Here are some laundry hacks that we are quite impressed by and are sure they will make your life easier ....
Here are some laundry hacks that we are quite impressed by and are sure they will make your life easier ....
This a very simple to make and very, very cheap air freshener; and it is perfect for the bathroom or closets. It will last around a month.
The instructions for this will depend on the type of gelatin or pectin you use.
Ingredients
- plain, unflavored gelatin or pectin
- water for preparing gelatin
- food coloring (optional, just for added flair)
- essential oils
- small glass jars or bowls
- 1 tablespoon salt (prevents mold)
- To make this, place 1-2 drops of food coloring in each of your glass jars or bowls, and then prepare the gelatin according to the package directions, adding the salt during boiling.
- Once the gelatin has dissolved in the water and it's ready to set, add 20-30 drops of essential oil and mix.
- Then pour into your individual containers and mix with the food coloring.
- Check the strength of the smell at this time and add more oil if necessary.
- This will firm up at room temperature, but if you want it to set quicker you can place it in the fridge.
See in this video how you can keep your houseplants healthy with cleaning tips for broadleaf, succulent, and cactus specimens ....
In this two-part demonstration, Hector and Tony will show you the 40 easy and practical ways that you can use toothpaste around the home ....
Image
In the following video you will learn how to clean with lemon ....
Ingredients:
- 1/4 bar of Fels Naptha soap
- 2 Tablespoons Borax powder
- 1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (not baking soda)
1. Cut Fels Naptha bar into fourths and store the extra 3 in a ziptop bag, so you have them handy for your next 3 batches.
2. Grate the 1/4 Fels Naptha Bar into medium shreds.
3. Put grated Fels Naptha and 1 cup of water into a pot and melt over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Continue cooking until all the soap has dissolved. It will be a little sudsy, but no chunks of soap should remain.
4. Pout 2.5 quarts (10 cups) of water into a large container or bucket and add the cooked soap mixture. Borax and washing soda.
5. Stir.
6. Add 2.5 quarts more (10 cups) water.
7. Stir again. You'll notice a few suds on the top of your stirred soap.
8. If you have a lid for the container you're mixing this in, just put the lid on it and let it set overnight. I mixed mine in a bucket and ended up transferring it to another container with a lid, before setting it aside for overnight.
9. The next morning, your soap will have thickened and gelled considerably. Stir it up and then you're ready to transfer it into two laundry bottles for your use.
10. Divide the soap evenly between the two 1.17 gallon laundry bottles you've saved. They'll be about half full. (If you're using empty milk jugs or some other size container, the ratio is one part soap to one part water. Just fill the container you're using half full with your DIY soap and then finish filling with water).
11. Finish filling each bottle with water.
12. Shake the bottles vigorously to mix and you're ready to wash laundry.
13. It takes 1/4 cup per load.
14. Give the bottle a shake before each load, to make sure nothing has separated and it's mixed well.
Source
Image
In this video, Melissa Maker discusses what you need to know about mold and mildew and how you can deal with it ....
This video will show you how to keep your laptop running clean and cool. Dust buildup is a huge problem for laptops and can cause overheating, random shutdowns and freezes. and cam make the fan run constantly, draining your batter. Using a vacuum running in reverse, you can safely blow out dust from your laptop's vents and fans ....
Image
There's always the need for specialty cleaning products - but most jobs can also be tackled with really basic ingredients. Dish soap has a million cleaning uses, and here are a few you can start using right now ....
Stop picking up small glass shards with your bare hands. Press a piece of white bread all over the area to pick up even the tiniest pieces.
Grab half a white onion and rub it across the grate of the hot grill using a fork. This will clean the grate, and even leave flavor for next time.
Fill a blender with warm water and a drop of dish soap, then turn it on and blend for a few seconds. Dump, rinse with clean water, and dry.
Combine baking soda and water into a paste and spread over the vomit. Let it sit overnight and then you'll be able to vacuum it all up the next day.
Throw an old pillowcase around the fan blades and wipe from within. It should keep all the dust inside and be way easy.
Buff worn leather furniture with shoe polish. Scrapes and scuffs will disappear.
Clean your dishwasher by running it on the highest temperature with a cup of vinegar on the top shelf. Then sprinkle some baking soda on the bottom and run it again. Now it's clean.
Pour vodka into a spray bottle, spritz lightly across your mattress and leave it to air-dry. The alcohol will kill the odor causing bacteria.
Cut a grapefruit in half and sprinkle it (and the tub) with salt. Now use the fruit as a scrubber and those rings will fade away.
Soak up excess moisture with a towel, then blast it with a hair dryer while still damp, and they should disappear.
Never worry about destroying your clothes with grease again. Cover the stains with white chalk, wait a few minutes and then wipe the chalk away with a damp cloth.
Making the bed everyday is one of those things that doesn't take long to do yet feels so good when you get into bed at night. You just feel more relaxed and luxurious getting into a ''made'' bed at the end of the day ....
Melissa Maker, cleaning expert, shows Tamara how to clean a burnt plan - they are usually so hard to clean but with this amazing trick, it's easy to handle. By using baking soda and dish soap with a bit of heat, the pan becomes clean in under a minute ....
Vinegar is a weak form of acetic acid that forms through the fermentation of sugars or starches. It is completely edible, and cannot harm your stomach. And luckily for us, many things can be cleaned using it.
NOTE: plain white vinegar is the best for the following uses; cider and other vinegars may have unwanted side effects. Vinegar is used in 100% concentration unless otherwise specified ....
Your Vinegar Spray Bottles
In addition to your regular bottle of vinegar, a really useful item is a spray bottle. Ideally, you want two; one with pure vinegar, the other with a half vinegar, half water combination. Having vinegar in a dispenser of this type makes its use much simpler in many cases.
All Around the House
1. To remove stickers that have been used to ''decorate'' furniture and other surfaces, moisten with vinegar. Let sit for at least ten minutes, then remove.
2. For persistent room odors, place a bowl of vinegar in the room overnight.
3. For spills on carpet, use a sponge or cloth to soak up as much liquid as possible. Then spray with a mixture of half vinegar, half water. Let stand for about two minutes, then blot with towel or sponge. Repeat as needed.
4. For more persistent stains, use a mixture of 1 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon liquid dish soap, and 1 cup warm water. Proceed as suggested above. When finished cleaning, dry using a hairdryer set on low.
5. To clean windows, spray with half vinegar, half water. Wipe clean with either newspapers or cloth.
6. To clean silver, pewter, copper or brass, dissolve 1 teaspoon salt in one cup vinegar. Add flour to create a paste (1/4 cup or more). Apply the paste to the metal item, and let stand for at least fifteen minutes. Rinse with warm water and polish with a soft cloth.
7. No-wax floors can be cleaned with a solution of 1 cup vinegar per gallon of water for shinier surface.
8. To clean wood paneling, use a mixture of 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup vinegar, and 2 cups warm water. Apply to paneling with a soft cloth. Dry with a clean cloth.
In the Bathroom
9. To remove corrosion or chemical build-up from shower-heads, soak in vinegar overnight.
10. Remove stains from the toilet bowl by spraying with vinegar and spraying.
11. To remove soap build-up from faucets, clean with a mixture of 1 part salt to four parts vinegar.
12. Spray shower walls and shower curtain with vinegar to help prevent mildew.
In the Kitchen
13. To keep ants away, spray vinegar along doorways, windowsills, counter-tops; anywhere that ants are likely to appear. If you find an ant trail, clean it with vinegar.
14. To remove odors from the sink or garbage disposal, pour in a cup or more vinegar. Do not rinse out again for at least an hour.
15. For a clogged drain, first pour in 1/2 cup baking soda. Then add an equal amount of vinegar. When the mixture finishes bubbling, rinse with warm water. (Note: some garbage disposal do not reach well to this cleaning method; check the manufacturer first).
16. Wipe your hands with vinegar after chopping. It will remove strong scents like onion and garlic, as well as stains from fruit juices.
17. To clean wooden cutting boards, wipe with vinegar.
18. Remove strong odors. Rinse jars with a half and half mixture of vinegar and water to remove garlic or other strong odors. Boil water with several spoons of vinegar to remove the smell of burnt food from your kitchen.
19. Vinegar is an excellent cleaner for all kitchen surfaces - counters, refrigerators, stove-tops.
20. To clean your microwave oven, put a microwave-safe bowl of 1/2 cup vinegar and 1 cup water in the oven, and cook long enough to boil. In addition to removing any lingering odors, this will loosen any baked-on food from the microwave's walls.
21. To remove coffee or teas stains from china, clean with a mixture of vinegar and salt.
In the Laundry
22. To keep colors from running in the wash, soak in vinegar before washing.
23. To decrease ling on clothing, add 1/2 cup vinegar to the rinse cycle.
24. Many persistent stains can be removed with vinegar: coffee, chocolate, ketchup, jam, cola, wine. Gently rub stain with vinegar, the wash.
25. To make your ''brights brighter'', add 1/2 cup vinegar to the rinse cycle.
26. For fresher cloth diapers, add one cup distilled vinegar to the rinse cycle. This will break down uric acid and remove both lingering stains and scents.
27. To remove scorch marks from an iron, rub with a mixture of vinegar and salt.
28. To remove soap residue from the washing machine, run an empty (no laundry) cycle with one cup vinegar added.
29. To remove the smell of smoke from clothing, add a cup of vinegar to a tub of hot water. Let clothing hang in the same room for several hours.
Source
Image
Rust is a quiet, subtle thing that sneaks up on your pans, pots, serving-ware and even some furniture. It comes in many different forms, but the most common in households is rust from iron oxides, where metal is exposed to water or air moisture and becomes oxygenated.
There are five eco-friendly ways to remove rust ....
1 Salt & Lime: Sprinkle a little bit of salt on the rust, then squeeze the lime over the salt until is soaking. Let the mixture sit for 2-3 hours and then remove the rust with the lime rind. This can also be done with a lemon. We like the salt and lime a little more because they double as margarita ingredients as well.
2 White Vinegar & Water: One smart reader dipped aluminum foil in white vinegar and scrub away the rust.
3. Baking Soda & Water: Put baking soda directly onto the rust, and then with a toothbrush apply water and scrub. This Re-Nest reader suggests going with the grain depending on what you are cleaning.
4 Vinegar Soak: Place smaller rusty items in an overnight vinegar soak, like rusty tools, and hasn't needed to scrub any of them.
5. Potato & Dish Soap: Cutting a potato in half, and then dipping the cut end in dish soap or baking soda. Then apply the soaked end to the rusted and rub. To keep going, just cut the potato's top layer and re-apply the soap.
Source
Image
A microwave is pretty necessary in a kitchen. We use ours at least twice a day, and there's only two of us here. That's 14 rounds a week ... 14 opportunities for our microwave to become gummed up and nasty.
But, it doesn't. Know why? I've got a really easy way to clean it AND keep it clean. Tell your friends, teach your kids, you're going to love this ....
This is an in-depth tutorial on how to clean your fridge properly. Now I'll warn you, it's not a quick job (if done properly). You can do some quick little cheats which take a few minutes, but for a good cleaning you'll need to dedicate some quality time to your cook kitchen friend ....
I found an oven cleaner that is not toxic and is cheap to make and it actually works ....
You Need:
- 2 cups baking soda
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1/2 cup dish soap
Source
This is a cautionary tale for those of you who don't think your makeup brushes need to be washed every 2 - 4 weeks, depending on how much you use them.
Here's a quick 'how to clean your makeup brushes ....
What you will need:
- Every single brush in your collection
- A foaming face wash
- Warm water & the bathroom sink for about 20 minutes
- Old-ish towels
Steps:
- Dampen the bristles of the makeup brush with warm water.
- Add a small amount of face wash to the brush bristles and get a good leather up with your fingers.
- Rinse the bristles of the brush under running water until the water turns clear. Inspect the face brushes thoroughly. If your brush is extra dirty, keep following step 2 & 3 until there are no clumps visible.
- When all brushes are clean, run the bristles across the towel then lay them flat across the towel to air dry. Do not dry them standing up.
Hot Tips:
- Make sure you don't dampen the whole makeup brush or leave brushes soaking in water. It will loosen the glue keeping the bristles in the brush, over time.
- If you're in a hurry to use your brushes, let them dry naturally for as long as possible (but not in direct sunlight) before using a hair dryer on a low heat to dry them.
Source
Image
The simple plan is to encourage everyone to use baking soda in any of these applications. Besides, showing kindness to aquatic life, we can also protect ourselves from the array of toxins in household cleaning products.
Baking soda, aka sodium bicarbonate, helps regulate pH; keeping a substance neither too acidic nor too alkaline. When baking soda comes in contact with either an acidic or an alkaline substance, its natural effect is to neutralize the pH.
Beyond that, baking soda has the ability to retard further changes in the pH balance, known as buffering. This dual capability of neutralizing and buffering allows baking soda to do things such as neutralize acidic odors as well as maintain neutral pH. It's a simple reaction, but one that has far-reaching effect for a number of cleaning and deodorizing tasks.
So start using baking soda for ....
Personal Care
Make Toothpaste
A Paste made from baking soda can be used as an alternative to commercial non-fluoride toothpastes. Here's a remedy:
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, finely ground
- 1 drop peppermint, spearmint, sweet orange, clove or cinnamon bark essential oil
- A few drops tap water
Combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix them thoroughly with a toothbrush, your finger, or a small spoon until a smooth, thick paste forms. The paste shouldn't be too runny; it has to stay on your toothbrush.
Freshen Your Mouth
Put one teaspoon in half a glass of water, swish, spit and rinse. Odors are neutralized, not just covered up.
Use as a Facial Scrub & Body Exfoliant
Give yourself an invigorating facial and body scrub. Make a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Rub in a gentle circular motion to exfoliate the skin. Rinse clean. This is gentle enough for daily use.
Skip Harsh Deodorant
Pat baking soda onto your underarms to neutralize body odor.
Treat Insect Bites & Itchy Skin
For insect bites, make a paste out of baking soda and water, and apply as a salve onto affected skin. To ease the itch, shake some baking soda into your hand and rub it into damp skin after bath or shower.
Make a Hand Cleanser & Softener
Skip harsh soaps and gently scrub away ground-in dirt and neutralize odors on hands with a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water, or 3 parts baking soda to gentle liquid hand soap. Then rinse clean.
Help Your Hair
Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda into your palm along with your favorite shampoo. Shampoo as usual and rinse thoroughly; baking soda helps remove the residue that styling products leave behind so your hair is cleaner and more manageable.
Clean Brushes & Combs
For lustrous hair with more shine, keep brushes and combs clean. Remove natural oil build-up and hair product residue by soaking combs and brushes in a solution of 1 teaspoon of baking soda in a small basin of warm water. Rinse and allow to dry.
Make a Batch Soak
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your bath to neutralize a acids on the skin and help wash away oil and perspiration, it also makes your skin feel very soft. Epsom salts are pretty miraculous for the bathe too.
Soothe Your Feet
Dissolve 3 tablespoons of baking soda in a tub of warm water and soak fee. Gently scrub.
Cleaning
Make a Surface Soft Scrub
For safe, effective cleaning of bathroom tubs, tile and sinks (even fiberglass and glossy tiles), sprinkle baking soda lightly on a clean damp sponge and scrub as usual. Rinse thoroughly and wipe dry. For extra cleaning power, make a paste with baking soda, course salt and liquid dish soap; let it sit then scour off.
Handwash Dishes, Posts & Pans
Add 2 heaping tablespoons baking soda (along with your regular dish detergent) to the dish water to help cut grease and foods left on dishes, pots and pans. For cooked-on foods, let them soak in the baking soda and detergent with water first, then use dry baking soda on a clean damp sponge or cloth as a scratch less scoring powder.
Freshen Sponges
Soak stale-smelling sponges in a strong baking soda solution to get rid of the mess (4 tablespoons of baking soda dissolved in 1 quart of warm water).
Clean the Microwave
Baking soda on a clean damp sponge cleans gently inside and outside the microwave and never leaves a harsh chemical smell. Rinse well with water.
Polish Silver Flatware
Use a baking soda paste made with 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water. Rub onto the silver with a clean cloth or sponge. Rinse thoroughly and dry for shining sterling and silver-plate serving pieces.
Clean Coffee & Tea Pots
Remove coffee and tea stains and eliminate bitter off-tastes by washing mugs and coffee makers in a solution of 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart of warm water. For stubborn stains, try soaking overnight in the baking soda solution and detergent or scrubbing with baking soda on a clean damp sponge.
Clean the Oven
Sprinkle baking soda onto the bottom of the oven. Spray with water to dampen the baking soda. Let sit overnight. In the morning, scrub, scoop the baking soda and grime out with a sponge, or vacuum, and rinse.
Clean Floors
Remove dirt and grime (without unwanted scratch marks) from no wax and tile floors using 1/2 cup baking soda in a bucket of warm water-mop and rinse clean for a sparkling floor. For scuff marks, use baking soda on a clean damp sponge, then rinse.
Clean Furniture
Remove marks (even crayon) from wall and painted furniture by applying soda to a damp sponge and rubbing lightly. Wipe off with a clean, dry cloth.
Clean Shower Curtains
Clean and deodorize your vinyl shower curtain by sprinkling baking soda directly on a clean damp sponge or brush. Scrub the shower curtain and rinse clean. Hang it to dry.
Boost Your Liquid Laundry Detergent
Give your laundry a boost by adding 1/2 cup of baking soda to your laundry to make liquid detergent work harder. A better balance of pH in the wash gets clothes cleaner, fresher and brighter.
Gently Clean Baby Clothes
Baby skin requires the most gentle of cleansers, which are increasingly available, but odor and stain fighters are often harsh. For tough stains add 1/2 cup of baking soda to your liquid laundry detergent, or a 1/2 cup in the rinse cycle for deodorization.
Remove Oil & Crease Stains
Use baking soda to clean up light-duty oil and grease spills on your garage floor or in your driveway. Sprinkle baking soda on the spot and scrub with a wet brush.
Clean Cars
Use baking soda to clean your car lights, chrome, windows, tires, vinyl seats and floor mats without worrying about unwanted scratch marks. Use a baking soda solution of 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart of warm water. Apply with a sponge or soft cloth to remove road grime, tree sap, bugs and tar. For stubborn stains, use baking soda sprinkled on a damp sponge or soft brush.
Deodorizing
Deodorize Your Refrigerator
Place an open box in the back of the fridge to neutralize odors.
Deodorize the Cutting Board
Sprinkle the cutting board with baking soda, scrub, rinse.
Deodorize Trashcans
Sprinkle baking soda on the bottom of your trashcan to keep stinky trash smells at bay.
Deodorize Recyclables
Sprinkle baking soda on top as you add to the container. Also, clean your recyclable container periodically by sprinkling baking soda on a damp sponge. Wipe clean and rinse.
Deodorize Drains
To deodorize your sink and tub drains, and keep lingering odors from resurfacing, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda down the drain while running warm tap water-it will neutralize both acid and basic odors for a fresh drain. (This is a good way to dispose of baking soda that is being retired from your refrigerator).
Deodorize & Clean Dishwashers
Use baking soda to deodorize before you run the dishwasher and then as a gentle cleaner in the wash cycle.
Deodorize Garbage Disposals
To deodorize your disposal, and keep lingering odors from resurfing, pour baking soda down the drain while running warm tap water. Baking soda will neutralize both acid and basic odors for a fresh drain.
Deodorize Lunch Boxes
Between uses, place a spill-proof box of baking soda in everyone's lunch bot to absorb lingering odors.
Remove Odor From Carpets
Liberally sprinkle baking soda on the carpet. Let set overnight, or as long as possible (the longer it sets the better it works). Sweep up the larger amounts of baking soda, and vacuum up the rest. (Note that your vacuum cleaner bag will get full and heavy).
Remove Odor From Vacuum Cleaners
By using the method above for carpets, you will also deodorize your vacuum cleaner.
Freshen Closets
Place a box on the shelf to keep the closet smelling fresh.
Deodorizing Cars
Odors settle into car upholstery and carpet, so each time you step in and sit down, they are released into the air all over again. Eliminate these odors by sprinkling baking soda directly on fabric car seats and carpets. Wait 15 minutes (or longer for strong odors) and vacuum up the baking soda.
Deodorize Sneakers
Keep odors from spreading in smelly sneakers by shaking baking soda into them when not in use. Shake out before wearing.
Freshen Linens
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda to the rinse cycle for fresher sheets and towels.
Deodorize Your Wash
Gym clothes or other odoriferous clothing can be neutralized with a 1/2 cup of baking soda in the rinse cycle.
Freshen Stuffed Animals
Keep favorite cuddly toys fresh with a dry shower of baking soda. Sprinkle baking soda on and let it sit for 15 minutes before brushing off.
Source
Image
