Dish Wand in the Shower

This tip is what got me back to this space to write again.

Side note - I'm sorry if you've missed the blog, we've been living life around here and I'm trying to keep my priorities in order.  And some days when I've had free time, Pinterest won. :)

Speaking of Pinterest, and the reason I'm writing here, you really need to try this tip.  I'm in love with the idea.  If you hate cleaning bathrooms as much as I do, and like saving money, you'll love this idea, too.

It's simple, combine equal parts blue Dawn with white vinegar in a dish wand, and store it in your shower (sponge side up).  Next time you have shower time, scrub the walls, floors doors, and even the shower curtain.  It works really well because the vinegar has antimicrobial properties, the Dawn cuts through the scum, and the scrubbing sponge does the hard work for you.

I've been using this for almost a year, but had to wait for high humidity days to really test it out.  It has passed the test in my home!  I hope it blesses you, too.

I'd like to thank the author of Joyful Homemaking for this original idea. You go girl!

Stomach Virus Protocol

Some of you will stop reading as soon as you see the title.  I get it.  We've had our fair share of this nasty bug.  But since we're approaching stomach flu season, I thought I'd post these tips to help you if you find yourself dealing with it, too.


My family seems to be prone to the throw-up-bugs, otherwise most commonly referred to as the rotavirus or norovirus.  I have had MANY a late night call into our phone nurse to determine my next course of action.  I've made many mistakes and regretted it, especially those at the beach with my entire extended family.  I do not have a great memory, but I can take good notes and I am very thankful for our pediatrician and researchers like this one who are dedicated to studying this nasty pest.  I am NOT a nurse or a medical professional, so please verify this information with your own physician before proceeding.

The first item of prevention is frequent hand washing. Contagions for these viruses are believed to be transmitted through vomit and stool. The virus is so contagious because of its potency (according to this site the norovirus has over 10 million particles per gram, yet it only takes 30 particles to make you sick). Familiarize yourself with proper handwashing techniques. My family sings the "ABC" song all the way through and we dry our hands well afterwards. If someone is sick, we temporarily replace hand towels with paper towels to reduce the transmission. And remember, always wash after using the potty, before eating and when returning home. (If you are out and don't have access to a sink, hand sanitizer is effective against one strain of the virus, but not the other. It's worth using, but hand wash when you get home!)


If someone in your family vomits, CLOSE YOUR MOUTH. The virus is not technically airborne, like the common cold would be, but when someone vomits, all those tiny particles are floating in the air before they land on surfaces. So close your mouth until you can get out of that room then later clean well with an anti-viral disinfectant that works on both the norovirus and the rotovirus. We use Lysol Disinfectant Spray. And use care when transferring bed linens to the wash. Everything it touches becomes infected.


Another prevention item my family has added is to have everyone who is well drink one serving of RED grape juice three times daily. There isn't strong scientific evidence to support this theory, but some believe the juice creates and acidic environment in the gut that makes it difficult for the virus to survive, which is why three servings throughout the day is important. Others believe it's because this type of juice has anti-viral properties. Whatever the reason, its worth trying in my book.

And now for the actual protocol:

Once someone vomits, wait 30-40 minutes after vomiting to give food, drinks or medicine, allowing the tummy to rest. Sleep is best at this point, but if he/she is awake give one tablespoon of clear liquids every 5 mins for the first 4 hours. This step will replenish electrolytes and prevent dehydration. Choose one clear liquid and stick with it. Clear liquids include:

• Pedialyte, recommended
• Diluted Gatorade (second best) 
• Flat diluted Gingerale (third choice)

(At any point in this process, if the patient vomits, you must start over. It stinks, I know, but it is worth it in the long run!)

Next you will move to TWO tablespoons of clear liquids every 5 mins for the next 4 hours.  You can try Pedialyte popsicles or another low-sugar popsicles at this point.

If 8 hours has passed with no vomiting, the patient may have dry, starchy, bland, salty foods. Ideas include:

• Saltine crackers
• Pretzels
• Plain bagels (made with white flour)
• Rice Krispies cereal

After 3-4 more hours if there has been no vomiting, add in the B.R.A.T. foods (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast) for 24 hours until the diarrhea subsides. This means you must wait until the sick person has a normal bowel movement to determine if he/she is over the virus. Trust me when I say it is not worth chancing this! B.R.A.T. diet items include:

• Bananas
• White rice
• Cream of Rice (prepared with water)
• Natural applesauce, no sugar added
• White bread toast
• White potatoes with no dairy and no peel
• White pasta (may cook in chicken stock)
• Ginger snaps
• Chicken noodle soup
• Tiny amounts of protein
• Popsicles
• Jell-o
• Jell-o Water (mix according to directions, then add 3 extra cups of water)
• Diluted Gingerale or Gatorade
• Rice milk in small amounts
• No dairy
• Add Culterelle to drinks, a probiotic supplement

The patient is contagious until there has been no fever, vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours. At this point you will be washing hands like it's your job, swearing never to have this again! And for your sake, I hope you don't! Please comment if you have any tips to add to this. It may really help someone one day. I'll update this post as new information comes my way.

Stinky Shoes?

If you like to exercise or love those who do, it's highly likely somebody's dropped a pair of stinky shoes in your house.  Next time try this tip:

Stuff the shoes with dry newspaper until the next use. The paper will absorb the moisture and some of the odor.

This is also a great packing tip...so your favorite clothes and your luggage don't smell like stinky socks.

And don't forget newspaper is great for gardening, too.

Clean Grill

We're are in the thick of grilling season and many of us have a little more "seasoning" on our grill than we should. At least some of us call it seasoning...others call it burned food.  But worry no more, removing those filthy grates and then scrubbing until your fingers turn purple is a thing of the past.  This tip from Real Simple is worth trying:

As soon as you remove the food, give the grill grates a quick scrape with a long handled stiff bristle brush, like these.

Now for the fun part, let the burning coals do the work for you - the food bits will cook off and your grates will be cleaned and seasoned for your next cookout.  If you use a gas grill, just leave the heat on for a while after you're done to accomplish the same purpose.  It works just like a self-cleaning oven!

Do you have any grilling tips?

Photo courtesy of andrewmalone on Flickr.com

Cheese - Grating on Your Nerves?

Image courtesy of dvortygirl on Flickr.com

Typically the worst part of grating cheese is cleaning the cheese grater afterwards.  Dread no more!  This tip from Real Simple recommends to spray the cheese grater with non-stick cooking spray.  When the cheese is grated, it will not stick.

UPDATE: I found that since I still had to clean the non-stick cooking spray off the grater, I'd just assume clean cheese off and save the step.  I don't have a box grater, though, I have one that doesn't require sticking my hand in a box.  I have this grater in green:

Closet Makeover

This is the time of year we're all changing out clothes for the season.  Take the opportunity this year to give your wardrobe a complete makeover!  


I had a professional come and help me with this and wanted to share some tips learned from the experience.


First, take everything out of your closet and/or drawers and sort it in three basic piles:


Like It
Love It
Needs To Go


Next invite a girlfriend over (one that will tell you the honest truth) and starting with the Like It pile, go through each clothing item and explain why you don't love it.  If she agrees, donate it to someone who will.


Move on to the Needs To Go pile and see if you both agree about what needs to go.  You may be surprised at what she likes and/or what combinations she may come up with.


Finally, review your Love It pile with her.  If she agrees you should keep everything, you'll be happier with your Love It clothes.  Make a list of small items you may need to fill in gaps from those things you don't.


And finally take the piles of clothes you don't wear, anyway, and pay it forward.  Donate the clothes to whomever you think it will be blessed by them.  It feels so great to make room in your closet for the clothes you actually feel good in!


Lastly, if you live near Kelley Smith, don't wait another minute.  Schedule an appointment with her right away.  I'm telling you, she is fabulous!  And if you book with her in the month of May she is donating half of the proceeds to our friends the Espinosas and their Allendale Mission.

http://kelleysmithstyle.blogspot.com/

Photo courtesy of Rubbermaid Products on Flickr.com 

Clean Your Ceiling Fan

Oh, I'm so excited about this tip from Real Simple magazine (April 2009 issue).  It's just in time for spring cleaning.

If your ceiling fan is covered with funk, slide a pillow case over the blade, grip the pillow case and pull backward. All the yucky dusty nastiness stays in the pillow case and is no longer all over the floor (or in my case, the bed - yuck!)

Photo courtesy of Sarah and lain on Flickr.com

Another Use for Hand Sanitizer

A friend shared this cleaning tip with me recently -use hand sanitizer to clean just about anything. I'm starting to think that is true!

• My son skinned his knee pretty badly and got blood on my yellow purse. Hand sanitizer got it all out instantly.
  
• My touch screen phone gets yucky from makeup and my kids' dirty fingers. Hand sanitizer makes it like new again.
• We use dry erase markers to write on the windows for school. Sometimes the kids miss and color the painted window sills. :( Hand sanitizer cleaned it right off.
  

Unfortunately most hand sanitizers are just anti-bac, not anti-viral so it doesn't protect us against viruses like the stomach virus, or even the common cold. I prefer my kids to actually wash hands (unless we're out somewhere and have gross hands and cannot wash) BUT I will be adding hand sanitizer to my cleaning arsenal!

Please comment if you have a tried-and-true hand sanitizer cleaning solution!

Dust With Dryer Sheets

What should you do with your dryer sheets after they've been used? Before tossing them, use them to wipe down your dustiest furniture. It works like furniture polish, leaving a temporary barrier that prevents dust from sticking to the wood, allowing YOU to dust less often. And it smells good, to boot.

Stuff Your Animals in the Freezer

Stuffed animals, that is. If your kids (or you) have stuffed animals in the home, they are officially collecting dust mites and germs. Wrap the stuffed animal in a pillowcase and wash it in your washing machine's hottest cycle OR place it in the freezer for 24 to 48 hours. (Some soft toys require freezing because they cannot be laundered.) I found this out the hard way when we recently washed a "not recommended for wash" Build-A-Bear dog, who lost most of his stuffing. Thankfully, Build-A-Bear is just around the corner!

Coat Your Crockpot

I love my crockpot. We have become great friends. In my house "happy" hour is NOT a good time to prepare anything!

1 HungryMom
+ 3 HungryKids waiting
+ 1 HungryDad on his way home
+ 1 Dinner recipe that requires thinking
= COMPLETE CHAOS

So, I slow-cook as much as possible. Coffee in the morning helps whip it all together then the house smells SO GOOD all day!

The only down-side I have found to the crockpot is cleanup. One tip I read somewhere was to spray the inside of the slow-cooker with non-stick cooking spray. I wrote it in all my crockpot recipes so I don't forget!

It does help to ease the pain of cleanup a little. I allow the crockpot to soak while I clean the kitchen from dinner and then it wipes right up.

If you need some new crock-potting recipes, crockpot365 is a great place to start!

Tissue Paper Your Wand

Want to un-clump your mascara wand? Use tissue paper to wipe it clean. It cleans well and doesn't leave lint on the brush like a facial tissue would.
I try to keep a small scrap of used tissue paper in my makeup drawer. Currently, I'm out. This post will serve as a reminder for me to go in the attic and get some down!

Scotchguard Your Scrapbook

Do you have a scrapbook you spent hours working on but now it has dirty fingerprints all over it?

I had this problem, too, until a lady at our local scrapbook store informed me that you can Scotchguard the outside of the fabric covered ones (like the Creative Memories one pictured left).

Changes everything!

Detergent - How Much Is Too Much?

We had to replace our dishwasher recently. The appliance repairman said the bottom of our 5-year-top-of-the-line dishwasher was full of suds. Apparently over time this can damage the motor. I had been using the dishwasher gel tablets that you just throw in. Because we have very soft water in our area, it was too much detergent. He suggested I only use 1 teaspooon of dry detergent in the wash bin and 1 teaspoon in the pre-rinse bin. My dishes have never been cleaner. (I store my dry cascade in a tupperware container and spoon out a teaspoon at a time. I found it easier than attempting to only pour 1 teaspooon!)

I also asked why my dishes were not drying well. He noticed I wasn't using rinse aid. This also is a must for newer dishwashers. (Use the amount it calls for if you want dry dishes.)

While I still had the repairman's ear, I asked about laundry. He said the same soft-water-rules apply. He advised me to cut it by about 4 times what the box recommends and see what happens. He also said the dry detergent seems to dissolve faster (who knew?) and may perform better. Again, my clothes were cleaner when I used "below-the-one-line" for my super large loads.

So the moral of the story is, call your local water municipality. If your water is soft, adjust the detergent down and save some money. If it is hard, you may need to use more detergent, but you won't have to wash everything twice. This also applies to shampoo, dish detergent, etc.

Happy cleaning!

Sponges and Dish Rags

Photo courtesy of Horia Varlan on Flickr.com

So we have all had a sponge or dish rag that downright smells. You know in your gut this is not good. Do not clean with that mildew-infested cloth, try this tip instead:

To disinfect a sponge, get it really wet and place it in your microwave oven. Microwave it on high for 3 minutes. When it comes out you will have a like-new sponge. (When it starts to look like your child's well-worn lovie, however, TOSS IT! Trust me, you can afford a new sponge.)

As for dish rags, they need to be laundered in the hottest water possible on the longest wash cycle. Add a little bleach to the wash periodically and dry them on the hottest setting possible. If they still smell like mildew when you're done, the dish rag is past it's prime. Ask for a new set for Christmas or your Birthday if you have to!

Deodorize Your Disposal

To clean, sharpen and deodorize your garbage disposal, dump a few handfuls of ice, a few lemon/lime/orange slices and a small box of baking soda (optional) down the drain with the water running and disposal turned on.

The ice will sharpen the blades, and the citrus and baking soda will help wash away the grease.

You will be left with a fresh citrus smell in your kitchen and it will extend the life of your disposal. And may extend the life of your ice maker, too!

An Ice Maker That Continues to Make

If you have an automatic ice maker in your freezer, you can periodically empty it out to extend the life of your ice maker. I called a local appliance repair service to verify this information today and they explained that when the ice drops down, if it is not used, when the machine goes through the defrost cycle over and over and no ice is allowed to drop down, it will cause your ice cubes to be smaller and there will be fewer cubes made when you really need them. So, once every month or so completely empty out the ice bin. Your ice will taste better and you can use the ice to fill up your cooler or to clean your garbage disposal.

Want A Clean Coffee Maker?

As wonderful as coffee makers are, they are quite difficult to keep clean. Coffee leaves and oily residue and it can actually make your brewed coffee not taste as it should.

Here's an article that tells you how to clean the coffee maker with vinegar.

http://homeparents.about.com/cs/appliances/ht/Coffee_Maker.htm

I tried it this weekend and now my coffee maker is sparkling clean!