If you are snowed in this morning like many others in the eastern portion of the United States, what are you doing? For those indoors, it could be a nice time to complete another spring cleaning task.
Like many of you, my kitchen is the main "hub" of my home. It's where I eat meals, meet with staff, and do a lot of my paperwork - all on my marble kitchen counters. And while they get cleaned frequently every day, after time they do get marks and rings typically caused by acidic substances that react with the calcium carbonate in the marble. Cleaning them with the right products was the next big chore on my list.
Enjoy these photos.
While marble counters are stunning, they do come with some disadvantages. To start, marble is very porous making it prone to staining and etching. Marble is also softer than other countertop materials which causes them to be more susceptible to scratches.
If you have marble kitchen counters, look closely – do you see marks like these?
Or look from a distance, can you see rings like these? Even after cleaning?
I asked my friends at Precision Stone, Marble & Granite what they recommended I use to clean my countertops. Owner Mark Galazzo suggested a quick process for cleaning the marble, removing any marks, and lightly sealing the surface using acetone, waterproof 400 grit sandpaper, Stonetech Revitalizer, Cleaner and Protector, and Stonetech BulletProof Sealer.
Enma clears the counters and starts by pouring a small amount of acetone onto a rag. Acetone is a colorless, flammable liquid used to dissolve various substances. It is commonly used in nail polish removers.
Enma wipes the counter thoroughly with the acetone.
Here is the rag after using the acetone. My counters are wiped down many times a day, but there is still dirt left on the marble.
Next, Enma pours water onto the counter. This is important for the next step of the process.
She uses a 400-grit sandpaper to remove the acid etching marks. Doing it on a wet surface prevents any scratching. The sandpaper is waterproof, so it is very effective on this counter. It is available online.
Enma spends at least 10 minutes going over the table with the sandpaper. It doesn’t need too much pressure, but it does necessitate repetition to be sure the marks are removed.
The sandpaper is an ultra-fine abrasive that removes the scratches easily and effectively. The paper can be used several times before disposing.
Next, Enma wipes the counter again to remove the water.
Here she sprays the Stonetech Revitalizer, Cleaner & Protector, also available online. This product cleans the surface and protects against future stains and bacterial growth.
Using another clean rag, Enma spreads the cleaner on the surface and wipes the entire area.
She does this several times over to make sure the counter is completely covered and then she wipes it until clean and dry.
Look at the dirt removed. this step may need repeating until the rag ends up clean.
After a thorough wiping, Enma pours a bit of the Stonetech BulletProof Sealer onto the marble.
And she wipes it again – carefully and thoroughly. This adds a very light layer to seal and protect the surface.
And look at the end result. No marks or rings at all.
Here is the area near my sink – so clean.
And here is the end of my marble counter – it looks just as it did when it was first installed more than 20 years ago. It’s great to get these jobs done.
What winter chores are on your to-do list this weekend?
Although we're expecting bitter cold temperatures today and a winter storm tomorrow that could drop more than a foot of snow, it's "business as usual" at my farm. My gardeners, grooms, and outdoor grounds crew are all busy caring for my animals, tending the garden beds, cleaning, organizing, and yes - making sure all the necessary snow removal equipment is in good working order before the inclement weather arrives.
Enjoy these photos.
To keep my farm running efficiently, there is always a long list of chores to complete. I create very detailed notes of all that needs to be done from week to week. Among them is the pruning and grooming of all the trees and shrubs in my maze. Pasang is busy trimming and shaping all the plantings, using landscape string to ensure hedges are perfectly straight and hand shears and pruners to cut.
Last week my gardeners covered the raised saffron bed in my vegetable garden with wire fencing to prevent any animals from snacking on the bulbs.
The fence is secured with garden sod staples – enough to keep the fence down and any creatures away.
In my stable, Helen works on cleaning the galvanized steel on the horse stalls. This metal is often selected for stalls because of its durability and resistance to corrosion, but it can still get dirty from every day use. Helen uses Simple Green on a metal finishing pad and a little “elbow grease” to get the bars and trim clean. Simple Green is an environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and biodegradable cleaning solution.
After using, any dirt and all traces of the cleaner are removed leaving the metal areas clean and safe.
Here is an area filled with grime.
And here it is a few minutes later.
Nearby, Rebeck folds the horses warm turnout rugs from Horseware Ireland, so they’re always ready to use.
Fernando and Pete are busy cleaning and organizing the basement storage area in my production studio guest house. It’s never too early to start on spring cleaning.
Here, Adan works diligently to spread compost over the garden beds. This will help insulate the plantings – we’re expecting a lot of snow and frigid cold temperatures this week.
My Chow Chows, with their dense double coats also need attention. Carlos gives Emperor Han a thorough brushing…
… and face cleaning. Carlos wipes around the eyes and carefully cleans around the outside of the ear canal – never inside.
Chow Chows have a lot of coat around the head, giving it a lion-like appearance, so this area needs a lot of grooming. Emperor Han loves the hydraulic grooming table and will jump up on the table himself. Doesn’t he look handsome?
And yes my dear Qin, you’re next.
Enma uses the mangle iron on my linens. This iron is a mechanical device that was designed to apply even pressure to fabrics in order to smooth out wrinkles.
Here’s Ryan harvesting from my vegetable greenhouse. It’s so nice to have fresh greens growing during the dead of winter.
Later, Ryan replenishes all the soil inside the head house, so he is always ready to do some indoor potting. I use these commercial sized bakers rolling flour bins to store my soil mixes – they work great and fit perfectly under the potting bench for easy access.
In my Equipment Shed, Chhiring is checking the snow blowers to make sure they’re in good working condition. Forecasters are predicting more than a foot of snow from this next storm.
The big plow is also prepared and hitched up onto my pick up truck.
We still have some snow on the ground from last weekend’s storm, but more is on the way. I’ll be sure to share photos – stay tuned and stay safe.
Anyone who visits my farm always saves a little time to see my handsome, well-mannered horses.
Last fall, I added two more Friesians to my herd - three year old Ulysses and 10 year old Stewart, a bonded pair from The Dorset Equine Rescue, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Vermont dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming at-risk horses. Over the last few months, these two have thrived - acclimating to their new surroundings, socializing with their new friends, and learning their new routines. Both are also bigger, stronger, and more confident.
Here are the latest photos and a short video, enjoy.
This is Ulysses, a three year old male Friesian. It’s so wonderful to see this horse enjoy his new surroundings and his new friends.
Ulysses loves to socialize with the other horses. Here he is with Bond.
This is the patriarch of the herd, Rinze. Behind him in the distance is Stewart, my 10 year old rescue. All these horses get along very well and are often turned out together.
This is what I call the “run-in” pasture. It is the largest of my fenced in paddocks and has a sizable shelter where the horses can gather for shade or food, etc.
Stewart is athletic and loves the wide open pasture where he can run and roll as horses like to do. Since arriving, Stewart has gained almost 100 pounds and is now at a good, healthy weight.
Ulysses, on the left, is still quite young. When he arrived he was 14.2 hands tall – now he is 15 hands tall. One hand is equal to four inches. Ulysses has also gained 95 pounds.
A Friesian can weigh anywhere from 1200 to 1500 pounds when full grown. They are also considered medium to large breed horses and can range in height from 15.3 to 17 hands tall. this is Bond.
Although Rinze is in his winter turnout blanket, he is a fine example of a Friesian. The Friesian is most often recognized by its bold black coat color. They also have powerful, sloping shoulders, compact, muscular bodies with strong hindquarters, and low-set tails.
Friesians have long, arched necks and well-chiseled, short-eared, “Spanish-type” heads.
Something has caught their attention – I wonder what it is. In winter, my horses are turned out during the day and then brought back to the stable where it is much warmer at night.
Friesians are loved for their excellent temperaments. They are gentle, affectionate, social, adaptable, and very eager to please. They are also highly intelligent and respond well to positive reinforcement training methods. On this day, five of my horses are turned out here – four Friesians and my Fell pony. Two other Friesians – Hylke and Geert – are in another paddock.
This is my pony Banchunch, full of personality and always wanting to play.
Here they all are in the afternoon waiting to go back to their stalls for lunch.
Ulysses and Bond want to be first at the gate.
Stewart and Ulysses are bonded, so they are always walked together. Bonded means they have developed a strong connection to each other, due mostly to the time they’ve spent with each other.
So far, these two are doing great and love the rest of the herd. I am so pleased with their recovery so far. I know they will continue to thrive here at Cantitoe Corners.
If you’re interested in supporting The Dorset Equine Rescue, Cosa Salvaje Tequila is partnering with DER. For every Friesian Horse bottle sold, a portion of the proceeds will be donated directly to the organization to help more horses in need.
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