Post from: Thrifty Mommy

How To Clean Your Dishwasher With Vinegar

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Thanks to Erin from About.com

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Seeing this picture makes me hurt.  Of course, it is better to prevent a sunburn than to treat one.  At one time or another, I’m sure we’ve all found ourselves vulnerable to the effects of the sun.  For moments like these, try these thrifty home rememedies.  Most of these frugal ingredients you probably already have at home.

 1.  Apply apple cider vinegar to the burn with a cottonball, or make a cool compress.  Keep the skin moistened.  This remedy will help prevent blistering and peeling. 

 2.  Brew tea and refrigerate to cool.  Once it is cool, put it in a spray bottle and spray on sunburn or dip a washcloth in the tea and dab.   You can also take a bath in brewed tea once it has cooled.

 3.  Aloe is effective in relieving pain and inflammation.  Take the leaves from an aloe plant and refrigerate them.  Peel off the top layer of the leaf and place leaf on the sunburn.  You can also apply aloe vera juice.

 4.  Put Maalox on a cotton ball or washcloth and apply to sunburn.  Let it dry on your skin.  This works to take out the heat and pain.

 5.  Take aspirin within 24 hours of getting sunburned.  The aspirin will help with the inflammation and pain.

 6.  Take a bath in oatmeal.  Put some oatmeal in a sock and tie it shut.  While in the bath, squeeze the oatmeal milk on your skin.  (I also use this remedy during the winter months with my eczema.)

 7.   Place peeled and sliced cucumbers on burned skin.  Remove when they become warm.

 8.   To speed the healing process, take Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and flaxseed oil.  You can also break open Vitamin E capsules and squeeze onto your skin.

 9.  Make compresses with baking soda and water or add baking soda to cool bath water and soak.  Baking soda is cooling and will help retain moisture in skin.

10.  Apply cold yogurt to the burn.  Rinse when it becomes warm.  The coolness of the yogurt and the fat will soothe the skin.  Strawberries are also recommended for sunburns, so you could use strawberry yogurt or mix fresh strawberries with the yogurt. 

Other tips:  Do not cover a sunburn with ointments, salves, or butter.  Drink plenty of water to hydrate your skin.  Oatmeal and baking soda are good remedies for people with sensitive skin.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

I visited the Earthclinic website and found that their #1 recommendation for sinus infections is organic apple cider vinegar.  They actually recommend taking it at the start of a cold to prevent the infection, but I decided to give it a shot.  If it didn’t work, then I would just be stuck with the normal doctor visit.

Last week I stopped at the herbal health store and asked for some organic apple cider vinegar.  He said, “Liquid or capsule?”.  I was really excited that I had a choice.  Taking liquid vinegar was not on my top 10 of things I wanted to do.  I got the capsules and they cost me about $10.  That day I immediately began taking 3 capsules per day (as directed on the bottled).  I was amazed that within only a few hours the pressure in my head started to be relieved and the mucus starting loosening up.  Sorry to be so graphic here, but I had great results.

This remedy worked for me.  I am so excited about it.  From now on I will be trying the vinegar first.  On the Earthclinic site, 79 people voted for and 2 against the apple cider vinegar remedy.  I couldn’t find a place to vote for it, so I have to wonder if the numbers are higher.

This information should not substitute a doctor’s care.  Please use your own judgment.  I am thankful I found a way to avoid a round of antibiotics and the bill to go with it.

Hmmmm . . . . this has me thinking about a future post of the health benefits of vinegar.  I guess you’ll have to stay tuned for that one.  Until then, you can check out my post 25 Ways to Clean with Vinegar.

image from sxc.hu

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

This post is for my mom.  She wanted me to write one about the many uses of vinegar. 

It definitely pays to have some vinegar around the house.  I need to go to the store to stock up on vinegar and baking soda.  I’ve had a mustard stain that won’t come out of my daughter’s clothes.  I think I need to try some vinegar or baking soda.  Both seem to be amazing, inexpensive, and safe products.  Definitely a thrifty choice!    

1.  Add 1/4 cup vinegar to laundry, along with the usual soap, to brighten colors and make whites sparkle.  This will also act as a fabric softener.  Also helps kills athlete’s foot germs on socks.

2.  Soak or simmer stuck-on food in 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of vinegar.  The food will soften and lift off in a few minutes.

3.  Remove ink stains from clothes by soaking them in milk for 1 hour.  Then cover the stain with a paste of vinegar and cornstarch.  When the paste dries, wash the garment as usual.

4.  Appliances sparkle if cleaned with a vinegar and borax cleaner.  Mix 1 teaspoon borax, 1/4 cup vinegar, and 2 cups hot water and put it into a spray bottle.  Spray it on greasy smears and wipe off with a cloth or sponge.

5.  Deodorize your sink drains: Pour a cup down your drain, let stand about thirty minutes, then run cold water.

6. Use vinegar instead of laundry softener.  Vinegar prevents your clothes from getting that waxy build up on them.  Vinegar is suggested for using to rinse cloth diapers to keep them absorbent. 

7.  Remove water stains from leather by rubbing with a cloth dipped in a vinegar and water solution.

8.  Loosen food grime and clean the microwave: Place a microwave-safe bowl with 2 cups water, 1/2 cup vinegar inside the microwave and microwave on full power for 3-4 minutes (it needs to boil). Keep your microwave closed for a few minutes to allow the steam to loosen the grime, then open your microwave, carefully remove the bowl, and wipe clean.

9.  Remove grease from kitchen walls: Put straight vinegar on a dishcloth to wipe grease off kitchen walls, or the stovetop.

10.  Prevent mold and mildew in the shower: Wipe down tile or Formica shower walls with a sponge or cloth dampened with water and vinegar. The vinegar will clean the walls and inhibit the growth of mold and mildew.

11.  An excellent toilet cleaner can be made from 1 cup borax and 1 cup vinegar.  Pour the vinegar all over the stained area of the toilet.  Then sprinkle the borax over the vinegar.  Allow it all to soak for 2 hours.  Then simply brush and flush.

12.  Add a cup of vinegar to your mop water or mop floors with vinegar and water after a normal mopping.  Vinegar removes the soap scum.

13.   Annie Berthold-Bond says her favorite window cleaning recipe is to combine 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup of white distilled vinegar, and up to 1/2 teaspoon of liquid soap or detergent in a spray bottle.  Annie says the liquid soap helps remove the waxy residue.

14.  Boil vinegar and water on the stove to soak up bad smells from your house.

15.  Fill your water reservoir halfway with vinegar to clean your coffee pot.  Follow up by running 1-2 pots of clean water through to remove the vinegar.

16.  Vinegar also works as a safe degreaser.  No harsh fumes.  Use it on grease, undiluted.

17.  Clean vaporizers and humifiers by soaking unit in vinegar.  Soak unit and then run water through it.  I know, I got this tip from the actual directions that came with my vaporizer, but it really does help to remove the deposits and also to sanitize.

18.  After washing your whites with bleach, run another rinse cycle with vinegar.  The vinegar will help to remove the bleach smell.

19.  If you have fruit flies, put some vinegar in a jar on your counter.  (I wish I would have known this one a few years ago.  I had some fruit flies and bought an expensive fruit fly trap.  It probably just had vinegar in it.  Errrr!)

20.  If your puppy (or child) has an accident on the carpet, apply full-strength plain white vinegar for about 10 minutes and then blot dry. You may want to test an inconspicuous spot first.

21.  Adding a cup of vinegar to a dishwashing cycle will help clean your dishwasher and will also help prevent spots from forming on your glasses.

22.  Vinegar helps to kill bacteria.  Mix up a solution of vinegar and water in a spray bottle.  Keep it in your kitchen to spray your sink and countertops. 

23.  Use vinegar to clean your garbage disposal.  Run a tray of ice cubes with 1/2 cup vinegar poured over them.

24.  Use vinegar, hot water, and a little soap to clean baby’s toys.  Rinse well.

25.  I have Pergo floors.  I was glad to find this tip from Frugal Living.  Mix 1/3 part white vinegar, 1/3 part rubbing alcohol, 1/3 part water, and 3 drops diswashing liquid.  Mix this into a (recycled) spray bottle and you have the equivalent of the Pergo floor cleaner. Just spray and mop; also great for deodorizing a room and for a fast cleanup. I also use this on my tile floors with great results. Pergo is better off when water doesn’t sit on it too long, the alcohol is added to make it dry faster.

For more tips on cleaning with vinegar try The Vinegar Book, Housekeeping: About, and Whole Foods Market.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

You all know that there are a ton of ways to use vinegar to do everything from help you loose wieght to brightening up your home and making it smell better.  Well, lately I have been having a time with the diaper champ smelling a little.  So I put some hot water and a cup of vinegar in the bottom of the diaper champ and let it sit for an hour.  I came back and rinsed it out and voila!  It smells wonderful again and I can start using the Lysol spray with confidence.  I guess I should be a little more vigilant with sterilizing the diaper pail.  Nonetheless, vinegar to the rescue again!

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Kelly and I have throughly enjoyed writing for Thrifty Mommy this past year.  Below are highlights from our top posts.  Here is our top 10 for 2006:

Top 25 Ways I Save Money – Obviously, this is a list of 25 ways I save money.  LOL

25 MORE Ways to Save Money – I decided the 1st list of 25 was too easy to write.  I decided to pick my brain for more.

Top 10 Ways to Exercise for Free – Kelly has suggested 10 ways that we can exercise without it costing us anything.  Free is a great word!

Top 10 Ways to Take Care of Your Clothes – Kelly gives us ways to take care of our clothes so that they will last a long time.

Top 10 Uses for Duct Tape – This was intended as a silly post and it received more attention than I thought it would.  Thanks, people. 

The Top 10 List to Beat All Top 10 Lists – This is a blog carnival featuring Top 10 lists from other blogs.

Oriental Ramen Noodle Salad – This post has a recipe for a great salad made with ramen noodles.

Kevin Federline Returns to Thrifty Lifestyle – Since the break up of Britney and Kevin, Kevin has returned to watching his spending habits.

Need A Thrifty Way to Make An Air Freshener? Ask Heloise. – This post features Heloise and the air fresheners that she makes.

Another benefit to vinegar . . . weight loss? – Vinegar has many medical and cleaning benefits.  Does it also aid in weight loss too?

Post from: Thrifty Mommy