Posted by lizzymahoney on 2004-08-31 10:21:23
Post Subject:
Nothing that works 100%, but for dried out baby wipe type things I sprinkle with water just prior to use.
For bug stuff, I'd bet alcohol would work better. That way any oils that need a carrier could be resurrected. But there have got to be volatile agents that are gone for good. Some essential oil recipes for bug repellent use witch hazel and tea tree oil.
The problem with remoistening the entire container is that you are introducing new stuff and changing the pH balance. Big potential for molds and bacteria.
There are a few DIY household cleaning sites that have instructions for make your own baby wipes. I've done that, but they really do have to be used up faster than I needed them. (No baby, just needed convenient cleaning wipes.) I'm pretty sure those were baby bath, baby oil, and distilled water combos. I don't know if any of those sites have bug repellents.
Posted by Sewlittletime on 2005-07-25 19:46:48
Post Subject:
I wish my parents...or someone had taken the time to teach me how to manage my finances better.
But...they DID teach me how to work as a team. It has taken me years to get my husband to take the team approach as opposed to my doing EVERYTHING just because I'm a SAHM. He still needs a lot of work. : P
But at least I can get him to work with me in the garden now. I'm still working on him with household chores!
Anyway....my parents worked together to get things done, from household cleaning to painting the house, to gardening. Whatever needed doing.
They both also taught me to be a pretty competant do-it-yourselfer. I do just about any kind of household repair. I keep the plumbing and electrical to the pros, though!
Posted by Katrin on 2004-09-06 16:50:04
Post Subject: The Product Appreciation Thread
We haven't had one of these in a while, and it's about time for a new one. What products are you loving these days? Craft-making gadgets, household cleaning supplies, food, beverages, electronic toys, health and beauty aids...anything at all. Give a shout-out to the favorite things that are making your life better!
My latest fixation: Gloves in a Bottle hand lotion. Silly name, dull packaging, outrageous price...and worth every penny. It claims to bond with your outer layer of skin and never wash off until the skin's naturally exfoliated, thereby holding moisture in and keeping irritants out. And it claims that you can't even feel it once you put it on.
I was very skeptical - but IT'S TRUE. It really works the way it says it does! After only a few days of use, my coffee-shop-ravaged hands are softer than they've been in years, and the skin even feels stronger and healthier. My chronic hangnails are all but gone, and even little cuts and scratches on my hands seem to heal faster.
I drove clear across town to the fabric store where I got it, just to buy another bottle as a birthday present for my mom (she's a hand lotion conoisseur) and a little bottle to keep at work. My nay-saying coworkers are as doubtful about this stuff as I once was, but I'll make believers of them yet.
Posted by Anonymous on 2004-07-08 18:58:04
Post Subject:
I don't think disposable culture is as prevalent in the UK, but we are getting catching up.
I'd never even heard of disposable toilet brushes until now, and I thought it was a joke when I first read it. (Personally I just squirt some bleach in the bottom of the holder and let that do it's job).
With the exception of paper towel in the kitchen for putting greasy foods on I use cloths for everything. I just wash them as and when needed.
I clean my windows with the free newspaper I get through the door.
It's strange, I was reading a very old Reader's Digest Childrens Annual last week and one of the essays in it was about how in the future everything will be made of paper and easily disposible, from clothes to household cleaning items. Normally I laugh at 1950s predictions for the future (the silver foil clothing never took off did it) but this was spot on.
Posted by Knits4Fun on 2006-02-27 17:31:39
Post Subject:
I almost throw too much out. My husband, well, he's the opposite--a pack rat! I often do household cleaning when he's not around, lump his stuff together and say, 'do you really need/want/use/etc. this??' Then we compromise. I've been so exhausted lately (I'm on extra iron and in my ninth month of pregnancy), that the house has gone to the birds. Hubby has been great with laundry, dishes, helping with bathtime for my 2 yr. old. BUT the deep cleaning my house needs like dusting and GOOD floor cleaning just hasn't been getting done. Hubby doesn't 'get' that part and I don't mention it--he's doing a lot as it is with picking up my slack on everything else around the house. It's been aggravating but ah well--I've learned to let a lot go in recent months.
I've found plastic Sterilite containers, bin organizers, toy boxes, & closet organizers are my best friends in making 'stuff' look organized and sometimes hidden. For instance, we got a hope chest at a used furniture store for use as my son's toy box. It's huge, hides a lot of toy mess, and doubles as a nice-looking piece of furniture in the living room.
You're right, in that house cleaning is never-ending. This is what is so frustrating about that--I find that I do great cleanings and am motivated by company coming over or parties at the house--suddenly, my husband and I are full of energy and so much gets cleaned up (only to find a day or two later, clutter appears again)!
