DE-CLUTTERBUG

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If you have a useful tip or piece of advice, contact De-Clutterbug, so that we can tell the World together!

Because I have had emails with warnings in the  past which have been hoaxes, I have checked on a site that lists hoaxes and they say this is TRUE:

 A 26-year old man decided to  have a cup of coffee. He took a cup of water and put it in the microwave to heat  it up (something that he had done numerous times before). I am not sure how long  he set the timer for, but he wanted to bring the water to a boil. When the timer  shut the oven off, he removed the cup from the oven. As he looked into the cup,  he noted that the water was not boiling, but suddenly the water in the cup "blew  up" into his face. The cup remained intact until he threw it out of his hand, but all the water had flown out into his face due to the build up of energy. His whole face is blistered and he has 1st and 2nd degree burns to his face which may leave scarring.

He also may have lost partial sight in his left eye.  While at the hospital, the doctor who was attending to him stated that this is a fairly common occurrence and water (alone) should never be heated in a microwave oven. If water is heated in this manner, something should be placed in the cup to diffuse the energy such as a wooden stir stick, tea bag, etc., (nothing metal).

 It is however a much safer choice to boil the water in a tea kettle.

General Electric's Response:

“Thanks for contacting us, I  will be happy to assist you. The e-mail that you received is correct. Microwaved  water and other liquids do not always bubble when they reach the boiling point.  They can actually get superheated and not bubble at all. The superheated liquid  will bubble up out of the cup when it is moved or when something like a spoon or  tea bag is put into it.

 To prevent this from happening and causing  injury, do not heat any liquid for more than two minutes per cup. After  heating, let the cup stand in the microwave for thirty seconds! before moving it or adding anything into it.”

Here is what our local science teacher had to  say on the matter:

 "Thanks for the microwave warning. I have seen this happen  before. It is caused by a phenomenon known as super heating. It can occur anytime water is heated and will particularly occur if the vessel that the water is heated  in is new, or when heating a small amount of water (less than half a  cup).

 What happens is that the water heats faster than the vapor bubbles  can form. If the cup is very new then it is unlikely to have small surface scratches inside it that provide a place for the bubbles to form. As  the bubbles cannot form and release some of the heat has built up, the liquid does not boil,  and the liquid continues to heat up well past its boiling point.

 What then usually happens is that the liquid is bumped or jarred, which is just  enough of a shock to cause the bubbles to rapidly form and expel the hot liquid. The rapid formation of bubbles is also why a carbonated beverage spews when  opened after having been shaken."

De-Clutterbug says; “Please pass on this information. It could, very well, save someone from a lot of pain and suffering.”

Are you going on holiday and have a companion?

Then De-Clutterbug suggests that you consider placing spare clothes in your companion's luggage and they place spares in yours. Then if a case is mislaid during your trip at least you will have spare clothing to change into.

So often you hear that a case has gone missing and all that the holiday maker is wearing, at the time of interview, are the only clothes they have to wear!

De-Clutterbug now feels confident in giving advice learned from experience. Having been ‘flooded twice’ now feels, especially as the river has yet again come over its banks into the flood meadow! Maybe this is a good time to issue procedures to help those who have never been faced with this disaster. If you believe everything you are told; ‘we are likely to experience flooding more frequently in the future’... 

Forget attempting to stem the flow of water. If you do have time and you are issued with sandbags then by all means use them. These will help for a while and will give you additional time to salvage what you can.

There are now quite a few flood defence barriers on sale for home and business. We have had professionally installed barriers for the doors entering the property, yet to be tried and tested, so recommendations are to be issued when and if. These defence systems all come at a price and storage space easily accessible to the property need to be maintained. Most of us are short of space to keep the boarding - strange but true we have one set of flood boards kept under one of the guest beds!

Salvage and what to save first. If you do not know the 'lie of the land' literally surrounding your property it is hard to recognise in which direction the flood water will come, or the force behind the pressure. For example the first flood we experienced the water pressure was such that crockery in the cupboards could be heard to toss and turn, similarly an Easter packed upright fridge freezer was over-turned. The second flood just slowly rose then subsided, without dislodging anything, as it had come. Both caused damage to the property...

Are you going to remain in the property or escape to higher ground? Have you enough room to stay upstairs? Do you have young children or the elderly to consider? Importantly, DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH TIME? In some instances you have to make your escape regardless of saving any belongings or valuables. We have mental markers where to watch the water reach a level of Flood Watch (up to the first gate post in the water meadow) Flood Warning (when the water fills the ditch alongside the back garden and has entered the perimeters of the surrounding garden) then the obvious Severe Flood Warning (by this time the water is already inside our property but this is when we receive the phone call to say that flooding is imminent!).

I do not encourage a mock rehearsal but it does not harm just to sit and gauge your belongings and valuables.

1) Those items that you can physically move.

2) Irreplaceable.

3) Perishable.

4) Sustenance and survival - food, lighting candles and matches, extra blankets, clean water.

Those items that can be replaced; white goods, hi fi equipment, televisions, computers, electrical goods, fitted carpets, soft furnishings, units, fixtures and fittings; forget these items unless able to save before the flood takes hold. One point I shall add here is the after damage. With the use of dehumidifiers drying the property after the floods and the initial damp pervading the environment, invariably electrical goods are damaged and this damage may not be revealed until a later date. The damp certainly affected my computer and was only noticed a few months after all had been dried out and settled to near normality again. Something to do with corrosion of mother board joints, I believe! Too late to claim on the insurance though safely out of water’s reach.       

When you ask people what is the most missed, after a flood or fire, invariably the answer will come back ‘photographs’, ‘books’, ‘diaries’, ‘pictures’, ‘paintings’ and ‘personal letters’. None of which can be replaced though some may be restored (please see Friends with Links restoration of flood damaged photographs Photo2Digital.co.uk). So these and irreplaceable goods should be placed under the salvage first list.  

If you can get any household vehicles to a higher area all the better – flood damaged cars, especially modern cars, with so much electrical and computer gizmos are invariably written off and the value received through insurance, under this circumstance, does not seem to match the true value of the vehicle. Worth looking into your vehicle insurance to see what you would get through being written off.

Most hardwood and softwood furniture can be repaired – generally the joints become unglued and open up, softwood (such as pine) may swell and take on an irregular shape but nothing too drastic, dependent on the length of time standing in water. Well made hardwood furniture may just need a little French polishing to bring back to new or good condition.

Another point to bring to the readers’ attention is the state of the water – sorry, it may seem just to be rain and river water but unfortunately, whatever has been spread on the fields, the drains and sewers overflow and general effluence is just as likely within that water which has covered your garden and entered your home. Disinfectant and similar will be used in great abundance to clean and make sanitary your home environment.         

It is also helpful to understand your insurance policy, house and contents, what exactly are you paying for? The impact of being flood damaged are you fully covered?

It was foolish, my attempt, to stem the flow of water under and around the doorways by using old dust sheets, blankets and towelling. These items are needed when the water subsided within the cleaning-up process but because I had allowed them to become saturated they were of no use. A lesson learnt in the first flood which was put to practice in the second. ‘You’ are not going to stop the flood water without major construction, barrier, works and alterations. At the same time you may be able to delay the impact, giving a chance to rescue and save more items to a higher level by using sandbags.

Of course the main consideration must be for the safety of the occupants, at the time of flood, no possessions or valuables necessitate putting anyone at risk. After all possessions need a possessor!

On each occasion of being flooded, we have known, that we are on higher ground in our own home than attempting to traverse the water surrounding which is deeper with hidden excesses. So we have remained upstairs until the flood water has subsided back into the flood meadow, under the control of the Environmental Agency and previously the River Authority.  

De-Clutterbug hopes that the advice gained through experience will help, if nothing else, to have an understanding so that knowledge may be helpful to others.

 'O Caledonia! stern and wild,

       Meet nurse for a poetic child!

                Land of brown heath and shaggy wood,

                       Land of the mountain and the flood.'                                Scott

The pain of cramp; an involuntary and painful contraction of a voluntary muscle or group of muscles; has for a long time been affecting a close relative, especially at night time when the sudden movements in bed foretell the imminent crawl out from under the covers and the John Cleese ‘ministry of funny walks’ take place. Amusing enough for the bystander, who though rudely awoken, may be creased up with laughter by the antics but total pain for the afflicted suffering with the cramp. Recommendations (sometimes confused) have, from dear friends, been forthcoming:- Sleep with a tennis ball tied around your neck, corks under the pillow, legs raised on a pillow, stand on tiptoes, stretch this way and that, drink tonic water or drinks with quinine added,  lack of salt intake keep a saltcellar beside the bed and administer as seen fit. Oh yes the advice has been coming forth.

However, the tennis ball tied around the neck may cause not only sleepless nights but garrotting to occur. Corks under the pillow do not remain long enough in situation to make viable and how many bottles need to be consumed first? Legs raised on a pillow seems fair enough if you can sleep comfortably on your back but when you turn onto your side this can make for a very uncomfortable position. Stand on tiptoes when it is hard enough to stand on your own God given two feet (age dictates that this is not a natural position especially for someone who suffers vertigo problems). Contortion is within the act of suffering cramp so moving into further distorted unnatural curvatures is totally unthinkable, foreseeing dislocated joints and hospital A&E visits. Quinine may be a solution but it can play havoc with prescribed medication and the gin is a depressive which, though it makes the tonic more palatable, can cause other problems! Salt is either to be taken or not dependent on the views given; however, in this case it has been analyzed that salt is partly to blame for the onslaught of muscle spasms leading to cramp.

General Practitioner respected for his knowledge on all things medical warned that the taking of quinine could acerbate and cause problems to the condition being treated with medication.   At no point on issuing medication either via the doctor or the pharmacist was it pointed out that knowledge of the side-effects of taking the drugs should be made known. However, on reading through the accompanying documents which came with the pills it was learnt that all the tablets, pills and potions could cause cramp! On a return visit to the doctor this was concurred but to not take the medication would lead to far more serious complications and “What would you prefer? The cramp or worse...”

For a long time the cramp suffering continued. Until at a London soiree party, in conversation with an eminent consultant, for free, the advice to drink more water regardless of other liquid intake by the patient, was imparted. Advice taken and commuted to the patient who now drinks tepid lukewarm water in frequent measures and sure enough; the night cramps and day inflictions seem to have abated. Not completely clear of the problem but noticeably better.

‘Razors pain you;

                Rivers are damp;

                                Acids stain you;

                                                                And drugs cause cramp.’

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