Uncle Ray's Handy Household Hints, continued...

See this dead housefly?.........

Well, here's how you do that without staining the place all up with industrial-strength and toxic stuff like 'Raid', which doesn't go well with either unhealthy lungs or your munchies.

You go to the pharmacy and get the pure version of rubbing alcohol, like this:-

 

And then you put it into a small plastic pistol-grip type pumper sprayer ( the sprayer from an empty jug of window cleaner works fine if you trim the length of the intake tube to match the depth of the bottle you use - you don't want one holding litres) and then you're ready for action. 

Why? Because: Full-strength rubbing alcohol is strong enough to kill household insects and other little buggers that fly or crawl in your windows, and do their best to take over your space. Its main advantage is that it doesn't leave an unsightly stain on carpets or woodwork and it evaporates fairly quickly, saving you a clean-up. 

Naturally, you should remember that this is also toxic and flammable (works in those old-fashioned Zippo cigarette lighters in place of lighter fluid) and should be kept away from food, children and pets.  But if you're in a high-rise residential condo like this one, and find that little creepy-crawlies are coming visiting from places where the pipes and the wiring enter your place, then you can quickly zap the little rascals with this, and kill them before they run off with your lunch.

And if, perchance, you have a problem with those tiny little pharaoh ants imported from you-know-where by our newest residents in their luggage, and need the heavy-duty solution, and you don't have any 'Raid' or similar bug killer handy, try the carpet spot-cleaner, such as 'Resolve'. Sock it to them with that foam, and let it sit until it disappears. Then simply vacuum up the victims, and you're not only done, but the rug looks better too. Any questions? 

 I'm adding this last photo, to show the finished sprayer full of alcohol, with its recycled 'Windex' sprayer unit on a small bottle originally from the notions counter of the supermarket. Beside it, sitting on an upturned lid from a ketchup squeeze-bottle, to give you some perspective, is a lacrosse ball. That's another handy thing to have around the house, or if you're travelling, and need an emergency stopper (or regular one) for the sink or the bathtub. The lacrosse ball, available at most sporting goods outlets, or from the folks at Goalnet Sports, on Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver, works as a stopper for the drain of sinks and bathtubs because it is heavy enough to hold itself in place even while the water is running full force to fill the sink or tub, and sitting up above the drain as it does, it is easy to grab when you want to 'pull the plug'. I've tested mine by letting it hold a full bathtub of water for an hour or so, to see if it would leak away, and it doesn't. You have to remove the ball to drain it.