I clean my plastic kitchen trash can every week or so by bleaching it and sitting it outside on the porch to air dry. Often onion peels make my trash can smell rather strong and the smell seems to absorb into the trash can even after the trash has been taken out.
So, between times of bleaching or scrubbing clean, I put a dryer sheet in the bottom of the can before adding the new trash bag. I buy 50 Breezy “fresh linen” dryer sheets for a buck at the Dollar Tree.
I love to cook roasts in the oven at 200 degrees for at least 6 hours to ensure I have a tender piece of meat. I add the potatoes, onions and carrots after about 2 hours. I put about an inch of water in the glass pan and cover with aluminum foil.
So, what kept happening was the condensation rose and ran down the outside of the pan and then dripped onto the bottom of the oven.
To solve that problem, I made a well by running my fingers along the inside of the entire pan edge. That way, the aluminum was down about a quarter inch or so and made the condensation drip back into the pan.
My smoke detector is very close to my oven and the least bit of smoke would set it off. The drippings dirtied my oven and set off my alarm.
I have a dishwasher, much to my dismay. I hate dishwashers, but that is another subject.
I previously had a 99 cent (12 ounce) bottle of Dawn that seems to be diluted down. I decided to buy the (24 ounce) Ultra Dawn for $2.50 on sale.
My mom, who is 91, thinks more is better and likes to squirt about a tablespoon of detergent on a coffee cup to clean it and then use about a gallon of water to rinse it. lol
So, I decided to use the diluted Dawn which was less expensive. Once it was empty, I put about 6 ounces of the Ultra Dawn in the 12 ounce bottle and filled the rest with water. I now can make 4 bottles of the 99 cent size for $2.50 instead of the $3.96 it would have cost buying each 12 ounce bottle individually.
I usually just buy a cheap clear shower curtain and replace it when I see it doesn’t look fresh and clean anymore, and then recycle the old one. By recycling I mean, I use it as a mat for my husband to lie on the ground working on our riding lawn mower or covering our well after insulating it or something like that.
After cleaning my claw foot tub, I noticed the bottom of the shower curtains looked kind of orange-looking along the seam. I was thinking darn, I have to buy two curtains or take them down and wash them. This I have done before by adding bleach or Oxiclean to the water. Noticing that only the seam really looked bad, I decided to fill the tub with warm water and add the oxiclean to the tub water thus saving me the time of taking them down, washing and rehanging them. It worked perfectly.
I buy the generic oxiclean from the Dollar Tree and honestly, it works great. It also made my bathroom smell nice and fresh.
I don’t think I knew this when I was young. Thinking everything comes cleaner with warm soapy water, being young and dumb, I made this mistake with blood stains. So, for you young women, especially with kids with boo-boos, use cold water to remove blood stains.
I remember a day in high school when I wore a white skirt. Math class ended and a nice young man told me I had blood on the back of my skirt. I wanted to die. I am sure my mom washed this stain out for me and other than the embarrassment, never gave it another thought. We take a lot of things for granted when we are growing up and have a terrific mom at home taking care of us.
As my children grew up and left for college, I realized I hadn’t showed them many of the things that I did every day for them. They called me often at first and occasionally now to ask how to cook something or some other tidbit they couldn’t remember how to do.
My daughter, Bonnie has just bought her first home and is going to plant a garden and is interested in canning and chickens and all sorts of things I actually have knowledge about. So they do still need me! Yea
I noticed the water running into my washing machine was taking longer and longer to fill the tub. We recently had a problem with our well and the water had been off a few hours. If that happens, you always run water thru your water lines to let the minerals and dirt or whatever run out before you drink the water. Well, I didn’t think about that same residue building up in the filter of my washing machine.
I pulled the washing machine out, unhooked the rubber tubing to the back where the water runs into the machine and sure enough, there was a filter. Oh my gosh at the gunk. I used a q-tip to remove some of it. I also squirted water in the hole and held a bowl under the area for the dirt to drip out.
My washing machine fills quickly now and my laundry time has been cut in half. I should have done that years ago. I kept thinking something was wrong but I assumed my machine was dying on me. lol
I was throwing a sock away that had a small hole in it. I put it on my hand and thought about sock puppets. Always thinking of something to do with throwaways. But my crafty days are long gone and my cleaning days will always exist.
I buy socks in packs of 6, I think. So the second sock with no hole goes back into the sock drawer to match up with another sock that will someday also have a hole.  I could just sew up the hole but depending on where it is, it can be uncomfortable. Not much of a seamstress anyway.
So I took the clean sock with a hole and put it on my hand and sprayed a little furniture polish and cleaned my living room furniture. It worked great.  Now you have the option to toss it in the trash or rewash it and use it again.
I have a little bucket under the kitchen sink that I keep old stained t-shirts that I have cut into pieces for cleaning.  So now I throw my old socks in there, too.  Works for me.
I was at my son’s house for the Thanksgiving holidays and my son shared one of his cleaning hints.
He said he sprays the microwave with Windex and then turns his microwave on for 20 seconds.  He then wipes the microwave out with ease and it smells good, too.
I love Windex.  I just keep finding more and more uses for it.Â
I previously peeled potatoes over the trash can. But for years now I have used another method.  I put a paper towel in the sink and then peel them over the paper towel. When I finish I just fold the towel up and quickly throw it in the trash. No sore back from bending over. The sink is just the right height.
During this busy holiday season and the all-day cooking, I realized I use a shortcut every time I cook.
I fill the kitchen sink full of hot soapy water and wash dishes as I dirty them. Most of the time I am organized enough to even wash some of the pots and pans before putting the dinner on the table. Plus, even if you don’t have time to wash them, you have soaked them and they are definitely easier to clean.
If you have a dishwasher, this still works for you. I don’t use a dishwasher… by choice. I hate dishwashers. But, my daughter does enjoy her dishwasher and it helps to wash off the pots and pans before putting them in the dishwasher. Also, if you do this when you have a big meal with lots of pots and pans, you can start the dishwasher with the pots and pans and then by the time you finish eating, you can unload the pots and pans and start the second load of dishes/glasses and silverware . A big meal almost always means two loads for the dishwasher.