Be ready for holidays

Published 5:11 am Wednesday, November 19, 2008

By Staff
The holiday season is nearly upon us, so it's time to get ready for all the food and friends who will be invading your home.
Now is the time to clean out that refrigerator in preparation for storing the food, both before Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners and afterwards.
A quick and easy way to clean up is to use a cup of water and one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid. You can use the solution to both clean the interior of the refrigerator as well as the condiment tops.
A lot of people pull out that good silverware for these dinners, so don't forget to polish it.
There are a number of quality products on the market to take off that year's worth of tarnish.
If you are going to have a crackling fire roaring in your fireplace, you need to make sure that it's been properly maintained as well.
Since the weather has turned and winter is just around the corner, a lot of people will be firing up their wood burning stoves and propane heaters.
You should remove the ashes from the fireplace before using it again this season. Clean the glass doors, if you have them, to make sure that the soot has been removed. You can use a vinegar-water solution and a razor to remove the soot.
You should also have your flue and chimney inspected to make sure it works properly and it is clean of built up soot, which can catch on fire. A professional should inspect your chimney prior to using it for the first time. There are also logs that can be purchased at a local hardware store that clean the chimney.
Most of all make sure you have a good time.
After all, the holidays are supposed to bring out the best in us all.