Household tips and tricks! - Are you having trouble getting the wine stains out of your carpet? Do you clean your cookware with something extraordinary? Come share!

[often puzzled]

Weird one, mostly for those who live in the south where palmetto bugs exist and will enter even the cleanest of abodes.

Raid is for pussies and doesn't work worth shit. Use the full-ammonia, dries-without-streaking Windex. Five sprays, and the flying devils will stop their scurrying and just curl their legs up in death. (Seriously, grabbed Windex entirely accidentally an was shocked how it works better than bug killer on these wretched pests. I get one coming into the house twice a year - coincides with when the yard gets treated.)

I can vouch for this tip. I don't even remember what lead me to try Windex for the first time-- probably desperation-- but it does work. The bugs in question are basically resistant to weapons-grade chemicals and will survive a nuclear holocaust, so finding anything that will kill them (and not lead to a squashy mess) is terrific. Windex has been my go-to for years, at least for these specific bugs.

What do you use to keep white towels and washcloths white and why? I have used bleach, bluing and powdered oxy bleach and I do not know which does the better job. I like the bleached clean smell I guess too. I washed a load today and used bleach and bluing.

For loads with colors, I use OxiClean Color Boost. You use it in addition to your regular detergent rather than instead of. It keeps sheets and towels looking nice and bright, and it does well with tougher messes (like the clothes I wear to work in the yard).

6. Permanent markers and labels. If you get the masking tape, you can just use that, but label every container with what's in it on the top and at least two of four sides.

This is a great tip and one I always use (though I hope I never have to move again; I've done it way too much). Label what room the boxes go in, give the box a general label, then add any additional content information that might affect when and how you deal with that box. So you might label one KITCHEN -> CABINETS -. DISHES versus KITCHEN -> PANTRY -> DRY GOODS.

I have a ton of books (by which I mean thousands), and I also use this system on my book boxes: BOOK ROOM -> NONFIC -> BIO or BOOK ROOM -> NONFIC -> REF. Then I unpack reference, photography, and so on first, because I distribute the heavier books across the bottoms of shelves (which, in turn, helps stabilize the bookcases).

This moving tip has also already been mentioned, but pack a suitcase with everything you need right away, and put the suitcase in your trunk or somewhere else easily accessible. You'll need toiletries, underwear, the bare minimum to shower, pajamas, a change of clothes, towels and a washcloth, and sheets and pillows for your bed. Get that suitcase in your new place first, and make sure you put it somewhere that's right in front of your face. Don't tuck it away in a closet and tell yourself you'll remember later where you put it, because you'll be exhausted, you'll have been starting at boxes for hours, and you will not remember.

Moving-with-cats tip: if your cat has a bed or blanket they really like, don't wash it in the lead-up to the move. Have it easily accessible at the new place, and put it out in whatever your cat considers a safe place (your bed, a hidden corner-- that varies by cat). They'll take comfort in the familiar-smelling object.

 

[Aunt Carol]

If you're washing a bunch of identical clothing, and you stain-treated one of them, mark the stain with a safety pin so you can check it later. Don't leave the pin in afterward or you might add rust to your problems.

Of course you can do this with non-identical clothing, if you're splitting up laundry tasks or you second-guess yourself about where a stain was.

 

[Bees]

Moving-with-cats tip: if your cat has a bed or blanket they really like, don't wash it in the lead-up to the move. Have it easily accessible at the new place, and put it out in whatever your cat considers a safe place (your bed, a hidden corner-- that varies by cat). They'll take comfort in the familiar-smelling object.

Another moving with cats tip: Pack the bathroom first and lock the cat up in there until everything is set up sufficiently to lock the cat up in the new house bathroom. Put BIG SIGN on the door DO NOT OPEN CAT INSIDE and hang that at eye level so your stoner friends (for you youths) or stoner pro movers (for those of us who have stronger bank accounts than backs) don't let the cat out into The Wild Blue Yonder.

You're cat is gonna wig out and dart out the door at the worst moment, you have to bathroom jail on each end until it's calmer.

 

[Otis Mallebrok]

Hey Kiwi ladies. Some of our glasses has developed a cloudy sheen after machine washing. It is not carbonates, as vinegar does nothing, so the glasses are probably ruined. What do one do to prevent it?

 

[Sharty party]

Hey Kiwi ladies. Some of our glasses has developed a cloudy sheen after machine washing. It is not carbonates, as vinegar does nothing, so the glasses are probably ruined. What do one do to prevent it?

Did you try rubbing alcohol yet?

 

[Otis Mallebrok]

Did you try rubbing alcohol yet?

That's just isopropyl alcohol, right? I will try it, but I think the glass is ruined permanently. I dont think it is a deposit.

I just wondered what people do to not have the dish washer ruin ones glassware.

 

[long waters]

Hey Kiwi ladies. Some of our glasses has developed a cloudy sheen after machine washing. It is not carbonates, as vinegar does nothing, so the glasses are probably ruined. What do one do to prevent it?

I would have guessed you have really hard water with lots of minerals to the point the abrasion has worn out the glassware... But searching about your issue, it seem the phenomenon is called glass etching, and it seems to be associated with the opposite problem, a mix of having too soft water, too much detergent and too high temperature.

Looking into it, I found this: https://www.reverewareparts.com/the-etching-of-glasses-in-the-dishwasher-and-what-to-do-about-it/
Which in turn cites this article: https://www.askthebuilder.com/what-causes-etched-glasses

Is the Cause Hard Water?​

Many years ago, I was first introduced to this strange conundrum by my mother-in-law. I was a brash young man and she showed me one of her ruined small drinking glasses. She asked me if I knew what was going on. “Sure, it’s just hard water deposits. Let me take it home and restore it.” I tried soaking it in white vinegar, a mild acid that has no trouble dissolving hard-water mineral deposits. There was no change. I then got out my toxic bottle of muriatic acid and tried it full strength. There was no change. I was flummoxed.

As time passed, I deduced the issue had to be with the actual dishwashing detergents - be they powders, gels, or pods. In all my years of washing glasses by hand, they never suffered from etching, so whatever was happening was happening inside the steel box with the thrashing water spray.

Automatic Dishwashing Soap Etches Glass​

Last month I finally had it. I reached out to what I believe is the largest USA manufacturer of automatic dishwashing soap, Procter & Gamble (P&G). They make the Cascade product I use. Since I’m a member of the working media, they were kind enough to accommodate my press inquiry.

A senior scientist from P&G explained that a perfect glass-etching storm can happen inside a dishwasher if you have these four things: soft water, low soil load, high temperatures, and chelating agents. She went on to say, “Chelating agents, or chelants, are a major part of auto-dishwashing formulations because they form soluble complexes with calcium and other metal ions, enabling them to remove food soils and limescale, soften water, and boost hygienic cleaning action.” When you soften water as I do at my home, you remove the calcium from the water. Uh oh!

To prevent glass etching, she suggested not rinsing dishes and glasses, wash in shorter cycles, not using the pots-and-pans or sanitizing settings, and using a dishwashing product that contains zinc.

The bottom line, in my opinion, is that if you want your clear glass to remain clear, you better do what I had to do as a kid. Wash them all by hand with normal liquid dishwashing soap. Your other option is to just keep buying new glasses after they get etched should you not want to wash them by hand.

"I just read the problem about glasses clouding in the dishwasher by Sandra P., Las Vegas. Cascade IS THE PROBLEM! I had the same problem with glasses, even coating my dishwasher filter using Cascade. Switched to Finish Powerball nine years ago and NO problem anymore! I've had no clouding of glass at any setting, temperature, or heat dry! Also, the screen filter no longer gets coated and clogged with white substance! Try any product except Cascade and see if that helps you."

So it seems the issue might be related to using certain kinds of dishwasher detergents?...

 

[Otis Mallebrok]

I would have guessed you have really hard water with lots of minerals to the point the abrasion has worn out the glassware... But searching about your issue, it seem the phenomenon is called glass etching, and it seems to be associated with the opposite problem, a mix of having too soft water, too much detergent and too high temperature.

Hmm. I think I might have to handwash some of our glassware, then.

Interesting.

Edit: I thought chelating agents were used to treat mercury poisoning and such. But apparently they also ruin glasses

 

[Sharty party]

That's just isopropyl alcohol, right? I will try it, but I think the glass is ruined permanently. I dont think it is a deposit.

I just wondered what people do to not have the dish washer ruin ones glassware.

Yeah, it’s my only other guess other than soaking in vinegar if you didn’t do that already

Putting jet dry in my dishwasher helps me with water stains

 

[Otis Mallebrok]

Yeah, it’s my only other guess other than soaking in vinegar if you didn’t do that already

Putting jet dry in my dishwasher helps me with water stains

Yes, but as you can read above, they are not stains. They don't come off, because they are physical changes to the glass.

 

[Shig O'nella]

Toothpaste and a soft cloth if they've lightly clouded. It'll take an hour or so per glass though. Re-polishing takes time.

 

[ChompChomp]

You have been replacingyyour spent TP rolls incorrectly.

Most people put a new roll in, as is from the manufacturer:



My suggestion is to give the new roll a lil squeeze before replacing it:



Why? The dent prevents more than a half turn of the roll, providing you with the perfect amount, every time.

This also works to prevent little rascals in your life from unraveling the entire roll at once.

 

[seri0us]

When trying to make or find a hiding place for your valuables, look up ideas to get a feel for what the most common ones are so you can avoid them.

 

[NoReturn]

When trying to make or find a hiding place for your valuables, look up ideas to get a feel for what the most common ones are so you can avoid them.

Also "Book Safes" are bullshit. Not only does everyone know about them, but drug dealers will hide cash between the pages of NORMAL books so any bad guys (robbers or cops) will be flipping through those pages anyway.

 

[long waters]

Wash bedding weekly, ideally. You need at least two sets of linens.

This post really got me thonking: I really don't wash my bedding sheets often enough. It's probably about once a month on average I'd guess. I've never had any issues from it, all of my sheets are still white after almost a decade of this practice. The pillow on the other hand, although the cover is fine, the pillow itself has become rather yellow. Perhaps I should switch to at least doing it every 2 weeks?

I wonder what the average farmer's bed sheet washing frequency is... Let this be a reminder to wash your sheets bros.

 

[Aunt Carol]

The pillow on the other hand, although the cover is fine, the pillow itself has become rather yellow. Perhaps I should switch to at least doing it every 2 weeks?

I wonder what the average farmer's bed sheet washing frequency is...

Washing linens isn't just about keeping them white, but about keeping the bed (and the bedroom!) from smelling stagnant, and your sleeping body in turn. We do a lot of sweating and shedding skin in one concentrated place at night.

I change my pillow case daily, which is probably much more than necessary but it's easier to remember that way.

Over the years, every duvet cover has come with a pillow case, every set of sheets, every decorative bedspread, plus sometimes I just bought pillow cases because they had glow-in-the-dark skeletons on them. So I've ended up with a lot more pillow cases than pillows, and they don't age out into rags like sheets do because I don't lie on top of them.

Head is where the grease comes from, face is where obvious pimples form, nose is what smells things. Daily pillow case change is simple and it seems to help my skin, as well as being nice to slam my head into.

The rest of the linens I do weekly. Honestly, the one thing I'd tell myself as a teenager would be: a chore you do "every Wednesday" takes up so much less mental space than a chore you do "as needed," even if that means you do it more often.

All that second-guessing and speculation and doubt, vs just bust the mop out because it's Mop Day and get it done while you use your brain to think about imaginary dudes in powered body armor.

 

[NoReturn]

This post really got me thonking: I really don't wash my bedding sheets often enough. It's probably about once a month on average I'd guess. I've never had any issues from it, all of my sheets are still white after almost a decade of this practice. The pillow on the other hand, although the cover is fine, the pillow itself has become rather yellow. Perhaps I should switch to at least doing it every 2 weeks?

I wonder what the average farmer's bed sheet washing frequency is... Let this be a reminder to wash your sheets bros.

Washing linens isn't just about keeping them white, but about keeping the bed (and the bedroom!) from smelling stagnant, and your sleeping body in turn. We do a lot of sweating and shedding skin in one concentrated place at night.

I change my pillow case daily, which is probably much more than necessary but it's easier to remember that way.

Over the years, every duvet cover has come with a pillow case, every set of sheets, every decorative bedspread, plus sometimes I just bought pillow cases because they had glow-in-the-dark skeletons on them. So I've ended up with a lot more pillow cases than pillows, and they don't age out into rags like sheets do because I don't lie on top of them.

Head is where the grease comes from, face is where obvious pimples form, nose is what smells things. Daily pillow case change is simple and it seems to help my skin, as well as being nice to slam my head into.

The rest of the linens I do weekly. Honestly, the one thing I'd tell myself as a teenager would be: a chore you do "every Wednesday" takes up so much less mental space than a chore you do "as needed," even if that means you do it more often.

All that second-guessing and speculation and doubt, vs just bust the mop out because it's Mop Day and get it done while you use your brain to think about imaginary dudes in powered body armor.

BUY A SECOND SET OF BEDDING.
If you have problems remembering to change your sheets, just get as second set and throw the dirties in your laundry pile. Sometimes you don't need to do the full chore of strip-wash-dry-remake with the bed. Some days all you can do is strip and remake the the washing part is separate chore.

ALSO, YES REPLACE YOUR PILLOWS. When they are visibly discolored it's time to get rid of them. Holy shit how do you people live like this? Even monkeys throw out their old bedding in the wild and replace it with new leaves.

 

[Aunt Carol]

BUY A SECOND SET OF BEDDING.
If you have problems remembering to change your sheets, just get as second set and throw the dirties in your laundry pile. Sometimes you don't need to do the full chore of strip-wash-dry-remake with the bed. Some days all you can do is strip and remake the the washing part is separate chore.

I think my quote got caught in the crossfire; I'm a weekly washer.

But this is a very important point. So many young people get caught in a trap where they strip the bed, and then have to complete a second chore--washing and drying all the laundry--before being able to re-make the bed. Life being what it is, that's a great way to end up with a bare mattress at midnight.

Two sets of bed sheets means you can decouple the "change linen" task from the "laundry" task. Having to pause one chore to complete another chore is setting yourself up for frustration.

 

[Zeftax]

ALSO, YES REPLACE YOUR PILLOWS.

I do use two sets of bedding and wash them pretty regularly, but I have never changed the insides (only wash them once a year as part of spring cleaning) since it seems a bit wasteful, but they are indeed yellowed and not as comfortable as they once were. They don't smell or anything, so I don't see a practical reason to throw them out, but maybe I will try it, soft pillows are nice after all.

 

[Aunt Carol]

they are indeed yellowed and not as comfortable as they once were. They don't smell or anything, so I don't see a practical reason to throw them out, but maybe I will try it, soft pillows are nice after all.

If they aren't memory foam, you can wash pillows in the regular washing machine. Dry them low and slow after, and make sure they're fully dry. That might fluff them enough for a new lease on life.