Spring Cleaning Shortcuts and Savings- April's CBC Radio Column

As part of an ongoing series at CBC Radio's Mainstreet PEI program, I presented my monthly column on yesterday's show. If you happened to miss it, or would like to hear it again, click here to link to the column. This month's topic was "Spring Cleaning" and vinegar wasn't mentioned once!

If you have any comments, suggestions or questions you would like to share or have discussed on the column please feel free to comment on this post, or email me at fightingtobefrugal at yahoo dot ca, or you can hop on over to the Facebook page and be part of the discussion there. 

Enjoy!

Review: SOS Pads vs Steel Wool (Curly q's)

 

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How many of us get annoyed with stubborn stains on our pots and pans and purchase these cleaning pads to get everything nice and shiny again? They do work quite nicely. Everything gets nice and clean and those stains are gone until the next time you cook that meal. The SOS pad shrivels up and by the end of it you through it in the garbage. These don't last very long, can cost a bit and aren't recyclable.

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In walks the Curly Q, as we call it here. A pack of three can be purchased at the dollar store for, you guessed it, one dollar. But do they work? Will they clean your pots and pans as good as the SOS pads with their chemicals and quick cleaning claim? 

The Curly Q works just as good, or even better then the SOS pads! They don't leave that film on your dishes that sometimes comes with the SOS pads. They don't leave a weird feeling on your hands when your done with them. They last more than a few times (like months if cleaned properly!) and are WAY cheaper! Also, they can be recycled after wards!

If you buy the bigger ones, just cut them into more manageable sizes and your money goes even further!

My money is on the Curly Q's . It's a small change. It won't make you a millionaire, but it will help a little bit and little bits can go a long way!

Tell me what are your thoughts on it?

Enjoy your day! 

Frugal Window Washing STREAK FREE!

It's an overcast day here today and that means that it is a PERFECT day to wash windows! I only notice how many handprints are on my windows on sunny days and have to force myself to remember to wash them the next overcast day. Why you ask? Well, that's the perfect weather to clean your windows so you don't get streaks.

What you need: spray bottle, vinegar, water, a drop of tea tree oil and your old flyers. 

Fill spray bottle half and half with vinegar and water and add a drop of tea tree just so it doesn't smell like you are making pickles all day. Spray windows either inside or out and then wipe either vertically OR horizontally with flyers. Do the opposite way of wiping on the opposite side of the window. This is so you can see which side has streaks if any. 

Why use flyers? Well, reduce, resuse, recycle of course. Also, they are a great item to use so you don't get streaks or lint or anything else small while washing your windows. They are an abundance here so we find all sorts of uses for them (that's another whole post).

After washing your windows on one side with your flyers, make sure that you take a dry flyer and go over your window again. This cleans up and little bits of moisture that will lead to streaks. By rubbing afterwards you have beautiful streak free, clean windows. 

Here in Atlantic Canada, it looks like this whole week will be great for washing windows. Rain and showers. So grab your gear and let's get going!

For other things to do with vinegar, check out this older post.

Enjoy your day!

Frugal Cleaning Tips

Vinegar.

I know we have all heard of the cleaning abilities of this product. Truly it is an economically, environmentally and child friendly way to clean. You can clean so many things with vinegar.

In our home I use it chiefly use it for two purposes: a spray disinfectant and a soap scum cleaner.  To use it as a disinfectant, use equal parts of vinegar and water combined in a spray bottle and away you go. My complaint is that I don't enjoy my entire home smelling of vinegar. I love the smell of a "clean" home. Unfortunately, that is usually all of the chemicals that are placed in the cleaner. To combat the pickling smell, I add a few drops of an essential oil that reminds me of cleaner products; orange, pine or tea tree and then my home doesn't smell like I am making pickles, but "clean."

To make the soap scum cleaner, put drain down, wet shower with hot water, sprinkle baking soda on your tub surfaces, then spray with vinegar and wipe with sponge or cleaning rag. Sparkling clean and you don't have to worry about harsh chemicals with you or your children bathing in the tub.

Another one that I have used has been for a plugged kitchen drain. I pour baking soda down the drain, about a cup. Then I pour vinegar down the drain, about a cup. Put the drain cover in and let sit for a couple of minutes. Pour VERY HOT water down the drain and let run for a bit from your tap. Clog should disperse.

There are 1001 other uses for vinegar. Check out this blog and see what you can change. Then again, there's always the lovely use of pickling too!

Enjoy your day!