Stainless Steel Friend or Foe

Are your stainless steel appliances working for you or are you enslaved by them?  Are they friend or a foe?  A few years ago we built a new home.  Like most women I wanted the latest and most popular trends for my kitchen.  I have always heard that you should put the most money into your kitchen and your bathrooms.  So I decided to get stainless steel appliances.  And don't get me wrong, I think stainless steel appliances are sleek, classic and beautiful. THAT IS WHEN THEY ARE CLEAN AND WITHOUT FINGERPRINTS, SMUDGES, WATERMARKS AND SUCH!  I work myself silly and drive my family nuts trying to keep them shiny and spot-free.  So if we were to build another home I don't know if I would choose stainless steel for my appliances or not.  PROBABLY!  I probably would if that was the trend. And yes I would be enslaved to them and not know if they were friend or foe.

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Cleanups around the Kitchen

Laundry Tips

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Cleanups Around the Ktichen

Appliances:

• To rid yellowing from white appliances:  1/2 cup bleach, 1/4 cup baking soda and 4 cups warm water.  Apply with a sponge and let set for 10 minutes.  Rinse and dry.
• Use WD-40 to shine stainless steel appliances.  Follow the grain of the stainless steel.

Dishwasher:

• Run a cycle with white vinegar to help clean filters.
• Fill dishwasher with dirty dishes.  Put a bowl in the bottom of the dishwasher.  Pour 1 cup of white vinegar into the bowl and let the dishwasher go through the entire cycle.  This will remove all film not only from glasses but from your dishwasher too.  (Never put silver, aluminum or brass in the washer when doing this method.)

Clogged Drains:

• Pour a cup of salt and a cup of baking soda into the drain followed by boiling water. 

Garbage Disposal:

• Grind a half lemon or orange rinds in the disposal to remove any unpleasant odor.
• Grind ice cubes to loosen debris.

Refrigerator:

• An open box of baking soda will absorb food odors for at least a month or two.
• A little vanilla poured on a piece of cotton and placed in the refrigerator will eliminate odors.
• To prevent mildew from forming, wipe with vinegar.  The acid effectively kills the mildew fungus.

Sinks:

• For a white sink, place paper towels across the bottom of your sink and saturate with household bleach.  Let set for 1/2 hour.
• Rub stainless steel sinks with lighter fluid if rust marks appear.  After the rust is gone, wipe with your regurlar kitchen cleaner.
• Use a cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol to remove water spots from stainless steel.
• Spots on stainless steel can be removed with white vinegar.
• Club soda will also shine stainless steel.

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Stainless Steel Friend or Foe
Laundry Tips

Laundry Tips

Ring around the Collar:
•Use a toothbrush to brush hair shampoo into soiled shirt collars before laundering.  Shampoo is made to dissolve body oils.
•Mark heavily with chalk.  The chalk will absorb the oils and once the oil is removed, the dirt will come off easily.  This method may require a few applications if the yellow line has been there for some time. 
•Apply a paste of vinegar and baking soda.  Rub in and wash as usual.  This method also removes dirt and mildew.

No More Lint:
•You will eliminate the lint problem by adding 1 cup white vinegar to the final rinse cycle.
•Put a yard of nylon netting into the dryer with wet clothes to act as a lint catcher.
•If the lint, under and around the filter of dryer seems damp, it means the outside vent is clogged.  You better clean it out before the machine breaks down.

The Final Rinse Cycle:
•To make sure clothes receive a thorough rinsing, add 1 cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle.  This will help dissolve the alkaline in soaps and detergents.  Plus, it will give you soft and sweet smelling clothing for just pennies.
•The vinegar is a must for hand washing. 
•A teaspoon of Epson salts to a gallon of rinse water will help keep most materials from fading or running.

Creme Rinse Your Sweaters:
•For the best results when hand washing sweaters, put a capful of creme hair rinse in the final rinse water.

Accidentally Washed Woolen Items:
•Soak in tepid water to which you have added a good hair shampoo.  Sometimes this will soften the wool fibers enough to allow reshaping. 

Machine Washing Delicate Garments:
•Drop your delicates into a pillowcase and fasten the loose end with a rubber band.  Place in washer and wash on a gentle cycle.

Remove Grape Juice or Red Wine:
•Sprinkle the spill immediately with salt.  Dunk into cold water and rub the stain out before washing.

Clean Dirty Work Clothes:

•Add 1/2 cup of household ammonia to the wash water.

Make Those White Socks White:
•Boil in water to which a slice of lemon has been added.

Faster Ironing:
•Place a strip of heavy duty aluminum foil over the entire length of the ironing board and cover with pad.  As you iron, heat will reflect through to the underside of the garment.
•Starch your ironing board cover.  This also helps the cover stay clean longer.

Blood:
•Cover area with meat tenderizer.  Apply cool water to make a paste.  Wait 15-30 minutes, sponge with cool water.

Chewing Gum:

•Place garment in plastic bag and put in freezer.  Scrape off frozen gum.
•Or, loosen gum by soaking in white vinegar or rubbing with egg white before laundering.

Candle Wax or Crayon:

•Place the stained area between clean paper towels or pieces of a brown paper bag and press with a warm iron.

Ballpoint Ink:

•Apply hair spray liberally to stain.   Rub with a clean dry cloth and the ink usually disappears. 
•Try rubbing alcohol on the spot before laundering.

Rust:

•Apply lemon juice and salt, and then place in the sun.
•Rust can also be removed from white washables by covering the stains with cream of tartar, then gathering up the ends of the article so that the powder stays on the spot.  Dip the entire spot into hot water for about 5 minutes.  Ordinary laundering will complete the job.

Mildew:
•Dry in the sun after moistening with lemon juice and salt.
•Treat with 1/2 cup Lysol.

Perspiration:

•Soak the garment in warm vinegar water.

Similar Posts:

Stainless Steel Friend or Foe
Cleanups around the Kitchen

Laundry and Life

Laundry is a bit like life.  Each day it builds from the day before.  There are things to be sorted out.  Sometimes there is dirt to be dealt with. Some problems need to be tended to quickly and others can be put at the bottom of the pile. Some items need to be handled with care while others can take a beating.  And if it's not tended to daily it will undoubtedly become overwhelming!

Vinegar

I have a Home Economics degree, so I guess you could say that makes me a home economist.   I sometimes wonder why I chose that field.  But then when I look at all the things that have intereseted me in my life and my hobbies I guess I get my answer.  A Home Economics degree is kind of like vinegar IT COVERS IT ALL!   There is a saying that, "All I ever needed to know I learned in Home Eonomics." (Today it would be Family and Consumer Science.)   Well one thing you can't do without in your home is vinegar.  Did you realize vinegar has many uses?  Here are a few of my favorite vinegar tips: 

Cleaning:

• Clean the microwave by mixing 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar and 1/2 cup water in a microwave-safe bowl. Bring it to a rolling boil inside the microwave. Baked-on food will be loosened, and odors will disappear. Wipe clean.
• Remove the grime on the top of the refrigerator with a paper towel or cloth and full-strength white distilled vinegar.
• Remove soap buildup and odors from the dishwasher by pouring a cup of white distilled vinegar inside the empty machine and running it through a whole cycle.
• Spray shower doors with full-strength white distilled vinegar after you’ve squeegeed the glass, or before you step in and turn on the water. This helps release the hard water deposits so they don’t remain on the glass.

Laundry:

• Remove perspiration odor and stains on clothing, as well as those left by deodorants, by spraying full-strength white distilled vinegar on underarm and collar areas before tossing them into the washing machine.
• Forgot that you left wet laundry in the machine and it now smells moldy? Pour a few cups of white distilled vinegar in the machine and wash the clothes in hot water. Then run a normal cycle with detergent.

Health and Beauty:

• Make nail polish last longer. Wipe fingernails with cotton balls dipped in white distilled vinegar before putting on nail polish.
• Get rid of heartburn:  Take 1T. of apple cider vinegar for heartburn.  (Heartburn has to be really bad for me to do this.  But it works.)

Cooking:

• Tenderize meat with white distilled vinegar. Use it in marinades or when slow cooking any tough, inexpensive cuts of meat.
• Make onion odors disappear from your hands by rubbing with white distilled vinegar.

These are just a few of my favorite tips.  I actually found a website that list over 1001 uses for vinegar.  Check it out:
1001 Uses for Vinegar

Oozing with Talent

"Is there anything that you can't do?"   That is often my question to my sister.  She is oozing with talent.  And since she is not the type to toot her own horn, I am going to TOOT it for her.  I have always admired the many talents that my sister possesses.  She is the "Jack of all Trades" but she would say, "And the Master of None".  Just to mention a few, she can draw and paint just about anything. A few years ago she actually made a good living painting Christmas shirts for the Opryland Hotel and was featured on QVC. A better seamstress you couldn't find. She has decorating skills that others acquire through training.  She can create something from very little. And as of lately she has been upcycling and redesigning beautiful furniture items. But probably one of the most noteworthy characteristic is that she is..."all that"...but yet one of the most humble, kindhearted individuals that considers herself, "Not all that".  So when asked,"Is there anything that you can't do?", she will continue to laugh and say,"Yeah lots" as she puts the last finishing touches on the headboard she is building.  And I will just shake my head and think to myself how my sister is "OOZING WITH TALENT!"

Salvaged and Redesigned Furniture

A Deal is Only a Deal

A deal is only a deal if you need or use the item you are buying. Are you really saving money couponing?  I have to admit I kind of got carried away with all the hype surrounding the "Extreme Couponing" show.  I would watch religiously in awe of the savings these people were able to obtain.  But each time I would watch I never really figured out how they were stocking there cabinets, freezer or refrigerator with food.  Yes, they would have buggies full of paper towels, dish detergents, toothpaste, deodorants and such.  But where is the food?  Oh every now and then you might see pizza rolls, soups, or fruit roll ups.  But seriously where is the food?  I don't doubt money can be saved and shelves be stocked by couponing.  I am even doing a little of it myself.  But I am laying aside the idea that I will have to build shelves to store my "hauls".  I finally figured this out when I started to buy eight bottles of "Softsoap"  because I had that many coupons, and it was on sale, oh and the store doubles the coupons.  But as I was putting it in my buggy I realized it still wouldn't be free and I HAVE NEVER BOUGHT SOFTSOAP BEFORE.  So did I really need it?  No.  A deal is only a deal if you need it.

That being said you still can save money if you plan, stay focused and don't purchase something just because you have a coupon.  And there are a lot of good sights out there to coach you a long the way.  One great sight is
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$7.00 Cute Coupon Organizer

 

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Monopoly Takes Me Back

Monopoly game brings back a bit of nostalgia.  Today I ran across my childhood game of Monopoly.  The copyright date is 196-'s something.  It is so old you can't read the last number.  Looking at it brought back a lot of memories.  I can remember many late nights playing this game with my (now deceased) brother.  It was a constant battle of bickering, laughing and conniving to see who could land on and purchase Boardwalk and Park Place, who could take over the railroad systems and who would lay claim to the utility companies.  And it wasn't just about the hat or the car that scooted across the then colorful board, or passing "Go" and collecting $200.00, or even the laughter when my brother or I ended up in jail.  It was about the short shared moments of a brother and sister bonding, feeling a connection, enjoying our evenings with an old-fashioned past-time.  And even though some of the game pieces are missing, the memories remain.  And Monopoly becomes more than just a game, but a bit of nostalgia, a moment in time, a connection again......with my BROTHER!

Don't Trash Your Treaures

Don't trash your treasures!  Instead put them to a different use.  An old vintage window shutter might become a unique way to display Christmas cards.  Old glass canisters will take on a new look in the bathroom.  A glass door knob could be just the perfect touch to tie back your curtains.  Display your family photos on a vintage wooden ladder.  Ideas are limitless.  So move it around, paint it, repurpose it, transform it, but definitely "Don't trash your treasures"!

Get in There and Dig!

The first day of the month brings about a lot of great deals if you don't care to get in there and dig.  Dig, search, and wait in line.  It's all worth it when you find your favorite brand of pants for $2.15 and they still have new tags.  Cashmere sweaters, down vest, jeans, shirts, pants, and much more.  American Eagle, Hollister, Ann Taylor, Victoria Secret, and Ralph Lauren.  Lamps, wreaths, pictures, and frames.  Cookbooks, decorating books, and novels.   Wow! The latest Harry Potter book in hardback.  It looks like it has never been cracked open.  Crowded aisles, long lines, smiling people, and carts filled to the rim.   Check it out!  Goodwill Saturdays.  First day of the month and 1/2 off tags. Take yourself, take your daughter/son or husband, take your friend.  Something for everyone!  If you don't care to get in there and dig!

Fashion Finds.

Dress and Boots $14.00.

Goodwill a great place to find items to redesign or recycle.  Check out: 

No More Ugly Ducklings

What's In Your Purse?

"I can't find my keys!"  I thought I put them in the side pocket.  Oh there is my fingernail file that I was looking for.  Oh, well.  Now where are my keys?  Wow! Why does anyone need four lipglosses?  And two of them are the same color.  Back to my keys.  I really need to start using the keyfinder.  That is such a neat little gadget.  You hook it to the side of your purse and there they are when you need them.  "Then why don't I use it?"  Lotion, coupons, receipts, open bilfold, gum, gum wrappers, ooh...gum wrapper with gum, earrings, more receipts, date book (need to schedule time to clean out my purse), and much more.  Finally keys!!! 

Does my purse say something about me?  About my home, my life?  Unfortunately it kind of does.  I am constantly organizing but never organized.  I love shopping for baskets, containers, and folders.  Everything I need to get organized.  I am "a work in progress".  Just ask my girls.  Ask them where the  toaster is?  The cookie sheets?  The cups?  Etc.  Odds are that I have reorganized the kitchen AGAIN.  Searching for that perfect arrangement.  The one that makes sense. Then why do I find myself here, in a state of disarray? 

I guess life is like our purses.  Sometimes you can find what you are looking for.  Sometimes you have to dig for it.  Sometimes you hang on to things you don't need.  And occasionally it gets turned upside down and you have to pick up the pieces and put it back together again.  

Now where is that phone bill that I need to pay?

What is in your purse?

Approval From the Little Birds

I shared my thoughts and ideas with my girls about becoming a "blogger" and developing an outlet for my thoughts,  ideas, expertise(if you will) and projects.  They seemed to be excited not only for me I might say, but maybe for themselves as well.  A little focus off of them gives them some room to grow and breathe.   I read my first blog to them and approvalling they said, "Mom that's actually really good".  They were giving me tips an ideas.   And of course that made my heart swell.  So in ""Emptying the Nest" could I actually be creating companions, friends, with a common interest.  Hmmm...Time will tell. 

I hope all of you empty nesters will feel free to share your ideas and thoughts as well.  Maybe we could be in this "nest" together.

Fly Little Birds Fly!

So where did this blog come from?

Well, as I watch my daughters, ages 17 and 19, start to become independent young women ready to take on the world I realize I needed to find my way back into the world. Most of my time an energy has been devoted to being a mom. Approaching the empty nest is sad an exciting. While I choke back the tears as my daughters talk of moving out and moving on, I am told I need a hobby. So here I am. My attempt at fulfilling my days as I "Empty the Nest".