Clean and Organized

For some time now I've been experimenting with making my own dishwasher powder. I've tinkered with the basic formula, even at one point adding Kool-Aid to it (for the citric acid--it turned out to be a crucial step in figuring the formula out). In further experimentation I've discovered it makes a decent no-scratch scouring powder as well, more like Bon Ami than Comet.

Is your refrigerator running? Well then you better...dust it! Ha! You thought I was gonna say--never mind.

Yeah, your fridge needs dusted, and not just the top (though if yours is anything like mine...ick). The fridge needs regular maintenance, including dusting, and I have some tips to help keep your fridge running efficiently. And "efficient" means using less energy, hence cheaper to run and better for the planet. And what do we say at TNH? Yes! Saving energy is patriotic! Who knew cleaning the fridge was an act of patriotism!

Dirty dishes are an inescapable fact of life (in fact, I'm ignoring the pile in my sink right now). But sooner or later, they've got to be done. While scrubbing dried-on enchilada sauce off a baking dish isn't my idea of great fun, having the right tools can make this job more enjoyable.

Handmade dishcloths are environmentally sound, attractive, and relaxing to make. The very first thing I knitted was a square cotton dishcloth. I still use it.

Since we can't custom order willingness to help as a character trait, you'll need to find a way to convince your family that they want to do their part and that it's essential to a happy family.

Flylady says "Get dressed to shoes--lace-up shoes." It's her way of getting you to psych up for the day, to be ready for whatever comes.

My way is a little different. I need my "housewife drag."

For me, that consists of an apron. I need an apron. I have to have an apron. I cannot FUNCTION without an apron.

Ariel Gore says in one of her books, and I'm paraphrasing here, if you have to choose between spending money on a therapist or spending money on a housekeeper, choose the housekeeper.

Did you know the air inside most American homes is worse than the air outside? The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that indoor air pollutants may be 2 to 5 times higher than out of doors, and in some homes are as much as 100 times higher! What's more, 90% of all poisonings are a result of household toxins.

With all the clothesline gabble around here you may be surprised to hear we have a dryer and have even used it from time to time. ;) We had a rainy spell here this week and when we went to use the dryer to finish up a load we had had hanging, it wasn't working.

Luckily, John is a whiz with fixing appliances, and he's been up to his elbows in washer and dryer guts more than once.

He even manufactured a part for our old washer out of an annealed clotheshanger once. I was so proud. sniff.

We're always trying for two things around here: healthier living. and saving money!

It's why we go through so much vinegar and baking soda. We use vinegar to clean our unfinished wood floors and our windows, as well as in the laundry, and we use baking soda in the laundry and elsewhere.

Time it took you to connect to the Internet: 2.8 minutes.

Time it will take you to read this article: 16.5 minutes.

Time it takes you to deep clean your kitchen: 48.6 minutes.

Whoa! What else could you be doing with the time it takes you to thoroughly scrub and sanitize your kitchen?