Hello! It’s June, and it’s beginning to feel a little tropical outside. Astronomically, summer begins in the Northern Hemisphere in June, when the Earth’s axis is pointed directly at the sun. Otherwise known as the summer solstice, this occurs for us on the 20th, and it’s the longest day of the year. This month also provides us with some epic skygazing, as June hosts an exquisite moon! The Strawberry Moon will grace the sky on June 11, reaching its peak radiance at 2:46 a.m. (CDT). This sweet fragaria will be an even deeper mouthwatering crimson this year—the closer the moon is to the Earth, the longer it takes for its light rays to travel through the atmosphere. While the shorter wavelengths of blue and violet are scattered quickly, the longer red wavelengths remain, causing the moon to have a reddish tint, and the Strawberry Moon won’t be this close to the tightly-packed air molecules of the troposphere’s horizon again until 2043. But the name of this moon is not due to the hue. Au contraire, mon frère. Indigenous tribes such as the Algonquian, Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota gave the moon this fruity moniker because its appearance coincided with the ripening and harvest of strawberries. Across the pond, Europeans called this moon the Honey Moon, as honey was harvested during this time of year. It is purported that the word “honeymoon” is a medieval term originating from the custom of couples guzzling mead, the fermented honey bev, throughout the 30-day moon cycle of June, in order to guarantee good luck and fertility. Sexy! Spiritually, the strawberry represents love, abundance, and rebirth. Being that the Strawberry Moon is symbolic of ripening and of the fleshy aggregate accessory fruit and our enjoyment of it, its presence is the perfect time to honor and reward ourselves for accomplishments big and small, work toward realizing our goals, and make space for joy. It is said that if you eat strawberries whilst gazing at the Strawberry Moon and make a wish, it will come true. So on June 11, grab a flat full of strawberries, look up, and float those intentions into the sky. If your wish is to learn more about cleaning, it is my command. Gaze down for some tips.
Water drains slowly from my sink, so it’s covered in sticky grime. How do I make the sink drain more quickly and remove the leftover dirt from the sink?
God I hate it when water drains slowly from a sink or bathtub. Slow draining = slow cleaning. If when I’m cleaning for a client I see that the clog is caused by hair trapped near the opening of the drain, I will try my damndest to remove the disgusting hair-saliva-germ blob. I basically perform double duty as a plumber in these instances. I discussed removing sink/bath clogs once before in Tips From Theriot (September 2020 #194), but that was more geared toward removing hair stuck in the drain strainer of a bathtub or further down a pipe. I very often deal with hair trapped below “click-clack” and “pop-up” drainage plugs. A circular “click-clack” drain stopper gets its cute name from the sound it makes when pressing to close or open it. It brings me back to the ecstasy of pressing the plastic dome (Pop-O-Matic®) thingy that contained the di during a feisty game of Milton Bradley’s Trouble. The “pop-up” drainage plug is controlled by a lifting lever that is behind the faucet. In my opinion, it’s a lot easier to remove a congealed waste glob from a “click-clack” protected drain. The plug consists of the circular stopper that you push, in order to open or close the drain. The stopper screws into the clicker, which is the springed mechanism that seals and unseals the sink when pressed. The circular stopper is easy to remove by turning it counterclockwise. With it removed, grab some tweezers (dental kits include tweezers and other pointy implements that are great for this hair removal adventure), pinch that hair nest, and remove it. Sometimes the clicker isn’t attached to the drain body (the part of the stopper that attaches to your plumbing), and you can pull it out of the sink. It’s a little gift when this happens, because the hair is often disgustingly clinging to it and is easily removed by a gloved hand, no tweezing required. I find that removing a clog from a “pop-up” stopper is more of a pain in the ass. The lever connected to the drainage plug lifts it just enough to allow water to flow out of the sink. Because of this, it’s hard (sometimes impossible) to finagle the tweezers into the drain to grab the hairy sludge. If I’m cleaning a client’s sink and am unable to remove the clog after trying this tweezer maneuver, I just deal with the slow draining. But I refuse to let this dilemma stand in my way whilst cleaning my home. It is impossible to remove the drain stopper completely, unless you release the lever from a rod that is under the sink. Shut off the water supply to the sink by turning the water valves under the sink clockwise. Grab a bucket or bowl, and place it directly under the pipe that is attached to the sink. Behind the pipe, you’ll see a vertical rod that is attached with a clamp to a stopper strap (piece of metal with holes in it). Take a photo to remember which hole the rod is attached to, and then remove the clamp to release the rod. Now you’ll detach the rod from the pipe. The rod is attached to the pipe with a pivot nut. Unscrew the pivot nut using your fingers or pliers or wrench if necessary. Now you can easily remove the drain stopper from the sink. The stopper is gonna be foul, so maybe wear gloves to clean it. Rinse it, spray it with a mixture of 1/3 isopropyl alcohol and 2/3 white vinegar, and scrub it with a sponge. Next you’ll reattach the stopper by following the directions above in reverse. To clean your yucky sink, spray it with the isopropyl alcohol and vinegar mix, sprinkle baking soda into the sink, grab a sponge, and scrub. Rinse with water and dry with a clean rag. Good luck!
Got cleaning questions? Email isabel@antigravitymagazine.com
illustrations by Ben Claassen III | @dirtfarm
