Articles

• Warm Weather Energy Savers
• The Dark Side of Candles (Part One)
• The Dark Side of Candles (Part Two)
• General Disaster Preparedness
• Top 5 Holiday Gift Ideas For Those Too Busy To Shop
• Autumn is Here
• Farewell to Fleas

Warm Weather Energy Savers (Printer-Friendly Format)

Heating bills skyrocketed for many people last winter. We may soon be seeing the hot weather version of this dilemma as we crank up our air conditioners. Other than a hermit with no outside contact, everyone heard of the rolling black-outs in California last summer. People in other areas wonder, "Can the same thing start happening where we live?" While state and federal politicians determine how to solve the problem, the rest of us still have to deal with paying for indoor comfort.

There are ways to grab the energy tiger by the tail to keep it under control. In the 1970's (remember the energy crunch back then?) ceiling fans became popular. So did solar energy, to some degree.

Cleco Corporation, a regional energy services company headquartered in Pineville, understands that, since energy costs are higher than in recent years, it's more important than ever to conserve.

Here's some suggestions for warm weather energy savings from Cleco Corporation's website, www.cleco.com, one the of largest suppliers of electricity in Louisiana.

• Turn your thermostat up to 78 degrees. You could save 3 to 5 percent on ac costs for each degree you raise your thermostat.
• If you are leaving your home for more than a few hours, set your thermostat four degrees or more higher than normal.
• Be patient when you return home. Drastically lowering your thermostat setting won't cool your house any faster. It will only keep the unit running longer
• Close blinds, curtains and drapes to keep out the sun's heat. In the evening, opening drapes and shades lets heat escape through the glass.
• Don't cool unoccupied rooms. Closing those air conditioning vents can save 5 to 10 percent on your cooling costs.
• Use fans where possible. Portable fans or ceiling fans can make you feel about 10 degrees cooler.
• Do not run refrigerators or freezers in non-air-conditioned areas, such as carports and garages. This can make appliances run continuously and can add a substantial amount to your energy bill.
• Where possible, replace incandescent light bulbs with a compact fluorescent bulbs. A 40-watt fluorescent bulb provides more light than a 100-watt incandescent bulb at half the energy cost.
• Try to avoid running your clothes dryer and dishwasher during the heat of the day. It only places additional strain on your air conditioner.
• Run the appliances at night if possible.
• Set your water heater thermostat no higher than 120 degrees. Wrap your water heater in an insulating blanket. If you have a gas water heater, you may want to seek professional assistance.
• Have a professional check your air conditioner to make sure it's running at peak efficiency.
• Clean or replace your air filter. Dirty filters strain your air conditioner and make it run longer.
• Crawl into your attic and inspect for insulation. Is there enough? You should have 6 to 9 inches of attic insulation.
• While you're in the attic, check your ducts for leaks. You could be wasting a lot of energy cooling your attic in the summer and warming it in the winter.
• Insulate hot water pipes and ducts wherever they run through unheated areas.
• Caulk and weather strip around doors and windows. Caulk and seal where pipes come through exterior walls.
• Recessed ceiling lights are another cause of wasted energy.

Nearly two-thirds of the electricity used in a typical home between May and October is consumed by the central air conditioning unit and electric water heater. So it makes sense to concentrate energy-saving efforts in those two areas. And if you're planning to build or buy a new home, check with your local utility company. Many offer discounted rates and/or rebates for meeting their energy-efficient qualifications.

One other thing to consider. If your air conditioning system needs to be replaced, installing a higher efficiency system can save big dollars, especially if your current unit is more than nine years old. The "SEER" rating is a measure of a unit's cooling efficiency. SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The higher the SEER rating number, the more energy efficient the unit. In 1992, the government established the minimum rating for air conditioning at 10. The Department of Energy is currently considering a proposal to raise the minimum rating to 12 or 13. While you will pay more out front for the higher efficiencies, the savings on your utility bill will make up for the difference, sometimes rather quickly.

For instance the annual operating cost of a 4 ton, 10 SEER system is estimated at $750. The operating cost of a 4 ton, 12 SEER system is $620, while a 14 SEER system has an estimated operating cost of $535. These figures are based on an electricity cost of $.07 a Kilowatt hour at 2200 hours running time, average for the U.S. southern region.

Our casual research shows that these figures are rather conservative. We contact most of our customers who purchase high efficiency systems with us, to see whether they experience a return their investment. They usually are anxious to see results, comparing their utility bills from the previous year. Most report anywhere from a 30% to 50% reduction in energy consumption. Of course, as they say, results may vary. Temperatures and indoor environment, can vary from year to year. The bottom line is that higher efficiency systems can save you money.

- The Staff at Filter Solutions

Back to top.

The Dark Side of Candles (Printer-Friendly Format)

Part One of a 2-part Report - (See Part Two)

I'm willing to bet there is hardly a household in America that doesn't contain at least one candle. Even Great-Grandma is likely to have a supply of utilitarian white emergency candles in her kitchen drawer. More than likely she also has a decent supply of lovely scented ones from Bath & Body Works, Home Interiors or at least Wal-Mart, thank you. They've been used from time eternal to light the darkness, and as an essential part of religious and secular ceremonies, birthdays, and prayer. Candles have exploded in popularity over the last several years. You can't beat them for "setting a mood." It's enticing to light a few around the room at the end hectic day, put one's feet up, and let them soothe our frazzled nerves.

In this first of a 2-part article, we'll explore how certain candles are a potential source of damage to the interior of homes in the form of black soot. Recent reports tell of damage to household interiors including walls, drapes, furniture and air conditioning equipment, oftentimes totaling in the thousands of dollars.

Getting that nice potent scent requires the addition of oil into the wax. The more oil added, the stronger the scent. But the addition of that oil can compromise the "clean" burning of the candles, and cause the excessive soot production. Candles also need the right amount of wax, air and wick to burn cleanly, so as not create any significant soot. Black soot residue is most noticeable inside glass jar candles. As the candle burns down deeper into the container, it can't get the proper amount of air it needs to maintain a clean flame, and a black ring is left behind.

David Krause is a Florida air quality manager who wrote a recent article for the RSES Journal, the official publication of the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (www.rses.org). According to Krause, while carbon soot can have several potential sources in a residential setting besides candles, including fireplaces and natural gas stoves, these are either vented or carefully controlled to ensure a clean burn. In interviews with over 50 homeowners who have had problems with black soot deposits, he says "it became evident that candles are a common source of soot". Krause reports that when the soot particles become air borne they collide and grow in size. They then become heavy enough to deposit due to gravity. He further explains that smaller airborne particles are minute enough is size to penetrate most air filters and migrate through a home's air conditioning system, blowing out of the supply vents. They often become electrostatically charged as a result, and are attracted to surfaces with a corresponding opposite charge, such as plastic surfaces. Plastic garbage cans, and the surfaces near the cans, for example, are prime attraction points for candle soot, as are the plastic surfaces of medicine cabinets. While very weak, this charge is sufficient to attract soot particles, according to Krause.

It doesn't stop there. Joe Frey, writing for www.insure.com, says once the candle soot settles, cleaning it off your walls, carpet, couch, and appliances can become impossible. You may have little choice but to replace the spoiled surfaces and items.

Mr. Frey also shares the account of Georgia contractor Chris Cole, whose client blamed extensive soot damage on an improperly installed heating system. Cole's insurance company paid for the woman's damage and Cole replaced the heating system and refinished the walls and ceilings. Two weeks after Cole's company replaced the customer's heating system, the walls were again covered in soot, and that's when Cole was able to attribute the damage to candle soot. In addition to burning numerous candles, she was also burning potpourri and incense. This woman "was just begging for problems".

This recent phenomena presents a dilemma with insurance companies, as this is relatively new territory not dealt with extensively in the past. Frey explains that insurers may or may not pay based on a policy's "named peril" provisions. That's the portion of a policy that spells out in clear terms what is and is not covered. Homeowner's policies also have what's called "sudden and accidental occurrence" provisions, which separates harmful events that happen overnight from those that develop over time.

So does all this mean we pitch out our coveted candle collections? Probably not. The amount of soot produced can be affected by wax and wick type, the quantity burned at any one time, and the length of burning time. In the meantime, here's a list of candle types to avoid from Mr. Krause to help candle lovers reduce that nasty black soot:

• Candles poured into glass jars or ceramic containers
• Soft wax types
• Heavily scented wax
• Thick long wicks or ones with a metal core
• Pillar candles with signs of uneven burning or thick, erect wicks
• High, erratic flame when burned

• Keep wicks trimmed to 1/4" in height
• Keep candles away from drafts (fans, a/c vents, return air grilles)
• Choose low aromatic, hard wax types
• Tapered, and votive candles with thin wicks
• Those that have a low, even flame when burned

- The Staff at Filter Solutions

Back to top.

The Dark Side of Candles (Printer-Friendly Format)

Part Two of a 2-part Report - (See Part One)

Since doing the research for this story, I think twice about lighting up the big square mauve candle that graces my bathroom. Just as the resources I found stated, it has that high erratic flame, and I can see the soot rising from it at times. I'm also more diligent about letting candles just burn aimlessly for hours on end. A few weeks ago, I had to attend a meeting at the church I belong to, and I took the opportunity to inspect the alcove that houses the rack of votive candles. Sure enough, there's a film of soot all over the surrounding area. One can even see the finger marks the caretaker left behind when he changed out the light bulb that illuminates the alcove. He must have had a nice smearing of soot on his hand when he was done! I chatted with the church's housekeeper recently, and she said that while the candles burned 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the sooting seems to be contained to the immediate area surrounding the candle rack, even though the church building is equipped with a central air conditioning system. This may indicate the importance of keeping burning candles out of the draft of an air conditioner's return air duct, as mentioned in last month's report.

The first part of this article last month touched on the damage from soot that can occur from burning certain types of candles. While such damage can range from mildly annoying to devastatingly expensive, this month's article touches on a side effect of burning aromatic candles that is perhaps more insidious - the potential for endangering the air that we breathe inside our homes, and therefore our health.

According to Mr. David Krause, an air quality expert, recently wrote for the RSES Journal, the official publication of the Refrigeration Service Engineers Society (www.rses.org). He states that "while soot is suspended in the air, room occupants are at risk of inhalation exposure. Since the particles are less than 1 micron in diameter, they can penetrate the deepest part of the lungs.

"Just what's in candle soot?" The same materials that are in diesel engine exhaust! People exposed to diesel soot over an extended period of time, say 8 hours a day for a year, such as in a workplace, have been known to develop respiratory problems. Mr. Krause asserts that the same could be said for heavily scented, aromatic candles.

The materials that candle wicks made of can also pose a serious problem. Heavily scented candles result in a softer wax because of the scented oils that are added. This requires manufacturer's to use a stiffer wick, one that has a metal core. Many of the candles on the market today, and usually those that are imported, have a lead core.

Last year the Journal of the American Medical Association, JAMA, (http://jama.ama-assn.org) reported on research conducted by the Public Citizen's Health Research Group, of Washington, DC. They set out to estimate the average 24-hour ambient air lead levels in a typical, energy-efficient home. They tested various lead wick candles, burning them for 3 hours, replicating the typical fresh air exchange in an energy-efficient home. What they concluded was that the resulting 24-hour air lead concentrations was 10 to 36 times above the EPA safety standard! They reported that children 6 years and under are specially vulnerable to these lead emissions.

As a result of their testing, Public Citizen filed a petition with the Consumer Protection Agency requesting a ban and recall on all lead wick candles.

In 1974, American candle makers agreed to voluntarily stop using lead wicks. The National Candle Association (www.candles.org), a trade group that represents 95% of U.S. candle manufacturers, says that no reputable candle maker in the U.S. uses lead in its candles. Their web site states that "the majority of wicks manufactured today in the U.S. are made of 100 percent cotton � with no metal core. Those few wicks with metal are typically zinc-core wicks. All of these wicks are safe." The NCA also supports a ban on lead wicks.

It should be noted, says the National Candle Association, that candles have been used for hundreds of years without problems. The group further states that while the popularity of aromatherapy has fanned the growth of candles, no one in the candle business should associate aromatherapy with candles, because it has nothing to do with candles.

Yet some companies still promote candles as a form of aromatherapy. Should people mistakenly make a conscience effort to breathe in the fumes, they could be poisoning themselves. Various studies have reported some burning candles can emit various levels of harmful substances in addition to lead, including acetone, benzene and mercury. In all fairness it needs to be noted that these were mostly very low level emissions. Of course one would want to use common sense and not sit over a candle inhaling these fumes!

Candle makers aren't required to list ingredients on their labels, so consumers have to be proactive in protecting themselves. Here's a list to help guard against harmful emission problems:

• Avoid burning candles with a shiny metal core wick, unless you know it's lead-free.
• Keep wicks trimmed to 1/4". Buy candles from reputable companies.
• Contact the manufacturer to find out the wax and wick ingredients of any suspect candle. A
• void actively inhaling candle fumes.
• Increase fresh air ventilation by opening windows to reduce your exposure to the fumes.

- The Staff at Filter Solutions

Back to top.

General Disaster Preparedness (Printer-Friendly Format)
by Kathy Paauw

Don't know where to start to prepare for a possible natural disaster?

Here are a whole range of suggestions. Just because you're a good record-keeper doesn't mean you're a good safe keeper of records. Can you snatch up all of your important financial records in five minutes, if necessary? Not likely.

Identify a single location to file all crucial papers -- preferably a fireproof portable container. Checklist documents to include:

• Bank account records
• Birth certificates
• Credit-card statements
• Employer benefit statements
• Identification records (driver's license, green card, passport, etc.)
• Income tax information (past returns, proof of estimated tax payments)
• Insurance policies
• Investment records
• Marriage certificates or divorce decrees
• Mortgage and other loan information
• Report of earnings from Social Security
• Social Security card
• Titles, deeds, registrations for property and vehicles owned
• Trusts
• Wills

1. Create copies now (a certified copy in the cases of birth certificates and other crucial documents) in the event that you need them to provide to government agencies.
2. Put important original documents in plastic covers to protect them and to prevent you from accidentally giving away the original.
3. Notify the appropriate people as to where important information will be located in case you're not available when it is needed.
4. As you go through your day, be aware of the kinds of information that you should add to your filing system. Identify a method, such as an index card in your pocket or mini tape recorder in your car, to make notes of new items as they pop into your mind.
5. Identify the records that you or your financial institutions keep only on computer. Because they may not be available if electrical power fails, make printouts. Collect important personal papers and information related to financial transactions. For example, keep a paper record of insurance premium payments with the policy. A system error may result in showing you as uninsured.
6. Create a file of paper-based records of anything you own so you can prove ownership whenever necessary

• Power, light, gas or other utility companies
• Banks and other financial institutions
• Employer Insurance agents
• Alarm system
• Doctors
• Minister, Rabbi, or Priest
• Neighbors, friends Relatives
• Social Security Office

• Have a five-day supply of food (including some non-perishable food) on hand for each member of your household, including pets.
• Have one gallon of water per person per day for up to five days. Keep stored in a cool dark place. Stored water should be refreshed every six months.
• A full bathtub can provide water for flushing toilets. In the event of a power outage, keep refrigerators and freezers shut, and open only when necessary.
• If power goes out, eat perishable foods first, then canned foods.
• Have an ample supply of propane or charcoal and lighter on hand for outdoor cooking in the event of a power outage. Never use open flames or charcoal grills indoors, as this may cause carbon monoxide poisoning.

• Flashlights
• Batteries
• Blankets or sleeping bags
• First-aid kit
• Fire extinguisher
• Transistor radio and batteries
• Paper plates, plastic utensils
• Manual can opener
• Gas in your car

Realize that any or all of these items will not work in the event of a power outage and have batteries on hand as needed or make appropriate adjustments to your lifestyle should you be without them. For example, keep a manually operated can opener, battery-operated clock and radio, and an old-fashioned percolator on hand.

• Fire and security systems
• Electric heat and air conditioning
• Appliances
• Consumer electronics
• Garage door openers
• Electronic locks
• TV's and VCR's
• Clock radios/radios
• Coffee pot
• Answering machines/voice mail systems

• Have at least a five-day supply of prescription drugs on hand.
• If you are on kidney dialysis or need regular medical care, have a plan in place for getting your needs fulfilled.

• Keep paper records including financial statements, insurance, stocks, and Social Security records. Don't wait until a crisis occurs to request paper copies.
• Have enough cash on hand to carry you through at least two weeks. Keep as much as you feel comfortable with, but be sensible about how much cash you keep at home. You could become a prime target for robbery and theft.
• There may be problems with ATMs so hold on to all ATM receipts and reconcile your accounts monthly. Be sure to have a paper trail showing your account balances.
• Back up your accounting system regularly if computerized and print transaction journals so if you have a system failure or power outage, you still have the information available.
• Keep paper records of investments as proof of holdings and acquisition costs
• Request documentation on the amount of your Social Security and Medicare accounts so you can verify that your account.
• Carry at least one credit card.

• Listen to local radio stations for updates and instructions.
• Be prepared to relocate to a shelter for warmth and protection during a prolonged power outage or if local officials request or require that you leave your home.
• Don't call 911 unless you need emergency assistance. Use your time on the phone or on computer modems to a minimum. Leave the lines available for emergency calls.
• Learn how to turn off your household gas and water. Be sure to have the gas company turn the gas back on so pilot lights can be re-lighted at the same time.
• Examine smoke alarms now. If yours is hard-wired, does it have a battery back-up? If so, is the battery fresh?
• These and other precautions will help you and your family remain safe and secure in a world that could be turned upside down in a split second. Advance preparedness could even mean your family's survival and must not be taken lightly.

Back to top.

Top 5 Holiday Gift Ideas For Those Too Busy To Shop (Printer-Friendly Format)
By Ivy Liu

Time for another season of Christmas giving.  If you are like me, you enjoy the festive holidays but loathe the task of holiday shopping.  You try to balance your busy schedule but who has time to go shopping?  And then there is always the decision of what to get.

So I've compiled a list of the top five holiday gift ideas to help inspire you and make your shopping easier.    There are suggestions and links to gifts for adults and kids of all ages.

Rather than finding yourself frustrated in a crowded mall on Christmas Eve looking for last-minute gifts, go shopping online now!  Take care of your holiday gifts for family and friends now and then sit back and relax.  Some merchants can even ship your gift on the same day!  I do not recommend waiting till Christmas though - allow a few days for shipping just in case.

Back to top

Top 5 Gift Ideas

1. Music / Movies

Who doesn't love music and movies? Shop online at Tower Records for a wide selection of CDs, DVDs, movies, and more for your loved ones.  There is a holiday sale on the latest and best contemporary artists.  Shop early!  The last day to order for Christmas delivery is Wednesday, December 20!   To view a complete selection of gifts, go to www.towerrecords.com.

Are you an entertainment junkie yourself? Visit Listen.com to hear your own personalized radio station online while you are shopping in the privacy of your home.  You can also sign up for free at Entertainment Sleuth for entertainment updates on music, movies, and more at www.listen.com.

2. Books

For the widest selection of books, go directly to Amazon. There are books in hundreds of categories and topics for the avid reader. Amazon also offers much more than just books.  A mind-boggling assortment of music, movies, and anything else you can think of available for fast easy delivery.  To see a catalogue of great gift-giving ideas, go to www.amazon.com and click on BOOKS.

Looking for a hard-to-find book for that someone special? Choose from a variety of rare titles at ElephantBooks.com.

For the creative or budding entrepreneurial writer, pick up eBook software, eBook Editor Pro.  Very easy with no technical skills needed. Now you can self-publish and be a digital pioneer like Stephen King, who recently released his own ebook. Visit www.ebook.com and click on BOOKS.

3. Games / Toys

That special little one you are shopping for will sure like what's at the Toy-Shoppe.com.  Quick and easy delivery available for many toys, games, rocking chairs, and more. All this and more at www.Toy-Shoppe.com.

Looking to bond with the kids over the holidays? AreYouGame.com offers traditional family fun and fast same day delivery. Choose from a wide selection of classic board games like Monopoly, Life, Chess, and more at www.AreYouGame.com.

4. Electronics / Computers

Before you do your high-tech shopping this Christmas, go to PriceGrabber.com and make sure you have the best price! This site offers a great and easy way to do online comparison shopping painlessly. Go to www.PriceGrabber.com.

I hope this short list gives you some ideas to put on your shopping list.  With the advent of ecommerce, you can now order easily online and arrange for delivery within minutes without ever leaving the cozy confines of your home. Take advantage of it! Most companies also offer a phone number if you prefer to place your order offline or speak with someone.

Its like when your mother used to tell you to buy your Christmas presents in July to save money and time.  For the rest of us, just try shopping online at least 1-2 weeks before Christmas to get some cool seasonal specials.  And skip the trip to the mall!

5. Electronics / Computers

Before you do your high-tech shopping this Christmas, go to PriceGrabber.com and make sure you have the best price! This site offers a great and easy way to do online comparison shopping painlessly.

Shopping for a computer? TigerDirect.com offers quality PC systems at an excellent value. Find out why people are talking about TigerDirect.

I hope this short list gives you some ideas to put on your shopping list. With the advent of ecommerce, you can now order easily online and arrange for delivery within minutes without ever leaving the cozy confines of your home. Take advantage of it! Most companies also offer a phone number if you prefer to place your order offline or speak with someone.

Its like when your mother used to tell you to buy your Christmas presents in July to save money and time. For the rest of us, just try shopping online at least 1-2 weeks before Christmas to get some cool seasonal specials. And skip the trip to the mall!
-----------------------------------------------------------
- The Staff at Filter Solution

Back to top.

Autumn is Here! (Printer-Friendly Format)
By Robin Nobles

Autumn is my favorite time of year, with its brisk, cool, "football season" weather and beautifully colored leaves. By this time of year, many of us are tired of the summer's stifling heat, and we're ready for the changes granted by autumn.

Did you know that you could capture the beauty of fall by preserving some of its colorful leaves? Visit Preserve Colorful Beauty of Autumn Leaves to learn why leaves develop color in the fall, and to learn three different ways that you can treat the leaves in order to preserve their color.
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/HOME/GARDEN/garden10272.html

Daycare at The Mining Company features a delightful listing of Autumn Activities for young children, such as fun ideas for field trips, how to make an autumn wreath, songs and fingerplays for autumn, and fascinating art projects.
http://daycare.miningco.com/msubsea.htm

If you would enjoy attending a fall festival, visit Southern Festivals. Learn of festivals being held in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, and more. Georgia's Covered Bridge Festival will be held October 9-11 in Thomaston, GA, and the Autumn Jubilee Festival will be held in Salisbury, NC, on October 3-4. Click on state of Louisiana.
http://southfest.com/otherstates.shtml

Visit Disney's Family.Com for a listing of outdoor activities you can do with your children this fall. Prepare an Autumn Canvas, play Acorn Toss, learn how to plant bulbs, or learn about migrating birds. The entire site offers a whopping 365 outdoor activities you can do with your children, in categories such as Old-Fashioned Games, Household Materials, Hikes and Walks, and Group Play.
http://www.disney.com

Finally, let's stop by a website that will make sure we're up to date on the latest fashions: Under Fashionwire, click on "must-haves" to learn of six items for your wardrobe that you simply can't live without this fall.
http://www.bguide.com

--------

Brought to you by: World Wide Information Outlet - http://certificate.net/wwio/, your source of FREEWare Content online.

Robin Nobles is a freelance writer whose articles on surfing the Web are published in six newspapers regularly. She also writes articles about the Web and Internet in publications such as Internet Newsroom, InfoAlert, WebVantage, CompuNotes, ChipNET, The Sunshine Post, Bridges Initiatives, and more. She can be reached at robin@robinsnest.com or through her website: Robin's Nest for Writers and Web Surfers - http://www.robinsnest.com/

- The Staff at Filter Solutions

Farewell to Fleas (Printer-Friendly Format)
by Frances Gavin - Canine Natural Cures

Are you worried about the effects of chemicals on your dog? Why not make your own safe, non toxic flea repellents?

CITRUS REPELLENT: Cut a lemon into quarters and place in a pint jug. Cover the lemon with boiling water and let it steep overnight. Next day you have a flea repellent that you can use in a spray bottle. Spray all over your dog remembering especially behind the ears and around the head generally (careful of eyes), around the base of the tail (once again keep away from delicate bits) and under your dog's 'armpits'.

Aromatherapy repellent. Using 10 ml. of sweet almond oil as your base, add 10 drops of lavender and 5 drops of cedarwood. Shake well and use 1 or 2 drops spread over the skin at least twice a week to keep the fleas away.

A flea collar can be made by rubbing a few drops of one of the following into an ordinary webbing or rope collar or even a doggy bandanna: eucalyptus oil, Tea Tree Oil, citronella, lavender or geranium. Don't forget to do this weekly.

YOUR HOME: Fleas spend most of their time in your furnishings and only hop onto your dog or you for their next meal. Make sure you wash your dog's bedding regularly because no flea ever survived a hot wash cycle. If you add eucalyptus oil to the final rinse it will also kill 99% of house dust mites according to research from the University of Sydney, Australia.

Vacuum your home very thoroughly and sprinkle a fine layer of ordinary table salt over your upholstery and carpets and leave overnight before vacuuming again to evict your unwelcome guests safely but don't forget to empty your vacuum bag.

BATHING: A badly infested dog really needs to be bathed so use your favorite dog shampoo. Rinse the dog off very thoroughly and in the final rinse add a couple of drops of Tea Tree Oil or Lavender oil. An alternative is to make your own herbal flea dip which will also work on ticks. Steep two cups of fresh rosemary in two pints of boiling water for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid, discard the leaves and make it up to one gallon ( 8 pints) with warm water. Pour this mixture over the dog until it's saturated. Do not rinse off and allow the dog to dry naturally so this is a remedy to use on hot summer days.

INTERNAL FLEA REPELLENTS: Garlic may not be your favorite cologne and it's not the flea's favorite smell either. When your dog eats garlic, the smell is excreted through the dog's skin making your dog less likely to be the flea's next meal. In case you think you might need to give your dog a breath freshener along with the garlic, my dogs, Mack and Josh, eat a garlic clove every day and I don't find their breath smells from it at all.

Brewer's yeast tablets will also help to make your dog less attractive to fleas because once again the smell is excreted through the skin.

Adding a dessertspoon of apple cider vinegar to the water bowl will make the skin more acidic and unpleasant to fleas and ticks. If your dogs don't fancy apple cider vinegar in the water bowl, dilute it 50/50 with water and use in a spray bottle instead of the citrus repellent.

By Frances Gavin - Canine Natural Cures
Brought to you by: Canine Natural Cures, web address www.caninenaturalcures.co.uk

Back to top