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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 [...]
September 4th, 2010 | Posted in Frugal Tips | Read More »
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 [...]
August 27th, 2010 | Posted in Frugal Tips | Read More »
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 [...]
August 20th, 2010 | Posted in Frugal Tips | Read More »
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. [...]
August 13th, 2010 | Posted in Frugal Tips | Read More »
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 [...]
August 6th, 2010 | Posted in Frugal Tips | Read More »
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 [...]
August 1st, 2010 | Posted in Frugal Tips | Read More »
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 [...]
July 29th, 2010 | Posted in Frugal Tips | Read More »
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 [...]
July 16th, 2010 | Posted in Frugal Tips,Organization | Read More »
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, [...]
July 9th, 2010 | Posted in Frugal Tips | Read More »
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 [...]
July 7th, 2010 | Posted in Frugal Tips | Read More »
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 [...]
June 28th, 2010 | Posted in Frugal Tips | Read More »
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 [...]
June 19th, 2010 | Posted in Frugal Tips | Read More »