Home Clean-up

Home Clean-up

This is the easiest task because it mostly involves throwing
things out. Hopefully your family and friends will jump to your
assistance.
• The basement gets cleaned.
• The garage gets cleaned.
• Every room in the house gets cleaned.
Your Basement
To clean your basement, remove all paint, varnish, thinners,
brush cleaners, and related supplies. Remove all cleaners such
as carpet cleaner, leather cleaner, rust remover. Remove all
chemicals that are in cans, bottles or buckets.
You may keep your laundry supplies: borax, washing soda,
white distilled vinegar, bleach and homemade soap. You may
keep canned goods, tools, items that are not chemicals. You may
move your chemicals into your garage. Also move any car tires
and automotive supplies like waxes, oil, transmission fluid, and
the spare gas can (even if it is empty) into your garage or discard
them.

Seal cracks in the basement and around pipes where they
come through the wall with black plastic roofing cement. In a few
days it will be hard enough to caulk with a prettier color. Spread
a sheet of plastic over the sewer or sump pump.
Your Garage
Do you have a garage that is a separate building from your
home? This is the best arrangement. You can move all the
basement chemicals into this garage. Things that will freeze, such
as latex paint, you may as well discard. But if your garage is
attached, you have a problem. Never, never use your door
between the garage and house. Walk around the outside. Don't
allow this door to be used. Tack a sheet of plastic over it to slow
down the rate of fume entrance into the house. Your house acts
like a chimney for the garage. Your house is taller and warmer
than the garage so garage-air is pulled in and up as the warm air
in the house rises. See the drawing.
In medieval days, the
barn for the animals was
attached to the house. We
think such an arrangement
with its penetrating odors is
unsavory. But what of the
gasoline and motor fumes we
are getting now due to
parked vehicles? These are
toxic besides! This is even
more medieval.
If your garage is under your house, you cannot keep the
pollution from entering your home. In this case, leave the cars
and lawnmower outside. Remove cans of gasoline, solvents, etc.
Put up a separate shed for these items.