Household Tips

While helping my husband pick out hardwood flooring for a house he is building, we got into the discussion of how many people now prefer hardwood floors over carpeting. This reminded me of when my oldest daughter was little and I had a very old house with hardwood floors. My Dad put adhesive backed weather stripping on the runners of the rocking chair I bought to rock my new baby. A cheap solution to keeping the floor shining and not wearing the finish off.
P.S. She has her own baby now, but the rocker is a glider;)

rocking chairs, hardwood floors, weatherstriping

If your clothes, towels and linens are coming out of the laundry stiff, in spite of fabric softener, you are probably using too much detergent. Don’t use more than the manufacturer says to use. It will not clean better. Add a cup of vinegar to the rinse water instead of fabric softener to cut the build up and soften your laundry. Don’t worry, it will not leave any smell. Vinegar will also remove deodorant stains from most fabrics. Just soak the stain with vinegar and wash as usual.
[tags]vinegar, stains, detergent,[/tags}

Marble, tile, & granite floors should only be cleaned with very hot water. Cleaners of any kind will pit these floors and will disolve the glazing on them over time.

tile, marble, granite, floors, cleaning

I’ve never been a big fan of sliding shower doors, and the gunk that builds up in the tracks is so nasty. Try this. Fill the tracks with plain old vinegar and let it sit for a while. (Notice: I am a big fan of letting it sit for a while) I use an old, battery powered toothbrush and scrub away the gunk while polishing the aluminum tracks.

I had some really nasty stains on a beautiful canvas handbag and was looking to remove them without discoloring. I remembered using shaving cream (not gel) to get small stains out of clothes on trips, so I gave it a try. Started with a stain on the bottom where it wouldn’t show. Spray on the cream, work it in a little with your finger, and let it set for 30 minutes. Go watch a sitcom or read a few blogs! Rinse with a solution of 1 part vinegar to 7 parts water and blot with a cloth. This is a great remedy for stains on upholstered furniture and fabric lampshades also.
[stains, upholstery, lampshades, canvas, shaving cream,vinegar[/tags]

Ya’ll know that Sam’s & Costco are two of my favorite places to shop. Well imagine my excitement at finding a twelve pound bag of baking soda which is one of my favorite cleaning products. Had to share that as well as another baking soda tip. Baking soda on a damp sponge will remove the orange residue from storing chili, spaghetti, or other tomato based foods from those plastic food storage containers.

baking soda, Sam’s, Costco, food stain

In a small container, mix some butter spread, sugar and cinnamon. Put a lid on it and store in the fridge. Next time you are running late, spread it on some wheat bread and pop under the broiler or in the toaster oven. A great emergency breakfast for the kids and better than a Pop-tart!

kids, breakfast, time saving

My husband, being the good ole boy he is, often parks under pine trees here in the South. His truck is white so the rosin drips are a problem. To remove without harming or scratching the paint, use full strength Pine-sol on a clean, dry rag. This works on lawn furniture too. If this doesn’t work try a little turpentine which is made from pine derivatives as well.

pine rosin, lawn furniture, trucks, Pine-sol

For a super clean toilet, plunge the water until the bowl is almost empty. Sprinkle with baking soda and wet the toilet brush with vinegar. Scour away. This cleans, deodorizes and disinfects. Flush and refill bowl. If any stubborn stains remain drop in a couple of tables of denture cleaner and let it set for a few hours.

baking soda, vinegar, denture cleaner

To make an ice pack, pour 1 cup rubbing alcohol and two cups water into a 1 quart Ziplock bag. (Double for larger bags) Squeeze out all of the air and zip closed. Toss in the freezer for emergencies or to take to sporting events, or even to prepare for a medical procedure that will require ice packs. The alcohol will not freeze , so it will freeze slushy and conform to any body part. Label with a Sharpie and refreeze and reuse several times.

ice pack, Sharpie, Alcohol, Ziplock bags

If you are feeling like you are getting lower water pressure or just less water out of your showerhead, guess what VINEGAR to the rescue. Fill a plastic bag with vinegar, personally I use those free hotel shower caps, put it over the whole shower head and attach with a rubber band. Let it stay overnight to dislodge all those mineral built up in the holes. Ah you will thank yourself in the morning.

shower, vinegar, water pressure

Don’t purchase chip clips, buy a bag of cheap good old-fashioned clothespins. Hot glue magnets on the back of some and stick to the refrigerator. Great for chips, cookies, pretzels, bread, rice, or just about anything that comes in a bag! Keep a few in your suitcase when traveling and clip motel drapes closed from morning light.

clothespins, chip clips, food, travel

I remembered this hint the other day while making a grilled cheese sandwich for my grandaughter. Use your pizza slicer to cut the crust off sandwiches and to cut them into bite size pieces. It is also great for cutting up pancakes, waffles, noodles and just about anything else small hands can manage.

feeding kids, cutlery

The next time you have to take a covered dish somewhere try this. Loop a rubber band under the handle then over the lid handle on each side. This will prevent sloshing and spilling especially in the car.

Most people choose a Welcome mat because it is decorative or cute. Mistake. Buy a heavy (commercial grade) mat to go at your entrance. It should be big enough for anyone crossing it will have to take at least two steps across it. Now, even if others don’t make any effort, your floors will stay a lot cleaner.

floors, mats