Travel Washing Machine

Okay, I have an idea on how to not only reuse something in your cabinet but to make traveling easier.  Have you ever been in a hotel and needed to wash out just a few personal items?  You know stuff like sock or pantyhose or even "unmentionables", just anything that is little but still needs to be cleaned so it can be reused the following day. I have an idea for you.  

First, let's think about how a washing machine works. You put in your items, some soap, and then the washing machine fills up with water and starts to toss your items around until they are clean.  Then it dumps out the water, adds new water, and repeats the process.  What if you could take something on your trips to do this same process for your small items?  Now you can do just that. Take a big bowl with a lid that fits tightly.  Put in a few of your items, add the water and a few drops of soap and shake, rinse and repeat.  You now have a small portable washing machine.  Just hang the items over the shower rod and in the morning you will have clean clothes.  Now you have a way to keep your small items clean while on your trip.

Vinegar and your health.

Vinegar has been used around the house for many years.  Vinegar can be used for anything from cleaning to health benefits.  Today I will give you a list of just some of the many health benefits that vinegar has to offer.

According to the Vinegar Institute, vinegar has been used successfully for the following.

1. Relief From Heartburn.

2. Soothe a Bee or Jellyfish Sting.

3. Relieve Sunburn.  When I was a child if you got sunburned you would pour vinegar over a small piece of brown paper and place that on the sunburned spot.  As funny as that sounds you would be surprised at how fast the sting of the burn disappeared.

4. Relieve Dry and Itchy Skin.  I have found that vinegar is a great itch remover, just add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar to your bath water and the dry itchy skin is soothed.

5. Soothe a Sore Throat. 

6. Fight Dandruff.  This is a fast easy way to stop the itch of dandruff and maybe even heal it.

7. Head Lice Killer.  Sometimes your child will bring home head lice from school.  Don't panic just get the vinegar and pour it over the head slowly. The lice cannot breath and they will die.  Of course you will still have to remove the lice from the rest of the house but it at least you have a good start.

8. Toenail Fungus. I have seen this work wonders.  It may take a little while but it does work.

9. Arthritis Relief.

10. Lesson Morning Sickness. I have not used this one but according to the Vinegar Institute if you drink some apple cider vinegar in water with honey it can help calm a queasy stomach.  If any of you try this, please let me know.  I would like to hear your thoughts on how this works.

11. Cleaning Heavily Soiled Hands.

12. Wart Remover.

13. Bug Spray.  Combine equal amounts of water, white distilled vinegar and liquid dish soap in a spray bottle.  Use on skin, as needed. A natural bug killer sounds better than all the harsh chemicals in the normal bug killers.

The uses of vinegar are almost endless. How do you use vinegar for health benefits?

Natural anit-fungal product.

Do you know of a product that is both natural and strong enough to be an anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-mildew product?  I have a great natural product for you.  I use this product along with many other products in my home because it is both cheaper and safer than your normal household cleaners.  This great product is Hydrogen Peroxide.  Hydrogen Peroxide has natural anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-mildew properties? This makes it another great all-purpose cleaner. 

I am a big fan of Hydrogen Peroxide.  You will find that I blog about Hydrogen Peroxide on many occasions.  I feel that it is one of the top three cheap products that has more uses than most people even realize.  Keep checking back for more ideas on how to use Hydrogen Peroxide.  Until then how do you use Hydrogen Peroxide in your home?

BORAX - The Natural Bug Killer

What are some good uses for Borax?  Did you know that Borax could be used for much more than washing your laundry or dishes? 

Borax is a natural bug repellant.  You can use Borax to get rid of fleas, ants and even roaches. How is that for a tough, yet natural product?!  Just sprinkle the Borax powder behind your refrigerator so that pets and children can't get to it and say goodbye to your pest problem. Borax is a fabulous tool for many household problems but can be deadly for children and pets if eaten. If there is any chance of a child or pet getting near the Borax I would not recommend using it. 

Unconventional Uses for your Dishwasher.

6 Unconventional Uses for your Dishwasher

By Tyler Wells Lynch

 

These are some very different ideas on how to use your dishwasher.  Read this article and let me know what you think in my comment box.

 

 

http://www.dishwashersinfo.com/Features/6-Unconventional-Uses-for-your-Dishwasher.htm?utm_source=outbrain_recirc&obref=obinsite

 

 

 

What can I do with shampoo?

What can I clean with shampoo besides my hair?
Well we all know the obvious thing that shampoo is used for, washing our hair.  The reason we know to wash our hair with shampoo is because that is what the advertisers tell us.  Of course, shampoo is great for getting our hair clean.  However, how it cleans our hair is what I want to talk about today.  The detergents in shampoo are able to break down oils that accumulate on hair into tiny droplets. Once broken down, water is able to rinse the oil, as well as dust, flakes of skin and dirt out of the hair.  This same concept works on other items besides your hair.  Shampoo is great for breaking down the oil or greasy dirt that you get on your clothing as well.  Just wet the item of clothing and put a small amount of shampoo on the oily spot then gently rub and rinse.  You might be surprised just how much better shampoo will clean those hard to clean oily dirty spots than stain remover sticks.  I have found that shampoo will clean oil out of clothing better than normal laundry detergent.  When you try it for yourself you will be amazed.

What would be a natural disinfectant?

What would be a natural disinfectant?  Hydrogen peroxide and vinegar mixed evenly together are a great natural disinfectant.  It has been used for years to get rid of germs.  When you have someone in the house that is sick, just keep the counters wiped down with this to help control the spread of the germs. I have on many occasions use them separately as well.

Five favorite things shaving cream does that it is not supposed to do.

Reposted from: ALLYOU Magazine

Ahh, shaving cream. Available in a can since the 1950s, this drugstore mainstay is in nearly every household. And while shaving cream does a pretty good job at its intended task (no one likes razor burn), we’ve found several things it does rather well aside from its original purpose. Here are our five favorite things shaving cream does that it is not supposed to:
1. To quite a squeaky door:  Spray on hinges to quiet a noisy door–no oil needed.
2. Waterless soap: Sometimes you just have to get your hands dirty and when you do there’s not always a sink handy (pun intended). In situations like these, a little pump of shaving cream, a quick rubbing of the hands and a towel off will make your paws good as new.
3. As chrome polish: Have a kitchen or bathroom full of chrome? Simply rub shaving cream on the faucet, fridge, sink or oven door and then wipe with a damp cloth.
4. To clean-up spills on carpet: Use paper towels to blot a spill on the carpet, then apply a dollop of shaving cream. Wipe with a damp sponge and you’re done. Be sure to use the classic white cream variety, however, as gel kinds may stain some carpets.
5. Bathroom mirror cleaner (and defogger!): Sure glass cleaner does this job but shaving cream will leave your mirror streak free and also stave off the “foggy mirror effect” for a few weeks. Simply rub the shaving cream on the mirror with a paper towel, wet the paper towel and rub it off. This technique will leave glass door streak free too.
Not bad for something that you can get for less than $2 a can! Do you have any that weren’t included? We want to know about them–so we can try them too of course! Lather up!

I have also used shaving cream for carpets and found it to work nicely. I was surprised to find that shaving cream could be used for many of the things that have been listed. Did you know that it also works for getting ink off sealed wood and plastics?

Homemade Windex

What is a homemade / natural replacement for Windex?  My favorite would have to be half water and half vinegar.  You could even add a few drops of blue food coloring if you need that blue color in the bottle.  Any time you use vinegar remember that the smell will go away very fast.  This combination is also great on many kitchen and bathroom counters.

REUSE SOME ITEMS FOR MORE SAVINGS

Reusing an item is a great way to save.  Even your used dryer sheets still have a job to do when the dryer has stopped.  Put them in drawers or shoes for extra freshening.  You can even use these little sheets to help with static cling in your hair.

Don’t throw away your old magazines.  Use them over clothes hangers to keep your pants from having a crease, or take them to your local library for someone else to read.

When you purchase new bars of body soap, they have a use before you even take them out of their boxes.  Instead of storing them in your cabinet while waiting to use them, put the soap (box and all) in your drawers or closet.  You will enjoy the fresh scent that they will give.

Look around your house to see what else you can reuse.  Many items have a much longer life than you might think