6 Tips to Protect the Things You Love Indoors and Out

(Family Features) Whether the family dog gets his muddy paws on the couch, an ice cream cone melts all over the backyard hammock or a sudden storm soaks your new patio cushions, life is filled with unexpected messes. There’s no time like the present to plan ahead so you’re ready for whatever mess life throws your way.

Here are some simple steps you can take to protect the things you love both indoors and out, so they last well beyond the season:

Indoors
Clean upholstery: Sofas and chairs are vulnerable to surface stains, so cleaning upholstery on a regular basis is important. Start by vacuuming the furniture to remove as much surface debris as possible. Then use a damp, soapy cloth to gently spot treat the fabric, allowing it to soak in, reaching dirt beneath the surface. Once dry, protect the material with Scotchgard Fabric & Upholstery Protector, which helps repel liquids and stains, preventing future messes.

Remove rug and carpet stains: Whether it’s red wine, tomato sauce or berries, spills and dropped food can create unwanted stains, damaging your rugs and carpet. Tackle these messes as soon as they happen with a quick and easy DIY recipe. First, sprinkle the spot with baking soda, let it sit for 10 minutes and then vacuum. Mix a tablespoon of dish soap, a tablespoon of vinegar and two cups of warm water. Blot with a clean sponge until it disappears. 

Clean your curtains: After using your curtains as a barrier between the outdoors and your living space all summer long, they likely collected dust. Most curtains can be steam cleaned, but taking them down and putting them back up again can be a hassle. To limit this, dust or vacuum your curtains every week as part of your cleaning routine. You can also use a lint roller to remove embedded dirt and grime that the vacuum can’t handle.

Outdoors
Waterproof outdoor fabrics: With cooler temperatures coming, winter elements are sure to make landfall in your backyard. Protect your favorite outdoor cushions with the Scotchgard Outdoor Water Shield – moisture and liquids just roll right off.

Protect your footwear: As you break out your suede boots to step out in style this season, keep them looking great by protecting them from salt stains and snow with a water- and oil-repelling leather protector.

Care for your car: From muddy boots to coffee spills, messes often make it to car seats and floor mats when we least expect it. To clean these surfaces, mix 2 tablespoons of dish soap with 2 tablespoons of hot water and baking soda. Use a cleaning brush to lightly work through the stain in a circular motion. Wipe the area with a cloth and let the space air dry. To help prevent future stains, use an auto interior fabric protector.

Find more tips for protecting the things you love at Scotchgard.com.

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Scotchgard

Dodge Winter Lawn Damage

(Family Features) Winter conditions can present a wide range of challenges to your lawn and landscape, but there are precautions you can take to protect your lawn, as well as your trees and shrubs, from seasonal harm.

Preventive steps from the lawncare experts at TruGreen can help your lawn survive the winter season’s harsh elements.

Snow Plow Damage
Install brightly-colored boundary markers along the edges of paved areas to help protect lawn and shrubs from snow plow and snow thrower blades. Lightweight wooden stakes, at least four feet tall with bright reflective tape and brightly covered fiberglass rods, serve as good markers. Avoid heavy metal, fence posts and other large objects, as they can pose a hazard to snow plow operators.

Cold Temperature Stress
More so than any other season, trees and shrubs are vulnerable to changing weather conditions during the winter. Wide temperature fluctuation and extremely low temperatures are the biggest factors of tree stress, meaning your trees are more susceptible to things like frost cracks, sunscald and winter burn.

Keep twigs and limbs from breaking under the weight of ice by carefully brushing away, whenever possible, any snow load from plants, which will reduce the weight on the limbs and decrease the damage. Placing a burlap cover around shrubs such as boxwood and yews will help reduce winter desiccation.

Proper fertilization can help keep your trees and shrubs healthy well into spring, and allow them to better tolerate winter. A service like TruGreen can help with tree and shrub services customized to meet your landscape’s every need, including applications to control overwintering insects, pests and mites.

Freezing Temperatures
Damage to plants, shrubs and trees as a result of sustained low temperatures can typically go undetected until spring or early summer, when plants fail to produce new growth. To help prevent damage, maintain a two- to three-inch layer of mulch to help protect the crown and roots from weather extremes.

Winter Dehydration
During the colder months of winter, plants cannot replace moisture lost from leaves and needles. This leads to “dehydration” – technically known as desiccation. To help avoid this problem, maintain proper watering late into the fall, or water during periods of winter thaw. TruGreen offers an anti-desiccation service that helps reduce moisture loss caused by cold winter winds for broadleaf evergreens that are most susceptible to winter desiccation.

Ice Melt
Ice-melting agents, such as rock salt and products containing calcium and magnesium chloride, may accumulate in the soil and cause damage to plants. Use extreme care when applying ice-melting agents to prevent damage to your plants or concrete surfaces.

Find more advice to help prep your lawn for winter at TruGreen.com.

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TruGreen

Combatting Warm-Weather Bugs

Tips to prevent pest-related illness and irritation this summer

(Family Features) With temperatures rising and homeowners heading outdoors for picnics, parties and gatherings, insect-induced risks are fully in-season. With disease-carrying bugs buzzing around, it’s time to take the proper steps in protecting your lawn so that you can enjoy living life outside to the fullest and get the most out of your backyard this summer.

Warm-weather bugs, such as fleas and ticks, offer risks that include irritating bites and Lyme disease, which is transmitted by deer ticks and is typically accompanied by fever, headache, fatigue and a skin rash. If left untreated, Lyme disease can cause nervous system damage. Ticks can often be found in heavily wooded regions and naturalized areas with tall, un-mowed grass and other plants. Pets and families should be aware of tick problems in these areas if left untreated.

Fleas are also a problem for pets if left undetected. Fleas thrive in warm, dry periods of summer and can be difficult to control. Other lawn pests including chiggers, ants and spiders can be an irritation for families playing in their yard.

Taking proper preventive measures can help protect your family and your yard from these and other nuisance pests. The National Pest Management Association and the Centers for Disease Control recommend the following tips:

• Clear tall grass and brush.

• Mow frequently and keep leaves raked.

• Remove vegetation or trash from around any source of standing water that cannot be changed, dumped or removed.

• Screen windows, doors and other openings with fine mesh and keep doors and windows shut to prevent entry.

• Have pets treated for flea and tick control and keep them on a regular regimen.

• When outdoors, use an insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon-eucalyptus on exposed skin.

Concerned homeowners should also consider contacting an outdoor pest control professional who can help reduce exposure to fleas, ticks and other pests, decreasing the risks for pest-borne illnesses. For example, the TruShield Lawn Pest Control Plan available through TruGreen includes an inspection of your lawn and treatment of any problem areas. The service also includes a broad application to significantly reduce the population of any other active lawn pests, and additional applications every four to six weeks for lasting control and ongoing protection. 

“Using a professional to help control lawn pests should be part of a well-rounded, comprehensive defense program,” said Bob Mangan, TruGreen director of technical services. “Because ticks and other nuisance pests can congregate in backyards, it is especially important to help protect yourself and your family so that you can fully enjoy your outdoor time.”

Learn more about how to reduce your exposure to dangerous pests and help defend your home and family from unwanted lawn visitors at TruGreen.com.

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TruGreen