Retro Remedies for a Radiant Home Today’s home makeover marketplace is full of high- tech goods and gadgets designed to keep your spaces clean. However, looking to the distant past reveals plenty of practical (and, in many cases, less expensive) options to bring your pad back to perfection. Here are three vintage cleaning tips that still work well today. Clean Classics
Mint will suppress summer stink. Although the air tends to cool off this time of year, summer will be here again before we know it. If heat and humidity make your garbage cans stink to high heaven, you can find the answer to overcoming the odor in your garden. Grow or purchase fresh mint and place a sprig in each can daily. You’ll be amazed by how quickly the stench goes away. Tidy pet hair without time travel. Pets bring joy and companionship to our lives, but their hair can do a real number on our rugs and upholstery. Interestingly, the secret to purging pet hair emerged nearly 80 years ago. In the May 1946 issue of Better Homes & Gardens, a reader recommended rubbing a wet rubber sponge on the affected areas — a process that rolls up the hair into easy-to-remove balls. A writer from the magazine decided to test this method last year — and the decades-old directions still did the trick.
Markers are no match for rubbing alcohol. Most parents encourage their children to explore their artistic side. Still, the possibility of your little ones becoming future Picassos can become problematic if they use markers to turn your refrigerator, countertops, walls, or other nonporous surfaces into makeshift art galleries. Instead of shrieking in horror upon discovering their creations, reach for rubbing alcohol and apply it to a cloth. Rubbing the fabric on the scribbles will dissolve the pigments, making it easier to restore your child’s ad-hoc canvas to its original, clean condition. Of course, you may want to snap a few photos of your child’s art before wiping it away — and consider purchasing more appropriate things for them to draw on!
As the hit 2023 comedy film “80 for Brady” showed, reaching an advanced age doesn’t necessarily mean a decline in vitality or appreciation for life. According to 2020 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an average healthy 60-year-old American could anticipate living another 22.9 years. However, there is a difference between living long and living well . In 2019, the World Health Organization reported that the average healthy life expectancy (the period before serious illnesses significantly affect an individual’s quality of life) was 76.4 years. Of course, these statistics are most relevant to individuals who focus on their everyday lifestyle and make conscious choices to preserve their health. If you’re close to your 60s or have already entered that decade, alcohol consumption is just one area to focus on now to help ensure longevity. RISKS, REALITY, AND RESPONSIBILITY
Perils of Pints Past 65 Excessive drinking is harmful at any age, but the consequences of drinking heighten when you reach 65. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, this is generally the age when a person’s lean body mass, water content, and metabolism will naturally begin to drop. These factors contribute to alcohol staying in a person’s system longer than in years past. Additionally, a person’s reaction times generally slow down in their 60s, thus increasing the likelihood of alcohol- related slips and falls. Precautions for Pouring If you’re 65 or over and still enjoy a drink now and then, moderation is essential to avoiding health risks. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recommends that drinkers in this age group who are not on medications consume no more than seven drinks weekly. The Institute defines one drink as five ounces of
wine; 12 ounces of ale, wine cooler, or beer; eight ounces of malt liquor; or 1.5 ounces of distilled liquor. No two people’s health conditions and needs are alike, so it is wise to consult your physician for specific recommendations for balancing your desire to drink with a regular health regimen. Sips may be fine, but prolonged drinking may prevent you from enjoying as many golden years as possible.
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