BS: Organizing/Household Tips

Subject: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: wysiwyg
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 11:54 AM

I guess this belongs in a linked group of other Mudcat threads (neat or messy, downsizing, etc), and those can be added later.

But I have four hot kitchen tips now-- wish I'd known 'em sooner-- and I wanna post before I forget 'em!


1. Set a soapdish/drainer in or near the drainboard for those little bottle tops that are so easy to lose in the big drainer's wide slats. Use them when you refill your recycled bottles (like Starbucks yummy iced coffees) with your homemade, healthier alternatives.

2. Small household, dishes piling up? An old pot's handle can be removed to make a soapy-water pot to sit in the sink. Plop dirty dishes, glassware, or utensils in there as used, one or two at a time. Next time you pass the sink, just rinse one or two of the soaked and now-clean items, and set them to dry. No more dishes piling up. Saves water.

3. Like to sanitize dishes in the dishwasher, but too few people to run a full load? Use the DW as your drainer. As you handwash a few dishes at a time, set 'm in the DW to dry. Whenever it gets full, run it with or without soap to sanitize and dry the dishes. Saves water.

4. Almost any visit to a thrift shop will net a used Brita or Pur water-filtering pitcher for a buck or two. They clean up fine (I bleach them after a good soapy scrub), and so far every used on I've gotten (even the really old models) uses the same filters available now. One for kitchen, one for bath, one for camper, one for office....... as you pour a glass or bottleful of water, add the same amount of tap water back into the pitcher. Soap and bleach weekly (not the filter). Those filters are good for about 2 months, and they easily beat the cost of bottled water (not to mention saving the environment).

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Bee
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 01:57 PM

I don't know how useful these are for other people...

1. Save a couple used toothbrushes for cleaning tiny filter screens (like the ones in some washer filler hoses).
2. Like scrubbed new potatos? Ignore the soft 'vegetable brush' in the grocery store. Buy a small heavy duty scrub brush and make the job easy.
3. 2 to 1 water and vinegar cleans laminate floors better than the expensive stuff.
4. Double bag fish for the freezer = less freezer burn. (We get a lot of fish).

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Alice
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 02:45 PM

Best scrubbing solution to clean sinks, stove tops, water taps, etc., Cream of Tartar mixed with Hydrogen Peroxide.
I used to use baking soda for cleaning, but the C of T with peroxide is MUCH better.

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 04:07 PM

Get rid of your vegetable coolers in the reefer if you tend to have rotten stuff there and replace with Tupperware type boxes that can be washed in dishwasher.

And what is too few people for a dishwasher? One is not too few for me. The only number fewer than that is 0 and then I guess that would be true. mg

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: flaj
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 04:42 PM

Hey mg what's a "reefer"?

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Amos
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 04:53 PM

Nautical slang for a refrigerator, Flaj.


A

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: wysiwyg
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 04:54 PM

Tupperware for produce, yes-- with air holes cut in if they aren't already in the T/ware. Line with a damp towel. Bleach as needed (monthly)? Take all produce out of bags/boxes.

Too few people for DW is if you have two people and not every meal is eaten at home, it does not come close to filling the DW even if you put the pots and pans in. Water comes dear in some places.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 06:43 PM

Two is not too few for me. Dirty dishes (quick clean before loading) can be a good long time in the dishwasher if you are healthy at least...They say on average people use less water with dishwashers, assuming full load etc. than by hand, but the extremely cautious would probably use less by hand. Whatever works, but all else being equal, no current drought etc., people should not feel they should not use a dishwasher until a magic number of people uses it. mg

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: katlaughing
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 06:51 PM

We were going to get one of THESE, but the one we liked was too tall to fit under our cupboards on the countertop. I think we'll probably go ahead and get one of the shorter ones. With just the two of us, the smaller does make sense, imo and we do have drought conditions here.

One little tip that I got years and years ago which I loved, esp. with small children, was to make a small drawstring sack out of a washcloth, using a shoelace for the drawstring. Put all of your soap chips in it, those little bits when the soap gets too small to hold easily. Then use as a soaped up, ready to scrub washcloth.

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 07:02 PM

Here's a real money saving tip:

When shopping for kitchen cleanup tools, choose ones with handles that are appropriately shaped to do double duty as marital aids. You'll save money and avoid the embarrassment of having the kids find that drawerful of dildos.

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Bobert
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 08:15 PM

My one tip is that if you can't take the heat, stay outta the litchen...

That's me... I mow, weedeat, build houses, renovate hotels, deal with crazy people all day long but I know my limitations and most are kitchen related... Okay, I can wash dishes... Washed 'um tonight, might of fact... Keep my fingernails clean...

Okay, I do have one suggestion... Don't ever install a soap dispenser on the right side of the sink... The left is better... I have done this twice and, grrrrrrrr....

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: wysiwyg
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 11:14 PM

A country DW on a well running dry is, sometimes, TOO MUCH WATER to waste all at once. If the DW's full, OK, maybe you run it. If it ain't, sometimes you don't wash much of nothin', and washing... people... comes... first.

Sheeshe!

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: GUEST,Bert on Kelly's machine.
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 11:43 PM

That stainless steel sink looking grungy?

Get a sheet of 400 grade wet-or-dry rubbing down paper from your auto parts store and cut it into four.

Go with the original grain and it will get it really clean.

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: GUEST,Bert on Kelly's machine.
Date: 08 Sep 07 - 11:44 PM

It's good for cleaning your pots and pans as well.

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 09 Sep 07 - 03:11 AM

If you're going to use old shirts as cleaning rags, take the buttons off first or you could scratch whatever you're trying to polish.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: wysiwyg
Date: 09 Sep 07 - 06:44 AM

Ooooh, cast iron pans, cleaning once well seasoned:

You may use either a tiny amount of dish soap in cold water, OR hot water on its own, to remove stubbornly stuck-on bits. A green scrubby used lightly will restore the smoothness of the seasoning's finish to Teflon smoothness. However, always lightly re-season lightly or heavily as needed with a spritz of spray oil on the freshly-heated pan. Polish excess oil off when the pan cools.

A rusted pan can be sanded down to bare iron and re-seasoned; sometimes dry salt will serve to sand it, or the automotive sander used carefully will serve. :~) But a rescued rusty pan, if seasoned properly, will have a long second life.

Seasoning, according to some people, is best done stovetop, frying chicken. According to others, a long, slow bake in the oven is best.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: autolycus
Date: 09 Sep 07 - 06:47 AM

There are loads of books of tips. I've just picked up a pre-publication copy of The Penny Pincher's Book Revisited by John and Irma Mustoe, which is tips and nothing but, around 1500 of them.

One I liked is never go food shopping when you're hungry.


One that's great for saving money is to buy low-energy light bulbs. My electricity plummeted to

£15 p.m.       Let me repeat that, £15 per month.

   It helped that I suddenly realised I h'd had the boiler permanently on. Now it's usually off. (Note to self. Twit).


The book gives some 31 Uses for lists, e.g. for empty tin cans,

e.g.4. Tins make excellent perncil and pen holders.
      11. Put unfiled bills and invoices into a can till you're ready
      15. Put your jewellery in a can in the larder. They won't look there - no time.
      31. Use as target practice, ball practice.



       Ivor

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Mr Happy
Date: 09 Sep 07 - 12:06 PM

Re: re-using old toothbrushes, if you immerse the handles in boiling water to soften 'em, you can bend backwards on top of itself to make like a nail brush handle

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: wysiwyg
Date: 09 Sep 07 - 12:45 PM

Moving? A good time to shred years' worth of obsolete files is when you're packing to move-- you get [lenty of free excelsior for glassware, and fewer heavy boxes of paper to move.

Want an inventory of what you've put into storage, or what's in your moving boxes? Put blank address labels on the boxes. Use your digital camera to take a still-life shot of the box contents; put the photo filename on the box label.


Your empty computer boxes are a great place to store those crazy packing peanuts as they pile up in your life-- those styrofoam peanut-shaped thingies that spread everywhere if you let them loose? Let them pile up in the puder boxes; you will have plenty for fragile knick-knacks the next time you move. At moving time, haul out the puder boxes and pack the most fragile items into fresh boxes with those packing peanuts. Throw out any leftover peanuts, and there are your empty puder boxes to use on the last packing day.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Partridge
Date: 09 Sep 07 - 12:47 PM

Catch all the spiders in your home and tie small dusters to their feet... Set them free for dust free crevices.

Pat xx

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: autolycus
Date: 09 Sep 07 - 01:23 PM

LOL


Ivor

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Sep 07 - 11:32 AM

Don't bother to catch the Mediterranean house geckos that creep in under the door or when you aren't looking, the cats are bored with them by now so they leave them alone, and they'll eat any spare ants or spiders that have also made it into the house. And if there isn't anything else around, they seem to like the crumbs of cat food the kitties miss around the dish.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: PMB
Date: 10 Sep 07 - 12:28 PM

If you wet yourself in the pub, avoid embarrassment by "accidentally" knocking over the remains of your pint onto your lap.

If your partner snores noisily, clingfilm over the mouth and nose will restore silence.

You can reduce the cost and environmental impact of washing by always using brown bedsheets.

Park on double yellow lines with impunity, by smearing all the car windows with petroleum jelly so the tickets won't stick.

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: autolycus
Date: 10 Sep 07 - 12:53 PM

Sounds like Extreme Tips (as it were)

Ivor

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Bert
Date: 10 Sep 07 - 04:09 PM

Roast coffee in a cast iron pan to season it.

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: MBSLynne
Date: 11 Sep 07 - 02:53 AM

Lol! I like some of those!

Prompted by my sister I joined a US web thingy a few years ago called "Fly Lady...your personal household organisation coach" (or something like that). I don't go on it much any more, but it was usueful. Two of the things from it I still do regularly.

1. When you first go to the bathroom in the morning, give the basin and toilet a quick wipe round and run a cloth over mirrors.

2. When doing any sort of cooking, have a bowl of soapy water in the sink and wash things up as you go along. Saves time later. Though I don't have a dishwasher....

I clean almost everything with either bicarbonate of soda, vinegar and/or lemon juice, either singly or in combination. Vinegar is most definitely the best thing for cleaning any sort of glass. If you use newspaper to rub over afterwards it's even better.

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: autolycus
Date: 11 Sep 07 - 03:19 AM

Another tip.

If you're about to snack, drink a glass of water in sips first.

You may find you weren't hungry after all (and it's the cheapest diet solution I know so far).

We rend to think we're hungry when the reality is we were thirsty.


    Ivor

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Partridge
Date: 11 Sep 07 - 04:56 AM

To stop mirrors streaming up rub them with soap and dry without rinsing.

if you want to stop cleaning mirrors indefinitely get bitten by a vampire!

pat xx

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: wysiwyg
Date: 11 Sep 07 - 10:10 AM

Wishing you had a double sink? Pick up a big ole canning pot at the thrift store and set it beside your sink. You can use it to set dishes to soak, to thaw a turkey in cold water, or as a backup dish drainer after the DW is too full for those last holiday dishes.

Need an extra drainer? Lay out a handful of chopsticks in a rimmed cookie sheet. You will be able to stand glassware, cups, and bowls on the chopsticks to keep them off the wet cookie sheet as all the water runs off.

Need another extra drainer? Use the empty, just-washed/bleached produce bin (and its lid) to hold handwashed pots and pans. These can be set on the (cool) stovetop; when the dishes are dry, you will find that the water that ran off the bins onto the stove has softened any cooked-on goo.

Need to quick-cool a hot item before putting in the fridge? Set it as near (or on) the exhaust fan to draw off the heat.

Need to quick-thaw frozen beef? Turn a cast iron pan upside down under a lamp, and unwrap the meat as much as possible. Set it directly on the cast iron. Cover it with a metal of glass pot lid or a glass bowl. The heat from the lamp will warm the iron enough to thaw a 1" steak in about 30 minutes. Turn the meat over as needed. (Leave the center of the steak frozen if you like 'em rare.)

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: sneeble
Date: 11 Sep 07 - 07:09 PM

ok not a subject I like to tred often.....

when spring cleaning show the kids a banana box and tell them all their treasures to keep must fit in the box, take the box away. You will find the actual amount of hoardings with end up being half the box size again. Cant beat the power of suggestion.

I keep toilet cleaner in the kitchen for cleaning the stove top and the tiles. Obviously the same bottle doesnt get used in the toilet. Shampoo the carpets with ammonia and dishwash liquid, clean the washing machine and dishwasher with pool filter cleaner.
Dip clean jewellery in a strong hot alkaline solution made with dishwashing powder, swirl around and then rinse. This is useful for stuff that cant be cleaned by hand easily or for lab created gems.
Scrub the sink with dry dishwash powder to remove stains, use the toilet cleaner around the rim for cleaning child baking marks.

If you have small children and need a new dining suite go for the distressed timber look, all marks bangs, dents and cuts add authenticity. Buy the nice suite when they go away.

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Joe_F
Date: 11 Sep 07 - 09:51 PM

Don't waste space on a drainboard. Hang a dishrack over the sink.

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Genie
Date: 11 Sep 07 - 11:35 PM

[[ Bee-dubya-ell said:

Here's a real money saving tip:

When shopping for kitchen cleanup tools, choose ones with handles that are appropriately shaped to do double duty as marital aids. You'll save money and avoid the embarrassment of having the kids find that drawerful of dildos.]]

In a similar vein, use the kitchen floor - or any vinyl or tile floor - in lieu of a bed. (This can make you feel wild and spontaneous, unlike the trite "bed" habitat.)   Both you and your partner -- or your spouse -- don terry cloth shirts, properly soaped up. Then, as you cavort on the floor, you simultaneously get one of your big chores done.

This can also work for windows, with a t-shirt drenched first in Windex.

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: mg
Date: 12 Sep 07 - 03:25 AM

Well I suppose you could douse yourself in Dutch Cleanser and cavort in the sink...mg

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: JennieG
Date: 12 Sep 07 - 03:43 AM

Denture cleaning tablets are good for cleaning the inside of cups that are tea or coffee stained - we keep some in our little kitchen at work. Just fill cup with hot tap water, add a tablet, and soak.

Make sure you rinse well after cleaning as the taste doesn't do much for the next cup of tea or coffee.

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Sep 07 - 10:24 AM

Need a non-slip or oversized clothes hanger? Cut two pieces of a foam POOL NOODLE to approximately fit the garment's shoulders. Slit each piece lengthwise to slip over a sturdy wire hanger. At each end, if the foam's length runs past the end of the hanger, make another 1" slit (or longer) so the foam will catch the bend of the hanger out at the end, and so the initial slit doesn't lie against the top edge of the hanger and fall off. One noodle will do several hangers. They are easily found (cheap) in the summer at WalMart, Dollar General, etc., but can be gotten all year online at various prices. When using, let the garment collar fall close to the hanger's hook, inside the start of the foam, to keep it on the hanger just where you want it for best shoulder shaping. (Make the first one long and trim back as needed before making a full set, so you know what adjustments to make for your particular size requirements.)

I hang blazers/jackets and any seldom-worn dressy items inside out so the dust stays off the show side.

Any garment I can re-wear before it has to go to the cleaners also is hung inside out after the first wearing. That way I'll know it's been worn and may need to go to the cleaners after the next use.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: open mike
Date: 15 Sep 07 - 12:39 PM

i once tried to get my act together but i gave up.
i tried some of these tips:
www.organizeyourselfonline.com

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Mickey191
Date: 15 Sep 07 - 01:37 PM

THread Drift: All you very handy people may have the knowledge I seek. I bought a big jar of squeez'um plastic Kraft Mayonnaise. ($2.80) I left it (new) in the car trunk for 5 very hot days. It looks normal.   

Will I die if I use it?? If so...will it hurt?

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: mg
Date: 15 Sep 07 - 01:54 PM

I would toss it. mg

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: wysiwyg
Date: 15 Sep 07 - 02:27 PM

Never opened, should be OK, but still I'd pitch it. If it's bad, all it takes is one bug to do BAD damage to you.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Mickey191
Date: 15 Sep 07 - 03:03 PM

Okay-Thank you Ladies. It's a gonner!

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 15 Sep 07 - 03:57 PM

Far and few, far and few are those who write with pencils these days.

But if you do, and you keep running into erasers that pick up a black skin which then makes the "erased" area a messy smudge, you can clean up the eraser with sandpaper or an emery fingerboard. For a while, at least, it will erase the way it's supposed to.

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Genie
Date: 20 Sep 07 - 07:15 PM

... or, Dave, you can "clean up" the smudgy eraser by ERASING.   I.e., what I do is just rub the eraser over scrap paper as though I were erasing something. This usually removes the troublesome outer layer so the rest of the eraser works just fine.

:)

[[JennieG said:
"Denture cleaning tablets are good for cleaning the inside of cups that are tea or coffee stained - we keep some in our little kitchen at work. Just fill cup with hot tap water, add a tablet, and soak.

Make sure you rinse well after cleaning as the taste doesn't do much for the next cup of tea or coffee. ]]

Is this kind of like using Preparation H to tighten up the bags under your eyes or smooth out facial wrinkles? In all these cases it's crucial to avoid getting the stuff into places like eyes, mouth, nostrils, or other sensitive membranes.

Genie

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Oct 07 - 12:06 PM

I'm SO EXCITED about this one I just HAD to share it with you wannabe organizers, de-clutterers, and hoping-to-be-expackrats.

!!!!

Feeling overwhelemed by the prospect of the big, impossible project staring you in the face? Can't think where to start? (Can't think at all?)

Easy-peasy! Just pick ANY practical, hands-on task large or small, and do the things you need to do to start THAT.

I discovered this key to eliminating intertia by deciding I'd vac the LR myself instead of waiting for Hardi to come home and do it. MIL is coming, and until recently I was physically not able to vac. Now I think I can though....

And suddenly, I find all the energy I need to clear up all that pesky, important stuff (mess) that fell over the back of my chairside table, instead of looking at the several mini-messes and major-messes around the room and not knowing what to do first.

Try it!

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: wysiwyg
Date: 01 Oct 07 - 04:07 PM

Ready-to-discard wire hangers will not puncture the garbage bag if you put them inside a used pizza box. :~) Ditto broken glass, but tape the box.

An empty coffee can lined with a used plastic grocery store bag makes a fine sinkside garbage (or compostables) container. The new plastic coffee cans are even better-- no rust, easy to disinfect.

The big plastic coffee cans are also great for freezing stews, stock, etc., and they take Sharpie labeling well.

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Schantieman
Date: 02 Oct 07 - 09:23 AM

The broken glass ought to be recycled though.

And who would ever throw away something as useful as a wire coat-hanger? The other weekend I was doing something or other in a boat and one would have been just the job. Sadly there was not one to be seen. (and THAT was shortly before I lost my specs over the side!)

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Rapparee
Date: 02 Oct 07 - 09:34 AM

Get a big box.

Put everything in it.

Problem solved!

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 02 Oct 07 - 09:49 AM

"cleaning child baking marks"

I find boiling them makes less mess.

If you don't wear dentures or don't want your tea with that minty fresh feeling, try a squirt of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Rub around with a cloth or a finger and it will clean up nicely. The lemon cuts through the tannin stains and the salt acts as an abrasive to clean the crap off. Rinse out well and admire the shine. The added advantage is that lemon tea is tasty, whereas fluride tea is not.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: wysiwyg
Date: 02 Oct 07 - 10:31 AM

If you don't wear dentures or don't want your tea with that minty fresh feeling...

I sure hope my new glasses get here soon-- the old ones I am wearing are not only the wrong prescription, but they are scratched: If you don't wear dentures or don't want your bra with that minty fresh feeling

Image of somebody gumming a girl, eewwww....


Here's a nee one: You actually CAN use a pressure-washer on the inside of a fridge! Mind where the water goes, and avoid the electric bits. A wet-dry vac doesn't quite keep up..... just trundle the fridge outside to clean 'er! :~)

~S~

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 02 Oct 07 - 10:37 AM

WYS, some people would pay good money for that!!

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Organizing/Household Tips
From: SINSULL
Date: 02 Oct 07 - 10:44 AM

I have done that, Rapaire. Several times. Now what do I do with all the boxes?
Mary, who moved to Maine in 2002 with a sealed box packed in Chicago in 1974.