In preparation for her new furniture, Ronda wanted to know how to get rid of the places left where stuff had been moved.
To remove indentations left by furniture in pile carpet, place ice cubes on the divots. The fibers will swell as they absorb the water. Vacuum carpet thoroughly to pull up wet fibers, or blot with a paper towel and pull the fibers upright with a plastic fork.
Make sure at least one of the smoke detectors in your home is also a carbon monoxide detector. My brother was using a kerosene heater in his basement during a really cold spell. They were upstairs sleeping and the baby woke them up screaming. According to the pediatrician, the baby got a bad headache from the fumes while it only made the adults fall into a deeper sleep. Thank God, they were awakened by the screaming baby. Safe to say, we hall have carbon monoxide detectors in addition to smoke detectors.
smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, kerosene heaters
My steam iron wasn’t steaming much even though I had put it through the steps of “self cleaning’”. After reaming the clogged steam holes with an unbent paperclip, I added 1/2 cup of white vinegar to 1/2 cup of water and poured it in the iron. Let it steam until it’s all gone then repeat with plain water. Ta Da. Just like new!
Out city went to once a week collection a few years ago. I put stuff in garbage bags but there is an unbearable odor in the big green can. Pour in a little detergent, run in some water from the hose, add a little Clorox and allow it to sit for a while. You can watch TV, read, or go do another chore. Later, come back and lay it on it’s backside. Use the full blaster of the hose to clean and rinse and the smells will be gone. If the lawn-sprinkler happens to be running, just upend the can over it for a while!
For the freshest pillows you need to wash them (2 at a time) in the washing machine a couple of times a year. When you put them in the dryer remember to throw in a few tennis balls to fluff them back up. If you just want to freshen pillows (especially throw pillows) put them in the dryer on low with a fabric softener sheet or a washcloth dampened with fabric softener.
Steph wanted to know the best way to clean hardwood floors in an old house. Older wood floors require different cleaning than the new hardwoods and laminates. Use a cotton dust mop and dust them weekly. One cup of white vinegar to a gallon of warm water, Put in a spray bottle and spritz the dust mop then mop the floor and launder the dust mop. Any stains can be cleaned with a direct spray of the cleaner as long as you dry it immediately. Unlike the newer hardwoods, older floors need to be paste waxed a couple of times a year. Make sure you use a paste wax designed for hardwood floors. This can be done by hand , but I suggest you use an
electric floor buffer. This is a lot more work than cleaning the newer hardwoods, but the end results are gorgeous!
I’ve used various products from Mary Ellen’s Product for many years. There are several that I really like and in additon to upper-End grocery and drug stores, you can order them online from maryellen’sproducts.com. I thought of this because someone wrote asking how to get blood off brand new sheets. There is actually a product called For Those Days Menstrual Blood Remover. This works on old, set-in blood stains or on fresh stains and will take out any kind of blood. Best of all it is less than $5.00 (plus tax or shipping & handling) which is way less than new sheets or underwear. Visit her website to check out other stain removers and products.
Use the bed or a table. Fold the sheet in half with the top to the bottom. Tuck the top corner into the bottom corresponding corner. Left top corner to Left bottom corner. Top corners will be turned inside out. Fold the sheet in half so all corners meet. Again tuck the corners into each other, forcing one set of corners to be turned inside out. This will leave you with a bunched up corner area. To smooth it down fold in the longest side so the corner can lie flat. The short side can also be folded in. Fold the sheet again in half the long way. This should leave a long tips to fold into quarters and will look as nice at the flat sheet. Most of the time I just strip the beds, wash the sheets, dry them and put them back on the bed to save folding a set.
Jen gave you a hint about soaking the stain in milk. Ball point ink will come out with cheap hairspray, remember to put a towel under the part you are treating to keep from transferring it to another part of the garment. I use permanent ink and gel ink at work and I frequently get stains on my scrubs. These inks involve getting out the big guns. First try Goof-Off (not to be confused with Goo Gone another favorite product. Goof off removes Dried latex paint, glue, adhesives, candle wax, grease, gum, pen, marker, grease and crayon marks. My last resort is Mostenbocker’s Lift Off Stain Remover. Just follow the directions. Hope this helps Gayle and tomorrow I will tackle Jen’s sheet!
ink stains, Mostenbocker’s stain remover, Goof-Off, Goo-Gone, hairspray
Ronda wrote in to share this tip. I’ve listed Pam cooking spray in my favorite products and suggested spraying appliances and utensils before use to make cleaning them easy. Ronda says her favorite tip is to spray her Crock Pot before filling it so EVERYTHING washes away in the dishwasher. I plan to try this tomorrow when I take a dish to work. I remember when I hated to clean the crock pot, but that was before they had removable crock that could go in the dishwasher. Thanks for the Hint!
As punishment for having “blogger’s block” my internet cable went out last Tuesday and “the Cable guy” had to come run new cable to my whole house. I didn’t realize how frequently I was online until I spent five days with no internet connection.
The good news is I had a lot of responses to my plea for hints and questions and will be helping you out with those over the next few days.
Here’s an easy one, someone wanted to know how to get rid of unpleasant cooking odors. Vinegar is a great neutralizer. Place a small bowl in any room with funky smells and it will absorb and neutralize the smell. If you smoke up the kitchen, wet a towel with 1/2 hot water and 1/2 vinegar and wave it around until the odor is gone. If I cook something I know is funky smelling, I put a small sauce pan on the stove and simmer a cinnamon stick and a few cloves. This is a great use for spices that are beyond their shelf life, and overpowers most cooking smells. A pinch of baking soda or a dash of lemon juice will also neutralize many cooking odors without altering the taste of the food.
odors, vinegar, bakings soda, spices, lemon juice, cable guy
This is what I came up with today-Call it bloggers block. Help me out with your hints or questions and my cup will be refilled.
Email me today by clicking on contact me. Thanks.:)
I’m always reading hints for the use of fabric softener sheets. Yes they are great to stash among stored linens and in empty suitcases to keep them smelling fresh. I rub them on my support socks after putting them on to keep my scrubs from clinging to my legs. Used ones are great for dusting furniture that are high dust attractors. However, one of the hints I see often is to use them to clean computer and TV screens. While this reduces the dust attracting static, it will also damage your screen because of the chemicals in them. Only clean computer screens and TV screens with a clean, dry cotton or linen cloth, or with wipes made specifically for that purpose. Don’t use those microfiber cleaning clothes either as they are made from polyester and will put fine scratches in the finish.
fabric softener sheets, computer screens, tv screens, static cling, dusting
Household Tips is full of creative and unique household hints, remedies and shortcuts to keep your active family healthy and on-the-go. It will provide you with Martha Stewart-like do-it-yourself centerpieces with the ease and lightheartedness of a 30-Minute Meals show. Think, Dear Abby meet Hints from Heloise, disguised as a work-at-home-mom with stains on all her shirts.
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