Loving Our Home | Home Tips, Advice, and Easy Recipes

Simple Home Tips and Solutions

Home Care and Cleaning

Paper Towel Tally Sheet – Reduce Paper Towel Usage

By Leave a Comment

In a recent post I gave tips for how to reduce your usage of paper towels. I’ve begun to think about this topic more since I am definitely a person who overuses them. I’ve learned that many people get by just fine in their kitchens without paper towels, ever. They use real towels and other items to get the job done.

So I got an idea for how to regulate my paper towel use and encourage myself to think twice before tearing off a sheet. It’s called “The Paper Towel Tally.” It’s a PDF printout that you can post on your kitchen cabinet or another place near your roll of paper towel. Every time you tear off a sheet, you have to mark a line under the reason. Check it out below (and download the PDF version here).

Paper Towel Tally by LovingOurHome.com

Just keep a pen near the paper and draw a “scratch mark” under each reason each time you take a sheet (you know, like |||| is five marks). At the end of the month do a tally and find out what you’re using most of your paper towels on. Then you can find a different solution, like the ones I recommended in this post.

Feel free to share this Paper Towel Tally sheet with other people who need it. Hope it helps you to reduce your usage of paper towels over time!

Posted by Jasmine

How to Save Money on Paper Towels

By Leave a Comment

Confession: I am a habitual hand washer. Yes, I admit it. I wash my hands at least 15-20 times per day—especially when I’m cooking or cleaning the kitchen. And because of this, I use a whole lot of paper towels. I could go through a whole roll of towels in a day if I spend enough time in the kitchen. This can become a very expensive habit being that a multi-pack of paper towels at BJs or Costco costs well over $20.

So I decided it was time to figure out how to save money on paper towels. Here is a simple 9-point plan to reduce your usage of paper towels.

  1. Place a large hand towel near your sink to dry your hands.

This should be a towel that’s bigger than a standard hand towel and extra fluffy, so invest in a good one. Hang it from a towel rack over your sink so that you have easy access. Throw the towel in the laundry every week or so.

 

  1. Place another absorbent small towel in a convenient place that’s only for drying dishes.

Dedicate this towel just to drying your dishes—no hand drying or wiping the counter tops with it. Hang it on your stove or dishwasher. Keep a pile of clean, dry ones handy.

 

  1. Reserve a few large old towels to do big clean ups.

For those big messes, keep an old or tattered large towel or two under your sink. Wipe up the mess and throw the towel in the laundry pile (preferably with similar dirty cloths that come into contact with the floor or your pets).

 

  1. Purchase only rolls of paper towels that have half-perforated sheets.

When you’re shopping for paper towels, choose select-a-size rolls that allow you to take a half a sheet instead of a whole one. You may find that in most cases, a half of a sheet is more than enough.

 

  1. Place a basket next to your paper towel holder for sheets that can be used again.

There are some instances where you might use a sheet of paper towel for a quick, clean job, and it can be used again for wiping something down. Put a small basket near your roll of paper towels to hold these re-usable sheets.

 

  1. Get a bottle of hand sanitizer to use whenever you feel the urge to wash your hands.

When you’re cooking, cleaning up, and handling raw meats, use the hand sanitizer to quickly disinfect your hands. Shake them out a little and let them hand dry instead of using a sheet of paper towel.

 

  1. Keep a $1 box of tissues in your kitchen for sneezing.

When you need to blow your nose or sneeze, a sheet of paper towel really isn’t necessary. Just go to the dollar store and get a $1 box of tissue for those moments.

 

  1. Use paper bags to drain excess oil out of fried foods.

Instead of using a bunch of paper towels to sop up excess oil from fried foods, use leftover paper bags. You might not want to put your food directly on the bag, so just lay one or two paper towels on top of the paper bag as a buffer and then put the food on top. (Reducing or eliminating fried foods from your family’s diet is also a great idea!)

 

  1. Use disinfectant wipes to clean off your countertops and surfaces.

Chances are, you use disinfectant wipes (like the Lysol brand) a lot less often than you reach for paper towels. Use one wipe each day to disinfect your countertops in the morning before you start cooking—that way, you can feel more confident that your surfaces are clean throughout the day. Resist the urge to use a paper towel or another disinfecting wipe unless you accidentally spill meat juice on your counter top.

 

You may find that there aren’t many good reasons for buying and using paper towels on a regular basis if you take these simple steps to save money on paper towels. Simple solutions!

Posted by Jasmine

How to Clean and Deodorize a Musty Carpet

By Leave a Comment

Whether you have pets or not, musty odors can find their way into your carpets or area rugs. The removal of these odors requires a little effort, but is well worth it compared to the cost of replacing your carpets. Here are a few ways that you can eliminate these odors before spending hundreds on a brand new carpet at your local home improvement store.

Vinegar Mist

Flickr/anneh632

Removing a stubborn, musty odor that has set into your carpet fibers can be a challenge, but it’s not an impossible feat. You can accomplish the removal of odors with a common household ingredient. Purchase an extra large spray bottle that has a “mist” setting. Add 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts water. Spray your entire carpet with this solution liberally and refill it necessary.

Your house will smell like vinegar for a while, but the smell will soon leave. Allow your carpet to fully dry for at least 24 hours. When carpet is fully dried you can add a fragrance easily in the same way. Add 1-2 tablespoons of either vanilla, orange or lemon extract to an empty spray bottle and fill the bottle with water. Spray the mixture over the entire carpet again using the “mist” setting. You want the carpet damp, but not soaking wet. Again allow the carpet to fully dry for at least 24 hours. You may be very pleased with the new scent.

Baking Soda Tip for Musty Carpets

Baking soda is a natural deodorizer. It absorbs bad scents from the carpet so that you can easily remove them. So just sprinkle baking soda onto the carpet liberally. Allow the baking soda to remain on the carpet for at least two hours to absorb the odors. Then slowly vacuum the entire area. Do this at least twice per month to keep the funk away. This product (Arm & Hammer Pet Fresh) is great for carpets if you have pets (I’ve seen a version of it at Dollar Tree).

Resolve Easy CleanFoam Carpet Cleaning Solutions

Foam carpet cleaners are also available on the market that basically do the same job as baking soda. Just allow the foam to totally dry and absorb the odor, and then vacuum. Running a hard bristled janitor’s broom over the carpet might help the process of pulling odor and dirt out of the fibers before vacuuming.

Resolve sells an easy-clean carpet system for about $20 that includes the foam and upright cleaning brush. It may take a while to clean a large carpet with it, but it’s a good way to get some exercise.

Carpet Shampooer

Flickr/flossyflotsam

The best way to thoroughly rid your carpet of a musty smell and give it a good cleaning is to use a carpet shampooer. The carpet cleaning machines that you might find at a department store are pretty expensive, but Amazon sells a few for under $100 (like this one and this one). You can also rent one at a grocery store once or twice per year. Use a vinegar solution or another cleaning solution to thoroughly clean and deodorize your carpet.

When the dirt and grime is completely removed from the carpet after shampooing, there is one last step. A “trick” to totally removing odors from your carpet and replacing them with a fresh scent, is to add a capful of your favorite liquid fabric softener to the cleaner reservoir and add warm water. Redo the carpet as if you are shampooing. By doing this you will not only soften the fabric of your carpet, but also create a long lasting fragrant aroma throughout your home. (You can also put 1/2 of a cap of fabric softener in a large spray bottle filled with water and spray it manually about 6″ away from the carpet.)

Flickr/jeepersmedia

Good luck getting that musty odor out of your carpet!

Posted by Lorraine

Photo credits: Flickr/anneh632, Flickr/flossyflotsam, Flickr/jeepersmedia

 

 

Easy Organizing Tips for Your Home

By Leave a Comment

Organizing your home is essential, not just because you keep it clutter free but also because you can find the things you need easily and you feel better mentally when your surroundings are in order. You may even find ways to repurpose items that you have around your house that have just been collecting dust. Here are a few organizing tips for your home that you can implement this weekend.

For Your Kitchen

The more organized your kitchen, the more inspired you’ll be to create new recipes and pack school lunches like a pro. Start by sorting out your pantry to ensure that nothing has expired or has become unusable. Keep all similar food items in the pantry together — for instance, store all of your baking items in one area and all seasonings for food in another. All canned foods should be placed on separate shelf with the labels facing out. This will make it easier for you to locate exactly what you need for recipes. To declutter your counter space, get a few empty vases to store the large cooking utensils that you frequently use. Keep two or three appliances on the counter and put the rest away in storage until you need them.

For Your Bedroom

You can easily declutter your bedroom closet.  Begin by creating three separate piles — one is for clothes to donate, the other is for clothes to keep at hand, and the third is for storage until next season. Typically, you should donate all clothing items that you have not worn for a full year. Trust, you won’t miss them — just give them away, because you’ll feel so much lighter afterwards, especially with your newfound space. An added bonus is that you will be helping someone who could use the clothes. Purchase an over the door rack so that you can organize your shoes, belts, scarfs and ties. Store seasonal clothes under the bed.

The next place that usually gets a little crazy is the top of your dresser (both the inside and outside). First, assign a certain type of clothing to each drawer (underwear, socks, t-shirts, jeans) and stick to that plan going forward. If you have trinkets on your dresser that you are fond of, adding a small shelving unit for jewelry that will help keep them safer and better organized.  One shelf can be for makeup, another shelf for nail polish and yet another for manicure and pedicure accessories.

For Your Bathroom

Simply purchasing an over the toilet rack will take care of a lot of your organizational problems in the bathroom. An over the toilet rack is a place for your bathroom accessories, extra towels and more. You will enjoy a clutter free sink and shower (except for your most used items, like shampoo and conditioner). Organize your personal products into categories on the shelves — for example, put shampoos, conditioners and body wash on one shelf. Next, put lotions, shea butter and other skin conditioning items on another shelf. And finally, place colognes, body sprays and other scented items on yet another shelf.  Keep things tidy by making sure to replace all items used back to their proper location on the rack.

Maintaining ongoing habits is key to keeping your home organized. So after you dedicate a weekend to doing the initial organization, it’s okay to become particular about keeping things in its proper place.

Posted by Eve

Featured image: Rubbermaid Homefree Series Closet Kit (via Flickr)

Spring Cleaning Ideas and Motivation

By Leave a Comment

When the somber days of winter finally vanish and spring has sprung, it’s the perfect time to start taking on simple projects that won’t break your bank and improve your home. Here are some ideas to get you motivated to do some spring cleaning.

Open Up the Windows

Let the fresh air in.  Nothing will get you more in the mood to clean than smelling the fresh air from outside coming into your home. Play a little of your favorite motivational music or an audiobook to get your energy flowing.

Dust First

Plenty of dust has likely accumulated in your house throughout the cold winter season. Grab a dust buster or Swiffer and dust off your shelves, lamps and knick knacks to start.

The Floors

Your floors are your foundation, so that’s the next detail to take care of. Vacuum and mop all of the floors in your home. This is also a great time of year to rent a rug shampooer from your local supermarket and shampoo all carpets throughout your house.

Linens

Changing the curtains and bed linens in all rooms will rejuvenate the appearance in your home.  Remove the dark winter colors and replace them with the cheerful colors of spring, such as vibrant yellows, oranges and shades of pink.  You may find it easier to purchase a duvet that incorporates all of the colors of spring to cheer up your bedroom. You may also want to add bright and colorful throw pillows on the bed and the sofa in your living room to add springtime pops of color.

Flower Time

Adorn your home with planted flowers or flowers in vases to bring in the spring season.  Remember that some flowers need full daylight, near a window while others can be placed wherever you like.  Try a potted sunflower in the kitchen so that every time you go in for breakfast you’re met with its beauty and fresh scent.  Place flowers on the coffee table and end tables in your living room.  Make sure to choose flowers that blend well with your color scheme.

Your Front Door or Porch

Remember to do some spring cleaning on the outdoors as well. Sweep your stoop or porch thoroughly. Wash your front and back windows. The front porch is a great place to hang ferns to beautify your entrance. They will make your entrance more welcoming to you and your guests. If you are an apartment dweller, you can make a lovely floral wreath to hang on your front door.

When you hear the birds chirping and begin to smell the fresh scents of spring, you’ll probably get all the motivation you need for spring cleaning. Start with these simple ideas and add additional projects to your list as you go along.

Posted by Eve

 

Image courtesy Flickr (pattynwalter)

How to Clean & Freshen Your Carpet Naturally Without a Rug Shampooer

By Leave a Comment

 
If you have pets or just prefer natural solutions, you probably want a non-toxic cleaner for your carpets. Many people don’t understand the effects that harsh chemicals can have on your indoor air quality and overall environment. Thankfully, there are a plethora of products available that are made with all natural ingredients and are safe for both humans and pets. Here are a few of the best products to safely clean and freshen your carpet naturally without having to use a rug shampooer.
 
 

Eco-Me Carpet Freshener

 
Sometimes you just want a product that you can shake over the carpet to freshen and clean, then vacuum. This Eco-me carpet freshener is made with 100% all natural products and is safe for pets as well as humans.  The blend of citrus and sage provides a pleasing, calming scent to add to the air in your home.
 
 
 

 

Out! Stain and Odor Remover

 
Out! Stain and Odor Remover is a popular and highly rated product that you’re definitely going to want to have on hand if you have a pet that sprays or has accidents on your carpet or upholstery. Just spray the area liberally, and the smell seems to evaporate. It’s made with a natural beneficial bacterial enzyme formula that attacks the pet odor and freshens the area in the process. You could also spray your carpets with it every week for a quick cleaning/freshening before you vacuum.
 
 
 

 

Tweetmint All Purpose Non-Toxic Disinfecting Enzyme Cleaner

 
A lot of people like Tweetmint cleaner because it can be used to both clean carpets and eliminate pests, like spiders and ants. It can also be used for cleaning more than just carpets in your home. It comes in a concentrated bottle, so while it’s a bit costly, it will last for months. Just add a few capfuls to your spray bottle and add a few coats to your carpet.
 

 

 

Simply Green Naturals Cleaner

Natural CleanerThis product comes in a convenient spray bottle.  It is also made from 100% naturally sourced ingredients. Simple Green Naturals Carpet Cleaner a spot-cleaner, so this product will work for you if you have children or pets that soil your carpets.

 
 
 
 
Remember why you chose carpets for your home: so that your family and pets can feel comfortable playing, sitting or even laying on the floor. These products will help you to clean and freshen your carpet naturally and eliminate the need to rent an expensive rug shampooer.
 
Posted by Eve
Image courtesy Flickr; advaits