John Cox

Blogs · @wyome

Tagged maintenance · everything

Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World

6 Tips to Make Your Phone Last Longer | Reviews by Wirecutter

Modern phones last longer when you manage battery health by keeping them between 62-72°F, avoiding regular full charges, and using built-in features like iPhone's 80% charge limit or Google Pixel's adaptive charging. Beyond batteries, extending phone lifespan requires software updates for security, preventing storage from reaching capacity to avoid performance slowdowns, regular cleaning of charging ports, physical protection with cases and screen protectors, and repairing damage rather than immediately replacing the device. These practices can keep a phone functional well beyond the typical two-year replacement cycle.

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gearjunkie.com

Sprinter vs. Transit vs. ProMaster: There Is Only One Right Choice for My DIY Campervan Build

A veteran van-lifer with four builds and over 100,000 miles argues the Sprinter-vs-Transit-vs-ProMaster debate isn't really about specs or interior refinement—it's about parts and service availability in remote areas, where Ford's shared DNA with the F-150 wins decisively over Mercedes's niche dealer network and Ram's rebadged-Fiat parts problem. He also makes the case for boring, practical choices within the Ford lineup itself: cargo over passenger trim, naturally aspirated over turbo EcoBoost, and RWD over AWD, all in service of minimizing failure points when you're hours from cell service. Worth keeping for the concrete anecdotes (dealer phone calls, roadside breakdowns) that back up the "fixability beats prestige" thesis for anyone actually planning a build.

Permalink gearmaintenancervvan life

www.southernliving.com

www.rd.com

How to Clean a Grill Quickly and Easily

Cleaning a grill regularly improves food taste, extends equipment life, and needn't be complicated once you know the proper steps. For charcoal grills, the process involves scraping hot grates immediately after cooking, waiting 48 hours for ashes to cool, deep-cleaning the interior with degreaser and a brush, then wiping down the exterior. Gas grills follow a similar initial grate-cleaning step but require disconnecting gas lines and disassembling components before using warm soapy water and a vacuum to clean the interior and exterior, with preventative maintenance like oiling grates and using a grill cover helping maintain both types year-round.

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www.nytimes.com

How to Clean Birkenstocks

Birkenstocks can last generations with proper maintenance because their three components—sole, footbed, and straps—can be cleaned and repaired independently. The guide breaks down material-specific cleaning methods for suede, nubuck, and leather straps; cork and suede footbeds; and rubber soles, while emphasizing that protective sealing every 2-4 months prevents water damage. The article debunks the viral TikTok trend of using baking soda to clean footbeds, demonstrating that this abrasive method damages the suede and requires excessive scrubbing time compared to gentler alternatives.

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www.mentalfloss.com

It’s Grilling Season, Which Means It’s Also Clean-Your-Grill Season—Here Are the Best Ways To Do It

Regular grill cleaning prevents buildup that degrades flavor, reduces heat efficiency, and risks foodborne illness, with a practical approach involving quick cleanups after each use plus deeper monthly maintenance. The guide recommends scrubbing hot grates with a brush or aluminum foil, vacuuming out ash and debris, scraping the grease trap, wiping the exterior with mild cleaners, and soaking removable parts seasonally, with an optional trick of using a halved onion to break up stubborn gunk.

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NOEMA

The Disappearing Art Of Maintenance

New York's R32 subway trains—the unpainted "Brightliners" that operated for 58 years despite being designed to last only 35—exemplify how meticulous maintenance can extend the life of infrastructure far beyond its predicted lifespan, a feat the MTA achieved through scheduled preventive maintenance practices implemented since 1990. The piece argues that maintenance is fundamentally undervalued in capitalist economies that prioritize cheap disposal over labor-intensive upkeep, and proposes that treating maintenance as a serious economic and political framework—rather than an afterthought—could better address both climate change and resource scarcity than the dominant "reduce, reuse, recycle" paradigm. Rather than waiting for climate catastrophe to force behavioral change, Vuocolo contends we need to rebuild economic systems that value the practical knowledge and skilled labor that keeps society functioning, even if that means fundamentally challenging how capitalism organizes work and social value.

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Mashable

Untitled (http://mashable.com/2012/07/26/mountain-lion-clean-install/)

This guide walks through creating a bootable USB installer for OS X Mountain Lion, either manually using Disk Utility or with automated tools like Lion DiskMaker, as an alternative to upgrading through the Mac App Store for users who prefer a clean install. The process is nearly identical to the previous Lion clean install procedure, with the main difference being that the DMG file must be mounted before restoring to USB. Apple's Recovery Disk Assistant offers another option that can create bootable installation media and restore from Time Machine backups, though at the time of writing it only supported Lion.

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www.pemms.co.uk

Bigfoot CMMS

I can't summarize this content as requested. What you've provided is a 404 error page from the Perspective CMMS website, not a saved article or piece of journalism. It contains no argument, report, or substantive information to summarize—only a message explaining that a page wasn't found and instructions for contacting the site. If you have an actual article you'd like summarized, please share that instead.

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www.codeproject.com

Rust Doctor

rust paint repair prevention restoration refurbish

This is a product description for Rust Doctor, a rust-treatment coating that chemically converts existing rust into stable black iron oxide while priming the surface, all without toxic fumes or flammable solvents. The product can be applied by spray, brush, or roller directly over rust and existing paint, requires no chemical preparation or rinsing, and cleans up with soap and water. The description emphasizes its safety advantages—being non-toxic and non-flammable—and recommends pre-treatment with Grease Doctor, a water-based degreaser, to remove contamination before application.

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