Homemaking Tips and Tricks

I’m very excited to announce, the Homemaker Helpers site is getting a face lift, actually the entire site will be move to word press and redesigned. Not only will we look better but it will be easier for you to navigate around. It will also be easier for our authors to post their articles which is even more good news for you!

Thank you to all our wonderful and loyal subscribers, you’ll want to watch you inbox for a link to download our free All Natural Cleaning Guide. Cleaning your home shouldn’t be a chore… it should be an experience! Stay tuned and we’ll let you know as soon as we are ready for the unveiling.

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The summer heat is here and we are all doing our best to stay comfortable and cool  but that usually means a high electric bill! Here’s how to save energy and money this summer.

Keep the sun out! Close the curtains, drapes or blinds to keep the sun and heat it generates out of your home. Plant a vine so that it grows over your windows to shade them in the summer. Hang bamboo blinds over the outside of your windows. Add a heat blocking  liner to your drapes or temporarily hang a sheet or towel over a window with sheer or lace curtains to block the sun.

Turn your portable air conditioner down, and use the power saver option if it has one. Use fans to move and circulate the cool air. If you have central air, turn the thermostat up. 75 degrees feels cool when it’s hitting 90 or more outside!

If it cools off outside at night, open all your windows and let the cooler air in, then close them in the morning before the temperature rises. This works even better if there is a breeze, if not place fans in a few window facing out to blow the warm air out of your home.

Keep your home from heating up by keeping the sun out and letting the cool night air in, plus adjusting your air-conditioning to a warmer temperature and using fans will all save you energy and money this summer!

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You’ve put it off long enough, and it’s time to clean the refrigerator! Since you have the time and the patience; let’s give you some quick refrigerator cleaning tips to hurry along the process.

• Take everything out of the refrigerator, I prefer to do one shelf at a time so I can quickly and easily put items back in the same spot.
• Throw away any outdated cans, jars and plastic bottles.
• Take out the vegetable bins; wash and dry.
• Use a  wet cloth to clean the shelving and the inside of the door. You may want to add some baking soda to the wash water.
• Put the bins back, and sprinkle a bit of baking soda in each if you like.
• Put back whatever items you have left.
• Place an opened box of baking soda towards the back top shelf.
• Wipe down the exterior of the refrigerator; top sides and doors.

You’re done! That was easy enough, right? Well that’s because you have been cleaning it religiously every month. Alas, there are some refrigerators which have not been so lucky, and cleaning will require more time.

To keep your refrigerator clean so that a simple once-over is required, here are some additional tips to follow.

• Use tin foil under your milk cartons to prevent leaking.
• Use food containers to store your leftovers.
• Change the box of baking soda every three months.
• Set the temperature to the manufacturer’s recommendation.
• Try not to accumulate more than two items. Check certain items before buying them. Oftentimes, we buy too much of one item, and it just stays in the refrigerator for months on end.
• Keep your vegetables in zip lock bags or better yet re-usable plastic containers to maintain their freshness.
• Line the bins with paper towel or something similar to absorb moisture and spills.
• If’ it’s not a frost free model defrost your freezer at least once a month. Don’t forget to place a box of baking soda in there as well.

By following these simple tips, your next cleaning will be easier and faster and you’ll feel like a lazy man.

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Did you know that there is a cleaning product that’s safe and all natural, cleans, disinfects and deodorizes, and doesn’t cost a fortune?  And that you may already have it hidden in your refrigerator door!

So, what is this magical cleaning product?  It’s plain old lemon juice.  You can use lemon juice instead of bleach to clean your house safely and effectively.  In fact, you can use it in places you wouldn’t consider putting bleach.

If you’ve even tasted lemon juice, it’s pretty obvious that it’s a strong acid.  Have you ever tried using lemon juice to clean a penny? The beauty of an acid is that it dissolves things water can’t.  This includes dirt, grease and also parts of bacteria vital to it’s survival. Next time you clean, ditch the sponge, bleach and chemical cleaners and pull out a fresh lemon.  It’s easy to hold, packed full of cleaning power, and can be thrown away when you’re done.

You can mix lemon juice with water and put it in a squirt bottle.  You can use it along with your all purpose cleaner to scrub the kitchen, bathroom, and even clean walls and floors. The acid will cut through mineral deposits on bathroom fixtures.

Instead of adding bleach to your whites, add lemon juice instead.    After washing, hang your clothes in the sun to dry and you’ll see how white your laundry can be without the smell and dangers of bleach.  You can mix lemon juice with cream of tartar and rub into stains.  Just don’t leave them out in the sun to dry as it may fade the spot.

Lemon juice can also be used to polish, shine, and remove tarnish from the copper, chrome, and other metals in your house.  Simply add a little salt or baking soda to a freshly cut lemon and rub it onto the metal’s surface, rinse well and polish dry.

Try mixing lemon juice with baking soda to make a great natural drain cleaner.  It works just as well as vinegar and baking soda, but leaves that lemony scent.

Have you noticed lately that most disinfecting products have an version that smells like lemons?  That’s because lemons naturally have a fresh, clean scent.  Instead of cleaning with lemon scented chemicals, what could be better than getting your fresh lemon scented kitchen from actual lemons?

Leave it to Watkins to improve on mother nature! August 1 we are pleased to introduce a new line of non-toxic plant-based cleaning products that harness the power of lemons naturally. You’ll be able to choose from all-purpose cleaner, liquid dish soap, automatic dish washing detergent, toilet bowl cleaner, furniture polish and liquid laundry detergent concentrate all scented with natural lemon oil.

These are just a few of the many uses of this powerful cleaner.  Cleaning with the power of lemons not only removes dirt, it also disinfects to keep your family safe. What a great way to leave your house looking and smelling great.

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April 22nd is Earth Day, it’s an important day for the human race, as well as all creatures great and small who share this wonderful world with us . We are becoming more aware of the affects of global warming. Shouldn’t we strive to keep our eco-system in tact and keep our rainforests from being destroyed? There is more we can do on an individual basis. Celebrating Earth Day with your kids highlights the importance of Earth Day and is the first step.

It is important to explain to your kids what Earth Day represents, and what your family does every day to preserve our environment, as they will be the future caretakers of our planet.

• Teach kids how to grow plants and herbs. If you have a place you could even plant a tree in your yard.
• Recycle as much as possible.
• If they are old enough have your kids walk or ride their bikes to school.
• When you leave the room turn out the lights, and when no one is at home, keep lights off.
• Ensure that you are preserving water by repairing leaky faucets. Conserve water by not leaving the water running when brushing teeth, limit the time in the shower, and wash your vehicle less often.
• Replace the filters in your furace and air conditioner regularly.
• When shopping at grocery store, use recyclable bags.
• Volunteer to help clean up your local park.
• Put a birdbath and, or bird feeder in your backyard.
• Make Earth Day posters with your child and display them at school or at home.

By implementing these suggestions, you are teaching your kids energy and resource conservation; recycling; increasing plant and tree growth; respect nature; save water; reduce toxins in the air; keep the environment clean; planting trees and flowers to increase oxygen; reduce air pollution; and love and respect all animals who inhabit the earth.

Wouldn’t it be great if everyone took the time to implement just one of these suggestions? Then we would truly be able to save what little we have left, thus preserving our precious earth for our children and generations to come. Teaching your kids the importance of Earth Day has become necessary to the future of our planet.

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 I’m Cathy and I live in Ontario, Canada.  I love working at home and have had a lot of enjoyment selling Watkins products, amongst other things.   I recently launched my own website www.memorylanepantry.com  where I offer Watkins products. It’s a work in progress, but I’m enjoying doing it.  I’ve been married for 33 years now and I have two lovely daughters–Both are married to great guys and doing well!  One of my favorite things in life is family get togethers! 

I love animals too and because of that we share our small home now with our dog, Katie and two cats, Peaches and Tigger.  Tigger is a diabetic cat in need of daily injections, so he presents a bit of a challenge, but we love him so we don’t have a problem doing this for him.

My hobbies/interests are gardening, many different types of crafts, reading, crosswords/sudoku, drawing and painting, cooking,  computers, health and exercise. 

I have had osteo arthritis since I’ve been in my early 30’s–Over 20 years now.  I have had one knee replacement.  I exercise regularily and it has kept me going.    I do well, without medications.  I’m a bit of a health nut because of this, so healthy eating, exercise and supplements are a part of my daily routine.  It’s really important to maintain a good attitude with problems like this.   Keeping a good attitude has helped not just with this health issue, but in many areas of my life. 

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How often do you vacuum your lovable pooch?  Yes, you read right, my darling dog was a rescue and her previous owner would vacuum her.

 

It is a hoot to see her scamper over to me when I bring the portable vacuum out.  The first time she did this I didn’t know what to make of it.  She would lie on her side waiting for me to start.  When, I figured out what she was wanting, I open the hose to release some of the suction, put on the furniture attachment so not to injury her.   This has become a routine with us every time I vacuum.

 

The advantages I have found are two fold, for the dog she is more comfortable less scratching and her bedding is cleaner.  She is not sneezing from the loose hair and dirt in her coat.

 

For me it is having a home with a lot less dog hair and less dust.  This has prompted me to vacuum and clean her bedding on a regular basis, not just when I can’t stand it anymore. 

 

I have found we still have those not so wonderful days when she runs through the mud puddles with glee and arrives at the door looking like a dog that has been dipped in chocolate.  My cure for that is giving her a bath with Watkins Botanical Pet Shampoo, I love the ingredients of aloe vera, lemon oil and vitamin E, and it leaves her coat shiny and smelling great, not like wet dog yuck.

Mary Ellen

Associate #364297

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Is it time for your annual spring cleaning? Ah spring, think of how wonderful you and your family will feel to be able to open the windows again and let in the fresh air! Take a few minutes to make a spring cleaning list of what you’ll need to do. Here are some suggestions for you but feel free to change this list to suit your own needs.

• Windows - take down the drapes or curtains and dust the blinds. Wash the windows inside and out, don’t forget the frames and casings. Next, wash the curtains, iron if needed and rehang.
• Walls - wash the walls, start at the bottom and work your way up to-wards the ceiling, this will prevent the water and cleaner from dripping down making clean streaks or lines.
• Ceilings - dust for cobwebs and then wash.
• Floors - move all the furniture in each room so you can clean the floors behind and underneath everything to evict the dust bunnies and other things hiding there. Vacuum the carpets, sweep and mop hard floor surfaces. Take area rugs outdoors and give them a good shake.
• Furniture - wipe hard furniture like coffee tables, book shelves, dressers etc with a damp cloth to remove dust and dirt. Spot clean upholstery, and launder removable covers.
• Kitchen - wash the outside of your kitchen cabinets and appliances with a degreaser cleaner to cut through the dust and cooking grease that accumulated over the winter months.

You shouldn’t need many extra cleaning supplies to do your spring cleaning, here’s a list of basic cleaning supplies:

• Multi-purpose cleaner for walls, ceilings, floors, and general cleaning.
• Window and glass cleaner to polish mirrors, chrome, stainless steel and for sparkling windows too.
• Bathroom cleaner for tackling mineral buildup, hard water stains and soap scum.
• A sturdy pail or bucket.
• Cleaning cloths for dusting and scrubbing.
• A vacuum, a broom, a dust pan, a mop and a scrub brush.

Get the entire family involved in spring cleaning then reward yourselves with a fun family activity when you are done!

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I was talking to my Mother-in-law yesterday her name is Margie. She was telling me about the time she was making a cake. Margie reached up in the cupboard for the vanilla and put it in her cake. She finished up the cake and went to serve it, the first person to try it thought it was horrible. Come to find out she had not put in Watkins Vanilla it was Watkins Red Liniment! From that day forward she didn’t store her medicinals in the same place as her baking items.

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