I would like to wish everyone a Happy Labor Day!
In our part of the country we are having a beautiful fall day, lows in 50′s this morning, with highs to be in the 70′s. Yesterday was a beautiful day as well.
So enjoy this last day of the last summer holiday of the season, but fall is also a great time to get outdoors and enjoy some beautiful, cooler fall weather.
You can use them to dust off your TV and computer screens.Change Permalinks
Or use them as a stabilizer in a quilt block.
Got a yucky casserole dish, try cleaning it up with a used dryer sheet.
When done with your laundry, attach it to your Swiffer or Pledge duster, and cleanup your floors.
These ideas were from Mary Cheapskates 5-26-2010 newsletter.
Do you have left over buckets from kitty litter, painting, plastering, or from ice cream etc. Use them to store other items – like paint brushes or rollers.
We use them allot in our garden, for picking vegetables, hauling dirt and plants, watering trees. I always like to have some extra around.
photo credit: Kristoffer M.C.
Do you have a problem with getting your windows sparkling clean and streak free? Have you ever washed your windows thinking you had them sparkling clean; only to discover, that when the sun came around, they were still streaked. I have lots of times, till I found microfiber cloths and towels.
Other tips I have used before microfiber towels are:
What microfiber towels I like best to use:
Microfiber comes in various textures and blends and so to clean windows, I recommend a wet suede 16″ x 16″
Microfiber cloth for washing and a 20″ x 40″ MerryMicrofiber waffle weave towel for drying. Just one 20″ x 40″ waffle weave will dry numerous windows with just this one towel, because of its special built in “pockets” that whisk the moisture away, first into the pocket and then deep into the fabric of the towel, leaving your window dry and streak free. Depending on how many windows you have, you could use two to three 16″ x 16″ terry all purpose MerryMicrofiber towels for both washing and drying, or wash with a MerryMicrofiber towel and allow to air dry. Just remember to rinse your cloth/towel frequently in hot water to avoid streaking.
IHow does the microfiber towel work?
The unique technology of the microfiber blend, gives you a towel that is soft, durable, dirt grabbing and absorbent. The microfiber blend is made up of polyester and polyamide (nylon). The polyester gives it it’s softness, and the polyamide gives it it’s absorbability. The “star” wedges gives it it’s scrubbing ability, with it’s thousands of surface edges. This technology allows the fibers to pick up the dirt and pull it into the towel not just pushing it ahead of itself, like cotton does. This technology helps to save you time and money, using less effort to wash your windows and mirrors, in your home, office or vehicle. You can eliminate your window cleaners and paper towels using microfiber; having only to do it once and your window(s) will be clean. I have even just washed my patio door with a damp microfiber cloth and walked away, allowing it to just air dry.
I recommend using hot water for rinsing your towels as you clean. The hot water causes the fibers to swell, thus forcing the dirt, oil and grime out of the fibers into your water.
photo credit: P.Flintandco
iVillage had some good ideas on greening your kitchen in the article “4 Easy Ways to Go Green In The Kitchen”, like using greener more natural cleaners, watching your water usage, reducing your use of paper towels and composting your scraps.
Use baking soda and vinegar for cleaning drains and grimy pots and pans.
Use microfiber dish cloths instead of paper towels and paper napkins.
Run your dishwasher only when full. Instead of continually running water when washing dishes, fill one side of your sink for washing your dishes, and one side for rinsing your dishes. This will save lots of hot water, and the energy to heat it.
Clorox vs. Peroxide.
VERY interesting and inexpensive. This was
written by Becky Ransey of Indiana (a doctor’s wife), and I want to share it
with you. She was over recently for coffee and smelled the bleach I was using
to clean my toilet and counter tops. This is what she told me. ‘I would like
to tell you of the benefits of that Plain little ole bottle of 3% peroxide
you can get for under $1.00 at any drug store. What does bleach cost? My
husband has been in the medical field for over 36 years, and most doctors don’t
tell you about peroxide. Have you ever smelled bleach in a doctor’s office?
NO!!!
Why? Because it smells, and it is not healthy! Ask the nurses who
work in the doctor’s offices, and ask them if they use bleach at home. They
are wiser and know better!
Did you also know bleach was invented in the late 40′s? It’s chlorine,
folks! And it was used to kill our Troops. Peroxide was invented
during WWI in the 20′s. It was used to save and help cleanse the needs of our
troops and hospitals.
Please think about this:
1. Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle)
and hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily, then spit it out. (I do it
when I bathe.) No more canker sores, and your teeth will be whiter without
expensive pastes. Use it instead of mouthwash.
2. Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of peroxide to keep them free
of germs.
3. Clean your counters and table tops with peroxide to kill germs and
leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or
spray it on the counters.
4. After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it
to kill salmonella and other bacteria.
5. I had fungus on my feet for years until I sprayed a 50/50 mixture
of peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let
dry.
6. Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for five to ten minutes
several times a day. My husband has seen gangrene that would not heal
with any medicine but was healed by soaking in peroxide.
7. Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water and
keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system
like bleach or most other Disinfectants will.
8. Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture
whenever you have a cold, plugged sinus. It will bubble and help to
kill the bacteria. Hold for a few minutes, and then blow your nose into a
tissue.
9. If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right
away, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for ten
minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly.
10. And of course, if you like a natural look to your hair, spray the
50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You
will not have the peroxide-burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages but
more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, reddish, or dirty
blonde. It also lightens gradually, so it’s not a drastic change.
11. Put half a bottle of peroxide in your bath to help get rid of
boils, fungus, or other skin infections.
12. You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of
whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour it
directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and
rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.
13. I use peroxide to clean my mirrors. There is no smearing, which
is why I love it so much for this.
14. Another place it’s great is in the bathroom, if someone has been
careless & has peed on the floor around the toilet & it’s begun to
smell of urine. Just put some peroxide in a spray bottle & spray. In the blink
of any eye all the smell will be gone & the bacteria eliminated!
Need to bleach some microfiber cloths or towels, use an oxygen bleach which is just solid peroxide.
Today from Mary’s Cheapskate’s Newsletter she had a comment on reusing those dryer sheets. The lady saves them and wraps delicate Christmas ornaments in them. She just stuffed them in a container box till she needed them. I remember buying peaches in crates that were surrounded by little papers. They would of made wrappers as well.
Are you “crafty” person? When we were dyeing Easter eggs she saved the paper towels the kids laid the eggs on, or ones used to wipe up spills to make “new” eggs. They glued the now colorful paper towels on balloons, let them dry, broke the balloons, and whala new colorful eggs to decorate with. Or you could cut a hole in them and use them for a Easter egg basket.
If you use unscented dryer sheets, you might be able to do the same thing. You could even let the kids paint on them and then use them for another craft project.
Did you know that 1/2 a sheet is usually enough to soften a load? Tear them in half or reuse them to save on dryer sheets.
Make sure when using dryer sheets, that you wash you dryer filter periodically, as the softener will plug up the holes in the filter, causing your dryer to work harder. It will actually seal over the holes. You can test it by removing the filter from the dryer, running water over it. If the water stays on top, you need to wash the filter. This will help your dryer work more efficiently and save you money.
If you are able – let nature dry your clothes for you. Hang them outside or you can hang them on wooden racks in your home. In the winter time, this will help add moisture to your house.
photo credit: bradleygee
Do you have dogs or pets in your household?
Then keep a microfiber towel at your door to wipe them off when they come in. We keep a towel at each door, so we always have one ready to wipe them off, where ever you decide to bring them in. The “Dog Whisperer” suggests grooming or cleaning off your pet before they come in to help you keep your home clean.
Microfiber towels also are great when giving your pet a bath. They are more absorbent than cotton, so the job may require fewer towels or even a smaller microfiber towel will do.
I like to give our small dog a quick cleanup with a microfiber all purpose cloth. I just wet it and wash him up.
These would work well if you are preparing a pet or animal for showing. Clean and dry them up quickly with a microfiber cloth or towel.
Microfiber as great “attractibility” for dirt. It grabs the dirt, pulling it inside the cloth off of your pet or animal you are trying to clean up. Take some along when showing for quick touch-ups.
When training a pup, keep a microfiber cloth handy to wipe up those accidents, you can even use one to clean your carpets. First wash the spot with a pet deordorizer/spot remover and dry it with another microfiber cloth.
I took a navy, an off white, light blue and a light mint waffle weave facial or dish cloth and created a flower in a pot. I got this idea from a customer who had purchased some packages of the Assorted pack of microfiber cloths, and “rolled” them up and put individual “flowers” in small clay pots as favors for a women’s gathering.
It was a really cool gift, for not only was it decorative, but useful as well, and it helped the ladies live “greener” lives as well.
Microfiber dish cloths are great for picking up crumbs, dirt or grease off of your counter tops or appliances.
Got stainless steel appliances, clean them easier and more efficiently with microfiber dish cloths. No need to clean them with stainless steel cleaner again.
Want a great facial cloth for exfoliating your skin, try a microfiber waffle weave cloth. They clean your skin safely and chemical free. You can have more beautiful, healthier looking skin by just using a microfiber facial cloth.
Are your chemical cleaners making you sick?
Do you have allergies or do members of your family have allergies?
Do you want some simpler, safe and natural solutions to cleaning?
On May 12, 2010 on TheDoctorsTV.com they had some suggestions for healthier cleaning methods.
To Clean Your Toaster
Get some large salt crystals and shake them into your toaster. (Also remember to empty out the crumbs and chunks out of the bottom tray periodically.) Shake some into your toaster. Cover the toaster completely with plastic wrap and shake. Then empty everything into the garbage. Mice and other creatures like to come and eat the “left overs” in our toasters. Gross city, let’s strive to keep them cleaner!
To Clean Your Coffee Pot
To remove brown stains in the pot: use an effervescent product (like tablets to clean dentures) and add with water to the pot and let soak. To clean the coffee maker: add a mixture of 2 parts vinegar (2 cups) and 1 part (1 cup) water to maker and run through the system. Then run a clean pot of water through, to rinse.
To Clean Tray Under Water Dispensers
Take a toothbrush and white vinegar to clean and disinfectant the tray.
To Clean Your DishWasher
Run inexpensive citric flavored drink mixture through a cycle. For even more tips check out this site: http://www.essortment.com/home/cleandishwasher_sopn.htm. Clean the outside of your dishwasher with a damp microfiber dish cloth.
To Clean Your Microwave
Squeeze a lemon into a bowl of hot water. Place in your microwave for about 5 minutes. Then wipe clean. Doing this will help to loosen dried on material stuck to the walls and ceiling of the microwave. I wonder if vinegar would do the samething? Try adding a 1/2 cup to a bowl of water.
To Unclog A Drain
Take a 1/2 cup of baking soda, pour it down the drain. Then pour in 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Let it work till foaming stops and then pour down the drain a pot of boiling water. Do monthly to keep drains clean.
photo credit: swanksalot
It is so wonderful to be able to eat fresh, organic vegetables right out the garden.
We are now picking beans and raspberries. The peas are finished, but we have been able to have stir fry made with fresh vegetables right out the garden. I made it with onions, carrots, green and wax bean, kolrabi, zucchini & peas. Then I added a package of chicken flavored Rama noodles, for flavoring. It was low cal, quite tasting with lots of vitamins.
We have had spinach, lettuce and radishes so far this season too. The radishes didn’t do real well, because we had put turkey manure on our garden this spring, and it is high in nitrogen. So we got lots of tops, but few radishes. The turkey manure gave quite a boost to the garden.
There are many ways to have a “garden”. You can do “pot” gardening, just plant some vegetables in large pots, or use the “bag” method, by using 40 lb bags of potting soil, cutting out the top, and planting the vegetables in the bag. You can have raised garden beds, or just an old fashion regular garden plot. Happy gardening and happy eating!!
