Don’t throw open windows till screens are clean

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, April 5, 2006

What is the best way to clean window screens?

One of the best parts of spring cleaning is throwing open the windows to air out the house. Unless you want dust and dirt blowing in, though, you’ll need to clean your window screens first. Dirty window screens block light and make your windows look filthy even when the glass is sparkling clean.

If you remove screens for the winter, as is necessary in cold climates where storm windows are used, clean them well before installing them again for the season. If you leave them up year round, they should still come down once a year for cleaning. When removing screens, keep track of any hardware. Stash screws or other pieces in a plastic bag (or several plastic bags if you have different kinds of windows and screens in the house) and add labels so you’ll know where everything belongs later.

To clean the screens, lay them flat on the ground or lean them up against a wall. Using warm water and a mild detergent, go over each screen with a scrub brush, washing the mesh as well as the frame. Then rinse the screens thoroughly with a garden hose, and allow them to dry in the breeze and sunlight. This is a very messy project for indoors, so if you don’t have a yard to work in, you might want to consider hiring a professional window-washing service instead.

Between major cleanings, you can keep your screens clean by wiping them down with a soft brush, a5

And whisk away any loosened dust and dirt with a hand-held vacuum attachment.

How much is the fiber content reduced when you juice a fruit? What about other nutrients?

Dietary fiber is an indigestible material found in most fruits, vegetables and plants (often in their skins and seeds) that helps maintain digestive health.

Unfortunately, in most cases almost all of the fiber is lost when a whole fruit is juiced, because most juicers separate the liquid from the solids, which contain the fibrous content. The loss of fiber usually carries with it the loss of other nutrients, said Marion Nestle, a professor in the Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health at New York University.

How can you drink juice without sacrificing fiber and nutrients? Look for drinks that need shaking, Nestle said. Thick beverages that contain pureed fruit as well as juice, such as smoothies, are likely to contain some fiber. In addition, there are so-called masticating juicers, which are designed to break down whole fruits and then blend their contents, rather than extract the juice and leave solids behind. The result will contain some fiber, but the best way to get fiber from fruit is by eating it whole.

Write to Ask Martha, care of Letters Department, Martha Stewart Living, 11 W. 42nd S.t, New York, NY 10036, or e-mail mslletters@marthastewart.com. Please include your name, address and daytime telephone number. For more information on topics in the column, visit www.marthastewart.com.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia