Dry Cleaning Regular Maintenance Checklist: Fill & Download for Free

Having read all of the comments and agreeing with most all of them, I would like to point out a couple I have personally seen new owners make.They buy way too big or powerful of a bike, hey listen I know that new or used GSXR 1150cc looks cool as chit or that Buell 1000 or that Ducatti 900 or that Harley Road Star…but truthfully if any one of them ever fell over, you’d never be able to pick it back up by yourself…Plus all of them have so much power, that it doesn’t take much of a twist of your wrist to have the front tire come off of the ground and get out of control and over you go.They think right away that their fuccin “Evil Knevil” and think that it’s perfectly cool to zip in and out of traffic…one false move and your “SPLATT”…and then there's always the possibility of a trailing car or Truck…running over you…”SQUISH”.It takes years of riding to really be a “Good” rider. So start out on a Lower cc motorcycle, and really if you’ve never been on one…start on a scooter 1st. For one thing the damage to your body will hurt less (because you are going to wreck sooner or later) as you will be going slower and there will be less damage to your wallet if you learn that you can’t ride a motorcycle…yeah that's right, some people “can’t” ride…its a balance and hand to eye coordination thing.Another thing is, they don’t learn how to work on their own bikes…even the basic stuff. A lot of it isn’t Rocket Science or anything…things like changing your own oil, tranny fluid, spark plugs, air filter, checking air pressure and even replacing light bulbs. Those shop mechanics charge $65 per hr (some more)…sometimes you might find a deal for an Oil & Transmission Fluid change for $30-$100 (depending on the type of motorcycle)Locally I see deals for Scooter specials :$30 fluid change- Oil & Transmission = 1 Quart of oil + 100ml of 80W-90 Gear Oil. and they will keep your bike in there garage area for the entire hour so plan accordingly.Versus Do It Yourself = $4.00 Quart of Oil + 100ml of 80W-90 Gear Oil at $5.00 per quart (good for at lest 4 changes) = Total Cost around $5.25 total each time. Time involved less than 30 minutes.…and ya just saved yourself $25…Here’s a perfect example, my next door neighbor bought a little 50cc scooter, cost him $750 ( no warranty because its used), about 2 months later he has trouble getting it started, calls the shop they come pick the bike up ($40 charge) they take it to the garage, fouled out spark plug ($65 one hour minimum labor charge + 5 for the plug ) so they call him up and tell him his bike is fixed, he takes a taxi to get there ($20) sooooo it cost him $130 because he didn’t know how to replace/clean his spark plug.Still he is not yet ready to learn…about another 2 months go by…same problem…same charge ($130)…Ok so now he’s really pissed off and with over a $1000 invested in a used 50cc scooter !!! I would be too !!!So one day he sees me changing my fluids and doing some regular maintenance (bolt check, wire security, dry rotted hoses, etc.) and he says to me, “ so your broke down now too” and I said “no, I’m doing a little maintenance so I DON'T break down”…and then he started mumbling about how his little scooters not running very good again and that he wanted to sell it…So I decided to be the nice guy and told him I’ll take a look at his scoot and see what I could figure out, and then he said, “well lets ride it up to the store and get some gas 1st because its about out” so I said, “Okay I’ll ride mine up too” as I needed some gas also. So when we get to the pumps, he says, “ hey I’ll pay for both of our gas” and I’m like “cool thanks”…until I see him reach for the “Regular or Low Octane” grade of fuel…and I’m like ”STOP what are you doing ?” and he says “this is what I always use” and I’m like, “yeah that’s also why you’ve paid over $250 to replace 2 fouled out spark plugs ”…S0ooo we used High Test, road back to our apts and 1st thing I did was pull his plug...black as tar…I replaced it with a spare new one I had and his scooter fired right up and it’s still running good to this day…that was a year ago….I did charge him a 12 pack of beer for the plug though….lol…I told him he was getting off light compared to what his last 2 fouled out plugs cost him.And so now, every time he sees me working on my scoot, he grabs a couple of beers and comes out hands me one and then goes over this checklist I gave him for his scoot and lord help me now, as he asked me a dozen question every time. But now that he’s making the effort to take care of his ride, I’m willing to help him out…matter of fact I just helped him learn how to install a performance CDI and Coil and a 3 prong plug on his scoot…he picked up 8 mph on top end and a bit more pep on take off…so he’s a happy camper. Oh yeah the “Performance Ignition Upgrade” I just did for him is $100 at out local scooter shop ($30 for Coil + $20 for CDI + $10 for plug + $35 labor charge) …I can buy the same items on amazon in a bundle for 15 bucks total !!! and I can personally swap all 3 parts out in less than 30 minutes…So really girls & guys, learn to do some basic stuff on your bike, no matter what you ride, it’ll save you a bunch of money and downtime…plus you’ll feel a lot safer when riding just knowing that if something screws up and you keep some tools and some basic spare parts under your seat, that you can fix it yourself.Oh and for you 1st timers, either take a riding school class or find an experienced rider to help you get accustomed to being on only 2 wheels with more than just pedal power.BTW I have been riding Motorcycles of some kind since 1969…everything from a Honda 90 (1st bike), Kawasaki KZ400 (1st real street bike), Suzuki GSXR 1100, Kawasaki GPZ750, HondaVFR750 & VFR500, Yamaha FJ1100, Honda 1000RR, Kawasaki 600 Ninja, 6 or more 50cc Mopeds/Scooters, 2 150cc Scooters, a 1/2 dozen Dirt Bikes.and currently I own a 2013 Taotao EVO 150cc scooter and a 2012 Yamaha R6: ones for around town and ones for the Highway…>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>BE SAFE - RIDE SMART<<<<<<<<<<<<

Not every home's a fixer-upper, but all houses need occasional repairs and maintenance. You'll be able to handle those jobs like a pro if you make sure you have these 45 key home improvement skills under your belt.They'll come in handy whether you're redoing the house, upgrading a room, or just trying to keep everything in top condition. Even the ladder-averse can clean the gutters twice a year to prevent pests and ice dams.Remove leaves by hand or with the assistance of a leaf blower, garden hose, or wet-dry vac. When you're up on a ladder, be sure to use a stabilizer. If sticking to ground level is more your style, you can still get the job done if you have special attachments for your leaf blower or wet dry vac.Leaky faucets can be fixed with a little elbow grease and know-how. First, turn off the water to the sink and stop the drain with a rag so you don't lose any small parts while you're dismantling the faucet.A compression faucet needs a new rubber washer to seal the valve, and a drippy washer less faucet can be stopped up with a new O-ring. Sealing your driveway can extend its life and improve your home's curb appeal.Make sure the weather forecast is dry, then start by repairing cracks and washing off the driveway, allowing it to dry overnight. Apply the driveway sealant in small patches. Keep off the driveway for 24 hours to let your work set. Doing regular home maintenance checklist will keep your outdoor spaces looking beautiful.And serving you well for many seasons. In most cases, it’s not a job you can accomplish in one day, but it is well worth the effort. Before starting, attend to any structural issues, and thoroughly clean it. Then apply your preferred sealing or stain, and it will look nearly new again.

Dealing with damaged curly hair can definitely be mentally exhausting.Doing research on how to deal with damage can be mind blowing due to the vast amount of information, massive number of products and instructions.Simple Solutions You Can Start WithSince one of your issues in dealing with your damaged curly hair and getting overwhelmed in the process, I’m going to give you a more simplified suggestion list without any detailed information.Start slow, incorporate one or two things at a time and try not to stress.Once hair is already damaged, you don’t have to worry as much about prevention of more damage as you do just slowly healing what already happened.Because you are low maintenance, just try the things you feel comfortable with:Avoid all heat. This includes hot water in the shower, hot blow dryers, hot styling irons or similar.If you can’t air dry, it’s less damaging for your hair to sit under a hood/bonnet or to use a long finger diffuser attached to a blow dry set on a slow/cool setting.If not of those options are available, use a blow dryer set on the slowest/coolest setting after you’ve allowed your hair to air dry a bit and/or blot as much water out as possible.Just avoiding heat can go a long way to healing damaged strands.Have any and all damaged hair removed. It really is true that split ends along with ripped or damaged sections can add ongoing stress to the rest of your hair. While it can be painful to get any type of hair chop, sometimes it’s best to bite the bullet and start fresh.If having damaged ends and sections cut is too traumatic, start slow with regular trims and/or dusting of the edges.Only wet wash as often as you feel your hair really needs to be wet washed. If you feel you need an in-between cleanse, simply wet wash with water or conditioner only.Over washing hair can trigger a never ending cycle of damage. Remember that all hair, especially fragile curly hair, is more prone to damage when wet.Deep conditioning may or may not provide an instant fix. When curly hair is damaged it’s important to have all damaged ends and other sections of hair trimmed off. Damaged ends and large sections of ripped or split strands can add to overall stress on curly hair.Applying a deep conditioning treatment may make your hair look and feel better, but you will have to implement a long term curly hair care system to minimize and protect against future damage.Depending upon your budget, you may want to try the very affordable Elvive Extraordinary Oil Curls Re-Nourish Mask from L’Oreal. Or if you have the bucks, go higher end.Do you need a scalp mask and/or conditioner? I have mixed opinions about the importance of scalp mask and related treatments. I do agree it’s important to keep the scalp clean to avoid oil and toxin build-up, but only you can decide if it’s important for your scalp or not.Always detangle before wet washing. Although sometimes detangling can be time consuming, wet washing or even washing with conditioner only is not a good idea for hair that is knotted and tangled. Getting hair wet which hasn’t been detangled will only cause more tangling in the ends.Start with super soaked hair. Always get hair doused with water before wet washing with any type of shampoo or other cleansing products. Even if you dilute your shampoo/cleanser, it’s important to make sure is wet before drizzling diluted foam over the top of your hair at the roots.Learn to wet wash curly hair appropriately. Yes, it makes a huge difference how you wet wash your curls to minimize damage. Curly hair is extremely fragile and much more prone to breakage when wet. It’s critical that it be washed with as much tender loving care as possible.If you use an undiluted shampoo formula, never just apply it directly to the top of your head from the bottle. Always put a dime sized amount of the shampoo into the palms of your hands and massage together.Gently massage the shampoo into the scalp and roots allowing the water to mix with the shampoo to form a suds. Keep in mind that some types of sulfate free shampoo does not produce a suds which is also okay.Be sure to keep your fingers under the top layer of your curls since too much friction applied to the top layer of the hair can easily cause breakage. Since the top of your hair is constantly exposed to the elements, it tends to be more fragile than curls which are underneath.Gently pat any shampoo or diluted cleanser down the length of your hair. Never rub, scrub, ruffle or fluff wet curly hair. That is only acceptable on shampoo commercials or advertisements. Never in real life.Proper rinsing make a huge difference. Make sure to properly rinse all shampoo or similar cleansers out of your hair to avoid it forming any long term damaging residue.Dilute your shampoo to minimize shampoo/cleanser damage. Although it’s great to use a sulfate free shampoo, you can buy any type of hydrating, moisturizing shampoo and dilute it.Add 1/8th to 1/4th teaspoon of shampoo mixed into a clean quart bottle filled with lukewarm water. Shake to create a suds.Once you have a nice foam, get detangled hair super wet with lukewarm water. Spritz some foam onto the top of your head at the roots and gently pat (never rub or scrub) the diluted formula down the length of your wet strands. This helps to remove toxins without unnecessary wear and tear on your hair.Start with products and tools you can afford to use. There are some amazing hair product lines on the market designed specifically to help reverse curly hair damage. They can be expensive.Some of the best lines, in my humble opinion, in the curly hair market include Ouidad and DevaCurl. I’ve used many of their different products with good to great results. The downside is that they tend, in general, to be more expensive.I find that if I dilute either the L’Oreal Elvive Power Moisture or the Intense Smoothing shampoo I get very good hydration for my naturally dry, wavy/curly hair.I also use the L’Oreal Total Repair 5 Rapid Reviver Deep Conditioner as my rinse out conditioner in the shower and I love the results.Note: I do not have any type of business, financial or influencer relationship with Ouidad, DevaCurl and/or L’Oreal. I am merely sharing products I use on my hair which work for me.Minimize any type of friction. A major cause of damage to curly hair, besides heat and chemicals treatments (bleach, some hair color, relaxers, chemical straighteners and/or perms) is everyday wear and tear.Friction can occur during wet washing when hair is handled too roughly. Hair should never be ruffled, piled on top of the head or vigorously scrubbed and swished.Other types of friction include drying hair with rough towels instead of clean 100% cotton clothes, t-shirts or microfiber towels.It can also include excessive brushing, combing, finger picking or simply touching and rubbing hair.Rough collars on clothing can rub and damage hair as can rough pillowcases and bedclothes.Instead of baby proofing, when you have curly hair, do a completely curl proofing checklist to make sure curls are not mishandled in any way which is not absolutely necessary.Finish any wet wash with a cool/cold final rinse. Cool/cold hair can help to seal in moisture and encourage the cuticles to flatten, which provides a level of protection.Hydrate from the inside out. It’s absolutely true that if you don’t give your body enough daily liquids your hair will suffer. The same is true with eating a healthy diet and making sure your body is getting the proper nutrients and vitamins.Having curly hair is a lifelong journey. It’s definitely not a destination. The sooner you learn to love and properly care for your hair, the less time you will have to deal with damage, struggling to find the proper answers or any unnecessary maintenance.Note: This answer is dedicated to my sister Mary and my niece Emily Elizabeth.Best wishes to all.