Top Tips!

Holly - posted on 11/29/2010

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So I know this thread is old and hasn't ben replied to, but it is pinned! :)

I saw this article and totally thought of this thread! :)

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/life/6-al...

Holly - posted on 07/20/2010

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I saw this article a thought of this thread! :)

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/green/12-al...

Holly - posted on 07/20/2010

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Instead of using the soap that comes with your rug cleaner, use laundry detergent. It works better and it's a degreaser as well.

Also, instead of mopping, use your rug cleaner on your hard floors (though I'm not too sure about on laminate wood flooring..). It's faster, easier and makes the floor cleaner (you can also use the laundry detergent on these floors).

Baby wipes are a good alternative for soap and water on prretty much everything! I clean my dining table, counters, microwave (inside and out), sinks, leather couch and pretty much everything with baby wipes and it works wonders (plus it's less hassle, less chemicals and less drying time).

:)

Sharon - posted on 07/13/2010

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You're welcome! I love my stainless steel pans but I just can't seem to do eggs properly. So I finally bought two calphalon non stick pans.

LaCi - posted on 07/13/2010

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Sharon, THANK YOU. I finally switched from non-stick to stainless pans and I've been having serious issues trying to scrub stuff off with baking soda! Never considered heating them!

Lady - posted on 07/13/2010

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I think lemon juice works pretty well instead of vinegar or even a combination of both - the lemon would hopefully cut out the smell!!

Tanya - posted on 07/13/2010

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Hey Sara can you give us a quick lesson on all that money saving you do? I was so amazed at some of your posts.

It is easier to pick up small pieces of broken glass with a wet paper towel.

Krud Kutter is a great cleaner. I used it on my shower and tub.

I put used dryer sheets under my couch cushion for a few days of freshness.

The smell of vinegar gives me a horrible migraine is there anything I can use instead of it?

Krista - posted on 07/08/2010

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It won't do much if you already have a dirty shower. But if your shower is clean, using it every day afterwards will keep it from getting dirty again so quickly.

Good Day! - posted on 07/08/2010

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Thanks for the shower cleaning tip Krista! I'm definitely going to try it!

Krista - posted on 07/08/2010

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Oh, and one of my favourite cleaning items is Barkeeper's Friend. I use a paste of it to clean my smooth-top range, my stainless-steel pots and pans, my sink, my taps, etc. I had a stainless-steel pan that had a burnt spot on it. Nothing would take it out -- not baking soda, not Comet, not abrasive pads, nothing. Barkeeper's Friend took it out. We buy three cans of it at a time, just in case they ever stop making it.

And, instead of buying expensive daily shower sprays, just fill a spray bottle half-and-half with white vinegar and water. After your shower, spray your shower walls and shower floor. We have minerals in our water, and used to get the most awful build-up that was a real bitch to clean. This little trick, which only takes me 30 seconds after my shower, saves me from doing a LOT of scrubbing.

Krista - posted on 07/08/2010

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If you have a pan or pot that has a bunch of schmutz caked on to it and you can't get it off, just put a Bounce sheet in the pan and fill the pan with hot water from the tap. Let it sit for a half hour. The gunk will peel right off. It's crazy.

Susanne - posted on 07/08/2010

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Use lemon juice and distilled vinegar to clean your tv and computer screens brings them up all sparkly!!

Charlie - posted on 07/07/2010

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When putting fresh flowers in a vase put ONE drop of bleach in the water and a half a teaspoon of sugar and stir into the water before adding the flowers , make sure you cut the stems at an angle before placing them in the water , the bleach kills germs and the sugar acts as food for the flowers making them last SOOO much longer , If you change the water every few days cut the stems each time and add fresh sugar and bleach .

Sharon - posted on 07/07/2010

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Laundry detergent is a fantastic degreaser.

Use vinegar & baking soda for stainless steel pots & pots. Sprinkle the bottoms (inside bottoms) of the pans with baking soda, put on over the heat (stove) pour on vinegar after a minute. This will lift any baked on crud.

Vinegar is a great fabric softener and there is rarely/never any skin reaction

If you run out of dishwasher detergent - you can use baking soda in the little cups, then pour 2 - 4 cups of vinegar into the base of the dishwasher unit.

When you buy fresh cut bunches of parsely, cilantro etc - when you get home, cut off the bottoms and immerse in water, if you can, store them in glass vases in the fridge that way.

for small to medium loads of laundry - half a dryer sheet is adequate.

To much laundry detergent = stinky clothes. yeah its weird but the extra soap allows for the breeding of stinky germs. We've cut our laundry detergent to HALF and set the washer to "extra rinse" and our clothes smell great - even a week later.

Gadgets I love....

bendable cutting mats.. omg these are awesome

debbie meyers green bags - work for me!

microwavable doohickey for boiling eggs - this is so friggen cool!!!! It works too. I have a gas range - really old fashioned and I only turn on the gas to it when I have multiple items to cook. So if I need an egg for a salad or something - I can pop them into the micro thingy. Also no heat & steam in the kitchen.

Ok tip for a gadget - I love my bread containers. My kids are always setting heavy shit on top of the bread so these boxes are awesome. BUT!!! they hold moisture - so i saved those little gel silica packets out of all food items and I toss those in the box then slide in the bagged bread. NO silica gel is NOT a poison. its a choking hazard. think about it. they absorb moisture, if you try to swallow them, they'll STICK to moist areas, eventually gathering together, swelling up and choking you. LOL it cracks me up that people think the food companies packaged up a poison with their food.

Cereal boxes same deal - no slipper bags, no crushed cereal boxes.. mind you ... there are 5 of us so thats 5 types of cereal at the LEAST. We have 6 boxes. Everyone has their favorite, then those crumbs no one eats at the bottom? Gets fed to the birds.

If you run out of bread crumbs - you can crush stuffing or croutons or smash up a can of Frenches Fried onions or mix all three up if you only have a little of each. By the way... I ONLY had two large cans of frenches fried onions and I smashed them up, dipped boneless chicken pieces in egg, dredged them through the crumbs and fried them..

Everyone LOVED them. the two kids visiting us begged for the "recipe" lol. BUT!!! I didn't get a good crunchy crust that way - I'm thinking of baking them next time. I'm trying to figure out how to get a crunchy crust top & bottom and keep the chicken moist though.

Sunny  - posted on 07/05/2010

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Cut up celery and place in an air tight container filled with water and keep in the fridge. It stays nice and crunchy for heaps longer.

If going out for a big night, after doing your make up stray a light spray of hair spray over the top. It helps keep it from running later in the right.

Wanda - posted on 07/03/2010

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Since I'm in the middle of cleaning the new apartment before we move in:

- to get tobacco stains/smell off the walls, rub a bar of white soap on a damp cloth, dip in baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and scrub the walls.

-to clean hardwood floors, fill a bucket 3/4 full with hot water and add 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 cup camomile tea (cup as in you've brewed yourself a cup of tea) and 6 drops liquid hand soap.

-air freshner, 10 parts vodka to one part essential oil (any scent), combine in a small spray bottle. Give bottle a shake before each use.

-to clean a kitchen sink, sprinkle the sink liberally with table salt and use a damp cloth to give it a good polish.

Lady - posted on 07/01/2010

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If your child has a cold or a really runny nose and is getting sore with all the constant wiping with tissues - dry out some baby wipes either on the radiator or over night and use those instead.
The wipes are made of much softer material and as they are impregnated with lotion it sooths the childs sore nose.

Nikki - posted on 07/01/2010

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I love these types of things!

After painting your nails, spray a small mist of olive oil on top, they will dry quicker.

If you have scratched a wooden piece of furniture, for a quick fix, spray a little cooking oil in the scratch, let it sit for 5 minutes and the polish.

When icing muffins, dust a small amount of flower on top of the muffin (cup cake) the icing will not slide off.

To clean sterling silver, line a bowl with aluminium foil shiny side up, place jewellery inside, cover with baking soda, pour boiling water over the top and let sit for 5 mins, repeat again with more baking soda and boiling water, rinse clean and wipe with a dry soft cloth, shiny as new.

To clean gold jewellery mix a few drops of cloudy ammonia, a drop of dish washing detergent in a cup of boiling water, let it sit until you can touch the water, give it a very gentle scrub with a soft paint brush, soak in solution again for a couple of minutes, rinse with water and dry with a soft cloth.