Sunday, April 17, 2011

Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel

When my step daughter moved in with us, we had one bathroom in the house at the time. Eager to demonstrate her cleaning prowess she pulls out this plastic wand with some gel stuck inside. At a glance, I wasn’t impressed, though I wouldn’t say it to her face without sarcasm and a grin. “That’s, um…great!”
She looked at me and motioned towards the bathroom. Apparently this piece of plastic stamps a small and quite decorative piece of gel onto your toilet bowl. Each time you flush, it wears some of this gel off and cleans as well as deodorizes the toilet.
OK, she wins..I was a bit impressed. The bathroom smelled clean and fresh without me having to do much (a win in my book) and the toilet always looked clean. For those who don’t care for cleaning the toilet…which I imagine not many of us do, this is a great way to help out.

http://www.livingrichwithcoupons.com

Burned Grease on Pots and Pans

If you burn more than you actually “cook” (that’s why I can’t ever have a cooking blog…it’d be filled with pictures of Ramen and bologna sandwiches), you have probably dealt with the grease that gets stuck on the bottom of the pan like it’s on a personal mission to never leave. I found the coolest trick that I can’t wait to try.
Fill the pan with water and place a fabric softener sheet in it. You can also dump in some of the liquid fabric softener instead. Leave it until tomorrow and voila! The fabric softener demagnetizes the grease and frees it from the pan.
I’m making greasy food tonight just so I can try this out, I’ll let you know how it goes!


Rust Stains in the Toilet and Coca-Cola



Try pouring a can of Coca-Cola into the bowl to eliminate ugly rust stains. Leave it there all night without flushing. I kind of thought this idea sounded like fun until I put some thought into it. Perhaps not being able to flush use the bathroom all night isn’t fun….

The acidity of the Coke will make the stains a lot easier to scrub out in the morning. I have read this countless times, but have never dealt with this type of stain myself. If anyone tries it, let me know how it works!

Saturday, April 16, 2011

For Those Unsightly Yet Inevitable Grease Spatters

http://hotels.about.com

I have a friend who could cook an entire five course meal and walk out of her kitchen in twenty minutes or less leaving it looking like she was never there to begin with. I, am nothing like my dear friend. I can walk into my kitchen it contemplate cooking and it seems to magically become dirty at the very thought. Tonight for example, I really thought I had done a pretty good job at cleaning the kitchen after dinner only to come in later and notice that my walls are now sporting some pretty unsightly grease splatters. Go figure.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Remove Mold from Linoleum



Mold spores are a daily part of our lives. They exist to decompose dead, organic matter. Without them everything that ever was, would still be. For it to thrive 4 conditions must be met; there must be oxygen, a food source, the correct temperature range and moisture. Mold needs moisture to reproduce, and even more moisture to continue to live. If mold is cleaned up, and the moisture returns, the mold is sure to follow.


Things You'll Need:

• 2 tbsp chlorine bleach

• Plastic gloves

• Scrub brush





Remove Mold from Heating Ducts Without Harsh Chemicals

A heating duct is not a normal place for mold to grow. The mold spores travel through these ducts all the time, but without moisture they cannot thrive. Getting rid of the mold is an easy task; however, getting to it may be a different story. Before taking on the task of removing your heating air vents; verify the mold is in them. If you smell mold or mildew coming from the vents, there is a very good chance that the smell is coming from another part of the house. Do not go after the mold unless you see it in the heating vents.



Things You'll Need:

Hard brush
Lemon juice
Vinegar
Possibly a wet/dry vacuum and hair dryer





Remove Mold from the Fireplace Without Harsh Chemicals

Mold is everywhere. One may not think that the fireplace is one of the areas that mold can form, but it is. If there is moisture, then mold can form. Removal of mold from the fireplace can be a little time consuming, and will require a little muscle, but be assured, it can be removed. In order for mold to grow in the fireplace, there has to be a spot where moisture is getting in on a consistent basis.



Things You'll Need:

 Vinegar
Spray bottle
Protective mask
Plastic gloves
Wire brush


1. Create a mixture of 50% vinegar and 50% water in a bucket.

2. Fill a spray bottle with the mixture. Saturate the affected area with the mixture from the spray bottle. Dampening the mold before working on it will help to stop the release of spores into the air.