insulation needs rstrome@performanceinsulation.ca Van der Meer FINE CARPENTRY Jason Van der Meer, Brussels 519-887-8122 • renovations • home repair • custom woodworking Spring cleaning tips for windows and clothes clutterMS –For homeowners, springcleaning is one of the annual rites ofthe season. The return of warmer weather presents the perfect opportunity for homeowners to open the windows, let some fresh air in and tidy up after a few months spent cooped up inside while the weather outside was frightful. But now that spring has arrived, the time to clean up around the house has come. Homeowners about to start on their annual spring cleaning should consider the following before beginning. • Get the right tools: The right tools won’t necessarily be a hammer and nails, but cleaning products that can make spring cleaning moreefficient. Rubber gloves, cleaningproducts (preferably natural products that are good for the environment) and enough garbage bags to discard a winter’s worth of clutter should all be on hand before you begin cleaning. If they’re not, you'll likely need to make a trip to the store while cleaning, which can be time-consuming and prolong the process. • Take some inventory:Many people have no problem buying new clothes, but they do find it hard to get rid of older items. Part of spring cleaning is tossing old items you no longer use, and that includes clothing. Clothing can take up asignificant amount of space, so takesome inventory on your wardrobe and decide which items you want to keep and which ones you can afford to discard or even donate. • Address the windows:If the last several months have been especially cold or snowy, then you might not have looked out the windows in quite some time. Unfortunately, those windows might have accumulated quite the amount of dirt and grime while you were huddled inside. When washing the windows, do so on a cloudy day, as the sun can actually cause streaking. In addition, be mindful of what you’re using to wipe down the windows post-cleaning. Microfiber rags typicallygive windows a great shine without any streaking. The blinds and drapes will also need to be addressed, as they have likely accumulated some dust overthe last few months. Dust thevalance and the frame, and wipe the blinds down with a damp cloth. You can also use your vacuum’s Continued from page 13 shrubs, but an alternative lawn mixture,” Beard said. After doing this research, a several-pages-long report detailed the benefits each demonstration site could see by implementing Eco- Lawn and the reasons behind the site being chosen as an ideal demonstration area. For example, for Turnberry Park, the report states that “the south end of the park should be naturalized with native trees and shrubs. This is a good location for a butterfly garden and some educational signage as well. The heavily-used north end of the park could benefit from tree plantings which, down the road, will provide shade for picnickers. Eco-Lawn should replace the existing turf on the balance of the site. This site can be mowed occasionally to maintain a traditional turf or left unmowed to eliminate mowing entirely.” “Where [the municipalities] need the most help is with turf management,” Beard said, “and it costs so much that there’s no money left to plant trees.” Once Delaney began identifying demonstration areas, however, he began to see that Eco-Lawn could be implemented for a relatively cheap price, leaving funds left over to plant trees. Many local areas have taken to planting Kentucky bluegrass, which requires heavy maintenance over the course of the spring and summer. Eco-Lawn, however, has fine blades that reduce water loss in hot weather and it grows deep roots that allow them to access ground source water naturally, which enables it to handle drought and resist lawn grubs much better than most conventional lawns. The grass is slowing growing and has been shown to reduce grass- cutting by 50 per cent. Pending approval of the three area councils, Beard is aiming to plant the Eco-Lawn on the demonstration sites in the fall, which Beard says is the best time to plant. After the Eco- Lawn is implemented into the sites, the tree planting will soon follow, Beard says. New system could allow for trees 191 Westmoreland St., Blyth 519-523-9687 The Blyth Laundromat ✓ Coin Operated machines ✓ Soft Water ✓ Always OPEN ✓ Wash & Fold Service ✓ Pick up & delivery available “Taking care of your laundry since 2007” Proprietor: Lorna Fraser Continued on page 22