How to Prepare and Store Your Grill during the Cold Months

A backyard barbecue covered in snow.

For many, the end of one year and the beginning of a new one means chilly weather and no grilling.   It’s important to prepare, protect, and store your grill for those cold months.  Here are some basic tips to help ensure your grill will be ready come next spring:

 

Step 1:

Start by giving your outdoor grill a good cleaning.  Many people first start the grill up and let it run on high heat until all of the food is burned off of the grill plate. Then take a wire grill brush and scrape all of the leftover food off of the grill surface and get things nice and clean while the grill is hot (make sure to use gloves!). After the grill has cooled, you can use soapy water to help with the cleaning process or you can even use oven cleaner to help with the tough spots. Make sure you thoroughly rinse the grill grates off with water to remove any soap residue.

Step 2:

Wipe down the outside of the grill with a damp cloth. Take an old rag and a bucket of hot soapy water and clean every surface of the grill including the tank and all hoses. You can even clean and wipe down the inside of the lid where all of that carbon build up exists.   Once the outside of your grill is dry use some Rust-Oleum ReColor by Wipe New to bring back the shine and to help protect your grill from the elements.

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Step 3:

Shut off the gas at the LP tank and unfasten the burner, slip the gas tubes off the gas lines, and lift out the unit as a whole. Coat the burners with cooking oil to repel moisture that can build up over the winter and to prevent rust. Wrap the burner unit in a plastic bag to keep spiders and insects from nesting in the gas tubes during the winter.

 

Step 4:

Purchase a good grill cover to keep the dirt, rain, and snow from accumulating on the grill. If you are using a grill cover from last year, make sure that it is still in good condition and has no tears or holes. Make sure your grill and cover is completely dry before storing them.  If possible, store your grill inside in a dry location away from the elements.

Rust-Oleum ReColor by Wipe New and a DIY Bird Bath

DIY bird bath ReColor by Wipe New
Source: Home Stories: A to Z

The sparrows are chirping!  The cardinals are showing off their shades of red and orange!  Robins are looking for some worms while the finches are making their nests!  Spring is here!

Now is a perfect time to create something special for your flying backyard friends.  This DIY Garden Planter and Bird Bath is just the thing!  What a great way to show off some of your favorite flowers AND create a new water source for your birds.  The birds will love you for it!

The step-by-step directions are available on Home Stories: A to Z.  After painting your pots make sure you preserve and protect your new creation with Rust-Oleum ReColor by Wipe New.  ReColor will make those colors really shine and it can help protect your colored pots from the elements.  One coat is all you’ll need!

Create a Fairy Garden to Welcome Spring!

Springtime means warmer weather, daffodils and tulips, Easter bunnies and chocolate.  It’s also a great time to get outdoors and doing something creative with the kids.

This DIY Fairy Garden is wonderful way to welcome Spring!  It’s loads of fun for girls or boys and, when it comes to creating your own garden, the possibilities are endless.

 

Rustoleum ReColor by Wipe DIY Fairy Garden

In their directions on 1PureHeart, your garden can include birdhouses, a birdbath, and some flowers and moss.   The garden itself can be placed in a wide pot that is treated with Rust-Oleum ReColor by Wipe New.  ReColor is a great way to make sure your pot shines as bright as the garden items you’ll be placing inside of it.  One quick-and-easy coat is all you need!

So grab the kids and start your garden today.  Welcome home Springtime fairies!

ReColor Suggests Ways to Brighten your Home during the Winter Months

Are these dark, dreary, cold Winter days giving you the blues?  Now that you’re spending more time indoors, do you wish you could bring in more light, more color, and more cheer INTO your house?

No problem!  ReColor by Wipe New is here to help with these simple changes that can make a big difference!

  1. Use light-colored slipcovers, tablecloths, bedding, and curtains

Invest some money in purchasing tablecloths, curtains, bedding, and sofa/sectional slipcovers that are white, ivory, or a light color.   You’ll be amazed how making these bigger home items a lighter color can make a whole room feel lighter and brighter. Make sure that they are easy to wash to keep them nice and bright over time.

Add a splash of color

 

 

  1. Bring in some plants

Plants are a great way to bring “new life” into your home.  Houseplants are known to help improve your mood and, of course, they can help to clean the air in your home. Depending on what plants you use, you can even add some pops of color into your environment.  When it gets closer to spring consider adding vegetable and herb gardens into your house.  You can also occasionally buy some fresh flowers from the market and bring them home for some color!

  1. Remove the window screens

Windows screens are typically not needed during the winter months as most people don’t usually open their windows when it’s so cold outside.  Removing the screens can actually help to bring in more natural light.

  1. Add some color

Highlight your house with pops of color.  Use some vibrant throw pillows.  Add a colorful end table or lamp into a room.  Also add some color on the exterior of your house.  For example, you can place some brightly colored pots on your porch or some brightly colored lawn ornaments in your flower/landscape beds.  Concerned about the winter elements on these items?  No worries!  Treat these items with Rust-Oleum ReColor by Wipe New before placing them outside and rest assure knowing that they’re protected from the wet and cold.

  1. Play with light

Different types of lights can produce different moods for different people.  Some people prefer warm white and others prefer cool white.  Some bulbs work well for one room, while others work well for another.  Switch them up and see what you like best.  Also don’t forget to utilize natural light sources (i.e. candles and fireplaces).  While they don’t make your room brighter, they are warm, peaceful and relaxing after a long day.

Winter home maintenance and projects

ReColor Winter Home Maintenance

 

If you live in a place that is cold and snowy, often projects around the house get put off until spring. Here are some winter home maintenance and DIY projects you can tackle during the winter months.

  • Always be prepared for winter weather. Keep extra drinking water and non-perishable food on hand in your house and car at all times. Include at least one gallon of water per person per day and have enough for 3 days. Don’t forget a manual can opener! Also, have plenty of batteries and flashlights ready for power outages as well as a crank weather radio.
  • If you have a garden shed or a garage, you can do most projects you would outdoors while being nice and warm. Just make sure you have proper ventilation before you use your ReColor!
  • Did you know that January is national Get Organized month? It’s a great time to declutter! Start by getting rid of old clothes that you don’t need, wear, or that you don’t like and take them to a clothing donation center or bin. Don’t try and tackle the entire house at once – start small and go slowly.
  • Winter’s a great time to work in the bathroom! Clean up the grout and tiles (and maybe apply some ReColor to those tiles while you’re at it to really keep them shiny). A new shower curtain in bright colors can do wonders for brightening up a bathroom, and maybe get some new towels to match.
  • Add insulation. While it’s not a pretty, shiny, or glamourous task, adding insulation to your home will help to lower your utility bills and make your home more eco-friendly. How do you know if you need more insulation? Crawl up in the attic, and if you can see the floor joists you need some more insulation (remember: heat rises!)

 

It’s easy to get cabin fever this time of year, so keeping busy with home projects can help.

 

Watch the New Rust-Oleum ReColor by Wipe New Commercial!

Wipe New Recolor

 

Rust-Oleum ReColor, brought to you by the Award Winning brand Wipe New, is a clear coating that restores original color and shine to multiple surfaces types INSTANTLY! The wipe-on application is easy to do and allows Rust-Oleum ReColor to go on where paint cannot!

 

Watch the full commercial below to learn more:

7 Tips to Take Care of Your Yard this Autumn

The end of summer does not mean the end of yard care.  In fact, autumn is a great time to use the cool weather to fertilize, control weeds, and improve the overall health and appearance of your yard.  Here are some tips to help get you started.

 

Keep Mowing

Continue to water and mow your lawn, as needed.  As fall comes to a close drop the mower’s blade to its lowest setting for the last two cuttings of the year. That will allow more sunlight to reach the crown of the grass and cutting your lawn slightly shorter in autumn helps prevent the grass from matting down under leaves and snow.  Avoid cutting the grass too short, however. Tightly clipped turf has fewer roots and allows weeds to get a foothold.

And before you put that lawn mower away for the year, why not give it a coat of ReColor to help brighten and protect the finish?

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Continue to Water on Schedule

Most lawns need water whenever it’s dry — no matter the season. If you had a lot of dry days – or drought – water once or twice per week.  Water long enough to soak the soil several inches deep. Early morning is the best time of day to water and try to avoid watering in the evening because that encourages fungal diseases.

 

It’s Time to Rake the Leaves

It’s important to remove fallen leaves from your lawn as soon as possible so don’t wait until all the leaves have fallen from the trees to start raking. If you do, the leaves can become wet from rain and dew.  This causes the leaves to stick together and form an impenetrable mat that, if left unmoved, will suffocate the grass and breed fungal diseases.

An alternative to raking leaves is to use a lawnmower fitted with a collection bag or vacuum system. These methods are particularly effective if you have a very large yard with many deciduous trees. Regardless of whether you use a rake or a lawnmower, be sure to remove the leaves before they turn into a soggy, suffocating mess.

 

Tackle those Dead Patches

The early part of autumn is a great time to reseed any small dead or thin patches in cool-season lawns. If you seed in autumn, you’ll have fewer weeds and the seedlings will become established before stressful hot weather conditions arrive. A mulch product embedded with seed and fertilizer is a convenient way to fill the gaps.

 

Lay Sod

Spring or fall is a good time to start a new cool-season lawn or patch existing turf with sod. Moderate temperatures and abundant moisture get sod off to a quick start. High-quality sod should be thick, dense, and weed-free.

 

Aerate Your Soil

Fall is also an ideal time to aerate your lawn so that oxygen, water, and fertilizer can easily reach the grass’s roots. Rent a gas-powered, walk-behind lawn aerator and the self-propelled machine will quickly punch holes into the soil and extract plugs of dirt.

 

Fertilize!

Most lawn experts agree that fall is the best time to fertilize your lawn. The reason is grass leaves grow much more slowly as the weather turns cool, but the grass roots and rhizomes continue to grow quickly. An autumn application of fertilizer delivers essential nutrients for the grass to grow deep roots now and to keep nutrients on reserve for a healthy start next spring.  Wait until mid-to-late autumn to fertilize.  Apply a dry lawn fertilizer to all grassy areas and be careful not to miss any spots

 

 

Get Ready for Halloween with ReColor by Wipe New

Halloween has increasingly become one of the most celebrated holidays.  It’s associated with the colors orange and black, skulls and skeletons, and – or course – jack-o’-lantern. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, wearing costumes and attending costume parties, ghost tours, bonfires, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories, and watching horror films.  What’s not to enjoy?

recolor-wipe-new-halloween-decorations

The Halloween season is also a time for decorating front doors, patios, front yards, your school, and perhaps in your office.   As is the case with Christmas decorations, many people have Halloween decorations that they have saved from previous years.  When you reach for those items you may notice they’re looking ragged and dingy, but have no fear!   ReColor by Wipe New is a perfect way to spruce up your outdoor Halloween items and to bring back that shine.   Use ReColor to clean up your plastic pumpkin decorations, use it to restore and protect your metal lanterns or witch’s cauldrons, or use ReColor to bring life back to those skulls and skeletons.

Give all your outdoor decorations a new look with ReColor and watch the fun unfold this Halloween!