Twelve Tips for Housewives
3 Aug
1. Cook in a cast iron skillet to get more iron in your diet.
2. When adding milk or cream to a hot sauce cooking in a pan, do not dump it in cold with the hot ingredients. Add a little of the warm sauce to the cold dairy first, then start mixing the milk in. This keeps it from curdling.
3. When you’re going to bake something, the first thing you should do is set out your eggs and butter. Ideally all of your ingredient would be the same temperature. Butter needs to be softened for baking, unless you’re making pastries or pie crusts.
4. If you’re watching your weight and don’t want to sneak bites of food as you’re cooking chew gum. Are you really going to take the gum out of your mouth for a bite of food?
5. Add a cup of baking soda to towels in the washing machine to get rid of mildew smells.
6. I mix linen spray with water in a squirt bottle to spritz clothes while I’m ironing. It’s cheap, smells great and is one more way I motivate myself to iron. I get mine at Bed, Bath and Beyond for $6. I like the Egyptian Cotton fragrance.
7. Dull knives are very dangerous. PLEASE take your kitchen knives and have them sharpened.
8. Use Dryel instead of dry cleaning when items just need to be freshened. If a dry clean only garmet is really wrinkled, I find that Dryel won’t get the job done.
9. Try store brands. They’re less expensive, and sometimes they’re just as good if not better than name brands. This goes for plastic baggies, trash bags, cleaning products, canned goods, pasta, cereal…the list goes on and on.
10. Wear dishwashing gloves while you clean house. They will protect your hands from chemicals and wet rags.
11. When shopping at thrift stores and yard sales, remember you can almost always paint things. A little sanding and a coat of paint make a big difference. I’ve spray painted picture frames and chandeliers. So much cheaper than buying new!
12. Show hospitality. Invite friends and family over. Very few people entertain these days. No one will care if your house looks perfect. No one will care what you serve. They will simply be delighted that you’ve invited them to your home.
I’m going to try #5 immediately. I wash and wash and am always left with that mildew smell. THANKS for the tip!!!
#12 is very true! Thanks!
Awesome tips, Ashley! I love Dryel. I’m pretty much a wash and wear girl out of necessity, but I’ve used it in the past, and it was awesome.
Another hint for laundry: if you get blood on a shirt, pour hydrogen peroxide on it right away (or as soon as possible) and wash it. Last time I had blood drawn the girl didn’t let it stop bleeding before putting the bandaid on, and I got blood over everything, including my shirt. The nurse told me about the peroxide, and it worked great. It was an orange shirt, and it didn’t touch the color.
Also, for people like me who are allergice to almost every scent (except fruit), you can use 1/2 cup of vinegar for fabric softener. It will NOT smell up your laundry!
Thanks, Kerri! During the fall when my allergies are bad, I switch to fragrance free everything, so I’ll remember the vinegar.
Hey, Mel! My mom taught be about the baking soda. I guess with three stinky boys who seem to collect dirty dishes and wet towels under their beds she had to come up with something!
Thanks for sharing! I learnt a couple of new tips.