Homemaking and Other Random Stuff
3 Sep
Page 194 of the September issue of Family Circle says that a recent study found that people who chew gum regularly report less overall anxiety. Darn. I knew I missed chewing gum!
Check out these blog posts for recipes for making your own seasoning mixes. I’m totally going to start making my own taco seasoning and BBQ seasoning.
How does chronic illness affect intimacy in marriage?
This post and several other sources have got me thinking about switching to vinegar, borax and baking soda for cleaning products. My question is, does this sort of house cleaning method save money, or is it just environmentally friendly? What cleaning products do you use? Would you consider giving up 409?
This blog brings out the shabby chic lover in me! I love the Gooseberry Patch catalog. Sigh. Maybe someday David will come around to my kind of decorating. Eh, well, I guess I wouldn’t like him quite as much if he like antiques and lace.
Okay, now for some real housewife blogging.
David soaks in a hot bath 2-3 times a day because of his arthritis so I do a lot of extra laundry. Not just towels. David doesn’t like to put “dirty” clothes on after he gets out of the bath. He puts on fresh clothes each time. Here’s what I like for laundry.
Tide with Baking Soda with White Lilac fragrance. It’s one of the few fragrances I can stand. It’s hard to find around here. I usually find it at Target. Sometimes Albertson’s carries it.
Our laundry room is at the top of the stairs.
Wal-Mart sells the Simplicity brand. It’s hypo-allergenic, fragrance free, phosphate free, non-toxic and biodegradable. I use this because it’s cheap, and it doesn’t bother me when my allergies flare up in the fall.
Having the laundry room upstairs is great. 95% of the laundry gets put away upstairs anyway.
Today I bought the Purex Complete 3 in 1 Laundry Sheets in the spring fragrance. It makes the clothes smell nice, but the fragrance does make me sneeze. I probably won’t buy it again unless there’s a super great special, and I have a coupon. And of course, I use Woolite for delicates. I have several beaded or sequined items that need gentle care.
I don’t like the huge containers of laundry detergent with a spigot. I know it’s cheaper, but they’re so heavy! As you can see, all my laundry supplies are stored over my head. Plus, I hate having detergent drip all over the living room. I just watch for good sales on the smaller containers and use coupons.
The drawstring bag is for cleaning rags so they don't touch the rest of the laundry.
For fabric softener, I use store brand fragrance free sheets. Thanks to Kerri I’m going to try using vinegar as fabric softener when I run out of sheets. I don’t use bleach on our laundry. If I need to get whites white again, I use lemon juice or White Brite.
Anyone else have laundry tips?
I just found your blog and I absolutely love it! When I get stressed out I chew so much gum! Anything scented bothers my skin so I have to get the allergen free of everything. I love the idea of the bag to put dirty tags in. After I clean I am never sure what to do with them. Thank you for sharing of all these great tips!
Thanks, Marissa!
Please Ashley never chew gum with your TMJ. I teach you how to crochet. xoxoxo
Oh! I forgot to tell you. I got my Lenox order and I love their products.
I’m glad that you have their Ad on your site because I will be ordering a few more things. They have a great warranty! Only a 50% replacement cost if I break a dish.
Thanks again!
Hi Ashley – thanks for all the great laundry tips! I’m a fan of the really big detergent bottles with the spigot but mainly because I have all boys and need the volume
I also wanted to pop over and say thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. I appreciate it!
Holly
Darlene, I can’t wait till we live closer to you. I have one of those Learn to Knit kits for children. Still can’t knit. I’d love to be able to crochet!
I’ve started making my own cleaning products and LOVE them. I make an all-purpose cleaner that has borax, vinegar, baking soda, tea tree oil, and a few other things. It works really well!