I love repurposing stuff if I can. Things like jars and bottles are great to keep around just in case you need. One type of jar that I have a few of in my pantry is empty spice jars. These jars typically come with a shaker insert and seem like they would be very handy for storing things in! Actually I have had my cinnamon and sugar mixture stored in an old spice jar for years. It is very handy to have some made up in a shaker jar ready for when I need it. This summer I would like to try … [Read more...]
All Natural Way to Clean Limescale from Taps
The white chalky build up around the bathroom and laundry taps can be very frustrating. This white build up is actually limescale deposits that have built up over time where hard water has dried. I find it very annoying when I spend time getting the bathroom taps nice and clean only to find that the white chalky marks have reappeared when they are dry! It is worse when you have a dark colored taps like I do (they are very old and hopefully will be replaced in the near future). The limescale … [Read more...]
Removing Sticky Labels and Glue Residue from Jars
You can do so much with empty glass jars and bottles; you don’t necessarily have to just put them out to the recycle. Glass jars are great for storing small items in the pantry or for storing jams, chutneys, and pickles. You can also use them for storing small craft pieces or even as a vase. The only problem with many of the jars is that the sticky labels and the label glue can be hard to remove. If you are lucky then all you will need to do is soak the jar or bottle in some warm soapy water … [Read more...]
DIY Oven Cleaner Without Nasty Chemicals
When you need a good oven cleaner you don’t have to use harsh chemicals. I have learned that you can get great results by using every day kitchen items. I recently needed to clean a convection microwave oven that was well overdue for a good scrub. It was given to me by a friend who had been too lazy to clean it (thanks Paul!). Anyway the inside of the oven had well and truly seen better days. I wanted to get it clean but I didn’t want to use a store bought oven cleaner because they … [Read more...]
Gutter Cleaning: Great Information and Tips
Something that has to be done every year is cleaning out the gutters. While I have leaf screening mesh on the main house, I still have to clear leaves and debris out of the gutters on the sheds. I usually climb a ladder and do it by hand but I thought I’d have a look online to see if anyone has any time saving tips for this tedious task. The first link gives handy information about equipment you might need as well as safety tips and handy hints OakdaleLeader.com website: … [Read more...]
Jewellery Cleaning: Doing it Safely at Home
I was disappointed when I used store bought jewellery cleaner and then found that my jewellery still didn’t look clean. I then started to wonder whether or not I could find some do it yourself recipes online for jewellery cleaner. I found many sites that suggested the use of detergent mixtures. Many proposed mixtures contained baking soda, salt and/or ammonia in various combinations and I also found several sights that recommended the use of toothpaste. I started to … [Read more...]
Cleaning Dirt and Soap Scum from a Bath
In an earlier post I covered how to clean the large areas of tiles and grout around a bath or shower (See Easily and Quickly Cleaning Bathroom Tiles and Grout) but the mixture used for that didn’t get rid of the soap scum properly from the surface of the actual bathtub. The video link below shows how to use a vinegar/water solution combined with bi carb soda to tackle soap scum areas on the surface of a bath. The method outlined in the video utilises the power of the reaction … [Read more...]
Cleaning Off Greasy Stains From The Metal Tray of a Ute
The metal tray of our Ute was starting to look pretty greasy and grimy with oily stains and patches here and there. I didn’t know if household detergent would be strong enough so I went looking online to see what might do the job to clean it. After a few unsuccessful attempts looking for Ute tray cleaners I decided that I should try looking for ‘metal work-bench cleaners’. Upon doing this I came across a short YouTube video titled ‘How to clean a metal work bench’ that … [Read more...]