Here are some tips to keep your refrigerator

Here are some tips to keep your refrigerator energy efficiet.

Replace an older refrigerator with a newer model with an Energy-Star qualified model. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you could save enough energy with this type of refrigerator to light a household for four months. Log onto energystar.gov for a listing of Energy Star approved models. 

Don’t choose a fridge with ice and water dispensers. These increase your units energy use by 14 to 20 percent. These also raise the price of a new fridge by $75 to $250. 

A full refrigerator uses less energy than an empty one so try to keep it as full as you can. 

Clean the refrigerator coils at least twice a year to keep your fridge in the best condition. Coils are located both underneith and behind the unit and are the heart of the system. They are dust magnets.  When dust builds up, the units fan is less efficient at removing heat. 

When you are cleaning your fridge, be sure to examine the seals mking sure they tight. Place a dollar bill in the refrigerator door.  If you can pull the dollar bill out easily, then the seals need to be replaced or the door needs to be adjusted.  Be sure to wipe the seals regularly to prevent dust and grime buildup.  This buildup can lead to brittleness.

Keep your refrigerator in a cooler place.  If it is near the window or a stove, the temperature may rise and for every degree above 70 surrounding the unit, it takes 2.5% more energy to keep the contents of it cool. 

Happy Cleaning 🙂

Keeping Your Grout Clean

Keeping your tile grout could be such a chore.  It seems to get dirty quickly, especially on your kitchen and bathroom floors.  

Here are a few tips to keep that grout looking its best. 

First, be sure to seal the grout. Most grout seals wear away within 6 months so resealing every six months or so will help make it easier to maintain.  

To seal your grout:  First, purchase the sealant of your choice.  There are many sealants to choose from so be sure to read the lables to choose which is best for you job. Some are just meant for marble or granite, and others for dark tile, etc.  

Before you start, clear the room of anything that the sealant could splash onto.  

Next, make sure the grout you are about to seal and the tile around it is free from dust and freshly cleaned.  

Wear gloves to protect your hands.  Pour the sealant onto a large sponge and then using circular motions, apply the sealant to the grout and tiles.  Start at one corner and work your way down.  Be sure to take notice which tiles you covered.  A good way to keep track of this is to work in sections of three tiles across, then go all the way down.  Then move over three more tiles and repeat. 

Be sure to keep your bathroom ventilated. 

For the times, when your grout is in need of sealing and you can’t get to it, you can use a little home remedy to keep your grout clean.  Mix 3/4 cup baking soda with 1/4 cup of bleach and scrub it into your grout with a toothbrush.  Then wipe the homemade mixture away with a wet cloth until it is all gone.  You can double this homemade recipe if you have bigger floors.  

Happy Cleaning. 🙂

Make Your Own Dish Detergent and Save Money

Making a home made dishwasher detergent is simple and very cost effective with a lot of benefits for you and your family.

A simple home recipe would be 1 Tablespoon of Borax to 1 Tablespoon of baking soda.  Just combine the two together and add it to your dishwasher’s detergent compartment and it’s ready to go.

This is a great home made mix for getting your dishes clean because both borax and baking soda are both natural disinfectants and mild abrasives which will get rid of your stuck on food and germs. Borax is also a common ingredient in many commercial detergents as well. 

By making your own dishwashing detergent, you will have no harsh chemicals, it is inexpensive to make, it does not emit chlorine gas like other commercial detergents do, it is an effective stain remover, sanitizer and water softener. It is also environmentally friendly because it is phosphate-free!

You can find borax in the laundry aisle but it goes under the name 20 Mule Team.  You can save time and money by mixing up large quantities of the detergent by mixing equal parts and storing it.  Keep it out of the reach of children and pets.

There you go, a great way to get your dishes clean and save money. 🙂

 

Hidden Dust

Dusting is a big part of any house cleaning regimen but do you alaways get all the dust? Many times we dust what we see but dust gathers in many places that can be out of reach or difficult to get to.  If you suffer from allergies, you may want to pay attention to these more difficult places to clear the dust.

Pull out your refrigerator to get the dust and debris that gathers under and behind it.  

Under beds are places that most people don’t even bother with.  Lots of nasty dust can collect under the place you sleep which can cause allergies. 

Unless the tops of your cabinets touch the ceiling, then you will definitely find a build up of dust collecting in these places so try to get up there once in a while to prevent it. 

High woodwork is another place where dust can and will easily build up.

Don’t forget your fan blades.  Ceiling fans and house fans all collect dust.

Your computer is a place where dust loves to accumulate as well as small electronics so spend a little time to dust these.

Mini blinds are a great culprit for dust formations.  

There are many products on the market for sale that will help you in reaching high places and getting into cracks and crevices where dust will pop up.  Keeping as much of the dust out of your home is a key to keeping allergies at a minimum. 

Remember, just dusting isn’t always the best way to remove dust because the dust just flies into the air and lands somewhere else in the house.  Using a dampened cloth will make the dust adhere to it and then you can rinse the dust away, removing it from the house instead of just moving it around the house.

Always vacuum thoroughly after dusting as well to remove even more of the dust that manages to escape.

Kitchen Tips For Energy Efficiency

Here are some tips to keep your kitchen energy efficient and of course that always means saving money.

Don’t open your refrigerator multiple times if you know that you need several items.  Take out what you need at the same time that your fridge is open.

Try not to peak at what is cooking in your stove often.  If you can, use your stove light to check on cooking food.  Every time you open your stove, the stove has to work harder to restore it’s set temperature.

Put pots on the right burner for best energy use.  If you put a large pot on a small burner – it will take longer to heat the food and this uses more energy.  If you put a small pot on a large burner, this just wastes energy.

Check your freezers temperature setting.  If your ice cream is rock hard, you have your temperature set too low and this uses unnecessary energy to freeze food.

Try to use small appliances that are more energy efficient such as a toaster oven or a crock pot instead of heating you stove.  These appliances save you more money.

You can speed up the boiling of water if you place a lid on the pan.

If you have a self-cleaning oven, you can save energy by using the self-cleaning mode right after you have cooked something because your stove will still be hot and it will reach the high temperature needed to self-clean faster.

You may not think that these simple tips will really save you that much energy but if you impliment all of them on a regular basis, you will save money.

Easy Ways To Clean Up The Messy Stuff

It is always good to know ways to clean up spills, messes or other things that need to be done.  Here are several cleaning tips that you can add to your arsenol.

A cut up lemon, a few ice cubes and some salt – run this through your garbage disposal and you clean the gunky stuff away as well as eliminate odors.

If you want grease-free dishes, just add a few drops of vinegar to your dishwater.

Put a lemon slice in a bowl of water and then bring it to a boil in your microwave.  Wait till steam forms and when it does, open the door and wipe it down nice and easy.

To easily remove residue in crock pots, fill it with soapy water then cook on high for about an hour.  Rinse with a tablespoon of vinegar in the final rinse water.

You can clean stuck on food in pots and pans by putting water in it and placing it on the stove burner until it boils a few minutes.  Let sit about 5 minutes longer and clean.

Here is another one for baked on food grime.  Boil coca-cola in the pan to loosen it up.  This works in even the messiest pans.

To remove hard water build-up in ice cube trays,  soak trays in vinegar.

To make toilet bowls quick and easy to clean, drop an alka-seltzer in the bowl.  The fizzing action will act as a scrubber.  Just swish with your toilet brush and flush.

For streak-free stemware with a sparkle, wash by hand, then dip in a sink full of hot rinse water that has an added tablespoon of vinegar to it.  Dry it with a clean, soft cloth.

Here are a few tips for a stained or clouded coffee pot.  Fill your glass coffee pot with coca-cola and then let it sit overnight and then wash.  You could also run plain water with an added tablespoon of vinegar through the coffee making cycle, then run another pot of plain water through it.

For general carpet stains – blot up as much as possible with paper towels. Then moisten stain with club soda, blot it and then repeat.  Once the stain is removed, place several layers of plain white rags over wet spot.  Place books or a heavy object on top for about an hour to soak up any remaining moisture.

Wine stains on the carpet makes everyone nervous.  Just carefully blot up as much of the wine as possible, do not rub or scrub.  Cover the stain in table salt to soak up the rest of the wine.

Need to remove tarnish from brass objects?  Just soak them in cherry kool-aid for  ten minutes.  Rinse and wipe dry.

Pour boiling water down your drain pipes once a week to keep them free from clogs.

Now you have more to work with when it comes to cleaning up the messy stuff.  Happy Cleaning.

Prepare The Outside Of Your Home For The Winter

Hi again.  Well it is nearing the end of the year and yes, it is a cold one out there.   Do you have everything outside of your home winterized and all set for the upcoming bad winter weather.  If not, here are a few things you should check out to be on top of things this winter.

Check your trees for dead limbs.  Windy days, heavy snow and ice on dead limbs can easily break them.  If a heavy limb falls onto your house, car, roofs, siding, gutters, porch railings, decks and even pedestrians –  it can cause a great deal of expensive damage. 

Another thing you want to make sure you check is for leaks.  Check your roof for missing shingles and gaps that may be around your chimney, flues and other openings.  Check your siding as well.  Be on the lookout for any leaks around your foundation, windows and doors.  If you find any problem areas, you can caulk cracks and install weather stripping.  Of course, always consult a professional for issues that may lie outside of your comfort area. 

If you live in colder areas where there is the possibility of your pipes freezing up, be sure to weatherproof your plumbing.  Shut off the water to outdoor water supplies such as outdoor spigots, swamp coolers and sprinkler systems and drain them.  Cover the components of your air conditioner or swamp cooler. 

If you have a fireplace that you plan on using this winter, be sure to check the chimney.  Small animals could have made a home in it.  You may want to call a chimney sweep to inspect your chimney and clean out the soot and other debris to prevent a hazard. 

You can request a home energy audit from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program.  They will tell you where you are losing energy and provide you with recommendations on where you can make improvements.  This will save you money and keep you warmer in the winter.  It will help to make your home more comfortable and more energy efficient.

Well – if you haven’t done these things already, get started.  Everyone should be warm, cozy and ready for the winter.  

Strange Natural Cleaning Tips

Many years ago, before companies came out with a wide variety of cleaning products with chemicals, people used natural cleaning aids.

Use lemon juice on stains and rust on plastic, diluted or not.

Use diluted lemon juice on a curry stain on the carpet to remove it.  This will also freshen fabric.

Dab soda water on a stained carpet to remove it.

To remove water marks from wooden surfaces, use a small amount of toothpaste or mayonaise on a damp cloth.

To remove fingerprints from your walls, use a slightly moist, stale piece of white bread.

To make your stainless steel shine, pour some flour over it, rinse and buff.

Use white vinager and water, with a 1:5 ratio to remove tough, hard stains.  This also has disinfectant properties.

To remove lime from a showerhead, soak it in white vinegar overnight.

Remove hard water marks in your toilet bowl by using a little bit of cola, leaving it sit for an hour and then flushing.

To make your plant leaves shine for weeks, rub in a little milk or mayonaise with a paper towel.

To make small copper items shine, rub with a cotton swab that has been dipped in ketchup and then buff.

To remove sticker marks from plastic tubs and items, use WD-40.

On a soft clean cloth to shine porcelain, chrome or glass – use a little vodka.

Use rice to clean the inside of vasesor hard to reach areas.  Just mix some rice with a water/vinegar solution – shake vigorously and shake out.

To remove rust from an item, soak it in a pot of strong black tea from anywhere to an hour to overnight depending on the amount of rust. 

To remove mineral stains from glass that have been built up by dishwashers or hard water, rub with freshly peeled potatoe skins and then buff.

Well I hope you have enjoyed some of these more natural methods of getting things clean.  

Some Cleaning Tips From Men

So there is this rumor going aroud that men do housework too.  Ok, so it’s true, they do and as a matter of fact, they have some tips that they would like to share so I thought I would pass them your way – enjoy!

Put all your cleaning supplies, products and necessities together in one place and have them ready to go so they are ready as soon as you are.

Have a plan of action – decide what you are going to clean and how, then stick like glue.  This will save you time and you will be more efficient.

Make every minute count. Have the dishwasher going at the same time as the laundry while you are busy doing other chores.  You want to get in and out as fast as possible.

Ad an incentive – give yourself a little reward that you will really like and keep it in sight at the place where you will be when you are at the end of your cleaning checklist.  This helps speed things along.  Men like beer, what do you like?

Wipe shower walls with car wax to prevent soap scum buildup.  This only needs to be done once a year.

Buy a drain claw for $7. With a simple push and twist – your drain is unclogged and without using any harsh chemicals.

Tape two vacuum hoses together and ad a soft brush attachment and attach this to a skylight crank to get to the cobwebs that lurk up on very high ceilings.

To clean aluminum pots that are crusted up with cooked-on gunk, use grade 3  synthetic steel wool pads from the hardware store.

Spray a fuzzy abrasive tennis ball with your favorite all purpose cleaner to easily remove scuff marks from floors and walls.  You can also clean patio furniture with it.

To clean glass, use squeegees.  They are the best tools for windows, tiles, shower doors and mirrors.

So hopefully there are a few tips here you might want to try out.  Happy Cleaning. 

Must Read Ironing Tips

Here are some ironing tips that I think will be very useful to you.  Enjoy.

You should start out by sorting your clothes.  Do this according to temperature from coolest to hottest.  Silks and synthetics will be ironed on low to medium heat, wool will be ironed on medium to high setting and linens and cottons on the high temperature setting.  It is very important to iron each garment at the right temperature setting so after setting the temperature controls, let the iron sit a few minutes to allow it to reach the proper temperature.

Be sure to always hang up or fold your clothes immediately after ironing.

Make sure you never iron using circular motions as this will stretch the fabric.  Iron fabrics lengthwise and blast the wrinkled areas with steam.

A good tip for ironing large items such as tablecloths or curtains is to set up two chairs next to your ironing board.  As you work on your large item, use the chairs to fold the piece as you go along.  You can also use a table top but you should pad it with a towel.  Be sure that your table top won’t be harmed by the hot temperatures and the steam.

When ironing sensitive materials, you should use a pressing cloth over the garment such as a clean, cotton cloth, napkin or handkerchief.  You can turn them inside out to protect them from becoming shiny or singed.

If you must use an extention cord for your iron, please be sure to use a 12 amp cord because using a lightweight cord could overheat and cause a fire.  Be careful to place the extention cord where no one will trip over it.

When working with pleats, start from the bottom.  Work from the inside of the pleat to the outside.  Set the pleats with a shot of steam. 

In order to allow the creases to set, let clothes sit for a few hours after ironing.

I hope these tips were helpful.  Happy ironing.