Post-holiday oven cleaning

During the holidays, the oven seems to work overtime!!! That also means that the cleaning afterwards requires more! Here is a very easy way to clean oven racks without working out your arm:

You will need:
1. Bathtub
2. Dawn
3. Dryer sheets
4. Baking soda

Soak the oven racks in the bathtub with hot water, baking soda and Dawn. Soak overnight, if needed. Use the dryer sheets to remove any remaining build up.

For a full post-holiday house cleaning, call Clean Casa at 931.698.6467.

We HEART vinegar!!!

Vinegar has been looked at something that smells....until recently that everyone has a need to go "green." We have found 8 different ways vinegar can be used in our lives without the odor!!

1. General Cleaner and Disinfectant

From countertops and windows to bathtubs to hardwood floors, countless household surfaces can be cleaned with vinegar. “You can clean and disinfect just about anything with vinegar and water,” Joy B. shares. And as mother-of-two Katherine C. advises, you can use pure vinegar or a diluted solution, depending on the severity of the dirty situation: “Use vinegar full-strength for tough cleaning jobs and to remove lime or hard water stains, or mix the vinegar with warm water for a milder green cleaner.”

2. Fabric Softener

“I use vinegar in the rinse cycle to remove residue from detergent and to soften clothes,” shares mother-of-five Lori P. “I use 1 to 2 oz depending on load size. And when clothes are dry there is no vinegar scent.” As a natural fabric softener, vinegar is an especially smart choice when a family member has sensitive skin or allergies to dyes and perfumes.

3. Odor Remover

Is a strong scent lingering in your home? Vinegar is a natural odor remover. Ontario mom Jessica G. boils vinegar to remove odor evidence of her wood-burning stove, while Ohio mother-of-five Deborah B. simply sets out a small bowl of vinegar: “Remove lingering tobacco odors by filling a small bowl or saucer with apple cider vinegar and placing it in the room where the odor is…. within a few days your room will smell fresh and clean.”

4. Stain Remover

Whether you’re cleaning carpets or cloth diapers, vinegar is a powerful stain remover. Mother-of-one Toni L. explains: “Put a good amount of baking soda on the stain, then spray/sprinkle some white vinegar over the baking soda. It will go really bubbly and smell very strongly of vinegar. Put in wash and ta-da! Stain gone!”

5. Blemish Treatment

Vinegar is also a simple remedy for curing pimples. As Joanne E. suggests: “To banish blemishes fast combine 1 tsp. salt and 3 Tbs. vinegar in a bowl and dab on pimples using a cotton ball. Let sit 30 minutes, then rinse with lukewarm water.”

6. Drain Cleaner

Moms like Jodi L. swear by baking soda and vinegar for freshening up kitchen drains: “To keep sink drains clean and odor free I periodically pour baking soda into the drain, then white distilled vinegar. The foaming actions cleans the pipes.”

7. Pots and Pans Cleaner

Why spend 20 minutes scouring off burnt food when vinegar and baking soda can do the work for you? As mother-of-three Sharon G. suggests: “Use vinegar & baking soda for stainless steel pots…Sprinkle the bottoms (inside bottoms) of the pans with baking soda, put on over the heat (stove) pour on vinegar after a minute. This will lift any baked-on crud.”

8. Weed Killer

Vinegar is a helpful tool outside, too. As Vicki H. advises: “Vinegar in a spray bottle kills grass and weeds in sidewalk cracks too...my new fave.”

Bring life to your hair!!

+            

Mix squeezed orange juice and honey,

leave on for 20-30 minutes

Shiny hair

 

       +     

Mix 3 parts beer with 1 part warm water,

leave on for 15 minutes

Volumized hair

 

   +

 

Mix one egg with olive oil,

leave on for 15-20 minutes

Repaired hair

 

DIY: Bring the shine back to your floors and appliances

We recently had a lady call us about her hardwood floors. Her floors had lost all of its shine and she was wanting to resurrect it without going through the hassle of refinishing. We went and looked and this is what we saw:


She was not worried about removing the scratches....she just wanted shiny floors. So we take on the project!!!

We mixed a liquid made from household items that were more "natural" since we didn't know if the floors had been cleaned with a special cleaning product. Our mixture recipe:
1 cup of water
1 cup of vinegar
1 cup of alcohol
2-3 drops of dishwashing soap

After floors were swept, vacuumed, and mopped with water only, we started with the mix. We just put the mix in a spray bottle, sprayed an area and used a brand new mop damped with water to mop it. Little by little, area by area. It was time consuming but the final result was AMAZING!!!


So we got very happy with the mixture, that we tested on stainless steel appliances and WOW!!! The shine........ check it and out and let us know how your floors and appliances look!!!!

Wax on carpet?!?!

This morning we had a slight accident and spilled wax on the carpet....BLUE WAX!!!!

Wax on the carpet

After some research, I decided the best (and easiest) method involved a paper grocery bag and an iron in the lowest setting. Cut the bag in half and place it directly onto the wax on the carpet and rub the iron back and forth. Move the bag around until the wax comes off the carpet!!!

 

Unfortunately for us, the blue stain remained lightly visible but it looks a whole lot better!!!!

Removing grease/oil stains

Ok....so we live in the south and love our Southern cooking which means.....GREASE!!! And greasy foods means some grease stains. Here is a quick and natural way of getting rid of grease from your clothes or anything else!!!







1. Blot the stain with dishwashing detergent immediately. If that's not possible, skip this step.
2. If stain has soaked in:

1. Mix one part of vinegar with
2. Two parts water

This will make an all-natural cleaner.

3. Apply to the stain. Let it sit for a few minutes.
4. Wash

Strawberry Sadies- Cookies

Strawberry Sadies – Cookies

Because you can’t get much better than strawberries rolled in sugar

A recipe taken from the magazine Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee 2010

1/2 cup sugar
1 box strawberry cake mix
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
Fresh strawberries

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray. In a
shallow bowl, place sugar.
2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, flour, water, butter, and egg; beat at low sped with an electric
mixer until well blended. Using hands, shape heaping teaspoons of dough into balls; roll in sugar
to coat. Place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, and pat gently to flatten.
3. Bake for 12 to 14 minute, or until set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; then move to wire
racks to finish cooling completely (about 15 minutes).

Nutritional Information for 1 Cookie
Calories: 118
Calories from fat: 30
Total fat: 3.4 g
Cholesterol: 10 mg
Sodium: 160 mg
Total carbohydrate: 20 g
Dietary Fiber: 0 g
Protein: <1 g

Stop a bleeding finger!!!

Who would have thought that to stop a bleeding finger, you don't need to look any further than the kitchen!!!! All you need is cinnamon or coffee!!!! The powder on the blood creates a natural glue that will fall off once the cut is healed!!!!! Try it the next time you have a cut.....it'll save you a trip to the MD!!!

Which side is the gas tank on?

Ever pull in the gas station and have a brain fart..... Which side is the gas tank on?! We recently purchased a new vehicle and forgot every time which side to park. I'm sharing a bit of useless knowledge!!! Every car has a picture of a tank with an arrow which points to the side the car's tank is on!!!! No more looking retarded at the gas station!!!

Epsom Salt

There are many, MANY uses for Epsom Salt!!! In my house, you will always find it! I use it as an exfoliant, in my shampoo (removes excessive oil), and in today's case, to help with swelling and aches. As I was walking down the stairs on this rainy day, I slipped, fell and landed on my knee. I cried worst than Annabelle when it has happened to her!!!! First thing I thought of was.....Mommy!!!! I called and washed my knee. She came over, rubbed it and made an Epsom salt paste along with Vapor Rub (old wives tale, but I'll take it today) Wow!!! My mother's care and Epsom Salt= amazing results! Swelling immediately gone and no more heart throbbing pain!

Soap Scum

We were recently asked how to clean soap scum using natural ingredients. Here is our solution that we like to use in homes that have little ones that like to put their mouths on EVERYTHING!!!! The answer is VINEGAR!!!
Vinegar has mild acidity that cuts through scum and lime and water deposits. It also deodorizes and once the vinegar has dried, the odor dissipates!!!

Question: How do I do it????
Answer:

1. Measure one to one meaning equal parts of water to vinegar.
2. Heat the blend on the stovetop but do not let it boil.
3. Put blend in a spray bottle and spray the area.
4. Let it sit for 15 minutes.

Depending on the soap scum, you may need to do it a few times before you start seeing results.

FYI: Plain white vinegar without water is also good for showerheads and bathtubs. Remove showerhead and let it sit in white vinegar for 8 hours (overnight). Rinse and enjoy the results of a clean showerhead. If the showerhead is really bad, paint it with baking soda paste (baking soda + water), let it sit for 30 minutes, then follow instructions with the plain white vinegar!!!

INK STAINS!!!!

So we have all felt like this guy....

SO FRUSTRATING!!!!!!!

So what do we do about it?????

The answer is......(drum roll)...... HAIRSPRAY!!!! Who knew?!?! Fact is, ink stains respond to alcohol. Just spray the stain with hairspray (or rubbing alcohol will work as well) and blot the area. Repeat as often as you need to until the stain is gone, then wash like you would normally do!!!