Upside Down or Right Side Up

When it comes to homemaking and organization, everyone has their own ways of doing things.  What makes sense or works for some does not make sense or work for others.  There are even debates over which way the roll of toilet paper should be placed on the roller.  What I never really considered an issue was whether to put glasses, mugs and other drinking vessels upside down or right side up in the cupboards.  I used to think it was just a personal preference.

Our first three purchased homes were relatively problem free as far as home invaders.  The worst we dealt with was ants (rarely), house flies, fruit flies and in our third house, earwigs.  Even then, all of these pests were very minor outbreaks that were quickly controlled.  They were not ongoing.  Glassware and mugs were placed right side up in the cupboards.  Then we bought our fourth house that backed onto farmland.  When the crops came off, the mice came in.  Our fifth house was a beautiful house in a beautiful location but it had issues.  It was across the main road with a small road in between from farmland on water front property.  The house was surrounded by English ivy, a rodent mecca.  The mice would scurry across the patio, get into the outdoor grill and loved visiting us indoors.  Not only were mice a problem, the house was a magnet for centipedes (4 or more a week!), millipedes, pill bugs and carpenter ants.  We bought this house in 2011.  There is farmland directly behind it so even though it is a newer house, mice found their way indoors.  After catching four mice, we called in the professionals who quickly took care of the problem.

As part of our pest control, glassware and mugs have been placed upside down in the cupboards ever since our fourth house.  It's a way to ensure that rodents or other pests don't get into them, and it keeps any dust out.  Well, this does make perfect sense.  However, shortly after we discovered mice in this house I was getting platters from the shelf unit in the pantry, I was not pleased to discover the tell tale signs of mice on the top platter.  So, even if the glassware and mugs are turned upside down in the cupboards, other dinnerware or pots and pans in the cupboard can still be contaminated by rodents, other household pests or dust.

Essentially, upside down or right side up ends up being a personal choice.  While it will give peace of mind that nothing contaminated your clean glassware or mugs, it does nothing to eliminate the possible contamination of other items in your cupboard that come into contact with food.  Up or down, 'tis up to you :)

Our Executive Home

We moved into our new to us home in September of 2011.  It is in an 'estate' subdivision.  The house was billed as being an executive home when it was built in 1994 and each time it has been on the market it was billed as such.  The house itself is gorgeous with some nice features (eg. marble/ceramic flooring, laminate flooring, ceramic tile countertop, interlay brick driveway and sidewalks) but in our opinion is lacking a lot of features that we would consider being standard in an executive home.  The rooms are large and spacious, the exterior is lovely but the gardens and interior need updating.  The front garden beds in particular are a real cliche, seriously being ripped completely out and starting from scratch.  Both decks basically need to be rebuilt and the fence needs to be replaced but the pool deck is simply horrid.  All of the lighting fixtures need updating and of course the interior needs painting to suit our tastes.  We have a lot of plans for this house.  Essentially, what we need to do is a lot of upgrades and improvements to bring our house up to what is expected in an executive home.  Here's a few of them with those already completed marked accordingly:

• garburator - Unless prohibited by the local bylaws, a garburator (kitchen disposal) is an expectation with most moderate to high end houses.  This house does not have one or if it ever did, it was removed.  We have bought a garburator but have not installed it yet.   It should be installed within the next week or so depending on time restraints.
• central vacuum - This really is an expectation in any moderate to high priced house in our area.  They are inexpensive (under $1,000) and very easy to install during a new home build.   We installed a Hoover central vac about two months ago.  
• pool/decking - If a pool is installed in higher priced houses in our area, it is usually an in ground model.   The previous owners installed an above ground pool here rather than an in ground.  There are two reasons for this with the first being the cost and the second being a possible buried obstacle.  Line locates did not indicate any buried utility lines.  We are replacing both decks to form one large deck giving a nice finished edge around the pool and covering almost the entire back yard in decking.
• fencing - The existing fencing may have met the code when the pool was installed but it certainly does not meet the current code for pool fencing.  It provides little in the way of privacy and is in need of repair.  We are replacing the fencing incorporating it into the decking to give privacy while meeting the current code.
• landscaping - Landscaping really creates the curb appeal of a house so even low priced houses are expected to be neatly landscaped.  Higher priced homes in our area are often professionally landscaped.  On first glance our property has lovely gardens but they are really over grown, weed filled and poorly planned.  The front garden beds were edged with the brick raised walls but poorly done.  I really don't like the look of the raised walls so have already removed it from the small garden between the sidewalk and garage on the west side.  That bed has been revamped with a trellis, clematis and red cedar chips.  I am working at cleaning out the larger front bed that will also have red cedar chips and all new plantings.  The front bed will wrap around the west side of the house.  The small garden bed between the garage and sidewalk on the east side will also have the red cedar chips and two trellises with clematis.  I'm using the less is more philosophy for the plantings in the gardens, a naturalization method for crocuses in the front yard, and container plants combined with climbing flowering vines to soften the fences of the new decking.
• front porch - Our front porch is a cement slab about 4' x 10' raised about 1' with a small, half-circle step to the sidewalk.  It is plain and non-descript. We are resurfacing it with a concrete decorative finish. 
• interior - Most of the interior upgrades needed are decorative as in fresh, updated paint colours.  We are replacing the sinks and countertops in the bathrooms as well as adding custom built wood trim and built-ins.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2012

Back Home

We left on December 4^th to spend a couple of days in Wisconsin before going to our vacation home in the sunny south.  It was a very much needed break and while we could have stayed longer, we arrived home on the 22^nd because I wanted to be home for the holidays with the kids and grandkids. 

We didn't do a lot of shopping in Florida as we were flying without checking a bag.  It's less expensive that way.  We did find a Hobby Lobby that was amazing so I went online to find one closer to our permanent residence.  It was late so we stayed overnight to have a fresh start the following day.  I picked up a few craft projects at Hobby Lobby so will be sharing those with you shortly.  We stopped there along with stopping to do a bit of shopping the day after arriving at the airport.  One stop was Bed Bath & Beyond, another really nice place to shop. 

Without a shadow of a doubt the number one kitchen gift this year was the Keurig single server coffee makers with accessories and K-cups.  We absolutely love our Keurig!  One of our kids bought theirs first to replace their Melitta One:One.  After much consideration along with our badly failing Melitta One:One we bought our Keurig coffee maker and just recently another of our kids bought one.  K-cups are expensive as homemade coffee goes coming it at as high as 79¢ per cup but less expensive than coffee purchased out.  Bought on sale I can find the K-cups for as low as 50¢ per cup and through One Cup Connection I can get them for about 39¢ per cup.  We bought the My K-cup re-usable filter system which brings the price down to 9¢ per cup.  The My K-cup comes with one re-usable filter basket but we found a two pack of the filter baskets at Bed, Breakfast and Beyond for $8.99, not a bad price considering we use our Keurig on average a few times a day and not just for coffee.  There are other re-usable filter systems for the Keurig and now there are various styles of storage systems for the K-cups.  The Keurig was the only noticeable kitchen gift item this year from what we saw.

Anyway we are back home so I'm looking forward to a couple of months of turning our new house into a home.  It already feels like home but I want to make curtains, cushions, paint all of the rooms, add my own decorating style and that type of thing.  I will be heading to the paint store the first week of January so expect to hear a lot about painting!  I need to make a new afghan for the family room just for this house as that has been a tradition for every home we have been in.  I found a really nice pattern so just have to buy the yarn.  I'm planning on redoing most of the landscaping as well as adding new garden beds.  It should be a rather exciting 2012 with everything I have in mind!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

Moving Towards An Organized Home

Our former house was on the market for eighteen months before it finally sold.  I used that time to declutter thus reducing what we had to move.  The reality is moving from any house to another is going to result in items that are no longer wanted or needed.  We started moving in on September 1, closed on September 15 and left for our vacation home on September 18.  Our goal during the time prior to our fall vacation was to get our new home to the point it was livable.  Once we returned home in October our goals were to get the garage to the point we could get one of our vehicles in it and get the walk-in pantry set up.  We have achieved all of these goals and then some.  Now we are at the point to gear up for organizing and decorating.  I'm rather excited about this!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

The Two Income Family Myth of Mom Working Outside the Home

In days of yore women stayed at home to tend the home fires, cook the meals, care for the family garden and livestock,  and look after their children.  Three significant events took place affecting Canada and other parts of the world that took women out of the home and into the workforce.  They were:  World War I (1914 -1919), The Great Depression (1929 - to early 1940's) and World War II (1939 - 1945).  Women left the home to work as a sign of social responsibility as well as to help support their families.  Fast forward to 2011 and women are still working outside of the home mainly due to the cost of living has become so high that two incomes are necessary to keep a roof over their heads and food on their tables.  However, the two income family really is a myth.

Consider the family of four with husband gainfully employed.  Unless the wife has some type of formal education the minimum wage in Ontario is $10.25 per hour and $8.90 per hour if working in an establishment that serves liquor.  I'm going to do all the calculation based on a per week basis.  Assuming the higher amount a 40 hour work week works out to $410 per week before taxes at 15% for the first $41,544 earned in 2011 ($61.50 per).  Child care for two children comes in at $200.00.  Mom's too tired to make herself a lunch ($25.00) and usually buys a coffee ($7.25) on the way to work each day.  The cost of gasoline to drive the vehicle to work comes out to $35.00 plus addition miscellaneous vehicle expenses at an average of $15.00 per week which includes parking if charged, insurance, basic maintenance.  Mom is running late so picks up fast food once during the week at an average cost for a family of four $25.00.  At this rate Mom is actually netting a whole $41.25 per week.  Now $41.25 is still extra money but it is not a lot for the effort expended and the true costs of working outside the home haven't even been fully covered.  There's the extra clothing costs and extra grocery costs with increased convenience foods just to name a couple.

The way to get ahead first and foremost is to cut back on your expenses.  I will give a few tips on how to do that in tomorrow's post.  The following post will deal with a few legitimate ways to make money online.

Garden Gnome

Houses are Noisy

Have you ever noticed how noisy your house is?  Even when it is quiet your house is never really quiet.  Each house it's own unique sounds ranging from creaking and crackling, pipes knocking, ducts cracking, to sounds of the house settling.  Large and small appliances make an incredible amount of noise sometimes.  The ice maker in the fridge makes noise as it fills with water then later when dumping the ice cubes into the tray.  There's the subtle hum from computers and the tv receivers.

I notice a big difference in the noise level between our primary residence and our vacation home.  Our vacation home has what I would consider fancy storm windows only rather than the heavy duty windows of our primary residence.  It is surprising how much outside noise the thinner windows let in!  Insulation and storm windows really can decrease the noise level of a house.   There are a lot of things that can be done to quiet down a house.

Noisier rooms can be sound proofed to keep sounds from traveling throughout the house.  Special appliance pads can be placed under dishwashers and washers to lessen the vibration noise.  Scatter rugs and/or carpeting can help quiet rooms as well.  Prevent pipes from knocking by adding a foam spacer between the pipe and wall or beam then secure the pipe with a U bracket to stop any movement.   Heavy drapes can be hung on windows or entire walls to muffle the noise.  Quilts hung on walls can serve as artwork while dampening noise.  I am going to do a fair amount of sound proofing at our vacation home so stay tuned.

Garden Gnome
©2006-2011

2010 Winds Down

This has been a frustrating but exciting year for us on the homemaking front.  With our primary residence up for sale and house hunting for most of the year a lot of things have been put on hold.  On the other hand with the purchase of our vacation home we have had a good deal of fun getting it equipped for renting out when we aren't there.

What was rather fun about getting the vacation home equipped was being able to buy pretty much everything new, something when first setting up a home usually isn't possible.  We even discovered 'beds in a bag'!  Oh sure I had bought these as gifts for others but had never bought one for ourselves.  Within minutes the vacation home beds were gorgeously co-ordinated looking very much motelish.  All my bath and kitchen towels match perfectly at the vacation home.  We bought cutesy bedroom lamps, whimsical and definitely not our regular at home look.  We bought 2 throws for the livingroom and while they are nice they are the handmade crocheted or knitted throws we are used to.

There's a down side to that aside of the cost though as there's no history or emotion attached to the 'stuff' used to fill the home.  There is none of that 'have to have spoon' because that is special or the 'remember when stains'.  We ended up bringing down several things from our primary home just to make our vacation home feel more like ours.  I'm sure as we visit more it will become our home away from home as well but for now it is new.  It even smells new!

Overall, we are excited and looking forward to changes in 2011!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

We're Homeside

Somewhere between our permanent residence and our vacation home the lines are getting blurred.  Both of them are home.  Our personality and lifestyle take centre front for both houses.  They are in different locations, in different climates and yet our personality is firmly stamped on both.  I'm quite please with this because regardless of where we are we are home!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

Oh My Gosh! Change Those Sheets!

A current study found that half a million Brits change their bed sheets only 3 times a year. I'm sorry folks but this just fall into major ewww factor of homemaking. At one time I can recall bedsheets being changed weekly. Clean sheets drying on clotheslines were a normal weekly sight. Heavier comforters and quilts were changed according to the season. Children's linens were changed more often out of necessity rather than desire.

What is the point of daily personal bathing and wearing freshly washed clothing yet spending a good 8 hours each night in dirty sheets? Not changing bedsheets allows allergens and dust mites to build up in the bedding causing both respiratory problems and allergic reactions as well as harbouring disease causing organisms.

Our bedsheets are changed weekly unless we aren't home for that week. Saturdays have always been the sheet washing day and even when the kids were young Saturday was the main laundry day although with little ones doing laudry during the week was quite often necessary. With as little as 2 sheet sets you can change the bedding weekly without having to rush to wash the sheets before nightfall. I like putting the pillows through the wash monthly while putting them through the dryer on air setting weekly. This just helps get dust and dust mites out of the pillows while freshening them. I honestly think stretching changing your bed sheets on a regulary weekly basis is a healthier choice!

Garden Gnome
©2006-2010

If you have read my other blogs, you will already know there is a possibility of us unexpectedly moving. We are currently on waterfront property as is the house we want to buy. The problem is with waterfront property you have to act fast! So in less than a week we have viewed the house twice and the offer was put in on Saturday and is tentatively accepted. We will know for sure before 5 pm and if accepted our house will be listed this evening. That means everyone from their firm will be doing a walk through tomorrow. Thank goodness I have been doing spring cleaning! If all goes well, this will be our fourteenth move since we were married. I've learned a trick or two about moving in general and those little extras to do when you are selling your house that I thought I would share.

Moving is stressful as it is but if you aren't organized, it will be worse. Reduce whatever you can. There is no point of moving stuff you never use. Donate, give away or toss these items. Do not buy anything you don't absolutely have too unless it is something like appliances that will be delivered to your new address. Eat from your pantry and freezers. The less food you have to move the better. Put your normal food budget money into an envelop and save that for restocking after you are moved. Start packing early, just as soon as you know you are moving. Pack daily if at all possible, fifteen to thirty minutes at a time. Label the boxes according to what room they go into in the new house or apartment.

The biggest tip I have for selling a house is once it is on the market, consider it not yours. Look at it through the eyes of a buyer. You have to do what it takes to sell it. Presentation is everything! Here are some tricks I've learned over the years for selling your home:

1. declutter - Buyers want to see space and potential. They are trying to visualize how they would used the space. If you can't get the clutter moved fast enough, hide whatever you can in dressers or storage containers but not in closets or built-in storage. Make your house a bright and spacious feeling as possible.
   
2. pets - Sorry, your pet might be the centre of your universe and a very pleasant critter but potential buyers might not see it that way. Many people have allergies to cats and dogs as well as just aren't really into other pets like reptiles or rodents. These need to be out of the home when it is being showed and there should be no evidence of any pet odour. The only exception to this is a well maintained, sparkling fish aquarium that tends to be rather soothing.
3. air fresheners - Gone! All you need is a potential buyer to have an asthma attack or chemical reaction because they are sensitive.
4. personal items - Most people realize that you still have to carry on your life while your house is on the market. They don't want or need to see all your hair care products, dental stuff, your favourite nightie and house coat, or even your dirty laundry whether in a hamper or not.
   
5. cleanliness - Buyers aren't expecting perfection but they are expecting clean. The kitchen and bathroom(s) should be spotless though. Potential buyers will be turned off by a sink full of dirty dishes or a dirty stove even it is not included in the sale. Clean the stove and if you don't have time to do the dishes put them in the dishwasher or covered tote. Shine those sinks using baking soda, rinse well and dry. Shine up the taps with a 1:1 solution of vinegar and water.
6. sparkle - Your house ideally should sparkle from top to bottom. Remember first impressions count especially when selling a house. Dust everything including light bulbs and keep it dusted while the house is listed. Wash all the light fixtures so they sparkle. Don't forget the mirrors and taps. Again, use a 1:1 solution of vinegar and water. Just before your house is being shown go through and turn on every light even if it is daytime.
   
7. appealing to senses - You really need to appeal to a buyer's senses with of course the most important being visual. However other senses come into play. Some real estate agents recommend baking something like a pie or bread. I can you we sold one house that way and because of the buyers lovely comments I left a plant and loaf of homemade bread for them on moving day. Quiet instrumental or classical background music can help too.

Garden Gnome
© 2007

Good Old Vinegar

I use a lot of vinegar in my home. For cooking, I have a lot of kinds and like good 5% acetic acid by volume for making some of my homemade herbal vinegar blends. However, vinegar has so many other household uses besides culinary uses.

Vinegar is cheap and non-toxic. When using for household purposes, I buy the cheapest jug I can find. Generally that is about 99 cents for a 4L jug. Here's just some of the ways I use vinegar in my home:

1. fabric softener - 1/2 c per load
2. diswasher cleaner - 1 c once per month, using water miser cycle, no dry,
3. coffeemaker cleaner - run one cup full stength, run through once a month
4. tea kettle cleaner - 1/2 c once per month
5. cleaning sprayer attachments - remove the attachment, soak in full strength vinegar, rinse
6. cleaning rings - let rings soak about 10 min in full strength vinegar, rinse and wipe dry with soft cloth
7. air cleaner - pour about 1 c of full strength vinegar into a bowl, set in area of problem odours, leave about one hour or longer if desired, especially effective against cooking odours but works as a general air freshener too
8. cleaner - pour full strength into a spray bottle, great for windows, mirrors or cleaning chrome
9. mold/mildew control - I just spray on full strength, it does kill both
10. washing ceramic tile - the installer of our previous ceramic tile floor said to wash with water and vinegar only, I use the same tip for cleaning ceramic tile in the bathroom
11. cleaning microwave - place 1/2 c vinegar mixed with 1/2 c water into microwave, heat to boiling then let sit 10 minutes, wipe down microwave
12. drain cleaner - mix 1/2 c baking soda with 1/2 c vinegar, pour the baking soda down the drain first followed by the vinegar; another method is to pour 1/2 c vinegar followed by a quart of boiling water
13. hair rinse - vinegar will neutralize detergents leaving your hair soft and manageable with no build-up

I know I use it other ways as well but am coming up with writer's block at the moment.

Enjoy!
Garden Gnome
© 2007

Dishwashers

Kenmore
Model#15522000

We live in a modern age with a lot of nice appliances to take the work load off of us. Unfortunately, some of these appliances fail pre-maturely simply because they are not cared for properly. In most cases 5 or 10 minutes of simple routine cleaning and/or maintenance can save us so many headaches and a heck of a lot of money in appliance repair bills or replacement. So it is with dishwashers.

This is our dishwasher, a Kenmore Ultra Wash with Quiet Guard, model# 15522000. It is about eight years old and came with the house when we bought it. The previous owner had it installed with the intentions of moving into the house himself then for some reason decided to rent the house out instead. We bought the house sight unseen inside based on location and potential. This dishwasher is not one we would have bought ourselves based on durability and quality. We know how much was paid and honestly that was way too much money for the poor quality of this machine! Cleanliness obviously was not a high priority for the last tenant and this dishwasher was only one of several horrid messes we had to clean. Now in all honesty, I would like to replace the dishwasher and have my eye on a nice Bosch with stainless steel interior. However, it is too new to do so. Besides, the year of major appliance replacements has already been expensive enough!

Aside of the obvious dirt and grunge, the dishwasher had likely not been used by the last tenant, more likely the one before. It had obviously been left open at some point for cats to get into! The bottom rack had one piece of a plate pin missing and there were several cut marks suspected to be from cats chewing on a few of the pins. I cleaned every nook and cranny I could find. Now this is something that should be done with any dishwasher regardless of the age or condition. Open the door and at the bottom of the door spray with a heavy duty solution (1:1) of Simple Green®. This is a non-toxic, biodegradable concentrated solution that you make into varying concentrations based on usage. If this area of the dishwasher hasn't been cleaned recently expect to see huge chunks of gunk! Remove all of this and make sure this area is squeaky clean and keep it that way by doing a weekly wipe down. Another place gunk will build is around the hinges to pay close attention to cleaning there. From there it is simply cleaning around the door, checking the door seals and wiping down that area.

Then my husband removed and cleaned the filters. Most dishwashers will have two filters. The vent to one can been seen in the photo as 5 black squares in the upper left hand corner. This is where the steam comes out after the dishes are cleaned so you would think it would always be clean. Wrong! This can get small food particles and gunk it it as well. Cleaning this filter is as simple as popping the lid off and wiping it out well. The other filter in our model is under the bottom arm on the floor of the dishwasher. The screws have to be removed but this is very easy to do, takes little time and improves the cleaning ability of the dishwasher. It should be done every other month. Once the filters were clean I ran an empty load with 1 cup of 5% white vinegar. This is an inexpensive way to keep your dishwasher running top notch. It removes soap and water build-ups as well as help get rid of any small food particles. This treatment should be used once a month. There are commercial products available that will do the same thing but the vinegar is just as effective and considerably less expensive.

After cleaning the dishwasher the major concern was the seals failing. Unlike some appliances, dishwashers must be used to keep their seals functioning properly. Thank goodness it passed the first test run and has not had any leaks since we've been here. The inside of this dishwasher is white plastic that does turn an orangy pink for a day or two after something with tomato based anything is washed in it. The first inclination for most people would be to put some bleach in the dishwasher to remove the stains. This is one of the worst things you can do as bleach will cause the pre-mature break-down of your dishwasher's seals and valves.

Dishwasher repair is a relatively easy DIY project. After the third plate pin fell of the bottom rack last week and there are several spots of rusting inside the coating of the rack making it look like there is some kind of cancerous growth, I called Sears on Monday and ordered a new rack. It was $27 so the price wasn't bad at all. Then when I was doing the weekly cleaning, I noticed the door gasket is looking a little worn especially at the bottom corners. Since I don't relish the idea of having my floor washed for me at some inconvenient time, I headed over to RepairClinic.com to get a price on a replacement gasket. That $12.49 is looking pretty good in lieu of a late night floor washing! I've already ordered that part so it should be here shortly. I will give a very blatant plug to these folks. I've dealt with them before for other appliance parts. Other than being a happy customer, I have no affiliation. Their customer service is top notch, shipping is very reasonable and extremely fast. In order to find parts from them you will need your model number.

Look after your dishwasher and replace those key little things before there is a problem. With any luck, your dishwasher will give you years and years of service. So much for my Bosch!

Garden Gnome
© 2007

Frugal Household Cleaning

I think one of the most common questions when it comes to housecleaning is what products to use. We are always searching for the latest, greatest or bestest cleaning agent. What we fail to realize is quite often these agents are toxic to ourselves, our loved ones and our pets. Sure they get the job done sometimes but at what cost? They are expensive and pollute our indoor air. The very same chemicals we are willing to use in out home can leave concentrations that if outdoors in that level there would be an outcry! Many of these cleaners are anti-bacterial increasing the chances of superbugs! Superbugs are bacteria that make us sick but because they have been so exposed to antibiotics they are now resistant. That is bad news as that means they can be fatal. The problem is many are using multiple anti-bacterial products in their homes. Couple with use of prescribed antibiotics and the stage is set for superbugs. The best thing you can do when cleaning your home is to use other products instead of anti-bacterial ones.

Several years ago, I decided to clean my kitchen floor with household ammonia. This has long been tooted as a natural cleaner for Now at that time it was a product I had used several times and I still think it is the best thing for cutting grease. However, in this case while it cleaned my floor wonderfully, I almost immediately noticed a shortness of breath so I went outdoors. After that subsided, I noticed my beautiful green houseplants and at that time I had a lot that had turned a sickly blue but some were a bright blue. Some never recovered, some only partially recovered and a few hardier ones made a full recovery. That was a clear signal this is not something I should be using in my home. The problem is and was at that time finding products that would clean without being toxic. The old natural stand-bys were soap, baking soda, vinegar, ammonia (clearly toxic) and good old fashioned elbow grease.

The second problem with cleaners besides toxicity is scent which in itself may or may not be toxic and can certainly cause problems for those with respiratory problems and/or allergies. Most cleaners are heavily scented and as if that is not bad enough many households are constantly bombarded with heavily scented products aimed at making the house smell good all the time. These seemingly benign products can cause a lot of problems but at least your house smells good. The manufacturers would have us believe that in order for our house to be clean it must smell of the scent du jour but that simply is not the case. All the scent does is mask odours.

Here's my list aside of laundry soap (now fragrance free) and dishwasher soap of must haves:

- white vinegar
- baking soda
- plain, unscented bar laundry soap (eg. Fels Napa or similar)
- handheld steam cleaner
- Bissell steam mop
- Mr. Clean® Magic Erasers®
- Swiffer® cloths/dusters
- 20 Mule Team® Borax
- Murphy's Oil Soap
- plain white terry cloth washcloths
- Simple Green® (non-toxic concentrate that can be made into varying strengths)
- green backed scrubbie sponges
- rubbing alcohol
- spray bottles
- toilet brushes
- scrub brush

Notice there are no air fresheners, no toilet cleaners, nothing with chlorine, nothing with ammonia, nothing heavily scented. In fact, I could easily clean most of our house with the handheld steam cleaner and washcloths AND it would be clean without the chemicals! Our homes do not need to smell of citrus, pine or heaven know what else to be clean. They need to be clean period without the smell or toxicity. You can get that smell by boiling a few spices and citrus or apples on the stove or baking a loaf of bread. At least that isn't an artificial smell! If you want something stronger, dry your own flowers and herbs for a natural potpourri or sachets. You can even make a bed spray using dried lavender buds and filtered water. Now think of the money you will save not buying into all that "you need the latest cleaner" that never works as promised anyway. Think of the space you will be saving not having all those one purpose cleaners. Best of all, think of how much better for you and your family it will be by eliminating the toxic chemicals and improving your indoor air quality.

Image by Free Clipart or Photos: www.ace-clipart.com

Front Loaders - Washer & Dryer

Whirlpool Duet

For years we used a wonderful, bought used Admiral washer and dryer set. It gave us a lot of good service. The washer went first, spitting oil all over so it was replaced by a Kenmore HD toploadind washer. The dryer was replaced with a Moffat HD gas dryer because gas is cheaper here than electricitiy. We knew this was a bandage appoach so took our time doing the reseach to find a washer and dryer that would meet our needs and save us some money in the process.

The very first thing to consider when upgrading your appliances is the Energy Star rating followed by whether gas or electric is cheaper. For this purchase we chose Whirlpool Duet but only after I did my research. I was seriously after energy efficiency on this pair.

Let's compare front loading to top loading washing machines. This particular model uses 68% less water than a conventional top loader. At the same time you can put almost three times the amount of laundry in one load meaning three loads of laundry will be washed and ready for drying in the length of time one load would normally take. Now this in itself will save you the cost of running those two additional loads and will save you time too! What really impressed me about this washer was the EnergyGuide rating of 180 on a scale of 113 to 680 (kWh/year) so it is pretty energy efficient. An added plus is the frontloaders express more water from your clothes making them dryer so your dryer needs to work less. That means for us we are also saving on drying costs. We cannot dry outside due to allergies so clothes must be dried indoors. The final huge thing is because there is no agitator, the washer is easier on your clothes making them last longer. Ok so we are saving on electricity, gas, water and clothes so is there a catch?

I read the epinions reviews and this set got either five stars or one star. I think I did this link right as I'm on epinions as well so you can read my reviews. The ones that gave one star in most cases did not follow the manufacurer's suggestions. You must use HE laundry soap not regular laundry soap. Sam's Club has a large jug of All HE Anti-Allergen for $10.99 and since you are using less soap and three times the load, that's not a bad price! Do not use non-HE soap as it will cause extra sudsing and will gunk up your machine. It can also cause premature failure of some of your washer's components. Now we are sitting here with almost a year's supply of our regular brand of laundry soap thanks to our frugal nature however we will distribute this amongst family and friends so it doesn't go to waste. Ok, next problem I discovered was one problem with all front loading washers was molding. Now this was a huge concern for me and since bleach is also a problem, the suggested solutions are not an option. However, another family member has had a front loading washer for three years without a problem. The trick is to leave the door open after wash day. Now some seem to be making a huge deal about this on epinions, yet my normal routine has been to leave the lid open on the old top loader after all the laundry is done. This is not a huge problem for me and it will work nicely for where our new set is located. The third complaint was vibration and given our floor situation, I do think we can expect some but honestly not near as much as the top loader. These machines especially the washer need to be level!

If you do the research and check out all the specs the front loading washers are energy efficient, environmentally friendly and just make good sense in these times of rising energry costs!

Garden Gnome
© 2007

Clutter...

Clutter

We've all been there, done that and have the tee-shirt when it comes to clutter. Now why do this do you suppose that it? I have a couple of my own theories. First is really is human nature to keep those things we might find usefule in future even though they have no use for us right at this moment. Second, when the clutter becomes even slightly overwhelming it freezes us. We can't do anything about it even though we want to and know we have to.

Our new mattress was delivered this afternoon and as soon as the ordered washer & dryer arrive they will be delivered within a day or two. Both have spurred me onto a bit of a cleaning frenzy aside of my planned spring cleaning. I post more about that later.

Clutter is insidious and it feeds off itself! My problem areas tend to be horizontal surfaces and the back entrance. Oh before I go further, that little animated graphic was made by me just today so if you would like to know how just post a comment on this reply and I'll make a tutorial. Clutter just happens likely because it is easier to drop something down right there than put it back where it belongs. My personal feeling is that smaller spaces are better for clutter control at least for me. Smaller spaces force me to downsize and question whether I really want a certain purchase. Larger spaces tend to attract clutter because there is more room for more stuff.

I adopted four ideas from FlyLady: shiney sink, the 15 minute daily decluttering, the 27 Fling Boogie and daily hotspot clearing. Even if you do not have a clutter problems all of these will help keep your home ready for guests without worry. One book I recommend not only for home organization but also for other types of organizing is Getting Organized (1991) by Stephanie Winston.

I'll leave you with a little food for thought. Your home is your castle, your escape from the world, your santity ... you owe it to yourself and your family to create the most calming and serene atmosphere, one that is clutter free and filled with love. Of course the smells of good cooking are always appreciated too.

Garden Gnome
© 2007

Removing Odors from Furniture and Antiques

I love a good bargain so like to shop yard sales always in the hopes of finding just that perfect antique. The problem is sometimes the item smell and not in the pleasant way. While airing can often be the simplest solution sometimes a stronger method is required. The topic of removing odors from items such as antique textiles or furniture has come up a couple of the Yahoo groups I read. Since I've answered a few times with my method, I thought I would share this tip with my raders.

I'm removing the nicotene odor from 1973 Rock-ola Jukebox my husband just acquired. You can see a picture of this gorgeous jukebox on my journey blog by clicking the link. The most important thing to remember especially when restoring antiques is you do not want to do any damage to the piece. This method will not damage your antiques, textiles, or furniture and can be used to take odors out of just about anything. So here's how I do it.

Lay 3 or 4 sheets of newspaper rubbermaid type container or if a drawer just lay the newspaper in the drawer. Place the item if applicable in the container. Pour about 1 c of unused coffee grounds into a plastic container. Place the plastic container in the container on the newspaper not touching the item or directly in the drawer. In the case of the jukebox, I simply opened the top lid, placed a couple of folded sheet of newspaper on the floor of the jukebox and set the plastic container containing coffee grounds on top of the newspaper being careful not to spill any grounds. If a drawer, shut the drawer or if using a container put the lid on and let sit for about a week or longer. The odor will be gone. Recycle the newspaper and pour the coffee grounds onto house plants or in your garden.