My son at age 4.
I have learned a few tips and tricks over the years. I guess you could say I learned some really strange things that actually work, over the years. Maybe you will find some of these things useful around your house!
1. Cornstarch. Did you know cornstarch gets rid of and prevents practically any type of diaper rash? J had severe yeast diaper rash and my one sister (mom to four boys) told me to use cornstarch. I of course snickered and laughed at her, "I'm not cooking the poor boy!" She replied, "What have you got to lose? The stuff the doctor gave you isn't working." So I tried it. Within three days, the rash was gone. In fact, he never got another rash and neither did my second son. I can go on to say that none of the babies in my home child care got diaper rash either! Cornstarch. I often wonder who discovered that first and how did they think to even try it?
2. Vinegar. Oh how I love vinegar and not just on my french fries!
a) Vinegar in the wash. If you have a regular washing machine, throw in 1/2 cup of vinegar instead of fabric softener to get rid of smells and static cling. In a front-loader, use 1/8 cup and if it's large capacity, use 1/4 cup. It's a great substitute to use if you or a child has sensitivities to scented fabric softeners or breaks out in a rash from it.
b) Vinegar and water in a spray bottle is great for cleaning windows. Use black and white newspaper in the place of paper towels for no streaks! Children will happily clean the windows for you too! They think cleaning windows with the newspaper is nifty.
c) Vinegar, water, and baking soda will clean your entire house! I add a little antibacterial dish soap because I'm overly paranoid. Apparently the vinegar disinfects and the dish soap is not needed though. Spray on the cloth and not directly on unfinished wood. For everything else, no worries! I clean the floors, door frames, the entire bathroom, kitchen, toys, everything! (No, it doesn't get out permanent marker but rubbing alcohol does!) It cuts through grease, dilutes smells, and scrubs out stains, even in rugs! It's cheap and perfectly safe too!
d) Vinegar for smells. Turn the spray bottle to a mist and spray lightly into the air for smelly rooms or lightly spray furniture to get rid of the pet smell. Once a year I take my throw rugs outside (usually in the Spring) and spray heavily with vinegar, not diluted with water. Leave overnight and the next day, spray with a high pressured hose or a pressure-washer and viola, clean rugs that don't smell! It gets rid of male cat spray, dog pee, and skunk smell. (Now you're wondering how I know this. You don't want to know!) Leave outside until the rug is COMPLETELY dry or it will smell musty.
3. Toothpaste takes out blood stains. Yes, you read that correctly, toothpaste. My youngest gets a lot of nosebleeds and I was getting quite frustrated with trying to find ways to get the blood out of his mattress. Especially when the nosebleed started while he was sleeping and it had dried into the fabric by morning. It turns out toothpaste does the trick! Bring a cup of water to dip the brush in so you can get the toothpaste to foam up, and then scrub. The room will smell minty fresh afterward too!
4. The hiding. Don't you just hate it when company stops over and your house looks like it was hit not only a tornado, an F5 force tornado? Most people we don't mind the visit from because they come from the same house we created but there are those exceptions to the rule.
Here's what you do for a quick clean while they are pulling in the driveway:
a) Shove all your dirty dishes in a cupboard. Who's to know? Pull them out after the company is gone. Or fill the sink and comment, "Oh, I was just about to do the dishes! They can wait until after we visit."
b) The basket is a wonderful tool. I have a box or a basket in every room of the house. For mad dash clean ups, everything out and about gets thrown into it. When I actually plan to clean the house, the basket is easy to carry from room to room ensuring each item gets to where it's suppose to go.
c) Milk crates rock! They can be turned on the side as shelves, they can be stacked, they easily fit under the table or in a closet. A nice way to hide things!
5. Baking Soda. Baking soda does so many things that I'm not even going to bother writing it out. I'll just give you their website! http://www.armandhammer.com/solutions.aspx That link takes you directly to their 'Solutions' page which gives lots of recipes for cleaning and household tips.
6. Rope walls. What child doesn't like to build a tent out of every cushion, pillow, and blanket you own? A nice way to keep things organized, even in a basement, is to put up a string of rope across and clothespin a sheet to it. A nice easy separator.
7. Hanger closet, in the middle of nowhere. This one is my all-time favourite tip. My Dad made this one up and I have utilized this in almost every house we have ever lived in. Make your own closet, almost anywhere! Let's say you want a closet in the basement, just nail into the rafters and hang your hangers from each nail. Then slide a dowel in the other part of the hanger. I often use a broom handle, it makes a good size bar. Voila! A closet. If you turn your hangers sideways and don't use the hook part, it give you more stability. Wire hangers are the best for this because you can bend them if you want. If you don't have much closet space or you want a spot to hang your child's play clothes, it's pretty easy to make. I have linked hangers together from the ceiling and slide the bar in 4 or 5 hangers down. Like that hanging monkeys game. That way the bar is closer to a child's level for dress-up clothes.
Do you have tips and tricks to make your life easier? Please share!
1. Cornstarch. Did you know cornstarch gets rid of and prevents practically any type of diaper rash? J had severe yeast diaper rash and my one sister (mom to four boys) told me to use cornstarch. I of course snickered and laughed at her, "I'm not cooking the poor boy!" She replied, "What have you got to lose? The stuff the doctor gave you isn't working." So I tried it. Within three days, the rash was gone. In fact, he never got another rash and neither did my second son. I can go on to say that none of the babies in my home child care got diaper rash either! Cornstarch. I often wonder who discovered that first and how did they think to even try it?
2. Vinegar. Oh how I love vinegar and not just on my french fries!
a) Vinegar in the wash. If you have a regular washing machine, throw in 1/2 cup of vinegar instead of fabric softener to get rid of smells and static cling. In a front-loader, use 1/8 cup and if it's large capacity, use 1/4 cup. It's a great substitute to use if you or a child has sensitivities to scented fabric softeners or breaks out in a rash from it.
b) Vinegar and water in a spray bottle is great for cleaning windows. Use black and white newspaper in the place of paper towels for no streaks! Children will happily clean the windows for you too! They think cleaning windows with the newspaper is nifty.
c) Vinegar, water, and baking soda will clean your entire house! I add a little antibacterial dish soap because I'm overly paranoid. Apparently the vinegar disinfects and the dish soap is not needed though. Spray on the cloth and not directly on unfinished wood. For everything else, no worries! I clean the floors, door frames, the entire bathroom, kitchen, toys, everything! (No, it doesn't get out permanent marker but rubbing alcohol does!) It cuts through grease, dilutes smells, and scrubs out stains, even in rugs! It's cheap and perfectly safe too!
d) Vinegar for smells. Turn the spray bottle to a mist and spray lightly into the air for smelly rooms or lightly spray furniture to get rid of the pet smell. Once a year I take my throw rugs outside (usually in the Spring) and spray heavily with vinegar, not diluted with water. Leave overnight and the next day, spray with a high pressured hose or a pressure-washer and viola, clean rugs that don't smell! It gets rid of male cat spray, dog pee, and skunk smell. (Now you're wondering how I know this. You don't want to know!) Leave outside until the rug is COMPLETELY dry or it will smell musty.
3. Toothpaste takes out blood stains. Yes, you read that correctly, toothpaste. My youngest gets a lot of nosebleeds and I was getting quite frustrated with trying to find ways to get the blood out of his mattress. Especially when the nosebleed started while he was sleeping and it had dried into the fabric by morning. It turns out toothpaste does the trick! Bring a cup of water to dip the brush in so you can get the toothpaste to foam up, and then scrub. The room will smell minty fresh afterward too!
4. The hiding. Don't you just hate it when company stops over and your house looks like it was hit not only a tornado, an F5 force tornado? Most people we don't mind the visit from because they come from the same house we created but there are those exceptions to the rule.
Here's what you do for a quick clean while they are pulling in the driveway:
a) Shove all your dirty dishes in a cupboard. Who's to know? Pull them out after the company is gone. Or fill the sink and comment, "Oh, I was just about to do the dishes! They can wait until after we visit."
b) The basket is a wonderful tool. I have a box or a basket in every room of the house. For mad dash clean ups, everything out and about gets thrown into it. When I actually plan to clean the house, the basket is easy to carry from room to room ensuring each item gets to where it's suppose to go.
c) Milk crates rock! They can be turned on the side as shelves, they can be stacked, they easily fit under the table or in a closet. A nice way to hide things!
5. Baking Soda. Baking soda does so many things that I'm not even going to bother writing it out. I'll just give you their website! http://www.armandhammer.com/solutions.aspx That link takes you directly to their 'Solutions' page which gives lots of recipes for cleaning and household tips.
6. Rope walls. What child doesn't like to build a tent out of every cushion, pillow, and blanket you own? A nice way to keep things organized, even in a basement, is to put up a string of rope across and clothespin a sheet to it. A nice easy separator.
7. Hanger closet, in the middle of nowhere. This one is my all-time favourite tip. My Dad made this one up and I have utilized this in almost every house we have ever lived in. Make your own closet, almost anywhere! Let's say you want a closet in the basement, just nail into the rafters and hang your hangers from each nail. Then slide a dowel in the other part of the hanger. I often use a broom handle, it makes a good size bar. Voila! A closet. If you turn your hangers sideways and don't use the hook part, it give you more stability. Wire hangers are the best for this because you can bend them if you want. If you don't have much closet space or you want a spot to hang your child's play clothes, it's pretty easy to make. I have linked hangers together from the ceiling and slide the bar in 4 or 5 hangers down. Like that hanging monkeys game. That way the bar is closer to a child's level for dress-up clothes.
Do you have tips and tricks to make your life easier? Please share!
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