Household Tips

Household tips:

• If you keep a few camphor tablets in the cupboard in which you store silverware, your silver will not tarnish.
• If a glass gets stuck inside another one, place it in a fridge overnight. They will come apart easily.
• Henna stains on clothes can be removed by soaking the stained portion in milk for half an hour.
• Clean your spectacles with a couple of drops of Eau-de-cologne, for a shining clean and dust-free effect.
• IF YOUR mats and carpets look faded, rub them with a mixture of warm water and turpentine and watch the colors glow again.
• CLEAN YOUR wooden furniture with kerosene diluted with a little water to keep worms at bay.
• WIPE YOUR kitchen platform with a cloth dipped in vinegar to keep ants away.
• IMMERSE LEMONS, raw banana, raw jackfruit, drumsticks, 'parwar' and lotus roots in water to retain freshness.
• PUT A few drops of lavender oil in half bucket of water for the final rinse. Your bedsheets will come out smelling fragrant.
• YOU CAN make nice lime pickle, if you sprinkle black pepper over the lemon rind pieces and dry them in the sun.
• PLACE a small quantity or rock salt in a muslin cloth in your biscuit tin to keep the biscuits crisp, especially during the monsoons.
• PLACE 1/2 inch of Baking Soda in the bottom of the ashtray to eliminate stale tobacco odors. Replace the Baking Soda when you empty the ashtray. As an added bonus, the Baking Soda helps extinguish cigarettes and cigars!
• TO MAKE a bath towel more absorbent and soft, put a handful of salt in the bucket of water and soak the towel for 24 hours. Wash and dry.
• Keep a bowl of potpourri in the bathroom. You may pour a pleasant smelling perfume over the potpourri to keep the fragrance last long.
• To make your bath or bedroom smell fresh put a fabric softener sheet in your wastebasket. Make sure you spray some air freshener in the air and wait 20 minutes

• Bathtub: The film that accumulates in your bathtub, shower tray and washbasin can be removed by soaking and scrubbing with Vinegar.

• Brass: Rub with a lemon half dipped in salt. It will not only clean but leave a great shine.

• Coffee Stains: Use salt to clean your discolored coffee pot.

• Copper: Rub vigorously with half a lemon dipped in mixture of salt and white vinegar.

• Drains: Use a sink strainer to avoid blocked drains. To unblock, try a plunger and boiling water. Or pour in a quarter cup of bicarbonate of soda and add a quarter cup of white vinegar. Hold the plug in while the drain fizzes.

• Iron :Clean your iron of lime scale. Pour equal amounts of vinegar and water into the water holder. Put on the steam setting and let it stand for 5 minutes. Cool and drain. Clean a scorched iron plate. Heat equal parts vinegar and salt in a small pan. Rub solution on the cooled iron surface to remove dark or burned stains.

• Oven:Warm the oven, mix a cup of water with half a cup of cloudy ammonia in an oven-proof bowl, turn the oven off and place the bowl in it for 10 to 15 minutes, wipe the walls of the oven with a stiff brush and some bicarbonate of soda, wipe over with a damp cloth. The racks should be easy to clean with a scourer and some bicarbonate of soda after the cloudy ammonia treatment. After you have cleaned your oven, wipe it over with a solution of 1 heaped teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and 300mls of water. This will make the job easier next time. Wipe oven with vinegar to prevent grease build up.

• Stainless Steel :Vinegar cleans stainless steel & Copper pots

• Wallpaper remover :You can use vinegar to remove wall paper. First remove top layer of wallpaper. Then spray vinegar on and let stand for a minute or two. Then pull backing away. Scrape excess glue off wall. Wipe remaining glue off with vinegar and rinse with water.

• Washing machine & dishwasher :Add vinegar to the soap container and run through a regular cycle to dissolve detergent residues. Use vinegar in place of rinse aid. Fill powder holder with bicarbonate soda.

• Glassware:Half fill container with cold water add 1 tablespoon of dry mustard, shake, leave for 30 minutes then rinse. Also removes odours. Mix grated peeled potato with warm water, allow the solution to stand in container, swirl occasionally and rinse. Place raw rice, dash of vinegar and salt with water in the container. Swish , empty, then rinse.

Household Tips

House Hold Items Storage Tips.....

Basics:

Get your own packing materials including cardboard boxes, wardrobes boxes, bubble wrap, Styrofoam "popcorn", newspaper, acid free tissue paper, rope, packing tape, and permanent ink markers. Most of these supplies are readily available (at affordable prices) at a self storage facility or your local office supply stores. Fill all of the boxes you pack to capacity but be careful not to overfill in such a way where the box can rupture and break open. Make sure to fill empty space in boxes with loose material like crunched up newspaper or Styrofoam pieces. Heavy items likes books and appliances should be packed in their own boxes so that they will be easier to handle. Items like computers, electronic equipment, camera equipment, etc., should also be carefully packed in their own cartons. Pack items and label them by room for easy identification. Plan out your storage space for easy access.

Major Appliances:

Refrigerators, freezers, washers, driers, stoves, etc., should be clean and dry before you pack and store them. When storing these items, the doors should be secured in a closed position. (You may leave a door slightly open for aeration; however make sure to child proof the door so that it cannot be fully opened. Don't allow a child to get into the appliance, and then close the door. Suffocation resulting in death is possible. If you choose to discard any of these items, make sure to remove doors completely so that a child cannot enter and close the door, resulting in suffocation and death.)

Home Furnishings:
Empty all dressers of clothing, and pack into appropriate wardrobe boxes. Use mothballs or other similar products to protect your clothing from insects and other pests. Make sure that doors and drawers of your furniture are securely shut (use tape or rope or strong ribbon). When possible, remove the legs from items of furniture to avoid damage and save space. Vacuum your furniture and remember to collect all of that loose change in the sofa.


Tips for cleaning household:

• Bathtub: The film that accumulates in your bathtub, shower tray and washbasin can be removed by soaking and scrubbing with Vinegar.
• Brass: Rub with a lemon half dipped in salt. It will not only clean but leave a great shine.
• Coffee Stains: Use salt to clean your discolored coffee pot.
• Copper: Rub vigorously with half a lemon dipped in mixture of salt and white vinegar.
• Drains: Use a sink strainer to avoid blocked drains. To unblock, try a plunger and boiling water. Or pour in a quarter cup of bicarbonate of soda and add a quarter cup of white vinegar. Hold the plug in while the drain fizzes.
• Glassware: Half fill container with cold water add 1 tablespoon of dry mustard, shake, leave for 30 minutes then rinse. Also removes odours. Mix grated peeled potato with warm water, allow the solution to stand in container, swirl occasionally and rinse. Place raw rice, dash of vinegar and salt with water in the container. Swish , empty, then rinse.

Housekeeping

HouseKeeping Tips


A housekeeper's job is often a never-ending one. For some, work in the house seems to be never-ending. Here are a few tips to help you tackle the job and put your home and consequently your life in order.

•Get everyone involved

Women often prefer to do everything themselves. This is because they feel that a certain job is to be done in a certain way and only they can do it perfectly. They don't pass on responsibility to other family members. In reality when all the members of the family work together, household tasks can be done in a fraction of the time and everyone can have the satisfaction of having contributed something towards the maintenance of their homes.

•Match the job to the person

Each member of the family should be asked to take up a particular task. The important thing is to make sure that the task is suitable for their age and their interests.

•Ask for Help

Whether it is your spouse, your kids or your in-laws, asking for help always fetches the desired result rather. Avoid bossing around. It is a good idea to sit with family members and prepare a list of jobs to be done. Most of the times people don't understand the volume of work involved and hence may not come forward to do things. But once you have it in black and white, everyone can pitch in. Try to swap places for a day.

•Make it fun

On holidays when you expect your kids to clean their rooms or their cupboards, switch on their favorite music. Don't forget to shower praises. Even if the job is not done perfectly, don't make them redo it as by doing so you would be killing their enthusiasm. Later when they are in a listening mood you can gently point out the mistakes, so the next time around they can correct themselves. It is better to give the instructions in a friendly tone before they start the job, or to help them do it the first few times until they get the hang of it.


Basic Housekeeping - Simple Tips for Big Time Savings

1.First, set a timer.

How many times have you started a small cleaning task, only to notice another area that needs attention, and then another? Setting a timer when cleaning or doing other chores helps you stay focused on the task at hand and lets you know when it’s time to stop.

2.Plan your attack.

Walking back and forth might make you look busy, but it also uses up valuable time. Generally, you should begin cleaning at one end of the room, from top to bottom, and work your way around the perimeter to the other side. Finish off by cleaning the middle area and voila! One room is done.

3.Wear the proper attire.

Well-fitting, comfortable clothes are important to cleaning efficiently. Pockets – either in an apron or in your clothing – allow you to keep a cleaning cloth handy and provide a place for small objects or bits of trash you come across when vacuuming.

4.Streamline your process.

Maintaining a well-stocked and orderly cleaning caddy and keeping it nearby will save both time and frustration. What goes in the caddy is important too: Use a rinse-free multi-surface cleaner whenever possible, saving specialty products for deep cleaning. A uniform stack of laundered cleaning cloths makes it easy to grab one and get to work.