Daily Living Tips

September Tip
Weather it is Spring cleaning time or your wicker is looking dingy from being out all summer try this simple solution to clean it up. Just mix 1/4 cup ammonia & 1 gallon water and spritz on wicker furniture. After 10 minutes just rinse off with the hose & let it air dry.
A great easy way to make it look new again!!


August Tip
Got an oil spill in the driveway or garage??? To sop it up, cover it with powered dishwashing detergent, let it sit 10 minutes & scrub with a stiff broom. Then just sweep the whole mess away. The detergent will cut the grease, break it down & absorb it all up.


July Tip
With summer comes nasty bugs sneaking in. Here is a natural way to repel them. Just pour a few drops of peppermint oil onto cotton balls & place them where you see pests. Ants, silverfish, caterpillars & mice don't like the scent so they stay away!!


February Tip
Need a chemical free way to clean the oven?? Mix a paste of 1 cup of baking soda with 1/4 cup of salt, then add enough water to form a paste. Apply the paste to the inside walls of the oven, avoiding openings, bare metal & racks which could corrode. Leave overnight, then wipe away using a damp sponge. Easy & chemical free way to a clean oven.


January Tip
Melt ice fast... Try this trick when you look out front & see the steps covered in ice...in a bucket combine 1 Tbs of rubbing alcohol with 1 qt of warm water & then add in a drop of liquid dish soap, then pour. The alcohol will speed up the melting while the detergent coats the steps with soap residue to prevent new ice from forming.



November Tip
Need a use for those old odd socks. Use them on a wet/dry mop. Just get them damp with favorite cleaner & slip on mop. The texture on the sock will pick up dust & dirt. Saves you money & the environment.



October Tip
Sharpen shears in seconds... got a pair of dull a scissors you keep sticking back in drawer determined not to throw away. Try this trick...get s piece of sandpaper & snip through a few times with scissors. The papers rough texture will instantly sharpen the blades without damage.



September Tip
Got weeds sneaking up through cracks on walkway or driveway? Here's a earth friendly way to get rid of them...mix equal parts lemon juice & white vinegar in a spray bottle & spritz the weeds. This combo will eat away at stems & dry out roots killing the weeds.



August Tip
Those summer tennis seen a bit too much dirt but don’t want to listen to the banging in the dryer? Try this trick to save your ears. Place the shoes in the dryer with the laces pulled over the outside of the dryer door & then the shoes will hang on the inside & stay in place while getting dry.



July Tip
With all that dirt the kids seem to find comes lots of hand washing. Looking for a cheaper effective hand soap? Buy a large bottle of inexpensive shampoo & fill an empty hand soap container with equal parts of shampoo & water, then shake it up. The surfactants in the diluted solution are just as effective as regular soap at a fraction of the price.


June Tip
Got those weeds popping up all over the place & need a simple safe solution? Try mixing equal parts of lemon juice & white vinegar in a spray bottle and spray the weeds. The mixture of the vinegar’s acidic acid & the lemon’s citric acid will eat away at the stems & dry the roots, killing the weeds.


Spring Cleaning
Cleaning those curtains while doing the Spring cleaning? An easy way to protect them from getting snagged on the rod’s jagged ends, use a sandwich bag. Slip one over each end of the rod before sliding on the curtains, no snags & easy to remove!


Clean that Winter Grime
Got a nasty layer of winter grime in your tire well? Get rid of it with this easy fix. Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise over the grime. After a few minutes, wipe it away with a soft cloth. The acid in the mayo will break down the dirt while the oil softens it, making it easy to wipe away & it won’t harm your car’s finish!!


Clean that Nasty Microwave
What to clean it with? Use 1 Tbs of chopped citrus rinds in a microwave safe bowl & will the bowl ¾ of way with water. Run in microwave for 5 minutes, then remove bowl. The citric acid-infused steam will break down the yuck & you can easily wipe it out with a paper towel.


Homemade Air Freshener
Want to skip the chemicals but need a fresh sent? Try using ½ inch orange peels, then layer ¼ inch salt in a glass jar, continue until the jar is 2/3 full. Leave the jar uncovered in a stinky room. The salt will draw moisture from the peels, releasing the fragrant oils. Try roses petals or lavender blossoms as well!!


Quick fix to wax that floor
Company due any minute and you notice that the entryway is looking dingy. It needs waxing, what do you do? Use wax paper! Sweep the floor, then take 2 rubber bands to attach a sheet of wax paper (coated side out) over the head of a sponge mop. Rub the paper back & forth over the floor, changing sheets as needed. The friction will transfer the wax from the paper to the floor for the perfect shine.


Homemade Drain Cleaner
Use salt!! What to do if your sink is clogged & have no drain cleaner to clear it out use salt. Combine one cup salt & one cup baking soda & pour it down the drain. Then follow it with 2 quarts of boiling water. Wait 30 minutes & then flush with cool water. Your drain should be clear, without any stinky fumes or chemicals.


Homemade fabric softner
Did you know that vinegar is a great fabric softener. Use only 1/3 cup vinegar to keep your laundry soft & smelling great. It is also great for your washer to clean out the hoses & keeps it smelling fresh.


Make that vase shine
Do you have some vases that are your favorite but too yucky to put out? Just fill with water & drop some Alka-Seltzer tablets into the vase, wait 10 minutes, rinse & good as new!!


Rid the toilet of stains with soda
If you have some nasty stains in the toilet try cleaning them with a little bit of dark soda like Coke or Pepsi. Just pour some in the bowl, let it sit overnight and flush in the morning. Presto- a clean toilet!!



Extra Clothesline Space
Does all that Spring cleaning include extra laundry? If so & you don’t have enough clothesline space here is a trick to give you some extra hanging room. Take that old umbrella you found in the bottom of the closet & strip off the canvas. Hang the umbrella from the clothesline. The spokes are perfect for hanging items like pillowcases & hand towels. Get you wash done quicker with that fresh air dry!!


Prevent Grocery Bags from Toppling
Have you ever been driving with a trunk or back end of SUV full of groceries and you turn the corner & hear them tip over? You know that when you get home your bread is going to be squished under that bag of cat food!! You can help prevent this from happening with a simple Yoga mat. The mat will keep everything in its place with the grip top.


Homemade Shower Cleaner
That shower is always getting full of grim & yuck. Here is a cheap & easy way to clean that shower. Mix 1/3 cup rubbing alcohol with 1 cup water in a spray bottle & use as a daily spray. When the last person is done in the shower for the morning, just spray the walls & tub with this mix, as with daily shower sprays no need to scrub or rinse. The rubbing alcohol solvents will dissolve the grime & slide it down the drain. Plus, it won’t streak due to the alcohol evaporation. Awesome easy & cheap alternative!!