planning ahead - liquids in winter
 

I really, really hate to ask this in the peak of summer, but I need to plan ahead this year.

For years, we have dutifully removed all liquids from our camp to heated winter storage. This is a huge effort in terms of the number of items off, and my brother and I started to ask "what would happen to some of these if we left them on and allowed to freeze...."

I have a general list of items/categories below. Any comments on any of them helpful. Interested in a) can you leave them to freeze (most are in plastic containers) and b) if they will survive the freeze/thaw cycles and still be good.

1) Kitchen: olive oil, vinager, veg oil, canned tuna in water, mustard. (note: most of these are open)
2) Cleaning supplies: windex, "Clearview" window cleaner, "PolyCare" wood floor cleaner, liquid dish and dishwasher soaps, liquid hand soaps, lysol toilet cleaner, lysol bath cleaner, swifter floor cleaner, liquid laundry detergent, bleach, "Shout" stain remover.
3) Alkaline batteries, nicad batteries (assume these need to come off, but asking anyway)
4) Latex paints, Wood stains (i.e. Cabots), woodglues,
5) gas, 2-cycle engine oil.
6) toothpaste, hairgel, shampoo, etc.

I would be putting these into tubs and into the main bathroom tub just in case, but it would at least save some work if we did not have to pull completely off island.

Thanks

liquids
 

I wouldn't worry about anything on your list except the paints/stains. Latex doesn't like to be frozen from my experience.

I leave all those things behind (and more) every winter. Anything I have worries about -- like jars of spaghetti sauce, etc., I just place in a plastic tub as you are planning. I forgot a 6 pack of tonic water once -- that wasn't pretty.... but otherwise have not had mishaps or found the products damaged in any way once they thaw back out.

Not the tuna
 

I don't leave tuna in the can. I would not leave mustard that long either. Latex paint turns to gloop... and completely unusable. Other paint is fine.

My brand of hair conditioner gets a little thick but usable. I leave all the toiletries in the shower and in the bathroom cabinet. All of the cleaning stuff also stays in place. Anything brand new and full to the top would get put in the big tub I have. I put all the dry goods in the tub to keep the varmints away. I also leave all the dishes and silverware in place but put in clear plastic bags ... again in case varmints run around and so I won't have to wash them all in the spring..

I even leave clean sheets on the beds and wrap the mattress in plastic. I use the plastic from these beds for painting drop cloths the next season.

I try to move as little as possible... and closing the camp is still a chore... on an island it is all about the continuous hauling. I hope to have a washer and dryer next season to cut down on that.

IG

We have left all cleaning supplies successfully over many years. We do not leave anything in cans or jars with the exception of the following. Olive oil, (and other oils), vinegars, syrup, hard liquor(not wine), soy sauce, mustard, (really anything that is salty) have done well. Flour, sugars, cereal, oatmeal, pastas, etc as well. We leave all the liquid things in large, heavy duty ziplock bags sitting in the sink in case of leakage. Dry things so well in ziplocks. So far so good!!

As stated the latex paint is a big no, the stain would be fine only if it is oil based, the wood glue needs to be oil based or polyurethane based if you leave it, if water based than no.

Cabot makes different lines of stain and depending on the age it could be water or oil based. Most oil based stains has moved to a low voc formula that if it stores the same way it stains it will not last through a frost. Those stains are about 1 year old, so anything purchased this year I would not leave behind, but if you do please post how it performs after the thaw.

Thanks for the ideas.

When I looked last year, 70% of what I hauled was liquids, so this would be a big help to eliminate 90% of it.

I had meant to ask about liquor, but loonisland got it. I know (from college not to leave beer :D), and never leave an undrunk bottle of wine.

Related question - we have store our linens with cedar chips in sealable storage totes, which work very well and stack up nicely in the summer out of the way. We have done it to keep varmints and moths away. Have heard an urban legend that bounce dryer sheets will work the same, and leave less of an odor. Anyone have any experience?

Thanks again to all. If there are other liquids that people have had good (or especially bad) freezing experiences with, please post.

IG - Hope you get your washer and dryer. One thought is that we have to freeze proof ours in the winter, which is easy to do with antifreeze. Just make sure to get it into the pump housing and drainline. We put our washer on "magic movers" so we can pull it out from the wall easily each winter to disconnect plumbing and do this.

Great idea!!
 

I have a great idea...I think all island residents should get together at the end of the season, at some designated location, and have a party to drink up all those unopened bottles of wine, beer and other misc liquor and mixers so we don't have to take them home!! :D

Dan

We have used Downy dryer sheets for a few years now and have had great luck with them so far. We not only put them in the linen tubs but on furniture, beds and in closets as well. They seem to eliminate the spring opening musty smell very well too.