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5 Ways to Take Care of Your Home During Winter
Cover Your Outdoor Furniture (the Cheap Way!)
No space to bring outdoor furniture inside in bad weather? Make sure to keep them covered during the winter months. But instead of buying pricey furniture covers, protect lawn chairs and tables by covering them with large plastic bags. If you have metal deck furniture, apply a bit of petroleum jelly to areas where they've been known to rust to prevent them from rusting during the winter—and beyond.
Skip the Rock Salt
Icy sidewalk? Throw cat litter down instead of rock salt. It won’t harm your grass, stain your clothes, or hurt the environment, but it will provide plenty of traction for safe walking and driving.
Guard Outdoor Light Bulbs
While you have that petroleum jelly out, apply a thin layer to the threads of all your outdoor light bulbs. It will prevent them from rusting and make them much easier to replace when they blow out.
How to Get Rid of Drafts
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a well sealed home can be up to 20 percent more energy efficient. Most leaks occur in the basement or attic—look where you feel a draft or around wiring holes, plumbing vents, ducts, and basement rim joints. You’ll be able to seal lots of leaks with a simple caulking gun, but for instructions on how to plug larger holes, check out these tutorials from EnergyStar.gov.
Clean a Fireplace With Cola
Try an old masonry trick to brighten up soot-stained brick. Mix a can of cola with 3½ fluid ounces all-purpose household cleaner and 3 ½ quarts water in a bucket. Sponge onto sooty brick and leave for 15 minutes. Loosen the soot by scrubbing with a stiff-bristled brush. Sponge with clean water. For a stronger solution, add more cola.
What are your favorite tips of taking care of your home in the winter? Share them with us in the comments section below!
Images courtesy of Shutterstock and Who Knew?
13 Cold Weather Tips and Tricks
Indoors
Take vanilla out of the kitchen
When it’s too cold to open the windows, freshen your whole house fast by placing a few drops of vanilla extract on your furnace’s filter. Your house’s heating system will do the rest of the work for you. To scent one particular area, take a small jar and place several cotton balls inside. Dab a few drops of vanilla extract onto the cotton balls. Before putting the cover on the jar, use a nail to puncture a few holes into it for your very own vanilla air freshener.
Make it spicy
To easily deodorize your kitchen, put a cinnamon stick and other favorite spices (such as cloves or ginger) in a mug of water, and microwave it for 2 minutes. Remove the mug and set it on the counter so that the aroma can fill the kitchen. This trick is great for winter, when the scent of the spices will create a warm, cozy atmosphere.
Seal the door
Have a sliding glass door that’s rarely used during the winter? Seal it with duct tape to keep cold air from coming in.
SEE ALSO: Domestic CEO's How to Make Your Home (and Everything in it) Smell Good
Outdoors
Winterize deck furniture
To keep your metal deck furniture free from rust and wear all winter long, reach for the petroleum jelly Just apply a thin layer (especially in areas where the furniture tends to rust) after cleaning the surface with simple soap and water.
Ease painful pads on pets
Many dogs love to play outside in the snow, but their paws can cause them pain if ice starts to build up between their pads. Before heading out for a winter walk, rub some petroleum jelly between each pad. The ice will stay away and your dog can enjoy the outdoors! If your poor pet’s pads are already cracked or dry, gently rub a little petroleum jelly into her pads while she’s sleeping.
Petroleum jelly is completely safe if your pet decides she wants to lick it off later.
Spray on a little D-fense.
Spray WD-40 in the lining of car doors. Doing this once in the beginning of the winter should keep your doors opening easily.
Baby powder to the rescue
Use baby powder or baking soda to absorb the moisture that collects on the rubber seal lining of your car door. Just wipe the weather strip with a dry cloth before sprinkling on the powder. Repeat every few days in the dead of winter to make sure you can always get into your car.
RELATED: Who Knew's 7 Car Hacks for Winter Weather
Easy undercarriage cleaning
Don’t forget to clean under your car, especially if you live in an area where salt and ice assault in winter.
A trick for these hard-to-reach areas: Run a lawn sprinkler underneath the car and drive back and forth.
Block the lock
To keep your car’s door locks safe from ice during the cold winter months, place a refrigerator magnet over the lock. You can even take an old magnet (last year’s calendar from a local realtor, perhaps) and cut it into pieces that fit perfectly.
Personal Care
Brush to better lips
For lips that need a little extra TLC, especially in the winter, try this effective scrub. Mix together 2 teaspoons baking soda with enough lemon juice to make a paste. Gently scrub the mixture over your lips with a dry toothbrush for a minute or two, then rinse, and apply some petroleum jelly or your favorite lip balm.
Go crazy for cranberry
For a seasonal solution to chapped winter lips—and a great DIY gift idea for the holidays—try this cranberry lip balm! In a microwave-safe bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon avocado or almond oil, 10 fresh cranberries, 1 teaspoon honey, and 1 drop vitamin E oil (from a capsule). Microwave on high until the mixture begins to boil. Remove carefully as the bowl may be hot. Mash the berries with a fork and stir well to combine. After the mixture has cooled for 10 minutes, strain it into a small portable tin, making sure to remove all of the fruit pieces. Cool completely. You’ve made your own great-smelling lip balm!
Sweater cryogenics
If your favorite cashmere or angora sweater is looking a little worn, put it in a plastic bag and place it in the freezer for half an hour. The cold causes the fibers to expand, making your sweater look new again! Who knew there was such a thing as sweater cryogenics?
JUST FOR FUN: Savvy Psychologist's How to Harness Light to Defeat Winter Blues
Your warmest boots
Make your winter boots a little warmer—and make sure they’re completely waterproof—by lining the bottom of the insides with duct tape. The tape will create a waterproof seal, and the shiny silver will reflect your body heat back onto your feet.
7 Money-Saving Tricks at Grocery Stores
Food is essential to our existence. What isn't essential is paying an arm and a leg for our daily bread. Compared to dining out, buying groceries and cooking homemade meals remains a far more affordable way to eat. But grocery shopping can be even more affordable with these tips the next time you find yourself carting down the aisles.
How to Save Money on Groceries
- Don’t Dawdle in the Aisles
- Price Watch
- Consider the Cost of Convenience
- Know Your Terminology
- A Full Mouth Is a Quiet Mouth
- Go for Day-Olds
- Break Free from Brands
- Use a Prepaid Gift Card
Let's explore each tip a little further.
1. Don’t Dawdle in the Aisles
Shop more efficiently at the supermarket by leaving your cart at the end of each aisle. It’s faster because you’ll go directly to what you need and grab it, plus you’ll be less tempted to purchase extras since you won’t be wandering slowly down the aisle with the cart.
2. Price Watch
When you’re at the supermarket, make sure you keep a close watch while your items are being rung up. A recent study found that 10 percent of items are scanned in at the incorrect price.
3. Consider the Cost of Convenience
Remember the cardinal rule when it comes to saving money on food: If it’s “convenient,” it’s probably costly. For example, pickles cut flat for sandwiches, juice in single-serving bottles, pre-shredded cheese, and “baby” carrots. Think carefully about what you’re buying and decide if the convenience is worth the extra cost!
4. Know Your Terminology
When shopping, know your terminology: Only the term “use by” means that you shouldn’t eat the food after the date indicated. “Sell by” dates are only an indication for the store, and foods will usually keep one to two weeks after. “Best before” is only an indication of food quality, not of food safety, so again, your perishables may still be fine to eat.
5. A Full Mouth Is a Quiet Mouth
If you find you’re making a lot of impulse purchases at the store because your kids are begging for snack foods, keep them quiet by buying them a package of animal crackers or a similar snack right when you get to the store. Most stores don’t even mind if your kids eat the crackers before you pay for them.
6. Go for Day-Olds
Supermarkets often discount their day-old or slightly overripe items in the morning. This is a great way of getting deals on fruit, vegetables, bread, and other foods. At first glimpse, this money-saving strategy may not seem appealing to you, but you can use these items in casseroles, desserts, and other dishes where you won’t even notice the difference. With a loaf of day-old bread, for example, you can make french toast, stuffing, croutons, bread pudding, and much more!
7. Break Free from Brands
When you’ve been buying the same brand-name product for as long as you can remember, it’s hard to make the switch to generics. However, you’ll be surprised when you find many generic and store-brand products taste exactly the same (or better!) for less than half the cost. Always buy generic baking ingredients such as flour, oil, and sugar. These generics are indistinguishable from their more-expensive counterparts. Frozen and canned vegetables are also usually exactly the same. As for products such as cereals, cookies, and crackers, basic is better—we’ve had good luck with plain granola, potato chips, and wheat crackers. No matter what the product, it never hurts to try. If you end up having to throw away one can of soup, you’ve wasted a few dollars, but if you like it, you can save a lot over the course of a year.
8. Use a Prepaid Gift Card
Need a little help budgeting your trips to the supermarket? Many chains now offer prepaid gift cards. Buy one for yourself and think of it as a portable checking account: Put money on the card, then “withdraw” from it every time you shop. With a dedicated grocery “account,” you’ll find it’s easier to keep a tighter rein on your spending.
Get more great tips on our podcast by subscribing on iTunes or Stitcher! You can also sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook for our daily tips!
Image courtesy of Shutterstock.
Can an Inherited IRA Be Rolled Over?
If you inherit an individual retirement account (IRA) from a spouse, you can treat it like your own IRA or roll it over into a traditional IRA you already have. If you are the beneficiary of an IRA inherited from … Continue reading →
The post Can an Inherited IRA Be Rolled Over? appeared first on SmartAsset Blog.
50+ Of The Best Money Saving Ideas For 2021
How to Clean and Polish Your Wood
Clean furniture and floors
Remove water rings
If you have kids, you probably have watermarks on your finished wood table. Use a little petroleum jelly to remove the white stains. Just rub the area with the jelly and let it sit for several hours (or even overnight). Then rub again with a soft cloth—the stain should disappear.
Another way to erase water rings
Does your wood furniture have white rings left from wet glasses? Remove them with a mixture of 2 tablespoons corn oil and enough baking soda to make a paste. Apply the paste to the rings and let sit for at least 1 hour before rubbing the area gently. Or give mayonnaise a shot: Rub a tiny bit (1/2 teaspoon) on the ring and let it sit overnight. In the morning, just wipe with a damp cloth and the ring should be gone!
Erase wood scratches and dents
Head to the kitchen for a solution. For tiny scratches in your wooden table or floor, rub vegetable or canola oil into the surface. The oil will darken the area and help it blend in.
Related: 6 Items You Can Use to Cover Wood Scratches
Whip up your own wood cleaner
It’s simple: Just combine the juice from one lemon with 2 cups vegetable or olive oil. Use it just like you would use a store-bought cleaner, and fill your room with the fresh scent! Use this on your furniture or floor.
A very light coat will nourish the wood and help protect the finish, but be sure to rub it in well so it doesn’t leave a residue.
Steal a secret from your shoes.
Does your wooden coffee table, dresser, or dining room furniture have visible scratches? No sweat! Use a similarly hued shoe polish to fill in the offending marks.
Deep clean and shine
Your wooden kitchen cabinets may look clean, but over time, they can develop a sticky film. To eliminate it, mix 1 part vegetable or coconut oil with 2 parts baking soda, and rub on the cabinets. Remove the paste with a damp cloth, and then dry with a clean rag. You’ll be surprised at how much brighter they look!
See also: How to Bring Your Outdoor Furniture Back to Life
Polish furniture and floors
Get gorgeous wood floors
Those tannins in black tea also work wonders to shine and richen the color of hardwood flooring. Simply rub on some brewed tea (keeping moisture to a minimum) and let air-dry.
Save flat beer to shine furniture
Stale beer is a great cleanser for wooden furniture. The next time you have flat beer left over, don’t dump it out. Instead, use it to dampen a soft, clean cloth, then wipe it onto your wood furniture. Finish with a dry cloth for an amazing shine.
Give old wood new life
We love the antique look of old wooden furniture. But sometimes “old” just looks, well, old rather than “antique.” Get wood gleaming again and smooth away any imperfections and scratches with an easy trick that is amazingly effective. You only need two items that you probably already have in your kitchen: oil and vinegar. (Yep, like the salad dressing!) Mix 1/4 cup white or apple cider vinegar with 3/4 cup olive or vegetable oil. Dip a soft cloth in the solution and rub on for a brand-new look.
You can choose to add 8 to 10 drops of an essential oil (we like lemon, orange, or tangerine) for a sweet scent.
Prevent polish buildup
Excess polish can leave a dull finish on wooden furniture. To remove it, mix together 2 tablespoons white vinegar and 2 tablespoons water. Apply to the surface and wipe right off. Cornstarch will also do the trick: Sprinkle a little on the furniture and polish with a soft cloth.
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