The Household Hints & Tips Thread...
 

http://www.cascadecarpetcleaning.net...g-supplies.jpg




As I was laboriously cleaning my house today, attempting to keep things spic & span with 5 cats, and a dog, in rainy Oregon, it occurred to me that I needed to clean the kitchen trash bin. I hate a dirty bin, and I hate cleaning them even more, primarily because I do not like cleaning all of the little tiny crevices in the spring action lid.

Suddenly, I had an idea, the dishwasher was empty! I had a moment of guilt, because I do not like to run a dishwasher when it is not full, so I went and gathered another couple of bin lids, and a plastic dustpan. After running the dishwasher on the short cycle, without the dryer, my lids and dustpan were absolutely spotless.

The idea for this thread came to me when I was talking to Gaige on her lunch break, and we were animatedly discussing our different cleaning tricks. Since we are both particular about cleaning, we thought it would be a great idea to start a thread where BFP members can share their tricks and tips for housecleaning, laundry, yard duties, organizing, household repairs made easy, etc...

I'm also interested in seeing posts about homemade, and environmentally friendly cleaning products.

I know it is hard to believe, but I'm rather excited to see what you all will contribute to this thread!

Well, #1 for me would be "pay $$$ to get Holly and Gaige here to clean my apartment" ;).

Seriously, if you have a tall trash bin (that you can't reach all the way into to clean the bottom), put it in the tub with some Dawn and scrub it sideways with a spare toilet brush.

If your saucepan lids keep getting all over the place, put a plastic drainer in the cupboard and store them upright.

It's not a "green" product, but I'm loving the new pods of laundry detergent. You just drop one, maybe two, in. No more gunky cups!

If it's just you, or you and Gaige, this might not be such an issue. I have teenagers :P who shed their belongings all over the place. Before you begin to clean, get a laundry tub or basket and walk through the entire house, gathering things that are in the wrong room. Return them to the right room. Pick up all trash, get anything off the floor, all dishes in the kitchen, all laundry up, etc. Doing all this before a big clean will simplify your job and you won't have to interrupt yourself all the time.

(and if you're me, you will finish that step and say "heck with it" and have a lemonade ;)).

Here are some cleaning supplies you make at home.

http://www.allyou.com/budget-home/or...0411000074397/

Great thread Hollyjane! Funny cuz I was just coming on to share a recent discovery that I at least love very much for cleaning...

I got a set of 4 microfiber dish cloths to replace my disposable spongy dishcloths that 1. I can no longer readily find 2. get stained and icky looking after a while and 3. are disposable...and that's the last thing our planet needs right now!

These cloths have a microfiber side and a mesh side, I believe I got them at Walmart. And not only do I use them in the kitchen for wiping down the counters, cabinets, appliances and sink, but I found I can ALSO use a dry one for dusting without the use of furniture polish :)

We now save money on the constant replacement of the sponge wipes as I just wash the cloths when they need it. AND I no longer need furniture polish. One less chemical in the house :)

:byebye:

*subscribing*

Thanks for starting this, hollylane! I'll post if I think of anything.

Subscribing
 

What a great site Okiebug61. :hangloose:I clicked into the site and the link below and , it made me want to stay home and try some of these tips...:byebye: .well, for just an instant. I forget about vinegar, and baking soda and borax being here and planet friendly.

31 secret household cleaners (you already own)

Learn how to clean your house with things already in your cupboard. These easy household cleaners are tough on grime but easy on your wallet.

http://www.allyou.com/budget-home/or...50/page35.html

If you are a crocheter or knitter, you can make a washable, reusable swiffer cover out of cotton yarn. I've not made one, but have seen a couple of patterns that are for beginners. You could also try ebay or etsy.

I've been known to take a cloth diaper and use it on the swiffer when I was out of the pads. I've since upgraded to a mop system that has washable replacement heads...

Everyone probably already knows this one but its one of my faves and i did it just today...

An easy way to clean the microwave, squeeze a half of a lemon into a bowl with like a cup of water, and i actually leave the lemon in the water as well. Pop it into the microwave for about 4 minutes. Let it sit for two. Open the door and just wipe away the mess. The steam from the lemon water releases the tough food stuffs AND it makes the microwave smell clean :)

pipe friendly drain cleaner
 

Baking soda has to rank as the most inexpensive/multifunctional product sold. (I do not bake)

Baking soda; White Vinegar

I buy the least expensive no name brands and the largest quantity I can find and do every drain in the house 2 or three times a year.

Remove hair catcher from drain opening. Dump baking soda into the drain, and pour white vinegar on top of the
baking soda. The object of course, is to get the vinegar into the drain, so aim for the center of the baking soda. Pour vinegar slowly. This will foam up! When the foaming action subsides, add more vinegar, again pouring slowly.
Eventually this will all fall down into the drain and continue cleaning as it goes. (you'll hear it working) slowly add more vinegar until you no longer hear the fizz.

Let it sit for approx half an hour and then run water to flush the pipes through.

faux leather floor finish
 

I've been following this *paper bag flooring* concept for
five years. The process has been much improved, but the end result still looks the same. I haven't tried it yet but I'm darn close. Consistently I keep reading/hearing you can recover *LARGE* spaces for a $100 investment plus time. I'm attaching what I think is the most informative
tutorial, however, like everything we do, watch as many as you can to pick up as many tips possible. (sorry, long sentence):praying:

Glad you started this thread, as I have had 3 people now PM me for the laundry soap recipe I mentioned in another thread.

http://www.diynatural.com/homemade-l...etergent-soap/ You can add a 1/2 cup oxy-clean.

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Water and white vinegar cleans most things. Baking soda is also a very multi functional product. TF is more versed on this stuff, than me, however.


For TF and I, homemade products are less about cost (but that is nice), and more about getting away from chemicals.

Although not a cleaning topic, over Christmas she tried her hand at deodorant, body/face lotion, and lip balm. Good stuff. I appreciate her taking the time to do this to keep us healthy. Laundry soap and the rest of the items I just mentioned are important because they are all products that leak into our skin. Nasty chemicals we don't need. Additionally, always remember to wash your new clothes before wearing. :sock:

Thank-you Hollylane and Gaige for starting this thread. In my newspaper reading days, I loved Hints from Heloise :flowers:. I've always got a project or two going on and with that always comes some sort of snag.

Speaking of snag. My 25 year old Sears Kenmore Dryer is making a noise. I don't expect it to have an operating life of infinity, I'm thinking the belt may be dry rot. Certainly thats something I can repair. I saw where Hollylane posted about ~Gaige to the rescue~ on her dryer repair. Can someone point me in the direction of that research? Thank you again!

I recently discovered a new use for vinegar. I use it instead of a commercial rinse agent in my dishwasher and it gets everything sparkling clean!

I also use BonAmi instead of Ajax to clean tubs, showers, sinks, etc.

I use a microfiber cloth when swiffering the house. I hate throwing away those single-use only cleaning products.

I've been making my own beauty products for quite some time now and LOVE not only the money it saves, but knowing exactly what is in them. I make lotion, salt & sugar scrubs, chapstick, shampoo & conditioner...I haven't yet mastered a solid deodorant that really works.

Thanks for starting such a great thread, Holly!!

method O-Mop All Floor Sweeper Dusters, Biodegradable, 16 ea
 

As I said before, I live in a very furry household. I have a ton of windows, and they are all covered in cream colored heavy drapes. At the outside edges, and where the curtains part, I am constantly battling the cat hair that accumulates there, seemingly overnight. I have been fighting with the vacuum for several years, trying mostly unsuccessfully to lift the cat hair from the curtains.

A month or so ago, I discovered that you can use rubber cleaning gloves to simply wipe the hair right off. It is so easy, that I do it every time I vacuum a room (about twice a week).

Interesting! It looked sort of like concrete to me. I wonder how it would look if you tore the paper in long strips, like plank flooring.

And it works on week-old exploded fish in the microwave, doesn't it princess ;)

I learned how to change my dryer belt on youtube!

one of many uses for epsom salts (uber inexpensive too)
 

Fertilize your houseplants - Most plants need nutrients like magnesium and sulfur to stay in good health and Epsom salt makes the primary nutrients in most plant foods (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) more effective. Sprinkle Epsom salt once weekly to help nourish your houseplants, flowers and vegetables.

I am so intrigued by the paper bag floor idea. I googled it and am in LOVE! Totally going to try it someday. Thanks, guys!!

I have an art studio/office type of room that I majorly double fucked up the carpet in. First,
I knocked a bottle of ink off the drawing table (splaattt). Then serious ruin came when I put a triple espresso on top of an imaginary table :blink:. That espresso stain covers 6 feet. So I'm going to cut the center square carpet out of the room and cover it with this paper floor. It can NOT look any worse than the way it's looking now.

I'm thinking about LaDivina's suggestion. Why couldn't I make faux planks? Cut planks and draw wood like patterns (with a sharpie maybe ??) assorted grains and knot holes. It's an art room....if it looks awful, as the youtube tutors have said, add another layer and cover it.

I imparted from one lady (on u tube) {read the comments} she did a bedroom, then a cement entryway, then furniture....she used welbond from micheals instead of elmers and suggests satin waterbased verathane for the *clear coat floor finish* dries quicker, less V.O.C's and holds up better.

I'd finish off the project by using some kind of wood to tie the carpet edges into my faux floor.

I'm open to suggestions....I love to tap into peoples imaginations............................

I, like Novela, am loving the paper bag flooring idea! I'm pretty handy, and after having restored an 1860's house, am pretty fearless about trying new things. Worse comes to worse, just be prepared to pay a professional to complete something if I am in over my head...

That being said, I googled this for a couple of hours after I saw Dominque's post... WOW... there are a lot of applications for this idea... one woman has done not just floors, but also a counter-top... and seeing her followup posts and pictures, she has shown how its held up after 6 months or so of use... I will be heading to HomoDepot to find supplies to experiment with... will let you know how it turns out and if we decide to try it on a room...

Sorry about the slight derail, but I can be hyperfocused when it comes to something that combines DIY AND the craftiness in me!

Back to cleaning... I tried the white vinegar as a rinse aid in the dishwasher yesterday... I was really pleased with the results!

For air-freshening... we have a bagless vacuum and place ground cinnamon in the canister before we vacuum... its pretty cost-effective if you get the mondo-size at Costco!

I also use lemons/limes/any citrus in the garbage disposal... run some hot water while you are grinding them up and it is an instant blast of freshness!

We've not had a problem with clogging the filters, but I see how it could be a concern. I've not ever sprinkled the cinnamon on the carpets, but have toyed with the idea of a cinnamon/baking soda sprinkle - my own version of carpet-fresh!

Speaking of filters, I like to get extra mileage out of them by either blowing them out with the shop-vac, actually vacuuming them with the shop vac (its tedious and not a habit) or taking them to the gas station and blowing them out with the air compressor. This is especially helpful when doing home projects that require using the shop vac and those filters can be pricey!

Hints
 

Great thread for us guys. Im a clean freak. Ill keep reading. If you want help with cooking anything I can help in exchange for your handy cleaning tips. Thanks everyone.

Whopeeeee..soon very soon, out to play
 

3 cats are in hiding.
What's safe for etched mirrors and etched glass shower doors.

Bought a gallon of vinegar and a triple size box of baking soda.

This morning, I experimented and fizzed my kitchen double sink/garbage disposal with the baking soda, vinegar and hot water (how-to-do-above) . I did it twice. I just did it because. It was actually interesting Plus, it went glug glug faster the second time around.

I did the electric coffee pot with vinegar and water, then poured it into the dishwasher and am running it through a cycle.

I swiffered the hardwood floors with that great citrus smelling moist pad, turned it over when it got dusty, Then, rinsed it out, put some glass cleaner on it an swiped the Italian tile in the master bath.

Now, to clean the tile grout. Those grout cleaners stink too bad, and are nasty chemicals, Only thing I know to use on it is good ole fashioned bleach...Wonder what else baking soda and vinegar can do.

Jacuzzi tonight.....:moonstars:

I have found vinegar in the washer during the rinse cycle (as the fabric softener) or just the whole darn wash works to get rid of the mildew smell in one load AND when towels get that "soap build up" smell.

:)

I pour some vinegar into the washing machine with the laundry soap anytime I am washing my dog's blankets. Vinegar gets rid of urine smell.