Sweep it up Saturday

This is the beginning of my Sweep it up Saturday weekly series.  Saturdays will be the day that I post thrifty household cleaning/organizing tips for around the house!  If you have any tips that you’d like to share, please comment.  We’d love to hear them!  Thanks to family and friends for sharing some of these tips!

Use Empty toilet paper and paper towel rolls to store appliance cords.  It keeps them neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.  My husband has always been the worst (i love you honey) at wadding cords up and putting them in a box.  Later, we never could remember what those cords went to!  I also recommend using wrapping paper rolls to wrap Christmas lights around to store.  The thicker cardboard rolls that are heavier work alot better than the flimsier ones!

Remember this tip for next winter!!  For icy door steps in freezing temperatures:  Get warm water and put Dawn dish washing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won’t refreeze.

To remove old wax from a glass candle holder, put it in the freezer for a few hours. Then take the candle holder out and turn it upside down. The wax will  fall out.

Crayon marks on walls?  This worked wonderfully!  A damp rag, dipped in baking  soda. Comes off with little effort (elbow grease that is!).

Use Rubbing Alcohol to remove Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops.

Blood stains on clothes?  Not to worry!  Just pour a little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood.  Works every time!

Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean.  Don’t wash windows on a sunny day.  They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.

To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers.  Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new!  Works like a charm!

Spray your TUPPERWARE with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and there won’t be any stains.  Thanks Mandi, for this tip!!

Thrifty and Fun Organization Tips:

Use baskets in your bathroom for storage!!  These work very well, especially if you have a tiny bathroom with not much storage.  I know most of us don’t like our soaps and shampoos to be seen by all who use your restroom!!!  You can buy baskets pretty cheap at Goodwills or Thrift Stores.  If you don’t like the color, head outside with a can of spray paint to match your decor!  You can put all your toiletries in these baskets and then hang them on hooks placed on your wall.  Or find a cute coat rack with large knobs or hooks, or even a hall tree standing in the corner with baskets hanging would be cute!!

Closet Space can be disastrous!  Especially if you don’t have alot of space!  For more space, use 2 clothes rods.  Use the one at the top for shirts and then add one to the bottom to hang jeans and pants.  It will save alot more room!!  If you’d rather have the room at the bottom for other storage, you can always use plastic bins, crates, or other organizing containers.  Don’t forget about those shoe keeps that hang on the closet doors.  Those can be found very inexpensively and they do save a ton of space, especially if you have a “love” for shoes!!

For those JUNK Drawers that we all have…you can use a silverware caddy to make it a more “organized mess”!!!  My Junk Drawer mostly consists of stuff like batteries, tape, pens & pencils, loose screws and small peices that my husband SWEARS he needs, and tons of other misc. things! 

One thing I’ve learned over the last couple of years, is that everyone should keep a jug in the Utility Room for their change!!  I would have piles of coins laying here and there, but now whenever I do laundry I check all the pockets and throw all the change in the jug that stays in my utility room!  After awhile you’d be surprised at how much change and LINT I’d collect!!!!  Too bad the lint has no value

Freezer storage is a problem for some.  If you have to duck when you open your freezer door, then you might try this trick.  Keep all of your like “bagged” items in a plastic shopping bag in the freezer.  For instance, keep all your frozen bagged veggies in a plastic sack.  When you open the door, there sitting in bag and not falling out the door.  This works good too for individually wrapped meats.  If you divide hamburger up into smaller zip bags, keep them all dated and stored in plastic shopping bags and then pull them out as you need them.  Boxed foods can store alot easier and you can get alot more in the freezer if you take the items out of the box.  Most are still in plastic wraps so they usually do fine without freezer burning!  If you need the cooking directions off of a boxed item…just tear it off and stick it on the fridge!

Once again, if you have any tips that you’d like to share we’d all love to hear them! 

Blessings~

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