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Hello,
This week we have spring cleaning tips that were sent in by our readers. I hope you find them useful.
Have a great weekend,
Susan
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Tips
Removing Coffee and Tea Stains from Cups
To remove tea and coffee stains from cups or glasses, dampen a dishcloth or paper towel with water, then dip in baking soda and rub. This also works for baking dishes, like CorningWare.
By Robin from Washington, IA
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Mop your no-wax floor with 1 cup white vinegar and 1 gallon of water. This will make the floor shine!
By Robin from Washington, IA
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I'm not sure where I heard this, it might have even been on this site. Anyhow, it really works. When drying a comforter in the dryer, throw a few clean tennis balls in with it. It fluffed up the comforter and re-distributed all the filling evenly throughout! I was getting ready to throw it away, but it's like new again. Great tip!
By Sandy from Pittsburgh PA
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I have started keeping a box for donations to help others at our local Helping Hands Store. Each time I pick up something to put away, I think to myself, do we really need this, or could someone else use it more then my family? I make it a point to try to put one item in the donation box each day.
My husband and I found it hard to part with "stuff" until we thought of the donation box. We both still have a long way to go, but this is a great start. Out Grandson saw the box in the garage last week, now he has one at home for his family. Pass it on, it is a good thing!
By Bobbie from Rockwall, TX
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Here's a recipe for cleaning silverware.
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
1 quart water
1 piece aluminum foil pie plate.
Soak 1 hour. Then wash.
By Robin from Washington, IA
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Spring Cleaning Tip - Make Dinner First
When you know that you are going to be cleaning all day, start your day by making your dinner first. Find a great crockpot recipe and throw it together and let it cook while you clean. When you're done, the last thing you want to do is cook and you don't always have the money to go out for pizza.
By Stacey
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My whole apartment (5 rooms) is all paneling, so every spring I like to wash it with Murphy's Oil soap. I use to get my clothing and hands caught on the nails that hold all my pictures, so this year I went to the dollar store and bought a sponge mop that has a ringer that doesn't get your hands wet. This with a bucket of warm water with Murphy's worked great.
I didn't hurt my hands, my hands also didn't dry out from the soap water, and I didn't have to keep bending down to wash the bottom of the walls. It was so much easier and faster. In 5 days I had 5 rooms done and spring isn't here yet. Now I can go out and play this spring.
By Debbie from Berwick, ME
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Spring Cleaning and Organizing Tips
Spring Cleaning: One Thing and One Room at a Time
It may seem overwhelming to get started on Spring cleaning but how I started was this: one thing at a time, one room at a time. I started in my bedroom and got rid of clothes I hadn't worn for such a long time. I just took them from the hangers and threw them in a pile. I went through all my dresser drawers and picked through them one thing at a time. If I hadn't used it, it was gone. Looked under the bed, through desk drawers, etc and everything just went in the pile. Now rest. Don't overwhelm yourself.
I went through front closets - shelf to shelf, picked through boxes, did the dusting, vacuuming, etc. It didn't take as long as I thought it would and I stuck everything in a big box. You can either take it to your local thrift shop or post the whole lot on a Freecycle site near you - www.freecycle.org - I'm beginning to like that Freecycling, it's very convenient. Someone out there can always use something you're getting rid of. I think that's all I needed to say, lol. Just remember, one thing at a time, one room at a time. :)
By Stacey from Orem, UT
Spring Cleaning: Decluttering
While doing my spring cleaning, I start by decluttering all possible things at the same time, thus making my job a lot easier and my home a lot less cluttered. Less to clean, less to put away, less stress for me.
By Mom from Lancaster, PA
Organizing Craft Supplies
Spring cleaning time is here ... and it's time to get organized. I love to use decorative boxes on shelves for organizing craft/drawing supplies, but the boxes can get pricey. I make my own by saving all shapes and sizes of shoe boxes and other "shelf-size" boxes. I buy discontinued pre-pasted wallpaper and cover the boxes to match my room's decor. These are great in your kids' rooms, too, to organize toys - or even in the bathroom for small toiletries!
By Jan from J City, IL
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Restoring Patent Leather Shoes
Little girls patent leather dressy shoes can be restored to new-looking with petroleum jelly! Just put a good-sized glob on a cloth and work it into the outside of the shoe, then remove and buff with another soft cloth. Look great for pennies!
By Becki in Indiana
To clean patent leather shoes, belts, purses, etc., wipe with a cloth moistened with white vinegar.
By Robin from Washington, IA
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Tips for Conserving Water
By Ellen Brown
Practicing water conservation saves you money, protects the health of your family and reduces the risk of damaging your access to quality drinking water. Water conservation also prevents water pollution-which hurts the environment and ultimately costs money to remedy. Here are a few tips for conserving water in your home:
How Residential Water Use Breaks Down
Although water use may vary somewhat from family to family, here is how the typical American family uses water:
The biggest potential for water conservation occurs in the areas that see the greatest use. Examine these areas first. It's also important to verify that your system as a whole is free from leaks. If your water meter doesn't read the same amount at the start and end of any given two hour period where no water is being used, you may have a leak.
Indoors
Showers and Baths (20%)
Toilets (19%)
Clothes and Dish Washing (16%)
 Dishes washed by hand should be quickly rinsed under a low stream from the faucet, not rinsed in a large basin of water. |
Potable Uses (9%)
Outdoors
Lawns & Gardens (36%)
There are hundreds of other ways to save water-and even if the savings are small, every drop counts. Encourage your friends, neighbors and employers practice water conservation, and support projects that create awareness and promote reuse.
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Instead of spring and fall cleaning, which overwhelms me and doesn't get done, I'm working my way through the house with one cleaning project per day. Each day, I choose one shelf, drawer, window, or section to super-clean. It only takes about ten minutes, and I'm keeping track of the list, so I can start at the beginning again, once I get it all cleaned.
I feel so good about accomplishing something each day that makes my life cleaner and brighter! Can't wait for spring!
By zballoongirl
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Saving on Cleansers, Dishwashing Liquids and Cleaning Sprays
To save cleanser that comes in cans, I never peel off the entire covering over the holes. I only peel off to expose one-two holes. You use less and there's less waste. Kids just love to shake, shake, shake.
To save on cleaning sprays, I use tape to cover a few of the holes or don't unscrew the opening only slightly. This way I use only what I need, where I need it.
Pour dishwashing liquid into a smaller personal sized bottle (used for travelling) and you'll use less each time you need to wash dishes.
By Freemom from Northern California
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