Thursday, February 15, 2018

Darla's Discoveries - Tips & Tricks for Around the House


Tip #1: Kitchen Cleanup
Mmmm... Lemon Fresh
Welcome, dear reader, to what I hope will be a new and helpful Thursday feature offering various household tips I’ve picked up over the years. Today I will address an aspect of kitchen cleanup.

You are surely familiar with disposable disinfectant wipes. Well, I adore them, and not just for convenience.

You see, during my childhood our mom (rest her blessed soul) wiped down kitchen and dining surfaces using a seldom washed dish cloth. I don’t know if she couldn’t smell the rotten stench (as with skunk, the lucky lady) or was ‘nose blind’. Either way, I didn't refuse the offered cloth when on kitchen duty, for some reason not having the heart to tell her how the thing reeked.

I look back and marvel that we all didn’t die from E. coli or something.

So, years ago this new advancement thrilled me. Of course, in this age of environmental awareness I try to do my part by not cleaning too often and risk flooding our garbage dumps with discarded wipes. You understand; we all make sacrifices for the greater good.

~grin~
 
Anyway, containers emptied of cleaning sheets always contain a good deal of liquid remaining at the bottom. I despise wastefulness and subsequently discovered a simple fix you may well already know (my new Thursday feature needed to start somewhere. Heh…).

Anyway, I use paper towels to soak up the remaining solution and continue wiping away. Or, conversely, you can drizzle the liquid directly overtop a large enough countertop so that you don’t have overspill and scrub things up that way.

It feels good getting every last drop out of a product, don’t you agree?

-

19 comments:

  1. I agree. Our philosophy here is waste not, want not. I like your style, Darla.

    The other item that can be icky is the sponge in the kitchen. I routinely get it damp and put it in the microwave for one minute. Kills anything that might have been growing on/in that sponge.

    Have a fabulous day. ♥

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ditto, my dear. ~grin~ And thanks for sharing this excellent tip!

      Delete
    2. Yes, I microwave them once in a while, then toss them in with the towels to really wash them well. I find they make the microwave stink though! Then I have to clean it with lemon juice! They used to make a spray on cleaner just for microwaves, but I haven't seen it in years.

      Delete
  2. Great idea! I do like the convenience of the disposable wipes, but worried about the waste aspect of it. Trying this tip out will help me feel better about it :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, I'm thrilled if this helps you. ~grin~ Your waste disposal issues are unique to mine when you're sailing, too. Be well!

      Delete
  3. Oh yes, it seems so wasteful to throw out useful product.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great minds think alike. ~grin~ Have a great weekend!

      Delete
  4. We must have had the same mother! Mine called them "dish rags" and it drove me crazy once I got old enough to see other mothers use sponges. I think we did get sick; every case of "stomach 'flu" was probably food poisoning from the "dish rags!"
    I get those disposable wipes mostly for my daughter, who sanitizes things more often than I, and she's right. She often asks me, "When is the last time you wiped down your phone?" Uh... never? I pour the extra water into the new container. Eventually I'll have the wipes too soggy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, pouring the liquid into a new container is clever. Come to think of it, Mom called the dish rags, too! And now that you mention it, I had stomach 'flu' a lot. Hmmm... I wiped down the cover of my Kindle Fire and the sides of my purse with disinfectant when we returned home from lunch. Heh... Hope you're well!

      Delete
  5. That is a great idea. I bet that old cloth your mom used helped build up your immune system. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hmmm... That's an interesting take. Thanks for that upshot idea! Be well, my dear.

      Delete
  6. I remember the grim smell of dishcloths boiling in detergent in a saucepan! I find the kitchen wipes a bit small so I always use the disinfectant floor wipes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, that's clever! Thank you for sharing. Be well!

      Delete
  7. I love the cleaning wipes! I usually use dump out the last little bit on something stuck on the counters. I'm a really messy cook, so it helps.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good idea. We tend to be messy, too. Heh... Be well!

      Delete
  8. Is that sort of like coffee....Good to the last drop! HAHA..I use Spic and Span, Mr Clean or Pinesol for my cleaning needs and I keep old towels, shirts or rags for the wiping needs. I used to keep wipes in my desk at work and was always using them to wipe down the bottom of my purse, the handle of it, my desk....you name it. When I left one unit for another at the TBI they gave me hand sanitizer and a container of wipes! haha....They knew me so well. But....years of taking Cymbalta has altered that. I am not like that now! And have Eczema on my hands and I had to give up the sanitizer, it was causing a lot of issues on the hands! Life....crazy!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eczema? You remind me of Job, my sweet. I hate how much crap you suffer every day. ~hugs~ Take care!

      Delete
  9. I don't use them because they are expensive. But I know a sanctuary for cats, upper level of a barn, without easy water access, and they use them for everything!! And LOVE them. If I had extra money, I'd deliver them several cases of those precious wipes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so blessed. We buy them at Sam's Club for a decent price but it's still a luxury. I wish the folks at this sanctuary, and you my dear, all the best. Be well!

      Delete

Hope you enjoyed stopping by and please drop a line. I love comments.

Any and all will be published upon approval. Thanks!