Buy It Once - Use It In 4 Ways! Another GREAT Multi-Purpose Product

I'm not a fan of adding chemicals to my laundry to make it smell nice, but when I received a free coupon in the mail for Purex Crystals Aromatherapy scent beads, I figured “why not?” I have a teen boy and on those rare occasions when he totes his skanky laundry down to my machine, it takes MULTIPLE washings to get rid of “funky boy odor.” 

Purex Crystals Aromatherapy come in new-agey scents labeled “Energy,” “Well-Being,” and “Serenity.” Since I do my grocery shopping in the morning and my coffee hadn't kicked in yet, I chose “Energy” and used the crystals when I did my first load of laundry later that morning. They imparted a nice, citrus fragrance to our clothes. So, I got to thinking (yes, the caffeine had hit), 

What Else Can Purex Crystals Aromatherapy Be Used For?

 

Here's what I came up with:

1. Sprinkle them in the bottom of the garbage can. Not only do they make the garbage smell better, but they actually make the whole kitchen smell like citrus.
   
   
   
   
2. Use them as air freshener. I grabbed a nearly-gone container of air freshener I'd gotten from the Dollar store and filled it half way with the Purex Crystals. The top of the container made sure our cat never had direct contact with the product; alternatively, you could use a jar and just poke holes in the top to let the scent through.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Use them in place of candles. I filled a old, washed baby jar with the Purex Crsystals and placed it on a candle warmer (I put my keys near it so I don't leave the house and forget to turn the candle warmer off).
   
   
   Update:  A friend pointed out that if you sprinkle the crystals on the carpet and then vacuum them up, the carpet AND vacuum will smell fresh!  AWESOME!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

I love buying products and finding multiple purposes for them! If you've got Purex Crystals Aromatherapy around the house (or another brand of “scent boosters” in the house), experiment with them and see what you come up with! 

For more information on this product (and note that I was NOT compensated in any way – even with a coupon), click here.  

Thanks for reading!!!!

4 Easy, Effective Homemade Cleaners & One INCREDIBLE Fail

I love saving money with homemade cleaners. Years ago, when our dog was a puppy, I learned how effective diluted white vinegar was in cleaning up pee stains and neutralizing the odor. Soon after, I learned that white vinegar is great for disinfecting counter tops as well and it's now my family's FAVORITE cleaner. But there are others.

My FAVORITE cleaner - cheap and it has anti-bacterial properties.

Here are my four favorite homemade cleaners followed by one I tried which was a complete disaster.

1. Laundry Stain Remover: In a spray bottle, mix 1 part hydrogen peroxide, 1 part baking soda, and 2 parts water. Spray on stains, wait two minutes, then wash.
   
   
   
   
2. Drain Declogger: Before you reach for the Drano, try this first. Sprinkle one cup of super washing soda (find it in the laundry aisle) into the drain and then add two cups of boiling water (feel free to add more) down the drain to flush. This is great for drains that are slow and it's also great to do periodically to the kitchen sink to prevent clogs. 
   
   
   
   
3. Floor Cleaner: Mix 1 cup of white vinegar, 1 gallon of hot water, ¼ cup of liquid soap and 1 to 2 tablespoons of pine or lemon oil. Clean the floor with a mop or damp rag. Follow with a clean-water mop. 
   
   
   
   
4. Enamel Or Porcelain Cleaner: Mix 1 cup of baking soda or borax, some warm water, and 2 to 3 drops of liquid soap (I use Dawn). Apply to surfaces and let sit about 5 minutes before scrubbing with a non-abrasive sponge. Rinse and wipe off any residue.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Now about that epic fail...I've seen several recipes for homemade dishwasher detergent. Most include either borax or baking soda, maybe even super washing soda, as an ingredient. So I tried it on my GE Washer. BIG MISTAKE. The powder got into every crevice of the machine and coated the dishes. The heat cycle then baked that residue in. It effectively KILLED my $800 dishwasher. 

I also made a furniture cleaner with olive oil which left a nasty coating on my living room table. So what did I learn?

IF POSSIBLE, TEST THESE CLEANERS OUT BEFORE YOU USE A LOT OF THE STUFF.  Don't take my word or anyone else's.  No, there was no way of knowing the dishwasher detergent would kill my GE, but maybe if I'd tested the furniture cleaner out before using it on my table, it would have saved some scrubbing.

 

Happy Cleaning! 

In Honor Of World Health: Improve Your Health IMMEDIATELY With This

It's World Health Day which means lots of articles on diet and nutrition. Okay, but those can take some time to render an affect on your body. 

There's something your can do RIGHT NOW to avoid getting sick and spreading germs:

LEARN HOW TO PROPERLY WASH YOUR HANDS

Washing Your Hands IMMEDIATELY Reduces Your Chances Of Getting Sick!

Hopefully, this is something you do every day, but are you doing it to maximize the amount of germ killing you're doing? Here are some tips to remember:

WHEN TO WASH YOUR HANDS

Before:

• Preparing food or eating
• Touching your eyes (whether to put on make-up or inserting or removing contact lenses)
• Treating wounds, giving medicine, or caring for a sick or injured person 
  
  
  
  

After:

• Preparing food, especially raw meat or poultry
• Using the toilet or changing a diaper
• Touching an animal, their toys, leash, or waste products
• Touching dirty laundry
• Blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing into your hands
• Treating wounds or caring for a sick or injured person
• Handling garbage, household or garden chemicals, or anything that could be contaminated — such as a cleaning cloth or soiled shoes
• Touching exercise equipment at the gym
• Coming home from work or school
• Getting off public transportation
• Shaking hands with others
  

HOW TO WASH YOUR HANDS

1. Wet your hands with cold, running water. Using warm or hot water doesn't increase germ killing, and it actually raises your odds of skin irritation (source).
   
2. Apply liquid, bar, or powder soap. Don't use anti-bacterial soap – it costs more and is no more effective at killing germs than regular soap, plus it contains chemicals that can actually damage your health.
   
3. Get a lot of lather going! Lathering and scrubbing creates the friction necessary to lift the dirt, microbes, etc. from your skin. Make sure you get the backs of your hands, under your fingernails, and the space between each and every finger. Scrub for at least 20 seconds (or two rounds of The ABC Song).
   
4. Rinse well and dry your hands with a clean towel or paper towel before using a towel or your elbow to turn off the faucet.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

SO WHAT ABOUT HAND SANITIZER?

Hand sanitizers are great, but only when soap and water are not available (don't be lazy – go to the sink!). Use a hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol and remember to:

• Apply enough to your palm to wet your hands completely (source).
• Rub your hands together, again vigorously, covering of the surfaces and getting in the nooks and crannies until your hands are dry.
  
  

Antimicrobial wipes or towelettes are another effective option if used properly.



For a fun, catchy tune on how to wash your hands, watch the YouTube video below:

HAPPY WORLD HEALTH DAY! 

Now go wash your hands!

Happily Terminated

“You’re fired!”  Those were not the words of an employer.  In business, people usually have the good sense to cushion such announcements in euphemisms in the hopes that the employee doesn’t go postal.  No, those words were uttered by my fearless husband.

He was not, thank goodness, firing me as his wife.  He was terminating my services as his laundress.  After months of wearing pink socks and having clothes come out of the wash “dirtier than when they went in” he had decided to do his own laundry.  At least his own visible work-related laundry.  You know, shirts, socks, and pants.  I would still have the honor (yea me!) of washing his skanky underwear and stained, usually ancient, workout clothes.

Months later, I was also fired from mopping the kitchen floor.  Evidently I was not making the floors shine to his liking.  I thought wet-Swiffing was fine.  Not in hubby’s book.  Now, on Friday nights after work, he rolls up his sleeves and mops the kitchen.

I've also received a "Cease and Desist" or as it pertains to my dusting.  Sir Spotless (one of the cleaner  names I mutter underneath my breath when he criticizes my efforts at cleaning) said I “tickle” the dust.  Woe is me!  Once again, I’ve failed at something and he’s taken over.

Who’s the fool here?

I never intended to give him more work.  I’m just not as, um, fastidious as he is.  My sense of clean is a bit looser.  I may be a home-maker, but I am not a house cleaner.  I do, however, pick up around the house; if I didn’t, we’d be up to our tushies in dirt and clutter.

And, no, it’s not fair that the man valiantly works 50+ hours per week and then does much of the housekeeping, but remember:  in his opinion, I wasn’t doing it up to his standards.  He voluntarily took on the work; I did not ask him to.

I keep my living room quite clean and the bathrooms are tidy.  I pester the kids to keep their rooms orderly (the 8-year old is on board; the 13-year old is, predictably, not).  The kitchen is a constant struggle for me as is the den because those rooms are used more than any others.  The playroom is supposed to be messy, right?  I mean, it’s the kids’ domain.  And yeah, my bedroom could use some help, but I am certainly NOT the embodiment of Charles Schultz’s Pig Pen.

Nor is my husband Felix Unger.  The top of his bureau is cluttered and the front seat of his car is downright sloppy.  To his credit, in light of our kids, he has relaxed his standards a bit.

But, alack and alas, there are still things I don’t do well (sniffle, sniffle).  Of course when one of the kids vomits, I’m the one he calls.  He’ll admit I’m a pro at getting rid of vomit stains (Well, what the hell am I supposed to do?  Leave the vomit on the frickin’ wall?!).  And when there’s a bug to kill and clean up, I’m your woman.

I just don’t do laundry, mop, or dust well.  I could blame it on menopausal fatigue, but the truth is, I've always been this way.  So my husband has chosen to take over, to do what I, apparently cannot. Hmmmmm……sometimes, it’s good to be fired.




Note:  A version of this post originally appeared on Jersey Moms Blog on 7/17/10.