Wow-kind of a verbose name for a website but Household Magic Daily Tips has had some good ones for clothes and stains. I haven't tried these yet but the tips look promising.
1. Deodorant smudge on your dark shirt? Use a clean pair of nylons/pantyhose to wipe it off.
2. Trouble keeping that while shirt, white? In a basin of just boiled water, add the juice of one small lemon. Soak the shirt for at least 30 minutes, then launder as usual.
3. Need to remove grass stains? Cover stains with rubbing alcohol and soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Rinse out the alcohol and wash.
4. Don't want to use dryer sheets but still want to eliminate static cling? Crumble up a piece of tin foil and throw it in the dryer with wet clothes. Be careful not to put in with delicates (sheer silk garments) or anything that can be snagged easily.
5. One of the biggest causes of stains in my house is from chocolate. Make a paste with borax powder and water or with meat tenderizer and water, rub it into the stain and let it sit for an hour, rub off the past and launder garment. I don't have either of these in the house, but may start stocking up.
6. Grease stains? Now the ladies at Household Magic Daily Tips say to use salt on grease stains on a sofa, but don't see why it wouldn't work on clothes too. Rub table salt onto the stain and let stand for a half hour to absorb the grease and then brush off. Have to be careful with delicate fabrics. I have also used corn starch on grease stains and that works too.
One last interesting tip they provide--use unwaxed dental floss to sew on buttons--it is stronger than cotton thread.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Hodge Podge..or random interesting tips I have picked up in the last week
Hi All:
Didn't have one topic to go with today so I am going to give a few few quick and dirty tips I've picked up in the last week or so.
1. Red wine stained your favorite blouse? Use more wine! White wine that is. Pour white wine over the stain and through the cloth of the garment (think of the garment as a sieve, if you have trouble picturing it). Then run it through the wash and the stain should come right out in the cycle. Courtesy of The Domestic CEO by way of the Learnvest.com.
2. Binder clips. Not just for paper any more. I have used them to clip open chip bags but others have used them to keep cords on their desk tidy and others have used them as "book ends" to stop bottles from rolling around in the fridge. This is from an article on grandparents.com, 10 Organizing Ideas That Will Change Your Life. Not sure about that, but they are good ideas.
3. Keep your recycling bin near the front door so you can dump the junk mail as soon as you pick it up from the mail box. This came from the same article. Thought this was excellent. I end up with pieces of junk mail and fliers cluttering my counter until they find their way to the building recycling dumpster.
4. And, for those who still send holiday cards, first, thank you. Second, there is a site called CardsThatGive.org. There are billions of dollars a year spent on holiday cards. This site has more than 150 organizations which are selling cards to aid their organization. Some of the organizations include: the Art Institute of Chicago, National Wildlife Federation, and the Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee. From Real Simple.
Didn't have one topic to go with today so I am going to give a few few quick and dirty tips I've picked up in the last week or so.
1. Red wine stained your favorite blouse? Use more wine! White wine that is. Pour white wine over the stain and through the cloth of the garment (think of the garment as a sieve, if you have trouble picturing it). Then run it through the wash and the stain should come right out in the cycle. Courtesy of The Domestic CEO by way of the Learnvest.com.
Matthew Petty/flickr
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| Pinned via the Web |
3. Keep your recycling bin near the front door so you can dump the junk mail as soon as you pick it up from the mail box. This came from the same article. Thought this was excellent. I end up with pieces of junk mail and fliers cluttering my counter until they find their way to the building recycling dumpster.
4. And, for those who still send holiday cards, first, thank you. Second, there is a site called CardsThatGive.org. There are billions of dollars a year spent on holiday cards. This site has more than 150 organizations which are selling cards to aid their organization. Some of the organizations include: the Art Institute of Chicago, National Wildlife Federation, and the Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee. From Real Simple.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Oh My Aching...
Courtesy of doctoroz.com
...you can fill in the blank...sitting too long, sleeping wrong, I once pinched a back nerve throwing a piece of paper in the trash can. There are so many reasons aches and pains. The Dr. Oz Show had a great segment on natural cures for aches and pains. With all the issues of taking too much OTC pain relievers (acetaminophen, ibuprofen), kidney issues, hearing loss, ringing in the ears. For those who prefer video, the first five points are captured on video in two parts on the site: Part 1 Part 2
1. Vitamin B12: It helps with back pain. Taking it daily, helps thicken the coating around your nerves. Take 1-2 mg a day.
2. Capsaicin: This is the substance in chili peppers that makes them spicy. It also comes in a cream. It blocks the nerve pain impulse. You can rub this on your back and neck muscles three times a day. A bonus use for this substance is it also comes in a nasal spray bottle and you can use it like nose spray to get rid of headaches.
3. Boswellia Extract: It is an herbal extract that comes from a flower. It is also called "Indian Frankincense". It reduces joint pain because it minimizes cartilage damage. 300 mg a day is ideal. The concentration should be at least 40% concentration to work on the pain and increase mobility. You should be able to find this at a health food store.
4. Powdered Ginger: Many people already have this in their cupboard. You can mix it with hot water or lemonade. It reduces inflammation at the joint site. 1/2 teaspoon a couple times of day. Or, if you want to use capsules1-4 grams a day.
5. Arnica: Good for intense pain. It comes in a gel and made from a flower. It can be found in health food stores. Good for stiffness and sore muscles. Also reported to be helpful with arthritis. Use three times a day and make sure you don't put it on broken skin.
The next two are actual motions or movements. At the risk of being unclear I am going to take the verbage directly from the article.
6. "Full-Body Pain Preventer: Pelvic Power Tilt
This simple move stops pain before it starts, by taking a whole-body approach. When one part of your body hurts, the rest of it compensates by taking on additional muscular stress and strain, leading to even more pain and creating a vicious cycle. The pelvic power tilt stabilizes and strengthens your whole body by targeting your core.
Simply lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Pull your belly button in toward your spine and hollow it out. Then lift your pelvis slightly off the floor – only an inch – then slowly lower back down, repeating 20 times.
This easy move can be done anytime, anywhere around the house. Do it 2 to 3 times a week to protect your entire body from pain." Video of technique can be found here.
7. "Pain Reset: Positional Release Therapy
Before you endure another day with spasms or sore muscles, shut down your pain in 90 seconds or less with positional release therapy.
This technique is strong enough to get rid of your pain, but gentle enough to be used in any age group, and only needs to be done once a week. It’s a low-risk way to reset the body by positioning the body in a strain-counter strain method, alleviating any type of pain from your neck, elbow, leg,
Find the tender point that hurts the most. Then, take a pencil and use the eraser end to press down on the tender point for about 90 seconds. As you press down, rotate the eraser to work out the
Positional release therapy breaks the pattern of pain in the muscle, melting away tightness. When you hold the eraser down on the spot, it signals your nerves to relax that spasm of pain, providing the instant relief your body needs." Video of this technique can be found here.
The article goes on to say that through yoga practice and core strengthening exercises (Pilates, anyone?), you can help prevent many aches and pains.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Microwave Popcorn Without All the Gook
I love popcorn. But, I read all this stuff about the microwave popcorn, what it had in it (hydrogenated fat, artificial colors and flavors and recently there was something called "popcorn lung" in the news -- a man who worked in a factory that produced microwave popcorn and developed problems breathing from all the chemicals he inhaled from the chemicals in the popcorn bag. A while back, I bought myself a microwave popcorn popper, in which I could just put popcorn kernels, throw it in the microwave and they would pop without all the gunk that comes with the microwavable stuff.A couple of weeks ago, I saw a segment on Rachel Ray's show. Rachel Beller, the nutritionist from the Biggest Loser was on. She showed us all what it looked like inside of a bag of microwave popcorn. You use popcorn kernels and put them in a brown paper bag! It's the heat that pops them. So, here is how you do it.
1. Put a 1/4 cup of kernels into a brown paper bag.
2. To close, fold over the top two times.
3. Put it in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Listen for the the popping to slow down just like you would for the microwave stuff to tell when its done.
4. If you want to season, spray with some natural oil spray (she used oil she put in a sprayer, like a Misto) and season with some garlic salt, or cinnamon sugar, or even plain salt.
I still have my bowl, which works just fine, but I would be interested in hearing how this works for people if anyone is interested in trying it. Not only is this better for you, it is cheaper, about 35 cents to do the above.
Rachel Beller had some other tips for more healthful eating, you can click here.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Quick one for the weekend!
Hi All:
Thought this might be a nice one for the weekend. If your here in Chicago the weather is supposed to be kind of rainy. For those who may be going passed Red Box kiosks, here are some codes for movies. Information will go in the following order: Promotional/Coupon Code (all caps), Restrictions (if any), Expiration.
1. DVDONME, Unknown
2. BREAKROOM,Unknown
3. DVDATWAG,Only at Walgreens,Unknown
4. DVDKROG, Only at Kroger stores,Unknown
5. DVDATWEG,Only at Wegman locations,Unknown
6. DVDATMAC,Only at McDonald's Restaurants, Unknown
7. DRIVEIN, Only at Sonic locations,Unknown
8. N6TRWTV, Blu-ray movies for $0.50 per night,Unknown
9. 4J63HM5, Unknown
10.MZJRQKVD3,Unknown
11.7MWW6JHN,Unknown
12.COOL3, Unknown
. . . . Enjoy!
P.S. If you are near a Blockbuster kiosk, you can go to http://www.blockbusterkiosk.com/ for coupons and codes.
1. DVDONME, Unknown
2. BREAKROOM,Unknown
3. DVDATWAG,Only at Walgreens,Unknown
4. DVDKROG, Only at Kroger stores,Unknown
5. DVDATWEG,Only at Wegman locations,Unknown
6. DVDATMAC,Only at McDonald's Restaurants, Unknown
7. DRIVEIN, Only at Sonic locations,Unknown
8. N6TRWTV, Blu-ray movies for $0.50 per night,Unknown
9. 4J63HM5, Unknown
10.MZJRQKVD3,Unknown
11.7MWW6JHN,Unknown
12.COOL3, Unknown
. . . . Enjoy!
P.S. If you are near a Blockbuster kiosk, you can go to http://www.blockbusterkiosk.com/ for coupons and codes.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Short But Very Cool Post
Hi all-
My sister sent me the link to this You Tube video. I guess if you are going to drink water from the water bottles you buy, its good to have another use for them.....
My sister sent me the link to this You Tube video. I guess if you are going to drink water from the water bottles you buy, its good to have another use for them.....
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Finally---Vinegar Part III
It's taken a little longer than I thought--but here is part III of Uses for Vinegar from the All You article. I found out one of my readers tried the vinegar to kill weeds on her deck. So nice to give useful information. : ) And, remember these are all using white vinegar unless otherwise stated. Here we go with the last installment...
1. Erase crayon. Dip a toothbrush in vinegar and gently scrub. The vinegar will break down the wax without doing damage to the wall.
2. Renew a loofah. Get rid of soap residue by soaking it in equal parts vinegar and water.
3. Sticky stuff from stickers. Apply vinegar to the gunk and let it sit for a few minutes and the stick stuff should come right up. Works on the stick stuff on scissors too.
4. Prepping the grill. This one is a little late in the season, but those who have charcoal grills. Spray vinegar on balled up aluminum foil and scrub the grate thoroughly.
5. Restore shower shower pressure. Soak the shower head in a 1/2 cup of vinegar and a quart of water for 15 minutes and the mineral deposits will dissolve right off.
6. Unclogging a drain. This is one of my favorites and it looks a little like a science project. Pour 1 cup of baking soda and follow with 1 cup of vinegar. The products will bubble and foam and then wash it all down with a pot of boiling water.
There a bunch of other ideas in the article but these were the highlights. Hope some of these work for you and go to All You to for other ideas with vinegar.
1. Erase crayon. Dip a toothbrush in vinegar and gently scrub. The vinegar will break down the wax without doing damage to the wall.
2. Renew a loofah. Get rid of soap residue by soaking it in equal parts vinegar and water.
3. Sticky stuff from stickers. Apply vinegar to the gunk and let it sit for a few minutes and the stick stuff should come right up. Works on the stick stuff on scissors too.
4. Prepping the grill. This one is a little late in the season, but those who have charcoal grills. Spray vinegar on balled up aluminum foil and scrub the grate thoroughly.
5. Restore shower shower pressure. Soak the shower head in a 1/2 cup of vinegar and a quart of water for 15 minutes and the mineral deposits will dissolve right off.
6. Unclogging a drain. This is one of my favorites and it looks a little like a science project. Pour 1 cup of baking soda and follow with 1 cup of vinegar. The products will bubble and foam and then wash it all down with a pot of boiling water.
There a bunch of other ideas in the article but these were the highlights. Hope some of these work for you and go to All You to for other ideas with vinegar.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Vinegar Part II
Time for a few more cool things you can do with vinegar from the All You article 45 Uses for Vinegar. I do love this liquid. Again, this is distilled vinegar in case otherwise indicated.
1. When flowers start wilting, put them in a solution for 1 quart of water, 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of sugar.
2. Kill weeds in the cracks of the pavement. Pour vinegar over the weeds in the cracks of the walk- or driveway. Make sure to saturate down to the roots.
3. Keep windows frost free. By coating your windshield with a solution of 3 parts vinegar and 1 part water. The acid in the vinegar hinders the windshield from icing over.
4. Kill bacteria in meat. Marinate a steak with balsamic vinegar to kill bacteria. Use 1/4 cup of vinegar for every 2 pounds of meat and add in your choice of spices and herbs. Marinate for as little at 20 minutes or as long as 24 hours. The vinegar will also tenderize the meat.
5. Prevent hard boiled eggs from cracking. Add two tablespoons of vinegar when you hard boil the eggs. The eggs will also be easier to peel.
6. Rinse fruit and vegetables. Use a mixture of 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 pint of water to wash your fruit then rinse thoroughly. This will kill more pesticide residue than just water. This amount of vinegar is very important. I poured considerably more into a bowl with water to clean strawberries and they have a little tang to them.
Well, I promise to wrap up this love fest after one more installment. Then, maybe onto baking soda!
1. When flowers start wilting, put them in a solution for 1 quart of water, 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of sugar.
2. Kill weeds in the cracks of the pavement. Pour vinegar over the weeds in the cracks of the walk- or driveway. Make sure to saturate down to the roots.
3. Keep windows frost free. By coating your windshield with a solution of 3 parts vinegar and 1 part water. The acid in the vinegar hinders the windshield from icing over.
4. Kill bacteria in meat. Marinate a steak with balsamic vinegar to kill bacteria. Use 1/4 cup of vinegar for every 2 pounds of meat and add in your choice of spices and herbs. Marinate for as little at 20 minutes or as long as 24 hours. The vinegar will also tenderize the meat.
5. Prevent hard boiled eggs from cracking. Add two tablespoons of vinegar when you hard boil the eggs. The eggs will also be easier to peel.
6. Rinse fruit and vegetables. Use a mixture of 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 pint of water to wash your fruit then rinse thoroughly. This will kill more pesticide residue than just water. This amount of vinegar is very important. I poured considerably more into a bowl with water to clean strawberries and they have a little tang to them.
Well, I promise to wrap up this love fest after one more installment. Then, maybe onto baking soda!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Vinegar....one small miracle cleaner
Yikes! Didn't realize it had been over a month since I last blogged! Anyway, back to business. Another great article from All You, 45 Uses for Vinegar. This may be a 2 or 3 parter, as there are a bunch of good ideas, but feel free to look at the whole article at your leisure. These suggestion all use distilled white vinegar.
1. Clothes Saver. Rubbing a bit of vinegar on a light scorch mark or antiperspirant stain then wiping with a clean cloth can save your garment. It was not mentioned if this could be done with all fabrics but worth a try.
2. Remove Old Paint from Brushes. Put brushes in a pot with vinegar. Let it soak for an hour then put the pot and brushes on the stove and set to simmer. Then drain, rinse and clean.
3. Stops Static. Another benefit for using vinegar in my wash! Put a 1/2 cup in your wash. The acid in the vinegar prevents static cling.
4. Restore Purses and Shoes. By wiping vinegar on shoes or purses to restore shine and lessen the appearance of scuffs.
5. Top Itching. Wipe vinegar on a mosquito bite to alleviate the itching. It also disinfects the area to help it heal faster.
I will be posting more uses for vinegar in the next couple of days. Or, if you don't want to wait go to 45 Uses for Vinegar. See you soon!
1. Clothes Saver. Rubbing a bit of vinegar on a light scorch mark or antiperspirant stain then wiping with a clean cloth can save your garment. It was not mentioned if this could be done with all fabrics but worth a try.
2. Remove Old Paint from Brushes. Put brushes in a pot with vinegar. Let it soak for an hour then put the pot and brushes on the stove and set to simmer. Then drain, rinse and clean.
3. Stops Static. Another benefit for using vinegar in my wash! Put a 1/2 cup in your wash. The acid in the vinegar prevents static cling.
4. Restore Purses and Shoes. By wiping vinegar on shoes or purses to restore shine and lessen the appearance of scuffs.
5. Top Itching. Wipe vinegar on a mosquito bite to alleviate the itching. It also disinfects the area to help it heal faster.
I will be posting more uses for vinegar in the next couple of days. Or, if you don't want to wait go to 45 Uses for Vinegar. See you soon!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
It's Summertime......
Morning. As we head into the summer, I thought this video contained some new info, at least to me. I never put together that taking an anti-inflammatory can help with sunburn!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Bamboo Bedding Plus
My new website, Bamboo Bedding Plus , sells 100%
bamboo sheets and 100% bamboo towel sets for individuals interested in “greener” options for their
household bed and bath linens. The site will be an online shop for people
looking for alternatives to the traditional cotton, cotton blend, and polyester
sheet and towel sets.
Bamboo is an extremely environmentally friendly plant, once planted, it does not need to be replanted, grows quickly, and does not require pesticides or fertilizer to help it grow. It grows faster than cotton and does not need reseeding to grow once it is cut.
Viscose from bamboo is exceptionally soft and less expensive than silk or cashmere. Additionally, bamboo sheets and towels are more durable then these two fabrics and can be conveniently washed at home in the washer and dryer.
Bamboo is an extremely environmentally friendly plant, once planted, it does not need to be replanted, grows quickly, and does not require pesticides or fertilizer to help it grow. It grows faster than cotton and does not need reseeding to grow once it is cut.
Viscose from bamboo is exceptionally soft and less expensive than silk or cashmere. Additionally, bamboo sheets and towels are more durable then these two fabrics and can be conveniently washed at home in the washer and dryer.
The bamboo yarn also
makes the bamboo sheets both insulating and breathable, making them perfect to
sleep on in both the summer and the winter. It acts as a thermal regulator to
one’s body temperature. Research suggests that the bamboo material stays about
two to three degrees cooler then there is warm weather and a few degrees warmer
when the nights turn cold.
Bamboo Bedding Plus
offers 100% bedding and bath linens for the environmentally conscious consumer.
Please, take a look at the site, let me know what you think. Also, as kind of a grand-opening, I am having a "Friends and Family Sale" for the next couple of weeks, so if you see something you like, please feel free to place an order. There is no pressure, but I figured if anyone deserved deals it is you guys.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Weight Watcher's Provides "Cooking-Light" Tips
A few years ago, I did the points program from Weight Watchers' a few years ago. It was a good program and worked for me, but the only reason I bring it up is that since I started the program (and ended it), I have been on their e-mailing list. Some of the stuff has been useful, so I didn't see any reason to unsubscribe. Anyway, that brings me to today's post...Weight Watchers' sent me an article this morning of twenty-four tips to lighten up your cooking, ways to reduce calories while improving texture and using "highly flavored" ingredients to lower calories of some of your favorite dishes. Here are a few of my favorites.
1. Butter or oil substitutes for cookies or cakes--they recommend no more than 1/3 of the total amount--for light batters, applesauce, for chocolaty batters, pureed prunes. Two that I hadn't thought of that WW says to try are pureed pumpkin or pureed sweet potato.
2. My sister, Deb, uses this tip for root veggies and brussel sprouts. Sprinkle or mix the vegetables (peppers, carrots, onions..)with some olive oil, sprinkle them with salt (and pepper if you like) and roast them in the oven. The process brings out the flavor and natural sweetness.
3. Try fresh herbs, strong spices, citrus juices, relishes and chilis to add flavor when you reduce the fat in a recipe to replace the flavor.
4. Thicken soup with prepared instant mashed potatoes or pureed cooked potatoes. It is a fat-free alternative to cream.
5. They also recommend thickening gravy with pureed cooked potatoes.
6. Replace mayo in chicken, pasta, egg or tuna salad with plain low fat yogurt or pureed silkened tofu. To add flavor use spices and vegetables.
7. Use seasoned oats, cornmeal or corn flakes to coat your fish or chicken, instead of bread crumbs.
These are just 7 of the 24 tips Weight Watchers' offers. Feel free to check the rest of them here.
Enjoy!
1. Butter or oil substitutes for cookies or cakes--they recommend no more than 1/3 of the total amount--for light batters, applesauce, for chocolaty batters, pureed prunes. Two that I hadn't thought of that WW says to try are pureed pumpkin or pureed sweet potato.
2. My sister, Deb, uses this tip for root veggies and brussel sprouts. Sprinkle or mix the vegetables (peppers, carrots, onions..)with some olive oil, sprinkle them with salt (and pepper if you like) and roast them in the oven. The process brings out the flavor and natural sweetness.
3. Try fresh herbs, strong spices, citrus juices, relishes and chilis to add flavor when you reduce the fat in a recipe to replace the flavor.
4. Thicken soup with prepared instant mashed potatoes or pureed cooked potatoes. It is a fat-free alternative to cream.
5. They also recommend thickening gravy with pureed cooked potatoes.
6. Replace mayo in chicken, pasta, egg or tuna salad with plain low fat yogurt or pureed silkened tofu. To add flavor use spices and vegetables.
7. Use seasoned oats, cornmeal or corn flakes to coat your fish or chicken, instead of bread crumbs.
These are just 7 of the 24 tips Weight Watchers' offers. Feel free to check the rest of them here.
Enjoy!
Sunday, May 6, 2012
How long Can I Keep Food?
I am always flummoxed by how long I can keep food before it goes bad. Real Simple ran an article a few weeks go that had some guidelines on how long you can store food. The Ultimate Food-Storage Guide is a comprehensive guide that the people of Real Simple put together. By their own admission, they erred on the conservative side of the time it takes for food to go bad. I usually do sniff test if I am unsure. But, they did consult the USDA, as well as a number of other experts. You can take a look at the full article at your leisure but here are some of the things I learned reading the article:
1. Meat and poultry can be frozen in its original wrapping inside a resealable freezer bag, unless you are planning on freezing it for a few months. Then it should be wrapped individually and then bagged.
2. Beef and Lamb should only be refrigerated for two to three days.
3. Cold Cuts: Deli Cut can last for 5 days in the fridge. If you buy them pre-packaged- 5 days once opened or up to 2 weeks unopened.
4. Most fresh seafood should only be 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator.
5. Don't freeze fresh fatty fish (salmon and mackerel)--it will become mushy when thawed.
6. For fruit and vegetables, they recommend keeping the produce in is bag or original packaging and washing before using. Unless, you buy greens and they are dirty or sandy, like from a farmer's market. Then they should be rinsed and dried and then wrapped in paper towel and placed in a plastic bag.
7. To ripen food like apricots or avocados, put them in a paper bag on the counter. The ethylene gas they emit is trapped and helps them ripen. To ripen them faster, put an apple in the bag with them.
8. Dairy products and other refrigerated items: you can freeze semi-hard and hard cheeses, as well as grated cheese, but never freeze soft cheeses, sliced, either deli or packaged.
9. Fresh mozzarella can be refrigerated up to 3 days.
10. Unshelled egg whites can be frozen but unshelled whole eggs cannot.
Other related lists include, expiration dates for condiments, guide to leftovers and food storage, and the storing of pantry items.
I don't know if I will completely give up the sniff test but these lists are pretty comprehensive and give good guidelines for those foods that I buy infrequently enough to not know what to do with them.
1. Meat and poultry can be frozen in its original wrapping inside a resealable freezer bag, unless you are planning on freezing it for a few months. Then it should be wrapped individually and then bagged.
2. Beef and Lamb should only be refrigerated for two to three days.
3. Cold Cuts: Deli Cut can last for 5 days in the fridge. If you buy them pre-packaged- 5 days once opened or up to 2 weeks unopened.
4. Most fresh seafood should only be 1 to 2 days in the refrigerator.
5. Don't freeze fresh fatty fish (salmon and mackerel)--it will become mushy when thawed.
6. For fruit and vegetables, they recommend keeping the produce in is bag or original packaging and washing before using. Unless, you buy greens and they are dirty or sandy, like from a farmer's market. Then they should be rinsed and dried and then wrapped in paper towel and placed in a plastic bag.
7. To ripen food like apricots or avocados, put them in a paper bag on the counter. The ethylene gas they emit is trapped and helps them ripen. To ripen them faster, put an apple in the bag with them.
8. Dairy products and other refrigerated items: you can freeze semi-hard and hard cheeses, as well as grated cheese, but never freeze soft cheeses, sliced, either deli or packaged.
9. Fresh mozzarella can be refrigerated up to 3 days.
10. Unshelled egg whites can be frozen but unshelled whole eggs cannot.
Other related lists include, expiration dates for condiments, guide to leftovers and food storage, and the storing of pantry items.
I don't know if I will completely give up the sniff test but these lists are pretty comprehensive and give good guidelines for those foods that I buy infrequently enough to not know what to do with them.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
In honor of Earth Day and something for my techno-gadget friends
--In honor of Earth Day--here are a few ideas of for making your life greener, as well as apps for my friends with smart phones.
Some of these are from an online article from Real Simple.
1. Use greener cleaners. Chemicals in many cleaners can cause air pollution inside and out. They can aggravate asthma and allergies. The article recommends reading labels and choosing products that are plant-based. One of my mom's favorite cleaners is vinegar and water. It cleans the counters,mirrors and windows. It can also be good a good way to help a slow drain or freshen up a smelly kitchen drain. Pour in some baking soda and then the vinegar, then some cool foaming action occurs, and it helps most of the time.
2. Leave your shoes at the door. Excellent advice for keeping the house cleaner. It can be considered the equivalent of washing your hands, keeping outside dirt, exhaust, pollen, and chemicals from being tracked into the house. For people with allergies, this is sooo helpful.
3. Select fragance-free products. People with sensitive skin and other allergies realize some of the benefits but there are other benefits. Some of these products can cause hormone disruption and also mess with the water supply when they are washed down the drain.
For the full article, please click here.
1. "At the touch of a button, you will have instant access to the latest green information from one of the web’s most popular green technology and sustainability blogs, Ecoble."
2. "Get the latest Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics on your iPhone, including company scores, further information, videos and links."
3. "GoodGuide’s science-based health, environment and social ratings for over 120,000 products. GoodGuide’s personalization features enable you to choose the issues you care about most - like nutritional value, safe and healthy ingredients, animal welfare, human rights, climate change, energy efficiency, and more. The app will then inform you whether products pass or fail on your key criteria."
Special bonus for those of you who use Kiehl products--tomorrow at Nordstrom's, if you bring in an empty Kiehl bottle, tube,or jar, you will get a sample lip balm. While supplies last.
Happy Earth Day!
Some of these are from an online article from Real Simple.
1. Use greener cleaners. Chemicals in many cleaners can cause air pollution inside and out. They can aggravate asthma and allergies. The article recommends reading labels and choosing products that are plant-based. One of my mom's favorite cleaners is vinegar and water. It cleans the counters,mirrors and windows. It can also be good a good way to help a slow drain or freshen up a smelly kitchen drain. Pour in some baking soda and then the vinegar, then some cool foaming action occurs, and it helps most of the time.
2. Leave your shoes at the door. Excellent advice for keeping the house cleaner. It can be considered the equivalent of washing your hands, keeping outside dirt, exhaust, pollen, and chemicals from being tracked into the house. For people with allergies, this is sooo helpful.
3. Select fragance-free products. People with sensitive skin and other allergies realize some of the benefits but there are other benefits. Some of these products can cause hormone disruption and also mess with the water supply when they are washed down the drain.
For the full article, please click here.
iphone apps
Please excuse the lifted quotes, but it seemed that the Apple App Store said it best.1. "At the touch of a button, you will have instant access to the latest green information from one of the web’s most popular green technology and sustainability blogs, Ecoble."
2. "Get the latest Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics on your iPhone, including company scores, further information, videos and links."
3. "GoodGuide’s science-based health, environment and social ratings for over 120,000 products. GoodGuide’s personalization features enable you to choose the issues you care about most - like nutritional value, safe and healthy ingredients, animal welfare, human rights, climate change, energy efficiency, and more. The app will then inform you whether products pass or fail on your key criteria."
Special bonus for those of you who use Kiehl products--tomorrow at Nordstrom's, if you bring in an empty Kiehl bottle, tube,or jar, you will get a sample lip balm. While supplies last.
Happy Earth Day!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Health Habits That Are a Waste of Time
Call me lazy, but I love it when I find out that there are things that I thought I should be doing but don't have to. Follow that? Anyway, there was an article from Men's Health called "9 Health Habits That Are a Waste of Time" which debunked a few myths that have been perpetuated for many, many years. Here are a few of my favorites:
1. See your dentist twice a year. From childhood, the dentist was my least favorite appointment and my sisters and I went twice a year. : p Well, guess what? That information came from an old toothpaste ad! There have been studies done that show no evidence that going twice a year has any greater benefit. Once a year is plenty and the article does say that you should go every year as a study by the American Heart Association has shown it reduces risk of heart attack and stroke.
2. Don't eat after 8:00 p.m. In the past I have ignored it. Glad to know I am not doing any horrible damage. I sometimes get hungry before I go to bed. And, if I go to bed hungry, often I can't sleep. I am not crazy, the Assistant Director of Human Nutrition at UCLA, confirmed this point. She told that going to bed hungry can disrupt sleep patterns. And, for people over 60, it can help combat muscle loss. The recommended snack is something with a lot of protein, like a protein shake.
3. Starve a Fever. Nope,you shouldn't do this. "A high temperature boosts your metabolism, causing you to burn calories. If you're weakened, the illness will hang around longer. So try to replace calories any way you can, says Ben Ansell, M.D., director of the Comprehensive Health Program at UCLA." And, he mentions that your body needs more than the normal intake of fluids during a fever.
And, Feed a Cold? There is no scientific basis for this either.
For the other five health habits that are a waste of time, you can check out the rest of the article, here.
1. See your dentist twice a year. From childhood, the dentist was my least favorite appointment and my sisters and I went twice a year. : p Well, guess what? That information came from an old toothpaste ad! There have been studies done that show no evidence that going twice a year has any greater benefit. Once a year is plenty and the article does say that you should go every year as a study by the American Heart Association has shown it reduces risk of heart attack and stroke.
2. Don't eat after 8:00 p.m. In the past I have ignored it. Glad to know I am not doing any horrible damage. I sometimes get hungry before I go to bed. And, if I go to bed hungry, often I can't sleep. I am not crazy, the Assistant Director of Human Nutrition at UCLA, confirmed this point. She told that going to bed hungry can disrupt sleep patterns. And, for people over 60, it can help combat muscle loss. The recommended snack is something with a lot of protein, like a protein shake.
3. Starve a Fever. Nope,you shouldn't do this. "A high temperature boosts your metabolism, causing you to burn calories. If you're weakened, the illness will hang around longer. So try to replace calories any way you can, says Ben Ansell, M.D., director of the Comprehensive Health Program at UCLA." And, he mentions that your body needs more than the normal intake of fluids during a fever.
And, Feed a Cold? There is no scientific basis for this either.
For the other five health habits that are a waste of time, you can check out the rest of the article, here.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Easter is Coming!
I'll be honest the favorite part of Easter has always been the candy. Specifically the chocolate but as I was going through my emails this morning, there was an article from All You for twelve different ways to decorate Easter eggs. I love the idea of crafty stuff, although I don't to much of it. So, I am going to give you some ideas I found on the web for decorating your East eggs if you want to get beyond the dye and the vinegar.
1. From the same All You article: This requires hollowing out the egg --which you do with a raw egg, basically poke a hole in each end of the egg and blow. I tried something like this one year and almost popped an ear drum. But they are pretty. Click here for directions on how to create these.
2. Also from the same article and a little simpler for smaller children: making bunnies and chicks out of the eggs.
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3. One more from this article, thought it was so creative and pretty: an Easter egg votive.
For the other Easter Egg ideas from All You, click here.
The next website was from Disney Family Fun.
4. This first one cracked me up. No pun intended. They are called Dye-ving Dudes. You can get instructions on how to make them here.
5. A little more traditional, but pretty cool looking are the tie-dyed eggs.
6. On this site they have a series of different animals and people your can make. I think the purple cow is my favorite.
There are many more creative ideas for eggs including a super hero at Disney Family Fun.
I found more! Come check out my board on Pinterest.
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| Easter Egg Vase from All You |
2. Also from the same article and a little simpler for smaller children: making bunnies and chicks out of the eggs.
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For the other Easter Egg ideas from All You, click here.
The next website was from Disney Family Fun.
4. This first one cracked me up. No pun intended. They are called Dye-ving Dudes. You can get instructions on how to make them here.
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| Dye-ving Dudes from Disney Family Fun |
5. A little more traditional, but pretty cool looking are the tie-dyed eggs.
6. On this site they have a series of different animals and people your can make. I think the purple cow is my favorite.
There are many more creative ideas for eggs including a super hero at Disney Family Fun.
 |
| Superegg-man Egg from Disney Family Fun |
 | |||
| Purple Cow Egg from Disney Family Fun |
I found more! Come check out my board on Pinterest.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Plastic Bags
We all know that plastic bags are bad for the environment. You know. The ones you get from the store or that a newspaper may come in, for those who still read the paper. But we all have them in our house and it might be nice to get at least one extra use out of them before we throw them away.
My most often use for both kinds of bags are picking up after my dog. This is way more cost effective than buying the bags at the pet store. She is a ShiTzu so the bags from the daily newspapers work really well. What is even nicer, being in an urban environment, there are many free plastic wrapped circulars, ads and coupons that are deposited on door steps of apartment and condo buildings all over the neighborhood. Many of my neighbors are not interested in them and often leave them lying in front of their buildings for days at a time. There is often a plethora of bags which I can pick up around the neighborhood to recycle the contents and use the bag later in the week. Another bonus is getting multiple copies of coupons from the Sunday paper. This is great for items I may stock up on at the grocery or drug store. But, I digress.
My favorite magazine, Real Simple, has a number of other suggested uses.
1. Like Galoshes. Wrapping your shoe or slipper in them before you go outside to prevent the footwear from getting dirty or wet. They make a note to be care on smooth, slick surfaces as you will not have any traction as you walk.
2. Using them as knee pads. If you kneeling on the ground while you are gardening or changing a tire, you wrap a bag around each knee to protect your pants before you kneel.
3. Wrapping a wet umbrella in a bag to protect a purse, floors or carpets, when you are out.
4. Head gear. This one requires no pride on your part as you will have to unselfconscious to pull this off. But if you get caught in the rain without an umbrella, you can use the bag as a rain hat to protect your hair.
5. A paint brush protector. Say you have started a paint job and get interrupted so you won't be able to finish the paint job you started until tomorrow. By wrapping up the paint brush in a plastic bag and using a rubber band or string, you can leave the job without having to take the time to clean the brush or having the paint dry on it.
6. Planter filler. If you are transferring a plant to a bigger planter but want to keep the planter lighter and not use as much dirt, you can crumple a plastic bag at the bottom of the bigger pot before replanting the plant. The article notes to not cover the drainage hole if the pot has one.
My most often use for both kinds of bags are picking up after my dog. This is way more cost effective than buying the bags at the pet store. She is a ShiTzu so the bags from the daily newspapers work really well. What is even nicer, being in an urban environment, there are many free plastic wrapped circulars, ads and coupons that are deposited on door steps of apartment and condo buildings all over the neighborhood. Many of my neighbors are not interested in them and often leave them lying in front of their buildings for days at a time. There is often a plethora of bags which I can pick up around the neighborhood to recycle the contents and use the bag later in the week. Another bonus is getting multiple copies of coupons from the Sunday paper. This is great for items I may stock up on at the grocery or drug store. But, I digress.
My favorite magazine, Real Simple, has a number of other suggested uses.
1. Like Galoshes. Wrapping your shoe or slipper in them before you go outside to prevent the footwear from getting dirty or wet. They make a note to be care on smooth, slick surfaces as you will not have any traction as you walk.
2. Using them as knee pads. If you kneeling on the ground while you are gardening or changing a tire, you wrap a bag around each knee to protect your pants before you kneel.
3. Wrapping a wet umbrella in a bag to protect a purse, floors or carpets, when you are out.
4. Head gear. This one requires no pride on your part as you will have to unselfconscious to pull this off. But if you get caught in the rain without an umbrella, you can use the bag as a rain hat to protect your hair.
5. A paint brush protector. Say you have started a paint job and get interrupted so you won't be able to finish the paint job you started until tomorrow. By wrapping up the paint brush in a plastic bag and using a rubber band or string, you can leave the job without having to take the time to clean the brush or having the paint dry on it.
6. Planter filler. If you are transferring a plant to a bigger planter but want to keep the planter lighter and not use as much dirt, you can crumple a plastic bag at the bottom of the bigger pot before replanting the plant. The article notes to not cover the drainage hole if the pot has one.
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| Kana Okada from Real Simple website |
7. As gift wrap. Take three bags that might be different colors or don't have printing on them, and put them inside one another than put the gift in them. Then tie the handles together at the top and cut the handles and fan them out. It looks pretty with multi-colored bags (see picture). This one I thought was interesting although, I don't get too many bags that are any other colors than yellow or white and are do not have writing on them.
8. This one is from my mother. Since she lives alone and doesn't have a lot of garbage, she uses the plastic bags from the grocery store as her garbage bags in the kitchen.
While these ideas are not exactly eco-friendly and the bag will end up in a landfill, they each propose a way to get one more use out of the bags many of us have in our homes anyway. And, in the case of the dog poop bags and garbage bags they offer a cheaper alternative to buying plastic bags. In their own way they are kind of echo friendly as we are using these bags, which are often in the house anyway, instead of buying additional bags for these purposes.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
New ideas for using Dryer Sheets
I love stuff that I can use for more than one thing. Real Simple has an article on its website for new uses for the dryer sheets. There is the old stand-by of rubbing a dryer sheet on the clothes you are wearing to cut down on static cling.
Then there is the dryer sheet as a deodorizer. Now, I have used them in the past at the bottom of my kitchen garbage. While it doesn't cut through any really bad odors (if you had this coming out of the garbage, wouldn't you throw it away, anyway?) . But, the article also suggests putting a dryer sheet in your gym bag, shoes and in drawers to either keep smells at bay (gym bag and shoes) or more of a sachet duty (drawers). One other deodorizing duty is to put them in books and it prevents that inevitable musty smell that can come as books sit, especially if packed away in a basement or garage.
Two cool uses for unused sheets that I hadn't heard of are to clean off the gunk on the bottom of your iron. Set the iron on low and rub the iron over it until the gunk on the bottom disappears. The second one was using a dryer sheet if you are hand sewing something. After threading the needle, run the needle and thread through the dryer sheet and it will prevent the thread from tangling.
Even better, there were two uses listed for dryer sheets that were already used. I love if I can get more than one use out of something disposable. Without getting crazy, of course. There are some who go a little too far and re-use paper towels by rinsing them out and then line drying them for a future use. Sawdust in a work area can be cleaned up quickly by wiping up with a used dryer sheet. And the last is to take a used dryer sheet, sprinkle on a little water and you can scrub of soap scum from a shower door.
Do you have uses for dryer sheet, other than mentioned above?
Then there is the dryer sheet as a deodorizer. Now, I have used them in the past at the bottom of my kitchen garbage. While it doesn't cut through any really bad odors (if you had this coming out of the garbage, wouldn't you throw it away, anyway?) . But, the article also suggests putting a dryer sheet in your gym bag, shoes and in drawers to either keep smells at bay (gym bag and shoes) or more of a sachet duty (drawers). One other deodorizing duty is to put them in books and it prevents that inevitable musty smell that can come as books sit, especially if packed away in a basement or garage.
Two cool uses for unused sheets that I hadn't heard of are to clean off the gunk on the bottom of your iron. Set the iron on low and rub the iron over it until the gunk on the bottom disappears. The second one was using a dryer sheet if you are hand sewing something. After threading the needle, run the needle and thread through the dryer sheet and it will prevent the thread from tangling.
Even better, there were two uses listed for dryer sheets that were already used. I love if I can get more than one use out of something disposable. Without getting crazy, of course. There are some who go a little too far and re-use paper towels by rinsing them out and then line drying them for a future use. Sawdust in a work area can be cleaned up quickly by wiping up with a used dryer sheet. And the last is to take a used dryer sheet, sprinkle on a little water and you can scrub of soap scum from a shower door.
Do you have uses for dryer sheet, other than mentioned above?
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
...but Mom... I don't want to eat my vegetables....
A common phrase uttered most dinners at my house growing up. I still don't like most vegetables...and it is a struggle to put them in my daily diet. As an adult, it is easy to ignore and omit these daily since I am the one in charge of what I eat. As I get older and am more aware of the benefits of vegetables, I was trying to figure out how to get those nutrients into my diet. First, I tried supplements to get the benefits without having to eat the yucky things. I found gummy vegetable supplements, of course made for children. Yummy, but had added sugar. Then Centrum came out with a veggie and fruit supplement....hallelujah....a tablet to swallow, and, no added sugar. But, if you do any reading, the experts tell you that eating whole foods nutritionally trumps any pill.
Then, I was watching an infomercial for the Magic Bullet. Yes, I do watch them occasionally. Some of this stuff is really cool! Fortunately, I hardly ever succumb to purchasing items. Anyway, the hosts were talking to their guests about getting their kids to eat their vegetables was to make a smoothie with vegetables and fruit and the flavor of the fruit can hide the taste of the vegetables.
What a great idea! I was already making smoothies in the morning. If I add the vegetables, I get them into my daily diet! I was doing this for a little while with any frozen leafy green veggie I could find. My smoothie was still mostly fruit, yogurt and soy or almond milk. I stopped doing this but have recently started again. This time I am using more of the vegetables, fruit, protein powder (flavored), and cocoa powder.
The key for those of us who don't like our veggies, is to put enough stuff to cover the taste of the vegetables. The smoothie is a great way to incorporate foods/nutrients that your diet may lack in a tasty beverage. And, as noted in the Magic Bullet infomercial--it works for kids too!
 |
| From Newleaf on Flickr |
Then, I was watching an infomercial for the Magic Bullet. Yes, I do watch them occasionally. Some of this stuff is really cool! Fortunately, I hardly ever succumb to purchasing items. Anyway, the hosts were talking to their guests about getting their kids to eat their vegetables was to make a smoothie with vegetables and fruit and the flavor of the fruit can hide the taste of the vegetables.
What a great idea! I was already making smoothies in the morning. If I add the vegetables, I get them into my daily diet! I was doing this for a little while with any frozen leafy green veggie I could find. My smoothie was still mostly fruit, yogurt and soy or almond milk. I stopped doing this but have recently started again. This time I am using more of the vegetables, fruit, protein powder (flavored), and cocoa powder.
The key for those of us who don't like our veggies, is to put enough stuff to cover the taste of the vegetables. The smoothie is a great way to incorporate foods/nutrients that your diet may lack in a tasty beverage. And, as noted in the Magic Bullet infomercial--it works for kids too!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Little changes to a Room can Mean Alot
I have to stop watching renovation shows--with the number of home decor and interior renovation shows on television makes it near impossible for me to remain content with the space I live in. Who doesn't want someone from HGTV, TLC, or these days even, ABC or NBC to come over and do a total makeover?
That is usually my wish since, I, like many other people, don't have a budget to redo a room. I have found adding color to a room with a new coat of paint, helps. I even tiled my own back splash in my kitchen. These are things that you can do yourself or in the case of painting my condo, I had a couple of good Groupon deals and brought in professionals.
Something I hadn't thought of until recently, was changing out the old cabinet and drawer hardware in my kitchen or bathroom, especially with the all the different types of hardware that are out there. A friend of mine brought this up to me and as I looked at some of the designing shows, it began to sink in. New hardware in the kitchen or bathroom can brighten a room up like a new pair of earrings.
Even changing out hardware in your dining and living room can make enough of a difference that you feel like you have new furniture. Some of the coolest transformations I have seen are furniture that was purchased at the thrift store. With a coat of paint and a change of hardware, made a twenty or thirty year old dresser or credenza look contemporary.
There is a manufacturer,Sietto, in Chicago that creates glass hardware. They start by crafting a design then cut pieces from various sheets of glass to produce that specific design. The glass pieces are placed together and then set in a 1500 degree Fahrenheit kiln to fuse the glass together to form the finished knob or handle. The glass is then attached by hand to a brass base with a special bonding agent. The display board below that gives you an idea of some of the designs they create. For their current line, please click here.
That is usually my wish since, I, like many other people, don't have a budget to redo a room. I have found adding color to a room with a new coat of paint, helps. I even tiled my own back splash in my kitchen. These are things that you can do yourself or in the case of painting my condo, I had a couple of good Groupon deals and brought in professionals.
Something I hadn't thought of until recently, was changing out the old cabinet and drawer hardware in my kitchen or bathroom, especially with the all the different types of hardware that are out there. A friend of mine brought this up to me and as I looked at some of the designing shows, it began to sink in. New hardware in the kitchen or bathroom can brighten a room up like a new pair of earrings.
Even changing out hardware in your dining and living room can make enough of a difference that you feel like you have new furniture. Some of the coolest transformations I have seen are furniture that was purchased at the thrift store. With a coat of paint and a change of hardware, made a twenty or thirty year old dresser or credenza look contemporary.
There is a manufacturer,Sietto, in Chicago that creates glass hardware. They start by crafting a design then cut pieces from various sheets of glass to produce that specific design. The glass pieces are placed together and then set in a 1500 degree Fahrenheit kiln to fuse the glass together to form the finished knob or handle. The glass is then attached by hand to a brass base with a special bonding agent. The display board below that gives you an idea of some of the designs they create. For their current line, please click here.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
My apologies.....plus something actually useful
Hi All:
My apologies. 2011 was a difficult year overall and several thing fell to the way side. Please know, I have been saving up snippets and articles over the last year, so lack of content has not been the problem. Anyway, I am going to try to bring you 2 to 3 posts a week. Hopefully, you will find somethings that are useful you too, and, please feel free to pass any on to your friends or family.
So, without further adieu, first and hopefully not last post of 2012.
About a couple of months ago, the knob on my dryer broke again. This time, it appeared that no amount of duct tape was going to fix it this time. I was without a dryer. So, I started line drying my clothes, which is great during the winter since it added a little moisture to the air. Not so great, was the fact that my clothes dried stiffly, not all soft like when they come out of the dryer. Now, I had read (heard, so long ago, I can't remember) that using fabric softener on you towels makes them less absorbent over time so I didn't want to use the store bought kind. I started looking online for other options, there were a number of recipes for homemade fabric softener, including one using hair conditioner. I did find something online that suggested using a cup of vinegar and a cup of baking soda in a load of laundry. I was already using vinegar in my laundry because it helps with general odors in the wash, as well as helps get out the smell of sweat in shirts on warmer days.
I tried this and although the clothes are not "Downy" soft or totally snugly, they are less stiff and baking soda is a little extra natural deodorizer.
The other added benefit to not using the dryer is I am using a little less energy, which does seem to be reflected in my gas bill.
My apologies. 2011 was a difficult year overall and several thing fell to the way side. Please know, I have been saving up snippets and articles over the last year, so lack of content has not been the problem. Anyway, I am going to try to bring you 2 to 3 posts a week. Hopefully, you will find somethings that are useful you too, and, please feel free to pass any on to your friends or family.
So, without further adieu, first and hopefully not last post of 2012.
About a couple of months ago, the knob on my dryer broke again. This time, it appeared that no amount of duct tape was going to fix it this time. I was without a dryer. So, I started line drying my clothes, which is great during the winter since it added a little moisture to the air. Not so great, was the fact that my clothes dried stiffly, not all soft like when they come out of the dryer. Now, I had read (heard, so long ago, I can't remember) that using fabric softener on you towels makes them less absorbent over time so I didn't want to use the store bought kind. I started looking online for other options, there were a number of recipes for homemade fabric softener, including one using hair conditioner. I did find something online that suggested using a cup of vinegar and a cup of baking soda in a load of laundry. I was already using vinegar in my laundry because it helps with general odors in the wash, as well as helps get out the smell of sweat in shirts on warmer days.
I tried this and although the clothes are not "Downy" soft or totally snugly, they are less stiff and baking soda is a little extra natural deodorizer.
The other added benefit to not using the dryer is I am using a little less energy, which does seem to be reflected in my gas bill.
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