The March issue of Jensen’s Healthy Home News is here! For five easy tips to keep your carpet looking like new, you’ll want to check out the Special Insert. The cover story talks about two classic March celebrations—Washington’s Cherry Blossom Festival and Saint Patrick’s Day. Also in the March issue: Joel takes on puppy pee stains in “Flooring Q&A with Joel J,” find out about the origin of Band-Aids®, get great nutrition and fitness ideas in “Healthy Talk,” cool websites, March Fun Facts and more. Of course, you’ll also find the Mega Trivia Question—the first six people who call with the correct answer will win a $15 gift certificate to the Village Grille. Click Jensen’s Healthy Home News to download the complete newsletter. Here are some highlights:
Reasons to celebrate in March!
Washington’s Cherry Blossom Festival. The cherry trees that ring the Tidal Basin and abound on the Washington Monument Grounds in the nation’s capital blossom every spring in a glorious display of pink and white. The famous trees were a goodwill gesture from Japan in 1912. Two of the 3,020 trees were planted by First Lady Helen Taft and Viscountess Chinda, the wife of the Japanese ambassador. The trees are still standing and can be seen just to the west of the John Paul Jones statue on the north bank of the Tidal Basin.
Today, there are more than 3,700 trees of several varieties on view. The earliest blooming date was recorded on March 15, 1990; the latest, April 18, 1958.
The Cherry Blossom Festival features a parade that begins on Constitution Avenue. More than 700,000 people visit the capital to see the blossoms.
Saint Patrick’s Day celebration. Saint Patrick’s Day is March 17th. Did you know there are 34.7 million U.S. residents with Irish ancestry? The city of Boston has the highest percentage of U.S. cities with 20.1 percent Irish. Amazingly, this number is more than seven times the population of Ireland itself. Saint Patrick’s Day facts:
- Corned beef and cabbage is a traditional Saint Patrick’s Day dish. Roughly 26.1 billion pounds of beef and 2.3 billion pounds of cabbage are produced in the United States.
- Irish soda bread gets its name and distinctive character from the use of baking soda rather than yeast as a leavening agent.
- Lime green chrysanthemums are often requested for Saint Patrick’s Day parades and celebrations.
Five easy tips to keep your carpets like new
Do you want your carpets to last longer and look cleaner all of the time? If your answer is “Yes!” then be sure to take a quick look at these…Five easy tips for keeping your carpet looking like new!
- Vacuum frequently and thoroughly. Dirt is the number one cause of wear and tear to your carpet. Be sure that you are vacuuming thoroughly at least once per week to keep the dry soils to a minimum and maximize the life of your carpet.
- Clean up spots and spills swiftly and properly. To properly remove a spot use a clean absorbent towel (preferably a white one to avoid color transfer) and hot tap water in a spray bottle containing a small amount of a mild detergent – just make sure the detergent does not contain bleaching agents. Next, alternate blotting and spraying the area, DO NOT over wet the spot. You can even place a dry absorbent towel under something heavy like a book to completely remove the moisture from the
carpet. Most spots can be removed if they are caught early. Of course the exceptions are, if a spill
contains a dye, (i.e. red juice) or a bleaching agent then the spot is usually permanent. - Never scrub or rub spots. The correct method to remove a spill is to scrape the spot towards the middle and then blot with a white towel or cloth. Scrubbing or rubbing the spot will fray the carpet fibers and permanently damage the area.
- Clean your carpets professionally every 6-12 months. Carpet manufactures recommend cleaning your carpets professionally with van-mounted steam cleaning. By cleaning every 6-12 months you will extend the life of your carpet and have a healthier, cleaner home.
- Re-apply “Carpet Protector” every other cleaning. Carpet protector “seals” the fibers of your carpets and makes them resistant to most household stains. It also makes your vacuuming more
efficient. The effectiveness of carpet protector is reduced about 30-35 percent with each cleaning. But, by reapplying at least every other cleaning you will continue to protect your carpet from stains and everyday wear and tear, giving your carpet the longest life possible.
Save money while you extend the life of your carpet–get $20 OFF Carpet Cleaning during the month of March! Click the “Special Offer” button on the home page for details…
The invention of Band-Aids®
The Band-Aid® was invented in 1920 by Earle Dickson, a cotton buyer at the Johnson & Johnson Co. Dickson’s wife, Josephine, was prone to cutting her fingers in the kitchen. She would dress the cuts with gauze and adhesive tape, but the bandages kept falling off. To solve her problem, Dickson placed small squares of gauze at intervals along an adhesive strip and covered them with crinoline. Josephine could simply cut off a length of tape and wrap it around her finger. Johnson & Johnson was so delighted with the idea they made Dickson a company vice president.