Problem Solvers
Home and
Housekeeping Tips |
"I have always
loved laundry rooms." Martha Stewart
"Pride in housekeeping
creates serenity and pleasure. I even experienced it
standing around the microwave in the place where I was
staying." Martha Stewart
more quotations |
CLEANING
Cat Fur Remover - My husband, aka Mr. America
because he is a better housekeeper than I am, came up with this one.
Holding a tennis shoe in its side, draw its rubber-soled edge toward you
across the fur-covered rug where the kitty hangs out. The fur will ball
up. You just have to pick it up and toss it.
OR - To remove dog and cat
fur from rugs and furniture, put on a rubber glove and stroke the area
until fur forms little balls. Gather the fur balls and throw
them away!
Get
your friends and family together for a Cleaning Swap! Everybody
brings clothes (or whatever category the swap meet is) they are tired
of, and people go through the piles and take what they like. Any
remaining items are donated to a charity.
It's such
a great way to let go of clothes we never wear and the clothes get a
chance to find an appreciative audience.
People
can bring food and drink for a great session of female bonding with
lots of laughter. Lucinda Wehrkamp
Clean up your computer system by periodically deleting
cookies and other junk you've collected while surfing the
Internet.
- Go to Control Panel
- Select Internet Options
- Select the General tab
- Click on Delete Cookies, Delete Files and Clear History
You will have to log into sites you've previously visited, but just think how much nasty stuff will be gone
forever.
PS Use of a good anti-spyware program will
help, too.
Dust on Louvered Doors - Wrap an old cotton
T shirt or rag around a ruler. Secure with a small rubber band.
Spray the cloth with your favorite anti-dust spray and run the ruler
between the slats of your louvered doors.
Fireplace Ashes - Mist fireplace ashes with
water before shoveling them into an old cardboard box. The water will
keep them from flying into the air. Cover the scooped ashes with a wet
newspaper to remove them from the room.
Use washable cotton pillow covers over pillows and under pillowcases.
This keeps pillows clean and helps cut allergies. These
also come in plastic for the severely allergic.
Store quilts between cotton sheets or in pillow cases, but never in
plastic. Make sure to refold them in different patterns at least
twice a year to prevent permanent creasing. Rolling different ways
works, too.
Smelly Sponges - Soak overnight in a
solution of 3 tablespoons of bleach to a quart of hot water to kill the
odor causing germs. Then microwave your sponges for sixty seconds
to finish off the germs.
Wooden Bowl Odors - Rub the cut side of a
lemon on the inside of the wooden bowl to remove odors.
COOKING
TIPS
Kitchen & Housewares Outlet
GARDENING
Gardening Apron - I'm forever losing my trowel in the yard. My husband bought me an inexpensive
(about $3.00) canvas carpenter's apron at the hardware store. It has a
couple of pockets just big enough to hold a few often-used tools, seed
packets, etc.
Fertilizer - Bury the hair you pull from
your brush beneath your roses or in your garden. It’s a good source of
nitrogen for your plants. Coffee grounds are great, too.
Never prune in the fall.
Wait until the plant has flowered in the spring before cutting back those
branches.
Gardening Sheers - Instead of costly
gardening sheers that need sharpening or that I lose in the dirt, I buy
inexpensive ($1.00) scissors at the discount store. They work
great for deadheading flowers or trimming small bushes. When they
get dull, donate them to one of the many charities that takes household
goods.
Save Water and money by positioning your lawn sprinkler so
the water doesn't spray the driveway, sidewalk or street.
Watering - Don't neglect to water your plants
in the fall.
Proper moisture will help them survive the cold winter.
Outdoor Living Outlet
GROOMING
Quick Shoe Shine - Rub a dollop of hand
lotion over your shoes and buff well.
Sweater Snags - Use a needle threader or
small crochet hook to pull the snag to the back side of the sweater. If
the snag is long enough, tie a knot in it to prevent it from pulling
back through. Be careful not to pull the snag further during the
process.
LAUNDRY
Lucky Magazine (August 2007) got this idea from designer Amy Smilovic: Use Tria System Panetone Markers to cover up bleach stains by washing the stained item, filling in the bleach spot with markers, letting the marker color(s) set and washing as usual.
Washing Bras - Wash underwire bras in a
pillowcase secured with a rubber band. Air dry them. (If you
throw them in with the wash, a wire could poke out and catch in the side
of your appliance. Nancy reports the repair bill is horrendous.)
Collar Rings - To remove collar rings, rub shampoo
into shirt neckbands before washing.
Washing Sweaters - Put
your sweaters in a pillow case and secure with a rubber band.
Wash on the gentle cycle in cold water and let spin. Then lay
them out on a towel or sweater rack until dry. You may also hang
the sweater over the shower rod, neck to waistband length along the
bar, but don't let any long sleeves hang free. Instead, drape
them over the rod to reduce their weight and prevent stretching. Delicates can also be put in a sealed pillowcase
and washed this way.
MISCELLANEOUS
From Juanita Morris of Florida: For an instant level, fill a clear glass
halfway full with water. Move the glass horizontally from
end to end of the shelf or whatever you're trying to straighten, and
adjust it until the water is level in the glass.
Light Bulbs -
Do NOT use (vaseline) petroleum jelly on the grooved metal
rim of light bulbs before inserting them into lamps and light fixtures.
We thought this was a great way to prevent rust, which can make burned
out bulbs hard and even dangerous to remove. But an electrician
reminded us petroleum, being petroleum, could catch on fire if a light
fixture goes bad and sparks.
To change a round light bulb on a high ceiling, follow the lead
of Noel Rodriguez of Texas. Noel cuts a tennis ball in half and screws
it onto a long pole. The tennis ball cover grips the bulb and
gently turns it in or out of the socket.
 
click on the photos to enlarge them
MONEY
SAVING TIPS
Tools & Hardware Outlet
PAINTING
Painting Delays - If the phone rings or you have to
go out for a few hours in the middle of painting, wrap the bristles of
the paint-covered brush in plastic wrap or foil so air won't get inside
and dry it out. (I use this one all the time when I'm painting crafts.)
REPAIRS
Be very,
very careful when wiping away excess clear silicone caulking
on windows, etc. As the caulking ages, dirt will stain it and
you'll have a very difficult getting it off or cleaning it. Jane
Marie's Voice of Experience. |
