Hodge Podge Day: Kitchen & Laundry Tips

To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring. ~George Santayana

I live in south Louisiana and have had a huge problem with drain flies {some people call them fruit flies}. I don't care what they're called, they are VERY annoying. I've had a problem for months and months now. First time I've ever seen such a creature. Anyway, I had them by the dozens and could NOT get rid of them. I tried all the remedies I could find after researching the Internet, talking to people, etc. Everything, that is, short of taking my drain apart and putting it back together again as one helpful Internet site recommended. I finally found something that seems to work. I read an advertisement selling a book on the wonders of hydrogen peroxide. An idea hit me! Peroxide kills germs and cleans wounds, etc., why not try it on the flies. If it cleans drains, could it possibly kill those pesky creatures living in my drain? Well, I tried it and it did!! The first time, I put about a third of a bottle in every drain in the house - only one time. After that first time, I just put a "dribble" drain twice a day. I put it down the drain in the AM before I leave for work and in the PM as part of my bedtime chores. Yea! No more drain flies. ~Fran

To remove oil dripping from concrete plain old laundry detergent can be sprinkled on the oil enough to cover the dripping - wait overnight and the oil is absorbed from the concrete by the powder. ~R. Schnell

I carry a gallon handled container in my car during the winter filled with Oil Ease, (grit for cleaning up the oil messes on the garage floor) Sometimes, I find that Kitty Litter is too slick. When I get shopping and step out of my car I sprinkle it by my car and when I come back out, it is all melted and I can get back into my car without slipping! Sometimes when it is icy, I sprinkle my way right into the store!! I also carry a child's shovel which comes in handy when they don't clear the parking spaces in our town, it is sometimes impossible to get over the snow pile. I am 70 and would not want to fall. Spring is coming! ~Ginny

Our appliance repairman told us to use only a couple of tablespoons of liquid detergent in our front loader and he was right. The clothes still get clean if I put extra soap on any stains and use the presoak cycle. He also told me that detergent that doesn't rinse out of clothes can cause an allergic type of itching and he was right again. The smaller amount of detergent helped and saved us lots of money, too. ~Lynn

On OFL you'll find tips on cleaning your frig coils:
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/refrigerator.html

~Brenda