Housekeeping Tips from 1940

Today I thought I'd share some very old time and money saving tips from the Watkins Almanac and Home Book of Useful Information, printed in 1940. As we all know, that was a very hard time in history with everyone trying to save pennies wherever and whenever they could, which is one reason why I love tips from this period.

-Place a square of oilcloth under the sewing machine when sewing. This will save picking up pins, threads, etc. from the rug.

Note: Oilcloth was a heavy cotton or linen fabric that was coated with linseed. Sometime in the 1950's it was replaced mostly by flannel backed plastic tablecloths.

-If boiled frosting will not thicken, the syrup is too thin. Place bowl in hot water and use a rotary beater. If the frosting is too thick, add a tablespoon of hot water and beat.

-Glass broken into tiny splinters which are practically invisible can be picked up by wiping the floor or surface with moistened absorbent cotton.

-Diced leftover baked or boiled ham blended with peas, rice or macaroni will be appetizing in a well-seasoned creamed dish.

-Save the water in which fresh vegetables are boiled. The vegetable stock is excellent for soup.

-Muffin tins are excellent for baking apples, tomatoes, stuffed peppers, etc. because they will keep their shape.

-When doubling the ingredients of a recipe, do not double the seasoning. Use the amount stated and taste before adding more.

-Dishes in which milk, eggs or starchy foods have been cooked should be soaked in cold water. Use hot water for sticky or greasy dishes.

-If dividing a recipe in half, use 2 small eggs when it calls for 3 eggs in the original recipe.

-Always cool melted fat before adding to the flour to make a smooth mixture; otherwise, there will be tiny balls of dough that will leave holes in the cake.

Do you have one of those small tabletop fountains? We have a nice article on OFL with tips on cleaning the fountains: http://oldfashionedliving.com/fountains2.html

~Brenda

Household Cleaning Tips from the Parlor

Our friendly message board community, known affectionately as The Parlor, has had plenty of conversations about old fashioned and frugal cleaning solutions.  Below are some of the tips shared on our boards. If you would like to add your input, please visit the "old fashioned cleaning tips" thread in the Parlor or feel free to leave a comment here.

[simplycindy]
I have heard vinegar water and use a crumpled newspaper to wipe the mirror, no streaks. I use the newspaper but I use it with glass cleaner so I don't know how the vinegar works. Reuse jars and cans as vases, pencils holders, put small nails or screws in them etc. Try to use a rag rather than paper towels. I enjoy trying to simplify my life as well, always open for ideas.

[lbjack]
White vinegar mixed with water is good for cleaning. I have used paper towels in the past, but am switching to rags this year.

[Linda Lou]
For cleaning glass I use a pint of water, add 1/4 cup non-sudsy ammonia and about the same amount of alcohol in a spray bottle. I don't measure it, just add some of each to the water. Both my daughter and I like it better than Windex from the store. Cheap, too. It cuts grease on the front of my microwave, too, which is part of my range hood, right over my stove. It gets so messy.

I use an old flour sack dish towel for wiping the glass, not linty at all. Old cloth diapers are great, too.

Sometimes I just spray some of it on the kitchen floor, put an old dishcloth on the head of my Swiffer and use it to wipe up spots on the floor instead of getting out the mop and bucket. I am not paying for the wet Swiffer cloths any more.

[JOSE]
I Keep A Spray Bottle Of Diluted Bleach (1/2 Bleach 1/2 Water) On My Kitchen Sink. I Use It To Clean My Stove, Counter Tops, Cutting Boards, Etc. When I Am Cooking Poultry Or Any Type Of Meat, I Will Increase The Bleach In The Spray Bottle To Eliminate Cross Contamination In My Kitchen Area.

I Also Put 1 Cup Of Bleach In My Dishwasher About Once A Week Along With The Detergent. And If We Are Sick In Our House, I Always Add Bleach To The Detergent And Wash In Hot Water.

A Small Bleach Spray Bottle Can Be Kept In The Bathrooms For Quick Clean-ups Also.

[BogiesMom]
I use vinegar in my dishwasher about once a week to clean it and unclog soap residue, just like the coffee pot. I use vinegar in the rinse cycle for jeans and DH's work clothes instead of fabric softener...I save that for my towels and sheets.

In the garbage disposal, I put in ice cubes to keep the blades sharp and lemon, or lime peels to freshen it.

[Linda Lou]
I also keep a spray bottle of bleach. It only takes 1 tsp. bleach per cup of water to kill bacteria. I normally use about 2 T. per pint of water, which is still overkill. Your bleach water should be dumped and newly made every 5 days, as the bleach dissipates. (The Clorox site says to dump daily.) At the extension we were taught every 5 days.

I use Dawn dish soap on my fabric stains, especially oily ones before they go into the wash. I don't pay for expensive pretreatments or stain removers. That, or I wet a bar of Fels Naptha soap and rub on the area. I keep a bar in a little metal tub that looks like a wash tub, as part of my laundry room decor.
I also use the cheap fabric softener sprayed on a damp cloth if I want it in my clothes instead of paying for dryer sheets.

[JoyAnn]
I use vinegar for almost everything. White for cleaning and apple cider for personal use. Apple cider vinegar stops the itch of poison ivy, it removed a wart from my elbow, and I use it as a hair rinse after shampoo and conditioner.

But you asked about cleaning. I have always had a problem with ants during warm weather. Since cleaning with white vinegar, ants are much less a problem. It is the best thing for linoleum (manufacturers recommend it) and it is a good degreaser in the kitchen. I could go on and on about vinegar. It is great for small burns you get while you are cooking. The skin won't even blister if you treat the burn right away.

[Hotzcatz]
To save from even using diapers or other other kind of cloths that leave lint and then have to be cleaned, try a rubber squeegee on windows and other flat glass areas. I have a small one in the shower for the shower doors as well as a long handled one for windows. I find it to be much faster and easier than using newspapers or cloths.

[stonepine]
There have been a few references to baking soda. I use this for so many things, works well to clean my stove, as well as used with a little vinegar to pour down plug holes to clear them, or just keep them smelling nice. We get lots of hair in our bathtub drain and this mixture works a treat. I does fizz up, so be prepared!

[southernlady]
lemon juice baking soda and vinegar is a good cleaners also they used lye soap it was more the multipurpose cleaner of the time. They used linseed oil to polish furniture and broom and scrub brush was the mop. I do suggest using a mop and broom if you have hard wood floors you can use a dust mop . There is books to buy as well as other products for the home that was used in the old days. I am including the links they are mail order catalogs and are wonderful to have. one is Cumberland General store and the other Lehmans, this is where the Amish shop.

http://www9.mailordercentral.com/cumberlandgeneral/

http://www.lehmans.com/

[Red]
I have retired all of my cloth napkins to use as rags with a spray bottle of 100% vinegar that has been infused w/ herbs and flower petals in the sunnier windows of our apt. I do not use them in the kitchen for fear of cross-contamination, but they are great through out the rest of the house especially as they are lint free. Seems like everything I clean sparkles and is slower in accumulating dust. Oh, and the infused vinegar smells so good, cleaning almost seems like a cleansing aromatherapy session... not to mention the fact that it minimizes the harmful fumes and chemicals I am exposed to on a daily basis. I was skeptical at first, but now I am convinced... well as long as I can have my bleach every once in a while.

[grannieg]
take a old tray or pot,place a piece of alfoil in bottom of it,add boiling water,place silver ware in,place bicarb soda,watch your silver come clean,works even on the most tarnished pieces,take out,buff with a soft cloth and your silver never looked better

[Janet]
I find that using white distilled vinegar along with baking soda will help remove the burn inside of pans. Then I scrub with really hot water and lots of soap. It does a pretty good job of cleaning up.

[Pastors Wife]
I make my own laundry soap, dish washer soap and pine cleaner

Laundry soap
1/3 bar Fels Naptha Soap, grated
1/2 cup Washing Soda (Not baking soda)
1/2 cup Borax

Mix Fels Naptha soap in a saucepan with 3 pints of water and heat on low until dissolved. Stir in Washing Soda and Borax. Stir until thickened. Remove from the heat and add 1 qt hot water to a large bucket. Add soap mixture and mix well. Fill bucket with 2 gallons of hot water. Let it set for 24 hours. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load

Pine Cleaner
Mix 2 cups water, two teaspoons borax, 10 drops of pine essential oil and 5 drops of cedar essential oil

Dishwasher soap
2 cups borax
2 cups washing soda

Mix the washing soda and the borax together. Store in a covered container.

[JMC]
I put a few drops of Eucalyptus oil in my floor washing bucket... it helps with any insects that want to come in, and smells nice too....

There are tons of household uses for vinegar on the Old Fashioned Living website here

Tuesday Tips: House Cleaning Tips for Dog Owners

According to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association, more than 40 million American households share their lives with more than 68 million dogs. Obviously, dogs are a very popular pet.

Unfortunately, as much as we love them, they can leave us with more mess to clean up. Your dog can "accidentally" leave stains and odors. It would be fantastic if you can find easier ways to keep your home looking clean and non-smelling.

If you have to constantly fight with pet hair, paw prints, chewed-up bits of knick-knacks as well as things dragged in, thrown up or otherwise deposited on previously clean surfaces, here are some of the ways to dog-proof your home and keep pet mess and smell to a minimum:

* Choosing flooring surfaces that are easy to keep clean and stand up better to canine nails.

* Do not delay cleanups. Messes are easier to clean when they are fresh, and are less likely to leave a permanent stain.

* Do not use ammonia-based cleaners on dog messes as they smell like urine.

* Use an enzyme-based dog odor neutralizer to kill the urine scent.

* Focus on areas where odors lurk. Spots where dogs sleep eat and play can harbor stinking smells. Thoroughly clean up these areas at least twice a week.

* Saturate the area with a product for removing stains and odors. Wait a few minutes then vacuum it with a wet-and-dry shop vacuum.

* Pick appropriate carpet and upholstery to ensure easy clean up.

* Avoid wool or cotton fibers for carpets and instead opt for synthetic carpets that have a stain shield.

* Choose tightly woven fabrics and avoid loose or open weaves, when selecting upholstery fabrics. Tight fabrics would resist tears and rips from claws.

* There is no guarantee that every dog is flea-free. Boric acid (100%) powder is odorless and non-staining and is an excellent flea-killer.

Shedding Tips

* Shedding is a normal process that occurs seasonally in dogs. Dogs typically shed their coats in spring and fall. Keep pets well groomed. Brush and comb your pets regularly, and do not delay regular bathing. Your pets will smell better, and the hair you catch in the grooming process will not end up floating around your home.

Shedding of hair can cause an allergic reaction in dog owners. Tolerance levels to allergens vary from person to person. It is well known that people who own dogs and have allergies are not about to give them up. Dog owners can lower their risk of reaction and reduce allergens in their homes. The following are some tips to help you.

* Always wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 15 seconds after handling your dog and before touching your eyes or face. Alternatively, use a hand sanitizer or antibacterial hand wipes.

* Use allergen-resistant covers on mattresses and pillows.

* If possible, reduce the amount of carpet in your home, especially in bedrooms and sitting rooms.

* Restrict your dog to certain rooms of your home to create allergy-free areas. Bedrooms, especially, should be a no-no area.

* Use vacuums with high-efficiency air filters to help clean the air.

* Use air purification devices to reduce allergens and eliminate household odors.

* Get a non-allergic family member to bathe your dog weekly and groom him regularly - outside the house.

* Keep your home well ventilated.

To maintain a clean environment for you and your dog all that is required is vacuuming twice to remove pet hair and frequent washing of bedding and draperies. If you have any sort of a dog that sheds – say a shaggy dog – it would be a good idea to hand-vacuum him frequently.

Keeping a clean home when dogs are around is not that difficult. Of course, a constant effort, right products and good planning is required. It all comes down to knowing how to clean and doing it right.

About the Author:

Fayola Peters is the webmaster of The-Dog-Training-Guide.com and Housecleaning-Tips.com.

Reader's Questions: Peppers, Hats & Teapots!

After winter comes the summer. After night comes the dawn. And after every storm, there comes clear, open skies. ~Samuel Rutherford

Today I have three great questions, totally unrelated to each other but very useful:)

We are having an overabundance of hot peppers and I really would like to freeze some, can you suggest a way to do this? The Bell Peppers I core and dice and bag, with a machine that draws out the air. I just do not know if I should leave hot ones whole or core also? Should I blanch or not? ~Barbara

I froze whole peppers last year, but have froze cut ones too and it's worked great. You don't need to blanch, just wash and stem the hot peppers. Then you can package the peppers, leaving no headspace, seal them and freeze. You can cut or chop hot peppers before freezing, but you don't have to. You probably know this, but remember to wear rubber gloves and don't touch your face when working with the peppers. I know this from experience:)

I have always had trouble getting salt stains out of my fitted hats. I like to wear dark blue fitted hats, but the salt stains from the sweating that occurs inevitably renders the hat unwearable. If you have any methods to getting these salt stains out of a fitted baseball cap, please share. ~Matt

I know this can be a big problems, especially for guys that work in hats or play sports in hot weather. Try soaking the hat in HOT water (boiling) mixed with Oxyclean. You may need to weight the hat or hats down with a pan. Let the really dirty hats soak overnight, then wash in the washing machine using one of the plastic hat "cages". This should work, but you may want to test a small part of the hat for colorfastness first.

I purchased a teapot that had a crack in the lid on the underside. I purchased the pot at a very reduced rate, it's very beautiful...anyway, I was wondering is there a glue that I could use on it to keep it from cracking any further? ~Donna

I did some checking and many of the methods were extremely complicated and would risk damaging the teapot even more. I did find mention of placing the piece in milk, then simmering it gently (the crack fully covered) for 45 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and cool the milk with the teapot still immersed. At this point remove, then wash and dry as usual.

The only thing I could find was using a putty called "plastico rok" for covering the crack. It apparently dries as hard as china and is white and smooth. You may be able to put this on the inside of the pot where the crack is. It's an artist's compound and you might be able to get it at an art store.

We have poison ivy tips and remedies on OFL:
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/poisonivy.html

~Brenda

Readers Questions & Answers

I don't wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work. ~Pearl S. Buck

I shouldn't have bragged about the nice weather on Saturday. Yesterday it was only 38 degrees! Today I have more questions and answers:)

I bought a butterfly feeder No instructions as to what to put into to feed the butterflies. Do you use the same mixture that is used for hummingbirds? or something different? ~Lee

This recipe will work for homemade butterfly nectar.

Butterfly Nectar

You'll need:
4 cups of water
1 cup granulated white sugar

Add the sugar to the water in a medium sauce pan. Heat the mixture, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Cool before filling your butterfly feeder, and store any remaining nectar in the refrigerator for up to a week. Clean your feeder with hot water between fillings and change the nectar at least once a week. DO NOT use honey, syrup or any other kind of sweetener.

I have a recipe for Old Fashioned Meat Loaf and it mentions serving with potato with melted butter, crisp bacon chips and Smetina. I have never heard of Smetina. Any ideas? ~Nita

Smetina was a brand of sour cream produced by Raskas Dairy in St. Louis, Missouri. Substitute any regular sour cream in recipes.

I have some old hand crochet items from my grand mother and these items have some brown spots from age. They are white and I am afraid to bleach them. ~Peg

Bleach is not a good thing for vintage pieces, including a color safe bleach, so you were right to not do that. Try using a cleaner made for delicate washables, a gallon or so of cool water and 1/4 cup of hydrogen peroxide. Mix it up with your crochet piece in a tub or plastic bowl and let it soak for about 6 hours. Rinse it in cold water, and check the spots. If they aren't gone you can repeat it again, using a new solution. Place it flat to air dry when you are finished.

We also have tips on attracting butterflies and hummingbirds:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/butterflies3.html

Thrifty Thursday: Frugal Cleaning

More and more people these days are looking for less expensive alternatives to everyday necessities. You can't stop cleaning your house because 409 and Windex don't fit into your budget. Instead, make some of your own cleaning solutions and supplies from items you have laying around the house. We are including these ideas for Thrifty Thursday hosted at Amanda's Cookin'.

T-shirts

You know the ones. Their too stained to give away to a clothing donation, but you can't bear to add it to the landfill. T-shirt make wonderful dusters. They are soft and won't scratch your wood furniture and they work great for cleaning mirrors and glass as well. Toss them in the washing machine when you are done to use them all over again!

Empty Milk Jugs

Believe it or not, these make great carry all containers. Cut off the top where the spout is but leave the handle in tact. Use it to carry your sponge, rag, cleaning products and other items. When cleaning the bathtub, empty out the jug and use it to rinse the tub. This does double duty by cleaning out your jug for you too!

Mis-matched Socks

These are perfect for dusting. Slip a sock onto your hand and simply wipe! These are great for little helpers too. Slip two mismatched socks on your child's hands and have them help you dust!

Old Towels

We have several different "categories" of towels in our house. There's of course the bath towel, then the hand towel, kitchen towel and after that they get demoted. Once they've outlived their life in one of the previous categories, they are moved down to cleaning towels. These are the tattered and torn towels that just don't look nice anymore. But just because they've lost their luster doesn't mean they've useful life is over! These tattered towels are perfect for cleaning the car and using as rags around the house.

Swiffer Imposter

I have a Swiffer Sweeper, I'll admit it. I love it! I don't love buying the pads though. If you use dryer sheets, instead of tossing that used dryer sheet from the laundry, attach it to your Swiffer for a quick floor dusting. We also use old rags, run under hot tap water and wrung out, then attached the Swiffer for quick mop jobs.

What supplies have you "created" instead of bought?

Next week I'll share homemade cleaner recipes! Meanwhile, check out these great uses for vinegar.

~ Amanda

Home & Hearth: Mattresses and More

Let us not look not back in anger, or forward with fear, but around in awareness. ~James Thurber

I found the following tips in a booklet from 1948. It appears to have been a give-away from First Federal Bank of Detroit. Wonderful tips! The first few are about mattress care, which I found fascinating because quality mattresses today are SO expensive, yet we don't think of doing this much to extend their life.

-Prevent tears in your mattress by dressing your mattress in a muslin cover. Place a mattress pad between the mattress and spring and the between the mattress and sheet.

-Reverse the position of an innerspring at least once a week, turning top to bottom one week, end to end the next week. Air and sun mattresses at least once a week. Every few weeks, clean it on both sides with the brush attachment of vacuum cleaner.

-Don't sit on the edge of the mattress. Never bend or roll an innerspring mattress. Never beat it or stand it on end.

-Check floors for protruding nails, rough boards and kindred saboteurs of rug and carpet life. Remove any protrusions which can wear into your floor coverings.

-Avoid running wires or lamp cords under your rugs. They wear ridges into the fabric and constitute a fire hazard that, in some states, may void fire insurance policies.

-Broken casters on furniture legs are also ruinous to rugs. If these are hard to replace, use caster cups.

-NEVER pull out tufts or knots in your rugs. If there are any that make rugs look shaggy, clip off the long ends with a pair of scissors.

-Reverse the position of your floor coverings, every couple of months, to distribute the wear evenly.

-Take the "throw" out of throw rugs by winding three "preserving jar" rubber rings together with thread and sewing them to the corners of the rug. They form a wonderful suction cup that will prevent many accidents.

I WOULD NEVER HAVE THOUGHT....
Renovate that faded fiber rug: don't delegate it to the junk heap! Give it a coat of your favorite color house paint thinned with turpentine (1 part turpentine to 3 parts paint). Work the paint thoroughly into the fiber with the brush to obtain the best results. (Note: Only do this outside, where you aren't closed in with the fumes, and be sure to wear gloves. I would only try this with a rug on it's last legs!)

Tame your closet clutter this spring with these tips:
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/clutter2.html

Home & Hearth: All Purpose Tips

Don't let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It's your place in the world; it's your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live.--Mae Jemison

My entire family on both sides knows I love vintage magazines, clippings, books etc. My dad especially is always giving me fun things he finds at auctions among box lots. These are some tips from the 1930's and 1940's that I thought were useful as I browsed through some pamphlets and clippings.

Use the special crevice nozzle on the vacuum cleaner for removing dust from books. Or, wipe the books carefully with soft clean cloth. Remove all dust from the shelves before replacing books. If a book becomes wet do not place it near a heat source but instead place clean white blotting paper on each side of the wet page and press with a warm flat iron. The leaves will not warp or wrinkle.

To clean leather books never use mineral oil. Use lanolin or caster oil and rub along the back of the binding with your hand, then rub dry.

Hem white cheesecloth in thirty inch length, fold in a small square. Place the dry clean cloths in a fruit jar with a mixture of one pint hot water stirred with one-fourth cup lemon oil. With a stick, press the liquid into the cloth. Squeeze dry and hang in the air. Wash after using. Dusters must be kept clean.

Removing Glass Stoppers: Place the stopper under running hot water. The heat causes the neck of the bottle to expand and the stopper can be easily removed. Or, tap the stopper lightly on a table or add a little glycerin to the neck of the stopper.

Cleaning Paint Brushes: Soften brushes in hot vinegar, then wash in hot soap suds. Rinse thoroughly and then dry at room temperature--never dry over direct heat.

To sharpen scissors cut through fine sandpaper.

If your windows are rattling and you need a fast fix, wedge in a split wooden clothespin or a golf tee.

When painting stairs that are regularly used, paint every other step, allow that to dry completely and then paint the other steps. This way they can be used if necessary!

To remove postage stamps from letters moisten the envelope on the INSIDE, behind the stamp, with water.

On OFL we have tips for cleaning stainless steel:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/stainless-steel.html

Tips From Farmer's Wife 1928

By all these lovely tokens September days are
here, with summer's best of weather and autumn's
best of cheer. ~Helen Hunt Jackson


These tips are from an issue of Farmer's Wife from 1928. My dad gave me several issues of this magazine and I will share them.

To repair a leak in a bucket, paint over the hole, and stick a piece of cloth over it. After the paint is dry, apply two more coats of paint.

An easy way of preparing grated cheese is to press it through an ordinary tea strainer. It is much quicker than grating. Boiled eggs can be treated the same way.

Apply iodine to scratches on mahogany furniture and then rub with a good furniture polish.

Felt hats can be well cleaned by rubbing them with a rubber bath sponge.

Houseplants do not get such tall, watery stalks and stems and they seem to blossom more fully if wood ashes are stirred into the soil once in awhile during the indoor season.

In preparing pumpkin it's much easier to cut it in half,remove the seeds and place it in the oven upside down. When it's done, remove the pulp from the shell and rub through a sieve. This is much quicker than cooking in a kettle.

One of the best things to clean glass baking dishes, granite ware and milk pails, is very fine sandpaper. Always keep a few 2 inch squares in the kitchen cabinet.

Professional cleaner Mary Findley shares her tips for speed cleaning your home on OFL. Read here: http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/cleaning5.html