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Clearing that Closet clutter Clearing that Basement clutter
Stepping Lightly Into Spring
As usual, most of our tips involve lots of old-fashioned common
sense. While all save natural resources, many save financial
ones, too. What a deal!
Turn off your furnace and drain it, if appropriate.
Try turning down the water heater, since you won't be
taking too many hot showers during the summer. On
average, your water heater is the single biggest energy
user in the house.
Clean out your refrigerator and wipe the dust off the
coils. The less you try to keep cool, the less energy
you use. And clean coils mean that the compressor runs
more efficiently and lasts longer, too.
Change or clean the filter on your air conditioner and
vacuum the dust from the coils. If you've got central
air, consider having the ducts cleaned, too.
Before resorting to the AC, try cross-ventilating by
opening the top and bottom windows on opposite
sides of the room. This should set up a nice, free breeze.
Hold a garage sale. Give what's left to a charitable group
such as the Salvation Army or Purple Heart.
Caulk, paint and seal your house. It will last longer, save
energy and save money. (Not to mention look better!)
If bleach is used in the home, make sure it is thoroughly
rinsed away. Not only can bleach residue ruin clothing, it may also
react with other chemicals (which are
applied to the same area later) and create dangerous
fumes
Should You Have the Air
Ducts in Your Home
Cleaned?
Alternatives for common household cleaners or using stuff you have around the house
Task Blocking For Efficiency
If you find yourself jumping from one task
to another, and feel that you are running as fast
as you can, but falling behind each work day ... if
you ever feel as if your job responsibilities pull
you in too many directions, then you might consider
putting your daily schedule into task blocks.
The cleaning "recipe" for
Impossible-to-reach windows:
Put 2 to 3 tablespoons dishwasher detergent and 1 tablespoon Jet Dry in
a spray-bottle hose attachment (like those used to spray insecticides).
Fill the spray bottle with water and attach it to the hose. Spray one section
ofwindow at a time. Rinse that section immediately with clean water. The
water will sheet off, so there's no need to dry the windows.
All Purpose Cleaner (From Rodale's Book of Practical Formulas)
2 cups rubbing alcohol (70% isoprophyl)
1 tablespoon mild dishwashing liquid (for handwashing dishes, NOT dishwasher detergent-it contains bleach!)
1 tablespoon ammonia
2 quarts water
Stir all ingredients together in a bowl. Fill a CLEAN spray bottle (not recycled one) with cleaner and store the rest tightly sealed in a large bottle.
Use with a cloth or sponge to clean the bathroom fixtures, kitchen fixtures, appliances, chrome, plastic countertops, and painted surfaces. Rinse with a clean cloth or sponge after cleaning.
*** TIME SAVER TIP ***
1) Something that works on mirrors is shaving cream,
just a little. You wipe it off with a paper towel.
You might see a slight film, but that film keeps the
mirror from steaming up when you take a shower!
works on shower doors too!
2) Replace clear shower doors with frosted glass shower doors because they don't show water and soap spots.
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Stains
(ARA) - Stains: no one likes to think about them. But buy a big-ticket item like a sofa and visions of large, dark, irremovable spots hit hard when the sofa gets delivered. Suddenly, new house rules are written: the dog is no longer allowed on the couch and the kids can't eat while watching TV.
It was probably such sobering moments that fueled the plastic slip covering business in the 1950s. Fortunately, technological advances such as Scotchgard protection not only helped to make such extreme measures a thing of the past, but also allow us to "break the rules" and enjoy our furniture.
After all, home is a refuge from our overly scheduled lives, where we can take pleasure in habits such as sinking into the sofa eating a pint of ice cream right from the carton. A recent New York Times article referred to the growing philosophy that eating is to be done while doing something else -- reading, working, or driving. Eating while comfortably settled onto the sofa and watching TV ranks right up there.
When it comes to shopping, whether for a sofa fabric is selected for its eye-catching appeal and touch. Most people have no intention of tiptoeing around that peice of furniture. Then again, people doesn't exactly expect to trip over a shoe and splash cranberry juice all over their fabrics, like Terrell Allen, vice president of design for Pearson, a furniture company, did.
Once skeptical of Scotchgard's protection value, Allen became a convert in the five seconds it took him to return from the bathroom with a cloth to blot the red, sticky juice from his new, white upholstered headboard. "The liquid formed beads that literally leapt off the fabric," recalls Allen. "I was lucky that the juice didn't hit the draperies that weren't treated." Allen turned the "best dollar I ever spent" into a corporate mandate. All fabrics used on Pearson upholstery must have Scotchgard protection applied at the fabric mill.
Considering that Scotchgard protection can be used on almost everything from apparel-weight silks to chenille tapestries, as well as carpet, shoes and clothing, it is easy to understand why there are more than 75 formulations. Each is carefully designed for particular fibers, fabrics and application methods to ensure the best possible protection.
Check the manufacturer's label, and if it hasn't been done for you, take the time to protect your investment and then relax. Then enjoy your furniture, even with a plateful of food, without the worry that your beautiful fabrics are unprotected.
Major retailers such as IKEA, Homelife and Wards specify that all the upholstered furniture they sell be made with fabric treated at the time of manufacture. Flexsteel shares the Pearson mandate for protected furniture.
Stain Remover on the Cheap
use power plus dawn, dilute it half and half, actually alittle more water then half so that it sprays, let it sit and the stains are gone. You can make 4-bottles of stain remover for the cost of half can of shout!
If you dont like the smell try Joy instead _dont try to substitute others- they just dont work the same
OVEN CLEANER
2 Tbsp. dishwashing liquid
2 Tbsp. borax
1/4 c. ammonia
1 1/2 c. warm water
Mix together, apply to oven spills and allow to sit 20-30
minutes. Scrub with an abrasive nylon-backed sponge and rinse
well.
GENERAL-PURPOSE CLEANER
1 tsp. borax
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. vinegar
1/4 tsp. dishwashing liquid
2 c. hot water
Combine all ingredients. For a more pleasant smell, use lemon
juice instead of vinegar.
EASY SCRUB
3/4 c. baking soda
1/4 c. borax
Dishwashing liquid
Combine the baking soda and borax. Mix in enough dishwashing
liquid to make a smooth paste. (Add 1/4 tsp. of lemon juice for
a more pleasant smell.)
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 FREE Program - Learn
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Cleaning time- Page 3|