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Removing Mildew From Your Outdoor Patio Furniture

Posted by The Great Escape Blog on Wednesday Feb 08, 2012 7:00 pm

With Spring right around the corner, you may need to do a bit of patio clean-up.

Mildew is greyish-white or yellow in color. If left untreated, mildew can damage your furniture so you’ll want to take some steps to prevent this problem.

First, you should always wash your patio furniture at least twice during the summer season by either hosing it down cleaning it with soapy water.

For tougher stains you can mix 1/2 a cup of white vinegar, with 1/2 a cup of Borax and 2-4 cups of hot water. Use a sponge to apply to the mildew blotch. Try to rub with the grain of the furniture. Then, use water to rinse.

With the proper steps, your patio furniture will last for many, many summers of outdoor fun.

Zodiac Nature2 Mineral Sanitizers

Posted by Mike Cortina on Monday Sep 12, 2011 12:17 pm

Slip into the clear, fresh water of Nature² and relax into its soft, silky luxury. With water clarity like you've never seen before and clean, safe sanitized water without the heavy doses of chlorine, Nature² mineral technology for the pool and spa delivers a refreshing, irritant-free swim. Don't spoil the moment. Let Nature² give you the ultimate soak, crystal clear water without the sting.

Watch this video explaining the benefits of Nature 2, available at all The Great Escape locations.

Sweet and Spicy Shrimp Kabob

Posted by The Great Escape Blog on Thursday Aug 04, 2011 9:22 am

•   1/4cup honey
•   1tablespoon minced canned chipotle chile peppers in adobo sauce
•   1/2teaspoon kosher salt
•   1pound extra-large shrimp (16/20 count), shelled and deveined
•   2tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves

1. In a large bowl combine the honey, chile peppers, and salt. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes or in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

2.Prepare the grill for direct cooking over high heat (450° to 550°F).

3. Remove the shrimp from the bowl and discard any remaining marinade. Thread the shrimp onto skewers, three per skewer.

4.Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the shrimp over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until slightly firm on the surface and opaque in the center, 2 to 4 minutes, turning once. Remove from the grill and sprinkle with the cilantro. Serve warm.

The Four Components Of A Viking Spa

Posted by The Great Escape Blog on Tuesday Jul 26, 2011 2:51 pm

Although not all spas are created equally, it is a fact that all portable spas have four primary components: the shell, the plumbing, the cabinet & the power system. Viking believes that the greatness of the individual parts is what make the greatness of the whole spa. That is why they focus on using only the best components, made exclusively in the USA to know that their spa will provide the therapy and dependability that customers demand.

Viking spa.jpg

The Shell:
Made of a virtually indestructible thermoplastic, Vikings High Density Polyethylene is impervious to delamination seen when acrylic is either backed by fiberglass or a differing material rigidizer like ABS. Blistering or cracking are also not evident in our product. Their revolutionary HDPE shell is to the spa industry what the invention of plastic bottles were to the soda industry. Or for that matter what fiberglass was to the auto industry to prevent rusting in automobiles. Products made with HDPE range from containers to children's toys. HDPE is in virtually every industry because of its durability and value. Therefore, Viking is pleased to be the leading producer of HDPE spas to the spa industry.

The Plumbing:
Viking is proud of its relationship with WaterwayTM. Where many spa manufacturers now use jets manufactured in China that have "similar" design characteristics to WaterwayTM, the simple fact remains that the dependability and quality of WaterwayTM is phenomenal. Working with this leader in the spa industry, Viking has balanced it's plumbing system to provide unrivaled power behind every jet.

The Cabinet:
Vikings investment into molds and tooling to produce our cabinet panels have given them an edge. No longer reliant on glue and staples to hold together panel boards, their one piece injection molded panel provides years of carefree maintenance.

The Power System:
Once again, Viking has turned to the best power pack provider in the industry, BalboaTM to supply all our power systems. Matched with WaterwayTM Executive Series Pumps, their power system is backed by two of the oldest suppliers in the industry.