Sharing is Caring, Especially When It Comes to Cleaning

Make Your Own Dishwashing Detergent

July 16 by

Dish Soap | Flat Rate Carpet BlogMaking your own cleaning supplies is simple, easy and inexpensive. With just baking soda, borax and white vinegar you can clean and disinfect nearly everything in your home! This non-toxic home made dishwashing detergent is easy to make, and really works!

In a sealable plastic container, mix equal parts borax and baking soda. If you have hard water then just double the amount of baking soda so that the ratio is two parts baking soda, one part borax. Shake the mixture well, and you’re all done! Use two tablespoons of the mix in each load.

Use white vinegar in the rinse cycle. Not only will white vinegar keep your dishes sparkling but it will also help clean and disinfect your dishwasher!

Making your own dishwashing detergent is as simple as 1, 2, 3!

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How to Keep Sand Out of Your House

July 8 by

Beach Sandals | Flat Rate Carpet BlogNothing is more refreshing than a weekend at the beach, but nothing is more annoying that having sand all over your home. Follow these few simple tricks and you won’t worry about bringing the beach home with you ever again.

Do your best to leave as much sand at the beach as possible. If you don’t bring it into the car, then it won’t make it back to your house. Make sure that you shake out all towels and beach clothing before heading home.

Invest in a small brush, like a paint brush, and brush off any beach toys before packing them away. Keep a dedicated bag for beach toys, and make sure you leave it in the garage or in an entryway closet.

Simply wiping sand off the body doesn’t work very well, especially on men. Instead use cornstarch or talcum powder. Rub the powder on your arms, legs, and um, other beachy areas, and watch how easily the sand slips right off.

Taking the extra time to clean up sand before you get into the home, will save you a summer of cleaning sand from every corner of the house.

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Fourth of July Jello

July 3 by

Jello Dessert | Flat Rate Carpet Blog

This Fourth of July, bring a dessert that is simple, beautiful and full of American pride – red, white and blue Jello! This cold, creamy dessert will be the hit of the barbecue.

To get started, you’ll need the following;

  • A 13×9 baking dish
  • Cool whip (8 ounces)
  • Cream Cheese (8 ounces)
  • 1 package (3.5 ounce) lemon flavored Jello mix
  • 2 packages (3.5 ounces each) of berry blue flavored Jello mix (can use any blue flavored Jello)
  • 2 packages (3.5 ounces each) of raspberry Jello mix (can use any red flavored Jello)

First prepare the blue jello by following the directions on the package, and refrigerate in the 13×9 dish for at least one hour.

To make the filling, add the package of lemon flavored jello mix to 1 cup of boiling water and mix well. Whip the cream cheese, and then add the lemon jello mixture and mix until smooth. Once this mixture has cooled to room temperature fold in the cool whip. When the white filling is thoroughly mixed, pour it over the blue layer of jello. (Make sure the bottom layer is fully finished or your going to wind up with a light blue mess!).

It’s time to place the blue and white part of dessert in the refrigerator to chill, and start working on red. Follow the directions on the box to make the red layer, however instead of refrigerating allow it to cool until it’s room temperature. Once the red jello mixture is no longer warm, then pour it into the pan over the white layer.

Leave this amazingly yummy dessert in the refrigerator until it’s completely chilled and ready to serve.

Filed Under: Holidays Tagged With: , , ,

Home Made Gifts For Father’s Day

June 12 by

Crayons | Flat Rate Carpet BlogIt’s obvious that your six year old didn’t go out and buy Dad the brand new watch he’s getting for Father’s Day, but that doesn’t mean that she can’t give him something just as valuable. Home made Father’s Day gifts aren’t just for little kids either, teenager and even broke college students can make some creative gifts that Dad will love for la reasonable price.

Leave the cards made with painted noodles to the little kids, and let’s move on to more advanced arts and crafts. If you know how to sew and your Father uses handkerchiefs, get him a new pack and embroider his initials in the corner.

Does your Father love to read? Make him a personalized book mark with photos of the whole family.

Father’s work extra hard to take care of the home and family. Thank your Father with a helping hand, by giving him coupons for chores that he hates doing. Coupons are easy to make, and for those of us that are less crafty, you can easily print out coupons off the internet. Even better, get up early, mow the lawn and wash the car before he even wakes up.

Home made Father’s Day gifts are inexpensive, and great for kids of all ages.

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Spring Into Family Fun

March 26 by

We all know spring cleaning the house requites help from more than just one set of hands, so follow some of our tips on how to turn spring cleaning into a fun experience of the whole family.

Start with a family meeting. Confirm a definite date and time for your cleaning extravaganza. Triple check all schedules to make sure you don’t overlap or conflict any commitments or events. Once you set a time, keep it.

Pre-shop. Buy and gather all supplies at least one day before your spring cleaning event. This keeps you organized and prepared for the big day. Breaking the momentum to run to the store can really put a damper on every one’s attitude.

Tourney time. Divide the cleaning and organizing chores evenly and then create even teams of your family members. Create team names, mascots, colors and cheers. First team to finish gets a special prize at the end of the day.

Tune-age. Have each family member give you their top ten favorite songs and create a mixed CD to keep you cleaning, singing and grooving through the day.

Time outs. Schedule breaks with snacks and down time. Serve your family favorites snacks along with some healthy choices to keep energy and blood sugar levels stable.

Photo opportunities. Let each team designate one photographer to take pictures of the days events. Create a scrap book or photo collage for the house. You never know what your kids will use as great family memories for their children.

Everyone is a winner. Treat everyone to a prize at the end of the day. Whether you order a pizza or head to the movies, make sure you have something fun, relaxing and rewarding to share with your family.

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