⋄ Staying Clean ⋄
It’s not always easy to keep everything in life spick & span. Here are a few simple tips to help you fight the never-ending battle against germs, bacteria, dirt, dust & grime!
- Make your own laundry soap–see the recipes page for a simple powdered laundry soap which costs a fraction of commercially prepared formulas and YOU control what goes into it.
- Purchase hand soaps and dish soaps in large refill sizes and then refill the dispenser. See the recipe page for directions to make your own foaming hand soap.
- Store brands usually clean just as well as name brands!
- Make your own basic household cleaners. Most are simply made from vinegar or bleach or ammonia. Do follow recipes and never mix bleach and ammonia! Did you know salt is a great mild abrasive for cookware, most counter tops (check owner’s manual) and especially cast iron?
- Save on paper towels by using cloth. OR if you use a paper towel to dry your hands or wipe up some water, get double use out of it. Let it dry out for a second use OR look around for a spot on the floor. Drop the wet paper towel on the offending floor spot and use your foot to wipe it up with the paper towel. Or wipe off the edge of the trash can before throwing the wet towel away.
- Purchase shampoos and conditioners in bulk from a beauty supply store. Refill the smaller bottles.
- If you have small bits of bar soap left over, place them in a net, drawstring bag (you can usually get them at the dollar store). The net bag is a great mild exfoliater and utilizes those small bits of soap.
- A net bag will also extend the life of your bar soap.
- When you travel, bring home the little ‘freebies’ from the hotel room. The kids will love them, they work well in 72 hour kits and you can put the bars of soap into those net bags!
- Use washcloths for small hand towels, especially in bathrooms or other areas that get a lot of traffic. Washcloths are smaller to store and launder more quickly than towels.
- Use washcloths for napkins at the dinner table. Did you know that napkin rings were originally used to designate which napkins belonged to who? The napkins were used for more than one meal and no one used a napkin used by someone else. You might try this for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- Always wear an apron when cooking. The apron will protect your clothes from spills and you can wipe your hands on it, too!
- Your cleaning time will be cut if you immediately fill cooking pans with hot water when you finish using them. Let them soak while you enjoy dinner
- If you use spray cleaners, be sure to let them work for you. Leave on the surface for a few minutes or according to the manufacturer’s directions.
- Use dress shields when wearing dry clean only garments. If you protect your clothing from perspiration, you can extend the time between trips to the cleaners AND extend the life of your clothes.
- Instead of dryer sheets, fill a spray bottle with 1/4 of fabric softener and 3/4 water. Shake gently. Spray a washcloth or other small piece of fiber with the solution and add to your dryer. There are also ‘dryer balls’ available that work in a similar fashion. Some people keep a container of watered down fabric softener and washcloths on top of their dryer. They wring out the washcloth and add one to each dryer load.
- If you wear predominately natural fibers, you may find that you do not need dryer sheets at all. It is usually polyester and other man-made fibers that create static in the dryer.
- Towels dried without fabric softener are more absorbent.
- Air dry your clothes if you need to cut your electric bill!
- If your washer has an extended spin cycle—USE IT! The extra spinning uses much less energy than extra time in the dryer. If you don’t have an automatic extended spin cycle option, simply turn the washer to ’spin only’ after each load of towels or other hard to dry items.
- Clean out your dryer’s lint trap EVERY TIME YOU USE IT!
- If you dryer takes longer and longer to dry, the lint trap and exhaust portals within the machine or between the machine and the outside are most likely clogged. Clean these out! Trapped dryer lint is a leading cause of home fires. Check your dryer manual for details. You may also be able to simply remove the exhaust hose, check it and clean it out quite easily.
- Replace washing machine hoses at the first sign of wear.
- Vacuum your floors often. It will keep them cleaner, they will last longer and you’ll have to mop less often.
- Make your own refills for ’swifter’ type mops from old mattress pads, towels, washcloths or other absorbent material. Many washcloths and small hand towels fit perfectly on a swifter. Spray the washcloth with water or a mixture of vinegar and water, then damp mop your floor!
- Clean clothes before storing them for the season. Avoid perfumed soaps or fabric softeners as these can attract critters that like to feast on fibers. Dirty clothes also attract fiber eaters.
- Mop up spills when they occur. You are less likely to have the mess transported elsewhere and less likely to have a permanent stain.
- Invest in a good quality, highly absorbent door mat. You can often find them on clearance racks. Teach everyone to wipe their feet before coming in the house! If you choose to have folks remove their shoes, provide a place for the shoes to be put.