Kathy Zengolewicz

It has also been used as a repellent for fleas. After removing the fleas from your pet with a fine toothed comb, you should drop any fleas that you removed into a solution of Dawn and warm water. It is also recommended that you wash the animal’s bedding in the dishwashing liquid and warm water to keep the fleas away. When you think about it, it’s probably safer to use Dawn than a flea and tick spray.

Dawn has been mentioned on a few websites as an ant repellant. Spray your countertops in the kitchen and bath with a solution of Dawn and water and the ants don’t like it. Spraying the solution directly on the ants will kill them.

Shampoo builds up on your hair from constant use and using dawn, once a month, the same way that you would a shampoo will strip any buildup from your hair without damaging your hair.

When you get an oil based stain on your clothes, such as lipstick, butter, motor oil or cooking oil, use Dawn to pre-treat the stain before laundering. Apply the liquid to the stain and scrub with a small brush or toothbrush until the oil is removed and then launder as usual.

I have some more ideas involving the use of Dawn, but I’ll save that for another day.

Take care. I’ll talk to you soon!

Post from: Keeping the Castle

Earlier, I mentioned how dishwashing is a never ending chore.  I also gave you a tip for keeping up with the dishes.  Now I want to tell you about what I believe is a must have kitchen tool or gadget, the dishwashing brush.

Whether you’re handwashing your dishes or even if you’re putting them into the dishwasher, there are some foods that are tough to get off your dishes.  Eggs, spaghetti, and cheese are coming to mind.  These foods require a little more elbow grease to remove them.  The dishwasher brush makes cleaning your dishes easier.

dishwashing brush

The dishwasher brush I have is much like the one shown here.  It it a small palm size or handheld brush.  It has a refillable area for soap.  Just know that you don’t need to fill it completely with dish soap.  I usually do 1 part dishwashing liquid to 5 parts water.  It doesn’t take much soap to get the dishes clean and using full strength soap may clog the dispenser.

Another thing that I like about the brush is that it’s easy to clean.  No more nasty sponges collecting bacteria.  Simply spray this brush with a bleach and water solution or vinegar and water solution.

I use my dishwasher brush several times a day for simply scraping food of dishes before putting them into the dishwasher and I also use it for regular dishwashing. Just give the button on top a little squeeze and a small dollop of dishwashing liquid will be released.

This is what works for me.  What dishwashing tips work for you?

For more Works for Me Wednesday tips, visit We Are That Family.

image from amazon

Post from: Keeping the Castle

To help keep up with the dishes, try this tip. As soon as the dishwasher is done washing the dishes, unload the dishes and put them away. This will allow you to put the new dirty dishes inside without cluttering up your sink and making a big mess. When I follow this tip, my kitchen stays cleaner and it leaves me not as stressed. And now, your family has no excuse for not putting their dirty dishes into the dishwasher.

Stay tuned as we will be discussing laundry tips soon.

Do you have any dishwashing tips to share?

Post from: Keeping the Castle

At first, I was clueless on how to load my dishwasher.  lol  I guess I wasn’t truly clueless.  I was just hesitant because I thought I wouldn’t do it right and the dishes wouldn’t be cleaned properly. 

Long gone are those days of worry and hesitation.  I’ll put just about anything in the dishwasher now.   Here’s a few of the things I have put into a dishwasher.  Of course, most things I would recommend on the top rack only.

1)  Bottles and sippy cups – I bought some of the dishwasher baskets.  I put the sippy cup valves, straws, and all the pieces in the dishwasher.  It’s great for sanitizing.

2)  Teething rings – Yes, I know the package says not to do this, but I did it anyway.  I put them in the freezer too.  I guess I can be a hard core rule breaker sometimes.  (haha Not really.)

3)  Toys – You know how babies like to chew on everything.  It didn’t take me long to get tired of handwashing all the toys.  I just starting throwing them in the top rack.  I only messed up one toy.  It was one with a mirror finish.  Of course, you should never put battery powered toys in water.  (duh)

4)  Bibs – I bought some plastic/vinyl?  bibs for my kids because I was tired of the cloth ones having food leak through them.  The vinyl bibs are so great.  I got them at Wal-Mart.  They have snaps so that you can form a pouch at the bottom.  They hold a lot of liquid, this I can tell you.  FYI – after repeated dishwasher use, the prints do wear off the bibs. 

5)  Lunchboxes – Another item that I tested.  I was so sick of the rotten lunchbox smell.  I had to try something. 

6)  Sponges – Kill the nasty germs on the sponges.  They’re so gross!

7)  Brushes – This goes for cleaning brushes and hair brushes. 

8)  Cutting board – This is another kitchen item that is crawling with bacteria.  The dishwasher can help with this sanitation issue.

9)  Oven filters – I’m talking about those metal mesh filters that get filled with grease.  The scalding hot water from the dishwasher helps to break up the grease.

10)  Car parts – I’m talking those plastic pieces inside your car such as your cup holders and such.  Over the years, I’ve got some pretty good deals on vehicles, but mainly because they were so nasty.  The dishwasher helps to break off the nasty stuff.

11)  Trash can lids – It doesn’t take long for these to get dirty and germ infested. 

I recently bought a new humidifier and noticed that the new thing now is for the companies to promote that the pieces are dishwasher safe.  I haven’t tried it yet though.  I just spray mine with bleach water or vinegar water and rinse. 

I’ve also heard of people putting shoes and clothing into the dishwasher.

How about you?  What do you put in your dishwasher?

Find more Works for Me Wednesday tips here.

image is mine

Post from: Keeping the Castle

As I’m cooking, I try to keep up with what I’m using.  When I’m done with an ingredient, I try to put it back.  When I’m done with the mixing spoons, knives, or other dishes, I try to put them into the dishwasher or hand wash them. 

I realize that some more complicated recipes don’t allow this type of clean up, but I try to clean before the meal time as much as possible.  Then after dinner, I can finish up the little bit of cleaning that’s left, turn on the dishwasher, and spend time with the family.

Do you try to clean as you go?

image by Karen

Post from: Keeping the Castle

 

Tip #1: White vinegar acts as a spot remover in your dishwasher. Just add it to the compartment as you would a commercial spot remover. I’ve also found that it will get rid of the chemical smell that some dishwasher detergents leave on glasses and dishes.

Tip #2: When hand-washing greasy pots and pans, toss in a tablespoon of white vinegar with the detergent, and wash as usual. It helps to dissolve the grease, making wash-up faster and your hands less greasy.

Creative Commons image by lsgcp on Flickr

Post from: Keeping the Castle