Another 'living by the sun' lesson: UV

As a delayed spring cleaning is happening, it occurred to me that one of the best ways to disinfect things is with ultraviolet radiation. UV is usually used to purify and disinfect water, air, etc.  ....   and it's also a movie!?

 Here's more info on UV... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet

I usually try to avoid UV since it's one of the most damaging natural elements out there for buildings, human skin and countless other things.  That's why i use steel, stone and dirt as much as possible in my building plans - those three are impervious to UV. 

 and now, the rest of the story...

A common laundry dilemma is what to throw in the washer and what to soak/hand wash and what to take to the dry cleaners (yuk factor here for many reasons).  I occurred to me that i have the best antiseptic cleanser right outside:  the sun.  So i put all the down comforters out there in full direct sunlight for a few hours and then place them into large plastic bags filled with home-grown biodynamic lavendar buds.  So I get a germ free (i mean what bacteria/bugs can survive hours of UV? yikes, I don't want to know!) and sweet nerve-calming lavender smell.


As a side note, I discovered a couple years ago that most critters hate the smell of lavender as much as they hate cedar.  Who knew? Why do stores market up cedar based closet boards, cedar soaked whatevers... when the sweet, calming smell of lavender does the same?   For the last couple years, I split my lavender plants each year and have several varieties abundantly  growing.  They don't need ANY maintenance!  no watering, no pruning, no nothing... my kinda plant!