Homemade DF-100

I cleaned the Cat Genie that I brought back from Oʻahu after Thanksgiving. I used Kai's homemade version of DF-100 to spray the parts; he & a professional chemist friend worked out the recipe. I let things sit for 20 minutes, then I hosed them off with water.

These are both before pictures; forgot to take after pictures.

Kai did a quick cleaning on Oʻahu before we packed everything for transport.

 

The ingredients I used are things found in most households & the mixing instructions are simple; 1 part white vinegar, 1 part hydrogen peroxide, & a couple drops of dishwashing soap. All ingredients came from the local grocery store. Mix the solution just before you use it since the peracetic acid that is formed when you mix the vinegar & hydrogen peroxide degrades after a few days. Obviously what you can mix at home is a lot weaker than what is used industrially since household white vinegar is only around 5% acetic acid & OTC hydrogen peroxide is 3%. Commercial grade DF-100 is used in the food industry to reduce bacterial contamination as well as a decontaminant for illicit drugs & hazardous chemicals; it comes with a host of warnings. For the homemade stuff, don't get it in your eyes or inhale it.

I found a volunteer maiʻa this morning when I was checking how well the other maiʻa are holding up with the high winds we have been having for the past few days. I was pretty sure a few of the maiʻa in the original patch were on my side of the line, but digging up the ones on the other side of the property line toppled all of them. But it appears a keiki broke off from the larger plant & I saw it among the laʻi that is growing around the maiʻa at the south end of the row of maiʻa that I planted. Which makes it rather close to that last one I planted. Oh well, it is quite a bit smaller so there should be no problem; it would be like growing in a maiʻa patch that is several years old.

The one on the far right is where the keiki is.

Close-up of the keiki leaf near the base of the larger maiʻa.

While on Oʻahu yesterday, Curtis commented on how the wind there was blowing the signs around. They were just having higher than usual levels of wind; whereas parts of Hawaiʻi Island were under a Wind Advisory with sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph & gusts up to 50 mph. As I was driving home from the airport, I saw several signs that had been damaged by the winds. I also saw the winds whipping up the nearshore waters & occasionally trying to start a waterspout. 

Spencer Park sign in Kawaihae got partially knocked over.

Wind whipping up the surface of the water.

Curtis had given me a bag of Christmas presents. When I got home I put them under the cat-safe Christmas tree. Cat-safe meaning they can't do any damage by climbing on it or knocking it over. I originally got it for the cats in 2022. 

 

While on Oʻahu, Curtis & I went out to lunch. During lunch he learned that I had never had a Blizzard before. Since there was a Dairy Queen at the NEX where we were having lunch, he treated me to a Blizzard. I had to try the Reeses Pieces Blizzard; Curtis had the seasonal Peppermint Hot Cocoa Blizzard. It was not what I expected; I was hoping more for a robust peanut butter & chocolate flavor, not broken bits of candy mixed in ice cream. The ice cream was not too good either. I think that will also be my last Blizzard.

I also cleaned the wall under the window in the front bedroom; that's the usual guest room. But in July Kai was unable to use it; he said he was having a burning sensation in his sinuses & thought there might be a mold problem. When we moved the desk away from the wall we found what appeared to be mold. I think water may have gotten in when they power washed the outside of the house just before it was painted in January last year. Fortunately there have been no other guests that have had to stay in that room since the mold was discovered. I think the DF-100 has taken care of the problem.

Before peracetic acid.

After peracetic acid.

The power went out for about an hour this evening; it was expected with all the high winds. I did not notice until I got a message that I was back on the grid. The Tesla Powerwall switches seamlessly; the digital clocks don't even start blinking like they do when there is a break in power.