The Truth About Sponges

I’ve heard all sorts of tips on when to throw away sponges. From don’t use them at all, to toss them in the micro to kill off bacteria. I happen to be a fan of sponges and use them for all types of cleaning. That’s one of the reasons I was so excited to find this tip from the Unclutterers blog:

In our household, we discovered a trick: the Good Clean sponge [for dishes] is used as-is, straight out of the package. When it gets downgraded to the Wiping Sponge [for kitchen counters and the table], we cut one of the corners off. When the sponge gets downgraded again to a Skunging Sponge [the dregs of cleaning], we cut another corner off. This way, each sponge is easily identifiable by its shape. People who have more than 3 life cycles for their sponges could adapt this by cutting off additional corners as the sponge continues to move down the ranks.

Thank you Kathryn for that wonderful solution!

How to Pretend Your House is Always Clean

Michelle over at BlissfullyDomestic.com had some great tips to share about sudden cleaning. You know, the cleaning you do when your mother-in-law says she’ll be over in 5 minutes for a quick visit with the grandkids. Well now, using these tips from Michelle, you can make the most out of those five minutes! My favorite tip:

Swiffer Wet Jet is your friend.

Clutter Control!

Beyond Easter Baskets!  Looking for an easy, attractive way to control clutter in your house, and in your child’s room?  Try an array of baskets.  The kids can’t seem to keep books stacked neatly on shelves?  Try a laundry basket.  If a big gawky plastic basket doesn’t fit your decor, try a wicker laundry basket.  You can find them at home goods stores or even Walmart, and they make a great portable, simple way to corral those board books that seem to multiply. 

Try smaller baskets for crayons, video games (especially the small ones like those for Gameboys), hair bows, and even kitchen counter clutter like vitamin bottles, coffee accoutrements, and snacks.

Reuse Old Lemons

Being the frugal moms that we are, it’s good to know that some food items have multiple uses. Lifetips.com provides us with this handy hint:

If you´ve got a lemon that´s a little past its prime, cut it in quarters and run it through your sink disposal to freshen your drain.

See - those lemons aren’t just for making lemonade!

Keep Those Mirrors Fog Free

It’s 10 minutes before you have to leave for school and this morning it’s you who’s running late. To top it all off, the shower mirror is fogged again and you can’t see enough to be able to put your makeup on straight. The solution has been over at lifetips.com all along:

Reduce bathroom mirror fogging by cleaning it with shaving cream on a weekly basis. This trick also reduces the fogging of eyeglasses.

I wonder if that’s the gel or foam version?

Ultimate Kitchen Cleaning Tips

Robbie’s Kitchen has come up with what I consider the Ultimate cleaning tip list for your kitchen. With over 100 different tips, you’ll be amazed at what you will find. I am particularly interested in asking my Chimney sweep if a handful of salt really will help keep the chimney clean! Here is a small sample of the many, many tips you can find at Robbie’s Kitchen.

Candle Wax: To remove wax from carpeting or other fabric, first scrape away any excess. Then, place a brown paper bag over the wax and run a warm iron over the bag. The wax will melt right into the bag! Continue moving the bag around as you pick up the wax so you are always using a clean section. If a little grease stain remains on carpet, sprinkle with baking soda and allow to sit overnight before vacuuming, which will remove the grease residue. If colored wax leaves a stain on carpet, blot with spot remover or carpet cleaner, following label directions.

Cast Iron Pans: To gently and effectively clean your cast iron skillets after most uses, wipe out excess food with a dry paper towel, then sprinkle salt inside the pan. Wipe clean with a clean, dry paper towel. The salt acts as an abrasive to scratch off any stuck-on particles of food without using soap and water, which can remove your seasoning. For stubborn stuck-on food, use a putty knife to scrape it off. You may, however, need to reseason the pan after doing this.

Tips for Keeping Your Walls Clean

It’s happened to all moms… something has ended up on the walls that wasn’t supposed to. I think in our house we’ve had crayon, several types of food, paint, playdough, and mypersonal favorite - permanent marker all over the door. Though we may not be able to stop it from happening, Moms’ Buzz has put together a list of tips on how you can best clean up the mess:

Remove the evidence. “Light switches, door frames, and stairways are all magnets” for fingerprints and hand smudges. “Your favorite all-purpose cleaner” should be fine to remove them. But to assure that washed areas blend with the unwashed, “go over the once-dirty spot again with a water-dampened sponge.”

Tackle trouble spots. A soft cloth and “citrus-based cleaner like Goo Gone” are what you need if your child has been inspired by Harold and the Purple Crayon and left a trail along your walls. Once the “waxy artwork” has dissolved, rinse the spot with soap and water.

Peel away the memories. Has your kid stuck decals all over his bedroom walls? Soften the adhesives with “heat from a blow-dryer (for 10 seconds or so), then peel.” Gently loosen any remaining gunk with a cotton swab and laundry-stain remover. Then “carefully scrape it off with a credit card or spatula.”

Clean that Microwave with Ease

Get rid of the baked on food in your microwave with this great tip from LifeTips.com:

When food debris gets “cooked” onto the inside surfaces of your microwave, it can be difficult to clean. To make the job easier, boil a cup of water in your microwave and let it sit inside the oven steaming for 5-10 minutes. This will soften the debris, making it easy to wipe clean.

How to Care for Jeans

Jeans are great. Their versatile, rugged, and classic. I have to admit though, the only special treatment I usually give them is their own load in the laundry. The Moms Buzz has some extra tips for keeping those blue jeans lookin’ good:

To protect the color, always turn jeans inside out when washing. Never set the water higher than warm.

Clean the Tops of Kitchen Cabinets With Ease

Mom’s Solutions has an answer to cleaning the top of your kitchen cabinets. You know… that once or twice a year you actually look to see what has accumulated way up there on the tippy top. I used to think it was the worse task in cleaning the kitchen, until I read this tip:

When your cabinet top is finally clean roll out a long sheet of wax paper and lay it down on top of the cabinet, curl side down. It lays flat and it is the exact width of the cabinet. No one can see it!! Then when you clean the next time, you just carefully take it off…it will be very grungy…and throw it away. Lay down new wax paper and your good to go!

Pumpkin Carving Tricks for Next Year

It’s been a while since we carved Halloween pumpkins, but I was messing around with some left over pumpkins I had after making Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie. I looked to the web to get inspiration on what I should do with my pumpkin leftovers. At BlogHer, contributor Denise tells a great story about her family’s experience and imparts some tips along the way to make your pumpkins last and keep the squirrels away.

When it came time for clean up, I scooped up the sheets and waved them outside on the front lawn. I had second thoughts as pumpkin chunks went flying because we have enough wildlife problems around here as it is but it was too late by then.

Tines Down

My husband and I used to argue about how utensils should go into the diswasher - points up or down? With the addition of our sons and this tip from Lifetips.com we’re unanimous now. (And just for the record… I won!)

Imagine a 9 month old pulling himself up using the open door of the dishwasher for balance. If he or she grabs at those shiny utensils, which part is tips up? Can the basket be re-located to the back? Try loading at least the knives sharp edge down. Using this great advice will save many unnecessary “boo-boos”!!