I hope you find this interesting. Kindest regards, Vanetta
Plant a thought, harvest an act. Plant an act, harvest a habit. Plant a habit, harvest a character. Plant a character, harvest a destiny. -----Original Message----- From: I'm Not Martha [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, February 13, 2002 3:57 PM I'M NOT MARTHA - Friday, February 15, 2002 ------------------------------------------------------------ Subscribe to I'm Not Martha FREE! Get Lizzy emailed to you twice a week: http://www.shagmail.com/sub/notmartha.html <a href="http://www.shagmail.com/sub/notmartha.html";>Subscribe</a> ------------------------------------------------------------ Hi! I'm Lizzy!! and I'm not Martha!!! I've been focusing on my bathrooms lately. Sometimes things just catch my eye and then I'm like a dog with a bone. And I'm not satisfied until it's really done. I don't involve anyone else in my mini-drama. I don't spread the joy of it all. It's my own private battle unless it's about someone else's thoughtlessness or lack of thought...not always the same thing by any means. Some folks have no idea that there's a maintenance issue so a little awareness is required. Others just go blithely along knowing that someone else will do the dirty work...maybe elves! I think some people think that towels actually hang themselves back on the rack! Tubs, tile, and toilets are the news of the day! * Bathtub rings can be prevented! Just soften your bath water as you fill the tub. 1/2 cup of baking soda will do the trick. * Bathtub stains? Try a paste of lemon juice and borax. * Yellow water stains can be removed by rubbing a mixture of salt and turpentine. * Really badly stained tub? Mix cream of tartar with hydrogen peroxide and scrub with a good scrub brush. * Have you got old grody bathtub decals? They are so difficult to get off! And they are soooo ugly when they are nasty! Applying heat with a hair dryer will help to loosen the glue. The remaining stains can be removed by scrubbing with automatic dishwashing compound and hot water. * Or try soaking the decals in mineral spirits...sometimes I put small pads paper towel or cosmetic cotton round thingy-s on top of the decals and then soak with the mineral spirits... it keeps the mineral spirits on the decals instead of going down the drain. Use a stiff spatula or a popsicle stick to scrape the decal off. Then use cleanser with a mildly abrasive pad to get the glue off. * Or to remove decals, use a pre-wash spray and let it sit a while, then gently try to pull up the edges. * You can also try rubbing alcohol and prying off with the spatula or popsicle stick. Or lighter fluid but I think the mineral spirits route is the best. * Now you need to get the shine back on the enamel...a little car wax! Clean your shower walls thoroughly; dry; then apply car wax. Works just like it does on a car...the water just beads off. Lemon oil furniture polish will work, too. * Dedicate a sponge mop to your shower and you will never have to kneel to clean again! * Some people use a squeegee after the shower but before drying themselves off. I don't know...I just can't get myself to do it. * Make sure you leave the shower door open or the shower curtain open to allow the water to evaporate. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * To get black off an aluminum shower frame use automobile rubbing compound. * If you have buildup of soap and minerals caused by hard water on ceramic tile, clean off tiles with a rag soaked in vinegar. * Lemon oil will remove water spots on metal frames around shower doors. * Use a cloth moistened with vinegar to rub away hard-water spots and soap scum from chrome fixtures. Dry and polish with a soft cloth. * Rubbing alcohol is a terrific chrome cleaner, too. * Use fabric softener sheets to clean bathtub rings and to shine faucets and other chrome fixtures. * To remove soap scum when such as shower curtains, toss the shower curtain into the washer with a couple of large towels. Use white vinegar in the wash and add a little water softener to the final rinse. Hang up on the rod immediately and smooth out. * If your shower curtain doesn't slide smoothly on its rod, rub baby oil, petroleum jelly, or a bar of soap on the rod. * To mend holes in a shower curtain, repair them with shipping tape. * To keep a shower curtain from attacking you while you shower, wet it on the side next to the tub, plaster it to the tub, and it will stay there. * Save old shower curtains for painting or remodeling. Cut in squares to protect carpeting in bad weather. Throw an old curtain over the spare tire to keep suitcases from being scuffed in the trunk of your car. * For stains in your sink...especially rust...try making a paste of salt and lemon juice or a full strength solution of hydrogen peroxide. Leave it on the stain for several minutes then flush well with water. * Or fill the sink and drop in a couple of denture tablets and let it sit for a bit. If you've got small porcelain objects to clean, soak while the tablets clean the sink. ------------------------------------------------------------ * The best scrub brush is one with nylon bristles. It cleans and sanitizes well and has plenty of scrub power. Choose the style called "utility" or "tank brush." They have handles that will protect your hands and knuckles from scrapes, crud, and chemicals. * A smart answer to a multitude of cleaning problems is something you probably just toss out. Your old toothbrushes! They are great for cleaning the grout in the tile or getting to hard to reach places like around the chrome fixtures. I've got a small pile of them that I keep handy. * Be careful with bleach on grout. Never use it full strength; the bleach will erode the grout. Mix about 3/4 cup chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Always rinse the bleach off... VERY important. Oh, and just as a reminder...always wear old clothes you don't care about when you are handling bleach. You can end up with a disaster. * For slight grout problems, use white toothpaste and a toothbrush on the discolored grout. Works like a charm. Toilet bowl cleaning tricks... * Pour a little white vinegar into the toilet and let it stand for an hour or so. Brush and flush. * How about that Coke a Cola into the bowl trick we all have read about? Makes me squeamish that I drink the stuff and it can take the rings off the toilet bowl, too. Aaarrrggghhh! * Or put a few Vitamin C tablets into the bowl and let sit overnight...or at least 2-3 hours...and then brush and flush. * Drain the tank. Try a paste of lemon juice and borax. Let sit and then scrub. Then refill. * Many of you have asked for a repeat of the condensation on the tank answer. Drain the tank. And let dry. Apply a thin coat of paste wax (either car or floor) to the inside. * Place a sheet of fabric softener inside the bottom of a wastebasket for a pleasantly-scented bathroom. ------------------------------------------------------------ Another great tip is to collect all the last little bits of shampoo in an opaque (can't see through it) pump dispenser. Cleans hands, especially greasy ones, without making your hands dry. It's much milder than regular soap and made to dissolve oils. Or you can keep it in the laundry to clean those nasty ring around the collar stains on shirts! A toothbrush works well on getting the yuck out on collars, too. Well, have a wonderful weekend! May your bathrooms sparkle! Getting the towels on the rack is usually harder to accomplish. Lizzy ------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------ Questions...Comments...? email us at: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <a href="mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]";>email Lizzy</a> ------------------------------------------------------------ To SUBSCRIBE: http://www.shagmail.com/sub/notmartha.html Get more Fun and Amusement sent FREE to your email box! Visit: http://www.shagmail.com END OF I'M NOT MARTHA - Another FREE ShagMail publication http://www.shagmail.com Copyright 2002 by Pulse Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. Feel free to forward this, in its entirety, to others. --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.324 / Virus Database: 181 - Release Date: 2/14/02 *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Journey from clutter List Website http://journeyfromclutter.com Members Only Page http://journeyfromclutter.com/MembersOnly/MembersArea.htm Unsubscribe: email [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the word 'unsubscribe' in the 'Subject:' field to be removed from the main list. To Unsubscribe from the Digest version of the list send the unsubscribe message to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
