Joan Crawford "my way of life"

Sour Smelling Dish Rags

I am constantly washing my dish rags. I absolutely hate cleaning anything with a dirty rag. There are a few solutions to this problem. 

 Pour one tablespoon of non-bleach liquid dish soap and three cups of white vinegar into a clean sink or bucket. Soak the sour-smelling dishcloth in the liquids for about an hour. Rinse thoroughly. Wring the excess liquid from the dishcloth then toss in the washing machine and wash as normal.  

The next thing you can do to kill nasty smelling bacteria growing on your sponges and rags is to put them in the microwave for two minutes. Microwaving sponges and rags kills deadly germs and bacteria, such as E-coli. Sometimes, the process leaves the microwave smelling horrible afterwards.

Store leftover paint in used jugs

One thing that I do not like to do is store paint. The cans are sticky, when the paint dries over the lip it can be a pain to open. This little idea makes pouring and storing paint a breeze. 

Start saving all of your used liquid laundry detergent jugs. Wash them out, and set them to dry. Make sure they are perfectly dry. Grab a funnel and pour in your paint. Be sure to mark the jug.  No more rusty lids, paint splatters from tapping the lids closed, dried-out paint or runs down the side of the can when pouring. The spout works great for dispensing paint. Just fill the jugs using a funnel and you’re good to go.

Some people store paint in mason jars, which I think is a waste of a perfectly good glass jar. These should be used for canning, making lanterns or other things - not storing paint.

Cleaning the sink and drain

 For daily cleaning, wipe down the sink with mild soap, nylon sponge or rag. A little all-purpose or glass cleaner can be used, but it's important to avoid ammonia, bleach, or abrasive cleaners on stainless steel. If your sink is stainless steel, after wiping down the sink, use a stainless steel cleaner instead of glass cleaner. Abrasive sponges should also be avoided; all of these can alter the sink's finish. After cleaning, rinse and wipe the sink dry with a soft towel or rag.

    cTo clean the caulk seal and around the top of the sink, I like to use a soft-bristle toothbrush soaked with a baking soda paste or a mild soap and gently scrub the rim. Rinse, repeat, and wipe with a soft rag until the rag comes clean. If you have a garbage disposal, I also use this technique to clean the the rubber flap, gently inverting it so you can also clean the underside. You'd be surprised about the amount of gook hiding down there!

Borax Water Softener and Cleaning Agent

Last year I looked for cleaning product recipes, and found that Borax is a common ingredient in many products. It is usually used as a laundry booster and water softener.But it also cleans, deodorizes and disinfects. Do not worry about all that hype that cleaning products are dangerous, and you need stuff that is all natural. I got my Borax from the local QFC

So you need to make some floor cleaner quickly? Follow Naomi´s recipe..

1. Fill a bucket with about 1 gallon of warm water.
2. Add about 1/3 cup Borax.
3. Add 1 teaspoon liquid dishwashing detergent.
4. Mix in about 1 tablespoon ammonia.
5. Mix in your favorite household fragrance oil. I like to use lavender or lemon for my cleaning projects

Laundry Tip

With three men in the house, I have a lot of laundry to do. It seems like the washer and dryer are constantly running. My two boys are getting into everything. Damien just turned two and discovered how much fun it is to play in mud puddles. ( One of my favorite childhood activities ).

So, here is how I get their disgusting muddy clothes clean.

First, I grab about four ounces of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda and dilute it with five ounces of warm water. I stir it very well until the powder is completely incorporated. I pour that solution into the empty washer. Then I add my laundry detergent. Then...I add the clothes.

If I am washing whites, I follow the same routine except I add four ounces of bleach diluted in hot water. Whites are always washed in hot water and Colored always washed in cold water.

Clean The Carpet

With two little babies at home, I know the importance of having clean floors. Damien is walking all over the place, and is too little to take off his shoes. Liam has been crawling for only three days. I vacuum the floor once every two days. Sometimes I vacuum every day.

I also like having a wonderful scent in the house.

There are two formulas that I make for the carpet. The first is a deodorizing powder. The second is a spray.

Here is my recipe

1 cup white vinegar
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon dish soap
1 teaspoon super washing soda
3 drops fragrance oil