Front Porch Ponderings

The Why & How of Organizing By Tara Bertic Grace Bound Publishing http://www.currclick.com/ Maybe you’ve thought about organizing, but don’t know where to start. Maybe you’ve tried to get organized, but gave up in the overwhelming big picture of the chore. Here are some quick tips to help jumpstart your getting organized. The first place to start is to eliminate and consolidate. Begin by placing a laundry basket on the floor in front of each room’s doorway. Then walk around the house and pick up those things that do not belong where they are and put them into the baskets in front of the doors of the rooms they belong in. Put the full baskets inside the their rooms to be gone through later. Next, go through each room in your house with a box and a garbage bag. Do one room a week until you have accomplished the chore. Start a task calendar. Put on it those things you would like to see accomplished on a weekly basis. Remember, there are 52 weeks in a year. Chances are, it took you at ...

In the kitchen The kitchen is the most likely place to find baking soda. Don't stop with using it for baking, though! 1. A box or small bowl of baking soda in the refrigerator, freezer, or any cupboard will keep away unpleasant odors. 2. Similarly, baking soda will keep away garbage odors; sprinkle the bottom of the pail, and then sprinkle again after you put a new bag in. 3. Grease fires can be put out by sprinkling them with baking soda. 4. To clean surfaces, sprinkle baking soda on a damp cloth. Wipe, then rinse with clean water. 5. To remove stale smells from food containers, rinse out with hot water and baking soda. If the smell persists, let the container soak overnight in the baking soda and water mixture. 6. To clean silver, use a paste of 3 parts baking soda to one part water. Rub the paste onto each item, then rinse with warm water and dry with a soft cloth. 7. To remove scuff marks or grease spills from the floor, sprinkle with baking soda and then wipe with a warm, damp...

VINEGAR To shine chrome sink fixtures that have a lime buildup, use a paste made of 2 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar. Make your own scouring cleanser by combining 1/4 cup baking soda with 1 tablespoon liquid detergent. Add just enough white distilled vinegar to give it a thick but creamy texture. Clean counter tops and make them smell sweet again with a cloth soaked in undiluted white distilled vinegar. Clean and deodorize a drain by pouring in 1 cup baking soda, then one cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let this sit for 5 minutes or so then run hot water down the drain. Deodorize the garbage disposal by pouring in 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup hot white distilled vinegar. Let sit for 5 minutes then run hot water down the disposal. Deodorize and clean the garbage disposal with white distilled vinegar ice cubes. Make them by freezing full-strength white distilled vinegar in an ice cube tray. Run several cubes down the disposal while flushing with cold water. ...