Sharing is Caring, Especially When It Comes to Cleaning

Soap Nuts: The Only All Natural Laundry Detergent

May 24 by

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Studies have found that the most common pollutant found in the human bloodstream is laundry detergent. Even from a very young age we are exposed to high levels of laundry detergent residue.

To avoid over exposure to detergent pollutants, try soap nuts. Soap nuts, one of the most fun alternatives to standard detergents, give you the clean you need without the yucky left overs.

Unlike most alternative laundry cleaners, soap nuts are actually soap! That’s right, soap nuts are the dried berries of the soap nut tree.

These little berries contain saponins, which create a sudsy lather that washes away dirt without leaving behind any chemical residue.

Soap nuts are reused multiple times until they turn mushy and gray, and then they are easily composted.

To see these little cleaners in action, check them out on youtube at http://youtu.be/wN5w_HMvsfQ.

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How to Clean a Keyboard

May 21 by

We clean so many surfaces of our home carefully, but one of the most used, often shared, and hardest to clean places in the house is literally left in the dust.

Whether it’s your personal keyboard, or the keyboard of the shared family computer, keyboards are perfect for collecting grime. Follow these simple steps to keep your keyboard sanitary!

 

 

Start by unplugging your keyboard or turning off your laptop. Although the following cleaning methods won’t harm your computer, they might cause some trouble if the computer is running.

Dust your keyboard thoroughly. Electronics stores sell small dusters and cans of condensed air to remove dust from between the keys, both of which are worthwhile investments if you want to prolong the lifespan of your electronics.

If you have a regular feather duster at home, this can also help, but the condensed air removes dust that’s stuck deep between the keys.

Next get a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and make sure that it’s isopropyl alcohol because ethyl alcohol will rub the letters off your keyboard. Dip a q-tip into the alcohol and gently clean the entire keyboard.

Run the q-tip along the sides of the keyboard, and even in between keys to take away any deep down dirt.

If any surfaces are super sticky and can not be cleaned, you can gently pop off the key and scrub it with a toothbrush.

Dusting your keyboard on a regular basis will help prevent build up of dirt and grime, and add years to your keyboard.

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How to Remove Nail Polish from Wood

May 20 by

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Although it’s important to be careful about where you paint your nails, sometimes accidents happen.

If you ever have the misfortune to get nail polish on wooden furniture, don’t despair. You can safely remove nail polish from wood!

Do not dump a bunch of nail polish remover on a wooden surface, as it will eat away at the varnish and cause an even bigger problem. Instead, wet a cotton swab with acetone or polish remover, and then gently blot the area.

Be very delicate, and only touch the cotton to the nail polish, avoiding any areas with wood.

Stop when most of the nail polish is off, but before you start putting acetone on bare wood.

Next, spray the area with a small amount of hair spray over the area with nail polish. Gently rub the area with a cotton ball. Try going with the grain of the wood, which will make any remaining nail polish come off easier.

Finally, use a mixture of wood oil soap and water to wash away any last bits of nail polish. The wood oil soap will also leave the wood looking clean and shiny.

Next time avoid accidents by laying down a newspaper or paper towel over the wooden surface before painting your nails.

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How to Clean Outdoor Furniture

May 14 by

It’s time to start enjoying the beautiful Spring weather, but you might want to think twice before you have a seat outside. Like most people your outdoor furniture has probably been sitting around and collecting dirt and grime. It’s time to get that furniture cleaned up.

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Start by setting up all your outdoor furniture outside on the lawn, then brush off all of the excess leaves, dirt and grime that have settled. Next hose down all the furniture to rinse off easily washed away dirt.

Use warm, soapy water and a tough brush to scrub away all signs of stuck dirt. Instead of soap, you can also use a mixture of white vinegar and water.

Get a special polisher or protector for metal outdoor furniture, to remove any signs of rust. Wooden outdoor furniture can be easily repainted or sealed for even more protection.

Canvas coverings for outdoor furniture washes easily in the washing machine, but remember to put it back on the furniture while it’s still wet so that it keeps the correct shape.

Now that your outdoor furniture is sparkling clean, you can sit back and enjoy.

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How to Clean Your Barbecue

May 6 by

Are you planning on firing up the grill and taking advantage of these beautiful Spring weekends? Well before you break out the steaks, you might want to clean up your barbecue first.

Unless you spend your winters in Florida, your grill has spent the past few months gathering grime and dirt. For scraping off all that grime, we recommend purchasing a grilling stone. Wire scrapers and brushes are not as effective as grilling stones, and they are worth purchasing.

After scrubbing off most of the major grease, many grills can be cleaned similar to self cleaning ovens. Just run the grill for half an hour at a high temperature. This burns up most of the stuck on goop, and after the grill has cooled down, another scraping with the grill stone will leave your barbeque as good as new, or almost new.

Get a good product, like Stainless Steel Magic, to clean the outside of your grill. By the time you’re done your barbecue will be so shiny you won’t let anyone else touch it.

Burger anyone?

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