FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF NOV. 23, 1998
Last year, we were still paying off Christmas bills in June. Got any tips for us debt-heads?
Sure do, says Sandra Cann, University of Idaho assistant coordinator of extension family economics. 1) Budget ahead of time; decide what you can afford and stick to it. 2) Buy gifts because you really want to, not because you think it’s expected. 3) Start early so you have time to shop for the best price. 4) Go shopping with a list of gift suggestions and dollar limits. 5) Close your eyes and ears to advertising. 6) Except when brand name really matters, select on value.
I understand that cross-contamination between foods or food ingredients can spread potentially disease-causing microorganisms in the kitchen. How can I avoid it?
A recent Audits International study of non-random households found that 76 percent violated the cross-contamination standards to which restaurants are held, says Sandy McCurdy, University of Idaho extension food safety coordinator. To clean up your act, be sure to wash whole produce thoroughly and to sanitize cutting boards between uses. Also, avoid storing raw materials above ready-to-eat foods, preparing foods in a unclean sink, putting washed produce back into its original container, opening food bags with unclean blades, using the same utensils to taste that you use to stir, and letting utensils touch unsanitary surfaces ahead of food.
What’s your advice on fire extinguishers?
First, make sure you’ve got the right type. Class A fire extinguishers put out fires in paper, wood, cloth, trash or other combustible solids. Class B’s are for fires in gasoline, grease, cooking oils, paints and other burning liquids. Class C’s are intended for electrical fires. For general-purpose home use, University of Idaho extension safety specialist Tom Karsky recommends a 5- or 10-pound Class ABC fire extinguisher (either URL or FM approved) that’s good for all three kinds of fires. You’ll want at least a 5-pound Class ABC in your kitchen (to cover kitchen and furnace room fires) and a 10-pound Class ABC in your shop, Karsky says.
Next, beware that the dry chemical inside fire extinguishers loses its fire-fighting ability over time. Look for a dial that indicates its charge level; if the charge is too low and your extinguisher is rechargeable, check under Fire Extinguishers in the telephone directory and find someone to recharge it.
Finally, when you use a fire extinguisher–and we hope you won’t need to–remember the instructions PASS: P=Pull the pin, A=Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire, S=Squeeze the trigger and S=Sweep.
You’ll only have 8 to 25 seconds of fire-fighting material in a 5-pound extinguisher, says Karsky. "Don’t be a hero. You might be able to knock down a small fire with a fire extinguisher, but if it’s a big fire, get out."
Do we have cockroaches in Idaho?
Unfortunately, we do, says University of Idaho extension entomologist Bob Stoltz. We don’t have many and they can’t overwinter outdoors here--but if they’re scuttling through your silverware drawers and ducking between your soup cans, that’s small consolation, isn’t it?
Households become infested when cockroaches–either the half-inch German variety or the inch-and-a-half American kind —catch rides from warmer climates in moving boxes, television sets, refrigerators or small appliances. Once inside your warm home, they’ll ungratefully multiply.
To rid your home of them, scrub inside cabinets and drawers; vacuum behind and under drawers; and seal cracks, holes, pipes and any other potential entrances. Set out pet-safe pheromone traps, diatomaceous earth or silica products, or--if you’re philosophically inclined--lay down a residual insecticide. Finally, don’t leave food, crumbs or scraps where they can find them.