Yahoo!7 Answers Blog Australia

It’s that time of the year. The sun finally makes its way into your garden/house and you look around and think, what a mess! Whether it’s kitchen cupboards that need a good cleanout, the kids’ room that is dying for a scrub or the garden than needs some love and care, it’s time for a spring clean.

The first job that needs my attention is the garden. For the last month I’ve looked desolately as the weeds creep through the beds and thought to myself, when it’s warmer, I’ll tend to that… Well this weekend’s forecast is sunny with temperatures in the late 20s, so I have no more excuses. It’s time to attack the garden!

Only problem is, I have no idea where to start. Apparently you don’t have to be born with a green thumb to grow a garden, so it’s time to turn my little patch of dirt into a horticulturalalist’s delight. Ok in all honesty, I’d just be happy with a garden that grows.

First step is removing the weeds then according to doubleg2006, I should work the dirt then go and buy some fertiliser and top soil.

After you have pulled out all the weeds and flowers first till the dirt till you get it all loosen up, now next add the top soil and the fertiliser and mix them together with the existing dirt and oh don’t forget to water after you have tilled all the top soil and fertiliser to keep the order down. More

Right! So I’ve got a fresh bed ready for some planting. But what should I get? Considering my record with killing plants, I probably shouldn’t be too ambitious. Sheltie has some great advice:

Your best ‘rule of thumb’ here is to look around locally and see what the council grows in their nature strips, parks etc. plus what plants schools have growing as well.  Some plants used are varieties of bottle brush, westringia, grevillias, gazanias, kangaroo paw, marigold, plumbago, geraniums. More

Australian natives are a good idea, they are obviously ideal for our hot Australian summers and don’t require too much water, very important with the drought. I should also consider plants that grow well in less sunlight as I have a south facing garden so it’s not very sunny in winter.

So once I’ve planted my seedlings, watered them, it’s apparently time to add the mulch. Forgive my ignorance, but why do we need it? Julie’s got a good answer:

Mulch does several things.. it helps control erosion (splashing and runoff of soil in heavy rains). It helps balance moisture in garden beds. The sun can’t bake the soil when mulch is shading it. Mulch, as it decomposes adds organic value to soil and it provides a uniform, finished look in garden beds. It really doesn’t do anything to cut back on bugs. More

Alright I think ready to garden. Do you have any more advice for me before I pull on my overalls and grab my shovel and fork?

Caitlin
Community Manager

I just moved into my very first home. It’s all very exciting, for the first time in my life there are no flat-mates slobbing on the couch, no one else is hogging the bathroom and I can do the dishes whenever I want. The freedom is breathtaking.

Yet after a month, I feel that something is missing. Ever heard the adage, ‘A house is not a home without a pet’? Obviously Barack Obama felt the same way, which is why he recently bought a Portuguese Water Dog for his family after moving to the White House.

My yearning was further exemplified after reading Marley and Me. This cute story is about a young family and their rambunctious Labrador, Marley. It has to be said that Marley wasn’t the most obedient dog in the world. He was so friendly and excitable but his brute strength and size made him a challenging dog to have around. Training him was an insurmountable and teaching him any tricks completely laughable. Despite these challenges, he was a much loved member of the family.

Of course, like all good books, Marley and Me has been made into a Hollywood blockbuster, with Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson in the starring roles. Both celebrities have asked questions on Answers recently about pets.

Jennifer Aniston asks What is your funniest family pet moment?

Owen Wilson asks What are some good tips on how to train a puppy?
Perhaps if his character had that advice, he might have done better training Marley!

Once I read all those great funny family pet moments, I really felt the urge for my own furry friend. My one concern is that I’m living in a flat, obviously a huge dog like Marley would be out of the question.

I’ve always had cats but they’re usually outdoor cats that love climbing trees and chasing lizards. How do you keep pets occupied in an apartment so they don’t chew up the furniture?

Hope you can help!

Caitlin
Community Manager

Let’s be honest – housework isn’t exactly something that many of us relish. Some love a tidy house and religiously put Saturday mornings aside to vacuum the carpets, wipe out the cupboards and put the clean sheets on the line. Others put it off until there’s a fusty scum around the bath and you’re down to your last pair of hole-ridden underwear that lost its elastic sometime last century.

Whoever you are, you’d probably agree that there’s nothing more annoying than going to all the effort of cleaning to find some sort of stubborn stain that has somehow escaped detection. No matter how much you scrub it or how many washes it goes through, it still sits there, almost taunting you. Fortunately that’s where Yahoo!7 Answers comes in! There’s a whole network of people who have been in your situation and have a resolution at hand.

Here’s a list of common stains and their tried and tested solutions:

How do I get a red wine stain out of carpet?
Pour white wine on it – honest it neutralises the red wine. More

What’s the best way to clean yellowed shirt collars?
1. Spray grimy collars with WD40 (solvent) or rub with orange oil . Then
2.Soak and / or wash with general laundry powder (warm water), followed by two cold rinses. More

How do I remove wax off a corduroy jacket?
Use a warm iron! Place a paper towel between your jacket and the iron and watch the wax melt off your jacket and soak into the paper towel. More

Anyone know how to remove food dye from skin?
Lemon juice is very good for removing stains on the skin just rub a lemon over it and just give it a good wash after. More

Is there an organic or earth friendly way to kill mould?
Use White Vinegar undiluted on Mould/Mildew. Pour on stains and leave overnight then clean with Baking Soda and a little more vinegar applied to the stains. Scrub with a old brush or toothbrush, wait about thirty minutes then rinse with hot water and allow to dry. More

How can i get rid of a pen stain on my jeans?
Spray hairspray on the stain and then let it dry. Wash them as you normally would. The stain should come completely out. More

How to remove a 2 day old blood stain?
The traditional method is to soak the item in a strong salty COLD water solution (make by dissolving a cup of salt with a little warm tap water then top up with cold water). Do not use any hot water on this as heat will set it. Soak it over night. More

Got a pesky stain? Just ask it in the Home & Garden > Cleaning & Laundry section!

Caitlin
Community Manager