When it comes to laundry and cleaning, I’ve got some experience. For this reason, take a look at Part I of some of my everyday remedies for getting things done.

Here are the treatments that work for me.

Laundry

Out of pre-treat? Use vinegar.

Don’t you hate it when you wash a shirt, put it in the dryer, and pull it out only to see that it’s got a stain? Furthermore, you just set that stain for good by putting it in the dryer. Here’s a simple way to make sure that never happens again. From here on, keep a spray bottle of vinegar in your laundry room. Then, there’s no need to purchase expensive stain pre-treatment products. As has been noted, your trusty bottle of vinegar will do the trick.

My young grandson is the king of ‘oh-oh‘ when it comes to eating. When he misses his mouth, I just take off whatever item of clothing got messed up, hit it with the vinegar, and throw it into the washer. Even if I don’t run the load for a few days, it always works.

Dryer Balls are a useful treatment for wrinkles

Not long ago I saw a video about these dryer balls. Dryer balls are used in place of dryer sheets and fabric softeners. Not only do they do an excellent job with that, but they also work without any chemicals or added fragrance. To be sure, if you or anyone in your family has sensitive skin, you’ll appreciate that.

What really got me interested in the Smart Sheep 100% Premium New Zealand Wool Dryer Balls is that they are “Felted in Nepal by women and minorities paid a strong living wage.” Nice!

I never imagined that dryer sheets, the everyday remedy for wrinkles, would be replaced by something so simple.

After using the dryer balls for a month, I noticed that my clothes dry faster and feel softer. Also, there’s no scent whatsoever, and I love that. Equally important, the balls are said to last for as many as 1000 uses. We’ll see, but from what I’ve seen so far, this was a good purchase.

Finally, it comes with 6 dryer balls. That being the case, they recommend using 3 or 6 balls at a time, depending on the size of your load.

Wash whites and colors together with SHOUT Color Catcher sheets. this is one everyday remedy I won’t give up.

The SHOUT Color Catcher Dye-Trapping Sheets have been a part of my laundry routine for decades. In fact, it’s one of those things that I’m never without. That’s because sorting the laundry isn’t my thing. When I wash a load and throw in a Color Catcher, I don’t have a care in the world. Indeed, I never worry about mixing whites and colors in the same load.

One thing I’d like to mention is that I do all my laundry in cold water. The Color Catcher box says that it works in all temperatures. Although that may be true, I prefer to use cold.

The SHOUT Color Catcher sheets have over 3200 Amazon ratings, of which 90% are 5 stars.

Cleaning

Swiffer sweeper vs Swiffer sweep + Vac

Here’s a tip for the days in between proper vacuuming. A Swiffer Sweeper is great for picking up the dog or cat hairs from your beloved pets. However, it doesn’t do much to pick up the dirt and bits of grass that get tracked in from outside.

Enter an excellent upgrade, the Swiffer Sweep + Vac. Just like the original Swiffer Sweeper, it uses sheets to pick up hair and dust. What’s different about this everyday remedy, is the rechargeable vacuum that picks up dirt and debris at the same time. You’ll find yourself using it often because it’s lightweight and quiet. When you’re finished picking up, empty the cup and plug it in so it’s ready for the next time.

Accidents on a Mattress

Recently, after my grandson stayed overnight, I had the pleasure of cleaning up the remains of a diaper failure. It was so sad to see pee all over the sheets and comforter. Sadder still to see it had seeped into the mattress. What to do?

After much research, I decided to try the following treatment to remove urine stains from a mattress:

• 8 oz hydrogen peroxide
• 3 tbs baking soda
• a squirt of Dawn
• a few drops of essential oil (such as lavender) is a nice touch
• heavy duty spray bottle (remove the filter at the bottom to avoid baking soda clog)

First, combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Then, place the solution into the spray bottle. Lastly, saturate the stains and turn on the fan. When it’s dry, you might see some dried baking soda. Simply vacuum it up and enjoy your fresh mattress.

Pick up a mattress protector to avoid future stains. This Premium Waterproof Mattress Protector comes highly recommended.

With all the changes we’re going through lately, anything that makes your life easier or less toxic is a welcome addition. Please look for these everyday remedies on Amazon. And, if you don’t use it already, give Amazon Prime a try with this 30-day free offer.

Please check out some other Dance Safari posts, such as “New Normal…Thinking About the Future? You Should Be“.

Thanks!

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