Archive for the 'Laundry' Category

April 16, 2008 | Bathroom, Laundry, Kitchen, Vinegar, Essential oils, Cleaning tips

We’ve just welcomed little Owen into our home, via c-section. And when the discharge nurse came to talk to me and hubbs before we left the hospital, you can imagine my inner joy as she said “No housework for 6 weeks. And stay out of the kitchen for a couple weeks too!” No housework? What does that mean? Apparently, the typical tasks of vacuuming, mopping, sweeping, scrubbing, dusting, etc., all involve (more…)

February 20, 2008 | Bathroom, Laundry, Floors, Kitchen, Vinegar, Cleaning tips, Being Green, Cleaning products

Thanks to Shannon for hosting Works for Me Wednesday. This week I’m going to share the most important tips I have on frugal green cleaning. Let’s face it - stocking up the cabinets with Seventh Generation, Method, and other ‘green’ cleaners can be expensive. But there are ways to do it without breaking the bank. Here goes.

First, raid your pantry. Here are some great cleaners you can make straight out of your pantry: (more…)

January 10, 2008 | Laundry, Being Green, Cleaning tips

We posted a little over a week ago about the wonders of dryer balls, but more research led us to different conclusions. As it turns out, these ingenious little things are made of PVC. TreeHugger did a post about them a while back, and you’ll see there why PVC is so important to avoid. For a quick rundown, it’s one of the most poisonous plastics ever made. It’s toxic in its production, product life, and disposal. There’s not much good about it. (more…)

January 2, 2008 | Reviews, Laundry, Cleaning tips

It’s been a month or two since I’ve participated in this, but I’m back to doing the weekly Works For Me Wednesday bloggy tip of the week, hosted at Rocks in My Dryer. If you’re not familiar with this, I encourage you to go over and check out the Mr. Linky posted there - you’ll find some awesome tips from the bloggy world!

Are you sick of those darn dryer sheets? The chemicals, the unnecessary scents (aren’t even the unscented ones slightly scented? Or maybe I’m buying the wrong brand…), the continuous expense of replacing box after box… And they all end up in the landfill anyway.

Well, dryer sheets begone! I got some of these for Christmas, and I love them! Goodbye dryer sheets! Forever!

They’re reusable. They soften my clothes. They get rid of static cling. They reduce drying time, making your dryer more efficient. The reduce wrinkles so your clothes are easier to iron. They’re chemical free! They’re hypoallergenic! What could be better?

You can get a pair here for $19.99 (plus S&H) - think, no more dryer sheets to buy - ever! Better yet, search for “dryer balls” at Amazon. You’ll get several varieties, all with reviews, and priced considerably lower than Nellie’s. I’m all for frugal, but even more for Christmas gifting!

I don’t know why anyone would want to stick with dryer sheets when these are out there! I’ll never go back to dryer sheets. That’s what works for me. Head over to Shannon’s place for more helpful tips.

June 19, 2007 | Bathroom, Laundry, Bleach alternatives, Vinegar, Cleaning tips, Cleaning products

A full 50% of the searches that lead people here have to do with bleach. I have a feeling there are people out there who are bothered by bleach (for health or ecological reasons) but don’t know how to clean without it. So, here are some suggestions. The main purposes for bleach are to whiten and disinfect. So here it is:

• To whiten stained spots on clothing: put some lemon juice on the spot, rub in a bit of salt, and leave it in the sun for an hour or two. It lifts the stain.
• To clean spills from health contaminants (raw meat or eggs in the kitchen, urine in the bathroom): Straight vinegar is a great disinfectant. I advise keeping a sponge with vinegar near your cutting boards for frequent use.
• To whiten laminate counter tops: Bon Ami - it’s a powder found at the grocery store in a canister - usually right next to Bar Keeper’s friend (which also works relatively well. But we prefer Bon Ami - it uses less elbow grease, and less elbow grease means more cleaning stamina!). We’ve removed coffee stains, raspberry, blueberry, and strawberry stains, and marks from the bottom of pots and pans.
• To disinfect:
  • Borax: buy it in the supermarket where they sell detergents - in my grocery store it’s next to the powdered dishwasher detergents. Borax is a powder and is safe to mix with virtually anything. Combine it with some vinegar, lemon juice, or just plain water to clean virtually anything. It’s completely harmless and safe to use. Gloves and ventilation not required (as opposed to bleach).
  • Vinegar: it disinfects, kills mold, bacteria, and germs. (As an aside: bleach does not kill mold - it just whitens it so you don’t see it. But bleach will leave living mold spores that will continue to grow.) Vinegar’s potency is released when combined with salt, so for a nice strong disinfectant add some salt to your vinegar, dilute with water if you’d like, and spray away. I just used it to clean the toilet seat in the bathroom where my little girl is potty-training. It works remarkably well.

Any more alternative uses you need for bleach? Let me know and I’ll fill you in!

March 1, 2007 | Laundry, Kitchen, Cleaning tips

From the trenches of motherhood… Finger Jell-o may keep a toddler occupied for enormous stretches of time, but there should be a warning on the box. Never leave small children unattended with Jell-o. Or blink. The ensuing mess (it takes no longer than the blink of an eye) is ridiculous. I’ve just cleaned Jell-o from my tile, hardwoods, carpets, walls, light fixtures, and now I’m off to remove it from their clothes. And yes, they were in the their high chairs when it happened. Thank goodness it’s water soluble! So, here are my tips:

1. Clean the mess right away, while the Jell-o is still solid. At that point, you can use a dry paper towel - it acts like duct tape for Jell-O, whereas a wet paper towel just spreads the mess around.
2. If it gets into your carpet, remove as much as possible with a dry paper towel. Spray any remainder with water and blot up. You may have to do this in several stages.
3. In clothes, soak any Jell-O affected clothes in cold water. Hot water may set the color in, depending on your type of fabric and type of Jell-O. Soak in cold water, and check after 30 minutes to an hour. If there’s still some color left from the Jell-O, add some detergent to the water and swish it all around a bit. Give it another 30 minutes, and at that point you can use stain remover if necessary. Then wash as usual.

Don’t underestimate the dry paper towel though - it works wonders. And again, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Don’t even blink when toddlers have finger Jell-O!