Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cleanup

Cleanup HTML using C#

inquisitive — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 11:57:58 -0800

Using C#, how can I programmatically clean up HTML code ? I need to get rid of multiple spaces (except those within quotes), all new line and tab characters in the HTML.

Is there a ready library or API that I can call from my program to clean up HTML on the fly ?

How do I remove music files not used in iTunes?

fireoyster — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 19:48:24 -0800

How can I delete music files that are no longer used in iTunes, but are still present on disk? My wife has been using iTunes for awhile and is running out of disk space. While looking around, she realized she's been deleting songs from iTunes but they weren't being deleted from her hard disk. I've just confirmed that adding a song then deleting it only prompts to confirm the removal from the library, doesn't ask about deleting the file and doesn't actually delete the file.

So: How can these unused music files be found and deleted? Would simply checking the "Keep iTunes Music Folder Organized?" box work here?

I only found solutions for removing mass numbers of orphaned entries from iTunes (i.e. file gone but still listed in the library), but I need the reverse. As her library is rather large, doing this manually is unappealing. In addition, only iTunes-purchased music is in the "iTunes Music" directory; the remainder of MP3s and such are in two or three other directories from which files have been dragged into iTunes. Having to combine all the files into one directory (iTunes Music?) is an option if it'll help.

Much obliged from a MeFi newbie.

Broken compact fluorescent bulb

LobsterMitten — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 02:07:06 -0800

I broke a compact fluorescent light bulb in my bedroom. Rudimentary cleanup, but I'm must go to bed, and my husband's already asleep in there. I saw the scary "leave the room for 15 minutes" mercury warnings on the government cleanup page. Anybody know the science? How bad is this? Some shards in the carpet. I've cleaned up the shards I could, probably still dust in the carpet; I've opened a window. Suggestions for more cleanup in the morning? Range of "how bad is this"? If it's bad, what will happen (what should we watch for)? No kids or pets involved.

iTunes cleanup questions.

lou — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 08:47:06 -0800

I want to clean up my iTunes library. How do I rename my music folder? How do I get rid of duplicates? and dead links? Here, I'll explain what I'm trying to do in more detail.

1. All my music is in a folder in my root directory, called "mp3". This is a throwback to some ten years ago when mp3's is what you would call digital music. It's not anymore, and now I've got AAC, M4A, etc. I'd actually like to just call the folder "music" (I have all my pictures under "photos" not "jpegs" for example) but I'd break all the links in iTunes if I did that. Re-importing the library is not an ideal solution because I'd lose my playlists and ratings. So if I change the music folder name, can I edit the library to reflect it? ie. look for all instances of "/mp3" and replace it with "/music"? Is there special software needed? where do I even find the library database?

2. Occasionally I do get exact duplicates of my music in my library because I'm sloppy. While iTunes does give me a list of duplicates, they're matching on ID3 tag data (like artist and track title). That's not very useful for me-- I need a list of duplicates that are matching on filename, so I can get rid of the actual duplicates.

3. What iTunes really needs is something that will also scour your database and give you all the dead links, not just tell you if it tries to play a song that's not there. Is there a way (third party or not) to do this?

I'm on iTunes 7.3.1.3, on WinXP. I haven't updated to the newest version of iTunes yet, but since I never notice any substantially new features on minor upgrades I doubt newer versions will do what I need it to, and only heightens the likelihood of breaking with outside software.

I need to figure out how to clean off this grout mess!

stormygrey — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 19:46:19 -0800

I am regrouting my basement bathroom tile, and as I look down at the sandy mess at my feet, I am wondering how to clean it! What are you supposed to with excess grout that comes off in puddles when you sponge it clean? Or the mess when you rinse out your sponge ever so often? Is it safe to just let it rinse down the drain or should I be using some kind of bucket? It seems that the grout cleanup is a little more manageable when it is not so wet, can I wait till it is mostly dry before sponging it all off?

Secondary question. The shady ass contractors whose work I am fixing also didn't finish anything off very well. How are you supposed to fix the protusion created between the tile backerboard on the shower wall and the non tiled portions of the plaster? Can you use some kind of treated wood quarter round. I need to finish the window framing as well, so the wood question is weighing on me.

(As to why I am not just riding my contractor to fix it) My contractor became very ill and his brother told us that he had been admitted to the hospital and didn't get the liver transplant he needed and died. Who knows, but this isn't the kind of thing I am going to question much.)

Save my (Apartment's) Carpet!

Alterscape — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 06:27:52 -0800

My new apartment has carpet in a few places I wish it didn't. Help me keep my (potential) mess away from this carpet and save my security deposit. The only place in the apartment where I can store my bike is a walk-in storage closet that's about 15' away from the front door. It's a straight shot from the door through the edge of the living room and part of a hallway to the closet door, but it's all carpeted. Also, the 'breakfast nook' area next to the kitchen is carpeted. In both of these places, I worry that dirt and liquid will stain the carpet, resulting in my owing the landlord a hefty bill for carpet replacement.

The two solutions I've come up with thusfar are area rugs/carpet runners or plastic runners. Area rugs and carpet runners don't seem ideal because while they prevent damage to the original carpet, they're just as hard to clean. Plastic runners may not work because I can't find a good source for low volumes of the stuff -- I can buy a 36"x150' roll for $200 online but I only need about 15'. Also, I worry that my roommate might find it aesthetically objectionable. What I'd really like is some kind of vinyl/linoleum with a hard backing that won't slide around on top of the carpet. I've thought about bonding linoleum scraps to thin masonite (to keep the edges of the linoleum from curling), but I don't have any way to acquire sufficiently long sections of masonite, cut it to width or prevent it from sliding around.

Any ideas what else would protect my floor without destroying my wallet? Brick-and-mortar sources for plastic runner in would also help. I'm willing to be crafty in the interest of aesthetic appeal but my access to tools is severely limited right now.

How to manually clean a registry?

amethysts — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 15:37:16 -0800

How hard is it to do a manual registry cleaning and is it worth paying HP $45 to help me? i can't reinstall the linksys usb wireless adapter on my brother's HP desktop. First they told me to download a program to do a registry cleanup, which i did (Advanced System Optimizer). Since that didn't work, and the adapter works on my laptop fine, they said i need to go into the registry and take out the offending bits by hand, and that HP would walk me through it. I called HP and they said it'd cost $45 but I could barely understand what the lady was saying. I tried googling but it didn't really get me anywhere because i'm not really sure what i'm looking for. But i get the feeling that this is a common problem.

So here are my questions
- how hard is this? can i do it by myself? (I'm not technologically phobic but i don't have alot of knowledge, especially about computer guts) I forgot to ask Lynksys what exactly i'm looking for in there.
- is $45 a reasonable price for somebody to fix it for me?
- can anybody recommend a better service than HP tech support for this sort of thing? (i'm in suffolk county, ny)
- any other help you can think of

thank you!

Adobe Cleanup freezes my apps!

limeonaire — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 14:43:03 -0800

Recent Windows versions of Adobe apps, specifically programs in the CS2 Suite and Acrobat Pro 7.0, all run some kind of auxiliary program called "Cleanup" not long after they start up. In my experience, "Cleanup" always freezes the Adobe app in question while it does whatever it's doing. So what is this program? Is it necessary? And if not, how can I stop it from running?

How do I disinfect my lawn from floodwaters?

kraagenskul — Wed, 17 May 2006 07:57:46 -0800

The Merrimack River in Massachusetts decided to become part of my backyard these past few days, but thankfully has receded. My question is, how do I disinfect my lawn from all the bacteria and what not that was in the river without actually killing the lawn?

Broken thermometer

jrossi4r — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 13:45:27 -0800

I just broke a glass thermometer and can't find the mercury. Help! I dropped a glass thermometer, which broke into pieces. According to the manual that came with it, it was a mercury thermometer. Unfortunately, I can't find the mercury to clean it up. Some of the glass pieces landed on the wood floor and some landed on the rug, so it could be on either surface.

Is there any way I can find it? What's the best way to clean the rug and the floor if I don't? So far, the only thing googling has told me consistently is that I shouldn't vacuum.

Cleaning up the dirty city

edverb — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 13:32:41 -0800

Why are some cities dirtier than others? What tactics can a dirty city learn from clean cities, to keep their streets free of litter? I'm sure there are many obvious factors for why one city is dirtier than another -- infrequent street cleaning, uncovered trash cans left out in windy conditions (so the trash blows everywhere), and of course litterbugs with no pride in their neighborhood. I'm not looking for fault, as much as I'm seeking remedies.

Are there case studies of dirty cities successfully cleaning up their act (and perhaps, shedding a dirty reputation in the process)? What comprehensive strategies have worked to improve the cleanliness of densely populated city streets?

Limited liability?

-harlequin- — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 20:53:04 -0800

ApartmentFilter: Is it financially safe to not clean up impeccably when moving out of an apartment, or will a landlord normally go after you for money over and above the security deposit, if they think enough work was involved? WA. USA.
The rather exuberant hourly rates listed in the move-out contract for any cleanup you allegedly didn't do "properly" when moving out seem like they could easily exceed the bond even for a pretty thoroughly cleaned place.
Is this likely to result in me being hounded for money in addition to the security deposit? It gets potentially a little worse:

There is a mildew problem in one room that for all I know about mildew (nothing) might need some solid work, so I don't know if it could blow things way over the security deposit.

What normally happens? Do landlords cut their losses at the limit of the deposit, or try to bill you? And if they try to bill you, how much "over" is enough to make it worth the effort?

Should I try to negotiate the cleanup rates in my next contract renewal?

(The landlord runs several apartments, but probably less than a dozen. I am quite happy to lose the security deposit in exchange for less clean-up work when moving out, but I don't want to screw my landlord, and I don't want him to screw me. Or more to the point, I'm ok with being screwed up to the level of the deposit already paid, just not more than that :-). My contract isn't specific about this, it mainly just lists hourly rates and fees (eg $X if the blinds are dusty)).

How much over and above the security deposit (in the landlord's view) is enough to taint referrals? (I imagine it depends on the landlord and how much over, but experiences are welcome)

How do I clean up a voice recording?

blue_beetle — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 14:34:56 -0800

How do I clean up a voice recording? I have a WAV file of a friend of mine singing (with piano accompaniement). The recording isn't the best quality, so I would like to clean it up, and possibly enhance the vocals. There are a million sound editing apps but I have no idea which is best. Can you recommend some free applications, and/or ways that I could get the recording in better shape?

Stain stains?

tristeza — Sat, 29 Oct 2005 18:45:49 -0800

Spilled polyurethane wood stain on my brick walkway - is it doomed? Yeah, so I kicked over the entire can of mahogany stain I was using on a bookshelf. Brill. It now covers about 3' by 2' of my brick patio walkway. I mopped up what I could and kind of just walked away in defeat. Once it dries, is there any way to redeem my bricks from their fate? It is, of course, on the bricks and pooled between them in the dirt (there's not concrete or anything between the bricks, just dirt).

At least I didn't try to hose it down, that would have been a disater, right?

How can I automate deleting new files from a directory if their ftp transfer was successful?

adamkempa — Fri, 17 Sep 2004 09:47:41 -0800

Calling all ~~Nerds~~ Automation masterminds. I record radio shows on a weekly basis using a hauappage WinTV card in an XP box (I use the Axife frontend). I'm trying to automate my whole process to the point where all I have to do is plug my ipod into my powerbook. I have scripted ftp.exe to send the resultant MP3 files from the XP box to my powerbook once daily. On the powerbook, I have a folder action set to run a script that adds any files that appear to itunes, and then delete the files. The only thing I haven't got my head around is how to automatically delete the files from the XP directory, BUT ONLY if the ftp transfer was successful. Suggestions?

Cleaning up after some feathered friends

lilboo — Wed, 21 Jul 2004 10:21:06 -0800

Birdfilter: So some local birds have decided to make my fire escape into their main hang-out, which is fine, but it's starting to look a little grotesque out there. Any recommendations for cleaning this stuff up, beyond hot water and a wire brush? Something that is environmentally kosher is preferred...