To avoid tracking in sand or soil after a day at the beach or working in the garden, set up a rinsing station just outside your door or at another convenient location. A teak bath mat provides slip-free footing and good drainage. The steady stream from an ordinary watering can cleans every unwanted speck from your feet and flip-flops or waterproof garden shoes.
DIY
If your upholstery has an unpleasant odor, fluff it up and air it out, or have it professionally cleaned (ask for a "chemical-free" treatment).
Tips
Before allowing pets on your furniture, cover it with towels. Change and wash the towels frequently.
Are your towels holding less water than they used to? It may be that your choice of washing detergent contains fabric softener, which has residues that cling to individual fibers, rendering towels less absorbent. The next time you clean a load, add a cup of distilled white vinegar to the rinse cycle; it will remove the residue and restore towels' soaking power. In the future, avoid detergents with fabric softener when washing towels.
From the moment you wake up, your day is filled with decisions. Shampoo, toothpaste, lotion, and the clothes that touch your skin -- everything you choose can make a difference. Here's the information you need to make choices that will get you through the day in the most healthy way.
Healthy Clothing and Linens
Healthy Dry Cleaning Tips
Healthy Diaper Tips
Blot excess juice with a clean, damp cloth. Then squeeze lemon juice onto the stain, wait a couple of minutes, rinse, and let dry in the sun; the lemon's acid breaks up the stain, and sunlight has a bleaching effect. (Lemon juice works on cherry-juice-stained skin, too.)
For big, stubborn stains, soak the fabric in a solution of 1 quart warm water, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon clear, mild dishwashing liquid for 15 minutes, then wash as directed. Make extra solution to store in a spray bottle for treating spots.
Keep laundry supplies tidy and out of sight with built-in shelves and a curtain that can be pulled across them when the laundry is done. Mothballs and cedar chips are stored in canning jars, and little bars of soap are kept in airtight containers. Towels for drying hand-washables are stacked on one shelf. Special stain remedies are kept together in a galvanized metal box; detergent is in a large plastic container with a scoop for easy measuring.
