Start by flushing the drain with a pot of boiling water. Now, mix 1 cup (240 mL) of boiling water with 1 cup (240 mL) of vinegar in a measuring cup. Add 1⁄2 cup (120 mL) of baking soda into the drain and pour your vinegar and water mixture on top of it—the drain should rise with bubbles. Allow the mixture to sit in the drain for at least 1 hour.  After letting the mixture sit, run hot tap water into the drain for around 30 seconds to 1 minute. Use this method on all drain types—kitchens, bathtubs, basement sinks. If this step doesn't work, you likely have some serious blockage. Try another method. Pour 1/2 cup (64 grams) of regular table salt into a measuring cup and mix it with 1/2 cup (64 grams) of baking soda. Now, pour the mixture slowly down your drain and leave it alone for 10 to 20 minutes. The chemical reaction should eat away the worst of the clog.  Flush the drain with hot water after letting the mixture sit. The drain should clear when you run the water. Use this technique on any type of drain. and hot water into your toilet when it's clogged. Pour 1⁄4 cup (59 mL) of any dish detergent into your toilet bowl. It should sink to the bottom since it is denser and heavier than water. Let it sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Now, fill a container with hot water and gently pour it into the toilet bowl.  Be careful not to overflow the bowl with hot water.  Plunge the toilet until it is clear when you're done.

Summary: Flush the drain with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. Pour a salt, baking soda, and hot water mixture down the drain. Dump liquid dish detergent


Ensure your horses are in stalls that provide proper ventilation, even in the winter. Ventilation in the walkways is not enough. Each stall should have a permanent opening of at least a one square foot (0.3m) to ensure that the excess ammonia gas can leave the stall.  You can make this opening a long slot, rather than a square, so that it’s easier to leave open permanently. For example, you could cut a slot that’s 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide and 12 feet (3.7 m) long, placing it along the length of the stall. If possible, place the slot near the ceiling of the stable, which allows the freshest air to circulate into the stall. In high concentrations, ammonia can cause respiratory damage and even death. This usually means laying stall mats down. Make sure you clean underneath the mats at least once week. Wheat straw has been found to reduce ammonia. Kenaf fiber is also helpful in reducing ammonia levels. The most absorbent bedding is porous flooring like packed dirt, clay, or even stone dust. Use tightly interlocking or seamless stall mats to keep the urine from seeping into the floor underneath the bedding. Remove the horses from their stalls for a daily cleaning. Get rid of all urine-soaked bedding and dispose of it. It is important to let the horses out of their stall when cleaning or preparing ammonia neutralizers. You can use diatomaceous earth (DE) or a clinoptilolite-based product. This increases the absorbency of the materials, lowering the amount of bacteria that is converted into ammonia. Use a ratio of 1:8 for the ammonia neutralizing agent. Use a stable shovel and dump two scoops of bedding into the stall. Spread out the bedding with the shovel. Continue to shovel and spread the bedding in increments of two scoops. If you're leaving the horse in the stall overnight, use between 4 to 6 inches of bedding. If the horse is in and out of the stall and you have mats, cover the mats with about 2 inches of bedding.

Summary: Protect your horses. Ensure your stalls have proper drainage. Choose an absorbent bedding. Prepare the stall. Mix your bedding with an ammonia-neutralizing product. Spread the bedding.


Holding your utility knife or chisel carefully, press it against the ceiling. Form an outline around the area that you wish to remove. Don’t fully remove the piece at this point, just loosen it up. However, if the piece begins to fall out, skip ahead to the step with the plastic baggies. You’ll want to consult with the EPA, your chosen testing company, or your sample kit to determine how big of a piece you’ll need. Some samples can be relatively small while other labs might need a larger piece. Pick up your pliers from the floor. Open the mouth and fold a wet wipe or moist paper towel inside. This will lessen the likelihood that an asbestos fiber will stick to your tool. Keep the wipe in place as you raise the pliers toward the ceiling. Open the mouth of the pliers. Place the tips of the pliers against the ceiling, so that they fully grasp the edges of the potential sample. Push the plier tips deeper into the ceiling material and gently squeeze inwards. This will give you control over the sample. Slowly pull your pliers away from the ceiling, taking the sample with you. If the sample is stuck in the ceiling, you may need to rock it back and forth a bit, but do so very gently. Get a plastic baggie that came with your kit, or just a sealable freezer baggie. Open it up and drop the sample directly inside. Loosen the wipe from the pliers and put it in the bag as well. Run your fingers across the top seal until it is fully secure. For extra security, you might place this original bag in another one and seal that as well. Use a permanent marker to write your name, your city, and the date on the bag. Some sampling kits will provide additional instructions regarding labeling the bag, such as using a particular stick-on label.

Summary: Loosen a sample with a utility knife. Fold a damp paper towel into the plier’s mouth. Pull the sample away from the ceiling with the pliers. Drop the sample into a plastic bag. Seal and label the bag.


There are very few foods that are naturally high in vitamin D. If you can find some that are and consume them on a regular basis, you will optimize your body's ability to naturally absorb vitamin D. Foods that are naturally high in vitamin D include:  Salmon Tuna Mackerel Sardines Cod liver oil Eggs, cheese, and beef liver contain small amounts of vitamin D Because foods that naturally contain vitamin D are hard to come by, there are regulations in many places in the world (including the United States and Canada) that certain foods be fortified with vitamin D prior to being sold at the grocery store. Foods fortified with vitamin D compose the majority of vitamin D in most people's diets. These foods include:  Milk Margarine Some breakfast cereals Some brands of orange juice Some bread products Some yogurt Everybody can benefit from a high-quality vitamin D3 supplement, which allow you to benefit without risking skin damage from sun exposure. Unfortunately, the current RDA's are very low to benefit the body and there is no consistent agreement among health organizations about how much to take. The maximum daily safe dose for adults is 4,000 IU (though some research suggests that 10,000 IU may still be safe). Infants and children should take lower doses (0–6 months, maximum 1,000 IU; 7–12 months maximum 1500 IU; 1–3 years maximum 2500 IU; 4–8 years maximum 3,000 IU).  These recommendations may also change if you have an illness that interferes with your body's natural ability to absorb vitamin D. Consult your doctor if you need a higher dose. Always take vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), not Vitamin D2. Vitamin D2 is poorly absorbed.  Remember that other supplements such as multivitamins and fish oil can contain vitamin D. Be sure to factor that in to ensure that you do not take too much. You can get both flavored and flavorless supplements that are drops. Sometimes, one oral drop = 1,000 IU. This makes it easy to supplement with vitamin D.
Summary: Consume foods that are naturally high in vitamin D. Choose foods that have been fortified with vitamin D. Ensure that you are consuming the daily recommended amount of vitamin D.