Bleach disinfects your laundry, but not everyone wants to use bleach, or maybe you’re out of it. You can use products such as Lysol, ammonia, vinegar, grapefruit seed oil/extract, sunshine or hydrogen peroxide. (Don’t use it on colored laundry.) The first reader tip has another suggestion. DISINFECT LAUNDRY: When I was a young girl, I [...]
Baby-formula cans are sturdy and durable. You can reuse them as household storage containers. They work well as a gift container, to hold plastic bags, toilet paper, plastic utensils and napkins for a backyard BBQ and in your laundry room to place lone socks. Or, carry one in the car with baby essentials such as [...]
Is your wallet filled with loyalty, rewards or club cards? They get disorganized and you fumble at the cash register to find the card you need. You can organize them into a card-organizer holder, bundled with a rubber band, or try KeyRingThing (www.keyringthing.com) or CardStar (www.mycardstar.com), which puts multiple cards onto a single card. The [...]
Ketchup isn’t terribly expensive to buy, but if you run out and have a few pantry staples on hand or have an abundance of tomatoes, you can make your own at home. Visit www.kissmyspatula.com/2009/05/31/homemade-ketchup for a homemade ketchup recipe that uses whole tomatoes. The first tip below has a simple version using canned tomato paste. [...]
If you have a spaghetti-sauce stain in your plastic bowl, try a vinegar-and-baking-soda paste or salt and lemon juice, and then set the bowl outside in the sun. Avoid stains by applying oil to the bowl prior to pouring in tomato-based soups or sauces. Or simply dedicate the stained bowl to holding sauce. I’m hesitant [...]
Steel-wool soap pads are great for scouring, but they tend to rust. When using soap-filled scrubbing pads like S.O.S., wet the object to be scrubbed instead of the pad. The pad lasts longer and doesn’t rust as quickly. If you place S.O.S. pads in a zip enclosure bag or aluminum foil after use and store [...]
Rubber bands can be reused easily. Use wide produce rubber bands to grip and open jars or hard-to-open plastic soda pop bottles. You could also place one around your TV remote to keep it from sliding off the table and to keep the battery cover attached. If you have young children, you can wrap wide [...]
Drawer carts are great for organizing closets. They contain items and tuck into the closet so they aren’t taking up space in a room. They can be used to store hats, mittens or scarves, as a mini dresser, to organize toys or as a file cabinet. The first reader tip shares another way to use [...]
Do you have missing socks? Some people are organized and wash socks in a mesh bag or clip them together. But if you have lone socks, you can pin odd socks to a corkboard or use a magnetic clip and hang them on the washer so they’re easily accessible to match. Or use a pillowcase, [...]
Household items often have multiple uses. Clamp hangers are useful for more than simply hanging pants and skirts. You can use them to organize and hang your saved gift bags from holidays or use them as frames for artwork. The first reader tip shares additional ways to use them. SECOND USE FOR CLAMP HANGERS: I [...]
Potatoes should be stored in a cool, dark and ventilated area away from light. Don’t refrigerate them because the starch turns to sugar. Don’t wash them before storing because the dampness promotes decay. The first reader tip shares a way to keep potatoes from the light. POTATO TIP: I work at a farm stand. At [...]
Freezer organization can be a challenge. It can be more difficult with a chest freezer. Ideally, you want the older food toward the top so it gets used sooner. You can remove food from bulky packaging and repackage into labeled freezer storage bags to save space or organize into plastic bins. The first reader offers [...]
photo by noel zia lee Even small impulse purchases can result in overspending because they add up quickly. It helps to have a list of frugal activities to do when the urge to splurge strikes. Avoiding temptation is an important part of reaching your goals. It’s a powerful feeling to be in control. Simply avoid [...]
photo by cynicaloptimist You don’t have to serve beans and rice every night to keep dinner low cost. Consider cooking a tender roast or whole chicken. They lend themselves to tomorrow’s dinner of light stir-fry, all-in-one casserole, “break-from-cooking” sandwiches, an ethnic meal or hearty soups. Or you can balance your food budget by serving thrifty [...]
photo by jspatchwork Muffins are perfect for every season. They freeze well, and they whip together in minutes, so you can enjoy the old-fashioned Muffin Man goodness whenever the craving hits. They’re scrumptious plain but are amazing with spreads, compound butters, jams and jellies.
photo by oskay (click for LED garden light tutorial, too) DEAR SARA: What can I use in place of English-muffin molds? I have found a recipe to make homemade English muffins. I have the griddle but not English-muffin molds. They sell them on Amazon.com for $3.99 for four, but I really don’t want to buy [...]
photo by sciondriver We had our gas meter moved from inside the garage to outside, so the service technician checked for leaks. If our meter hadn’t been moved, I probably wouldn’t have thought to have anyone check it. It’s one of those things I take for granted. The service technician told me to keep ice [...]