December 2012
3 posts
6 tags
Crunchy carpet
Tip: Vinegar as carpet stain remover.
It seems like vinegar is the cure for anything. I am actually surprised that when I take my kids to the doctor for strep throat I don’t walk away with a prescription for 10ml vinegar twice a day. Seems like it would work, but then I guess the doctors wouldn’t get to enjoy any kickbacks from pharmaceutical reps and use my co-pays to...
5 tags
It smells bad, but...
Tip: Use vinegar to rid your sink fixtures of hard water spots.
I am in the process of writing a book that I plan on calling: “How the #%@& did the toothpaste get there?” I am sure it will be a best seller, like all true crime thrillers. Today, when I was working on my weekly bathroom cleaning, I noticed that underneath 3 layers of glittery pink toothpaste, I had...
5 tags
Stick it to me
Tip: Use hot water to get sticky ingredients cleanly out of measuring cups.
Occasionally I get a craving for something sweet and reach for something with chocolate. Okay, it’s more like daily, but I don’t like to get caught up in the details. One of my favorite quick treats to make is a no-bake cookie, as I have convinced myself that the oatmeal contained in these little...
November 2012
7 posts
5 tags
Grout-fully white
Tip: Whiten grout using a toothbrush dipped in undiluted vinegar.
The person that originally selected the colors for the house we bought 3 years ago has an obsession with white. I would call their taste “Casual Caucasian.” We have white carpet, white countertops, white walls and moldings, white appliances and white ceramic tile in all the bathrooms.
Now, I have nothing against...
4 tags
Drain...oh!
Tip: Pour salt and hot water down a slow drain to clear it.
A couple of days ago I was partaking in one of my most favorite and relaxing activities: cleaning my young children’s bathroom. There are so many spots and smells I can’t identify that it is similar to watching the forensic shows I enjoy so much. Every time I clean, I discover something new and mind-provoking, which...
5 tags
Mirror, mirror
Tip: Wiping mirrors clean with newspaper won’t leave streaks or lint.
I truly don’t understand the attraction of any child under the age of 10 to touch a mirror—and not just once, but touching it over and over again. A mirror is one of the only items that you don’t actually have to touch to use it, so why do it? My kids have never been able to give me any kind of...
4 tags
Just foil it!
Tip: Use a ball of aluminum foil to scrub glassware clean.
When I was growing up, my mom was one of those women who made a point to cook big meals, especially on the weekends. My attitude is more along the lines of: “I have been doing this stuff all week. Let’s eat out!”
This past weekend I must have been feeling a bit nostalgic or bumped my head because I decided to put...
4 tags
Forking carpet
Tip: Use a fork to fluff carpet.
You read it right: I wrote “forking carpet.” About every other week, I attempt to dust and push the vacuum around, and sometimes I even take my time and do a good job. One thing that always bothers me is the indentations left from the furniture, causing me to rant on about the forking carpet!
While the indentations in my carpet bother me, I am usually...
5 tags
Lemony white?
Tip: Whiten laundry whites with lemon juice.
In my house I am the CLO. To those of you unfamiliar with my title, that is Chief Laundry Officer.
Ironically enough, I despise doing laundry: all the sorting and prespotting and presoaking and, of course, the folding. I do take my role as CLO very seriously and try to keep up with the laundry, as it is similar to my children in a grocery...
4 tags
Sticky situation
Tip: Clean your glass cooktop using baking soda.
I do a lot of cooking, but my cooking is more about survival than joy. My family needs to eat, someone needs to feed them and, as a result, I cook. I think what really takes away the joy is the cleanup afterward and the fact that I can never just make one meal that everyone will enjoy.
The other day, I was reheating something with red sauce...
October 2012
2 posts
4 tags
This is nuts!
Tip: Cover up scratches on wood furniture by rubbing a walnut diagonally across the scratch.
I have children, thus we have a whole lot of scratches on every piece of furniture we own. I don’t know how this happens. I would assume it is not on purpose, but I also assume that my kids will remember something the first time I tell them. Our kitchen table bears the brunt of the wear...
5 tags
Scour the scum
Tip: Use Dawn & vinegar to remove soap scum.
When I was laid off from working full-time, I also laid off my cleaning lady. This was an extremely painful process for me, similar to cutting off a much-used body part. There is nothing like coming home to a sparkling clean house: the vacuumed floors, the smell of cleaning products still in the air, and the sparkling bathrooms.
I can...
