Article: Money Saving Ideas #3

Microwave ovens are energy-efficient and can save 25-50% when used for cooking, instead of the oven. Used for defrosting, will increase electric use. Defrost in refrigerator.

Please, don't use herbicides or pesticides (which contain some of the most toxic chemicals) or any other poison in your yard. They make their way into the food chain and water systems. I don't care if they're deemed 'safe' - who believes the manufacturers? - poison is poison. Period. Vinegar will get rid of most unwanted weeds and moss. Be careful and use sparingly on your lawn - it spreads out to kill neighboring grass. Better yet, pull out lawn weeds by hand or get one of those two-pronged weeders. You can get short or long-handled ones. If you get the short kind, look for the ones with a rounded piece of metal behind the fork that works as a lever. Insects are easy - spray your plants with a half teaspoon or so of dish soap in a quart spray bottle or use proportionately more in a Hudson-type sprayer. For extra power, add some cayenne and garlic (strain before putting into sprayer).

Use baby oil (mineral oil) to remove oil-based paint from skin. It's also good for stainless steel appliances, but use sparingly.

Sprinkle ant hills with uncooked grits.

If you have a cat with a litter box, consider using Ultra Pearls litter. It's all natural - made of sand, oxygen, and water, but isn't crystalline silica like other brands. The crystals are rounded for your kitty's comfort and, with one cat, 1 bag ($9) lasts for a month. There's absolutely no odor, just make sure you take out the solids daily or so and stir around a bit. It's great!

Remove ink stains with hair spray.

To quickly get rid of smoke (cigar or whatEver) in a room, wave around a dampened towel. Or, mix 4 tablespoons of baking soda with a quart of warm water to spray the room.

Dust consists of hair particles, fine sand and dirt, dead skin, bacteria, plant spores, pollen, lint, chemical residue, and insect parts. Kind of makes me want to dust more often.

I'd always heard you can remove candle wax from a carpet by covering the spot with a paper sack and pressing with a warm iron. Had a chance to try it recently and it worked better than I imagined - can't even tell where it was.

Wash vertical painted surfaces from the bottom up to avoid drip lines that don't seem to come clean for some reason. Use the least amount of water possible.

Wash a shower curtain with a couple of towels to help scrub it; add one cup of salt to rinse water and soak for 15 minutes to retard mildew growth.

Sprinkle carpet with cornstarch and let sit for an hour before vacuuming to brighten it. It also removes fresh mud if you sprinkle and let dry before vacuuming.

If you don't have a crock pot, get one new or at a thrift store. They really make a tougher, cheaper cut of meat tender.

Furniture polish: equal parts olive oil and lemon juice or vinegar
Unwaxed wood: olive oil and lemon oil

Detergents are derived from petroleum with added chemicals for fragrance, etc. and cause more child poisonings than any other household product. For dishwashing, use Ivory or other powdered or liquid soap (or make it yourself). Add 2-3 teaspoons of vinegar for heavier cleaning. In dishwashers, use half borax and half washing soda. For laundry, switch to soap flakes and washing soda, but first wash clothes with washing soda only to remove detergent residue that could yellow clothing by reacting with soap.

If you use dryer softener sheets, make sure to check your lint catcher periodically by running water through it. The sheets can form an invisible film over the screens, blocking the air flow and maybe causing a fire. Save your used dryer sheets to clean glass and vinyl.

Drain flush: 1 cup baking soda, 1 cup salt, half cup white vinegar - pour down the drain and let work 15 minutes. Pour 2 quarts of boiling water down, followed by 1 minute of running hot tap water. The soda, salt and vinegar can also be used to scrub toilets.

Keep a gallon of white vinegar on hand - I never run out of uses for it. I even use it on my hands after cleaning to neutralize any chemicals and help soften them.

Pour a packet of dry yeast down your toilet once a month if you have a septic system to help keep it from clogging and be aware of what goes into it. Chemicals from commercial cleaners can kill the good bacteria in them that keep the leach lines flowing.