How to Clean Yellowed Pillows

 When changing my bedding, I started to notice the "yellowing" on my pillows when I took off the pillow cases.

It turns out it is a combo of sweat, salvia, oils and all sorts of gross things our bodies do at night.  It is especially noticeable on the pillows.  Note:  My pillows are the foamed filled ones.

I found two ways that work, it all depends on how big an area you are trying to clean.

If you have a smaller spot, or are willing to using some elbow grease, this homemade formula works super well with a tooth brush.

Homemade Pillow Cleaner

Equal parts:

Dawn dish soap

Hydrogen Peroxide 

Mix together and with a clean tooth brush, and circular motion, attack the stain.  Then rinse or wash the pillow in machine.

Best way if Bigger Yellow Areas

oxi-clean  (the powder worked best for me)

Washing Machine

Method:

1. Put a good helping of oxi-clean in the washing machine.

2.  Put machine on a "soak" setting for between 2-4 hours or even overnight if bad.

3.  Then fill machine with "hot water" setting and your favorite detergent.

4.  Wash as normal

5.  Dry in dryer

The stains were gone.  I had one bad pillow that I did a repeat of the process, but the other 3 came out super white and clean.  I washed all 4 pillows together.

I feel better using them, and there was no need to throw them out!

Pillows can get expensive!

Hope this helps!

Have a wonderful day.

How a Trail Camera Can Make Winter Fun

 Embrace Winter With a New Hobby!

I live in northern Ontario, where the winters can be long and cold, but also we get a lot of sunny days, which helps if you dress warm...  Anyways, I digress!

I love that in the winter you can see animal tracks, and I wanted a fun way to make this a hobby and see what ventures through my backyard at night!

My kids got me a trail camera for Christmas, and I have been having some fun with it.  I have been learning the best position and all the ins and outs of this camera.

Ignore the date, as I had not set that yet, but the temperature is right.  Yes, cold.   I just wanted to dive in.  I found a tree and strapped the camera to it, and got this fox on camera!

On some of the bad weather days, I have used it inside to see what my cats are up to at night, which is also fun to check the next day.  This has definitely become a new hobby, as well as a way to see if there are any unwanted critters trying to get in my house.  I will try the videos next.

Meidase Trail Camera 

 This camera is the one I have, mine is the PRO 60, which you can see if you click on the above link, and it has as you can see by my fox picture, night vision.  

I have been experimenting with having it closer to the ground to pick up smaller critters, so this has been fun.  It is waterproof, weather proof and can take extreme cold.  If I don't feel like venturing out to set it up, I use it in the house for fun.  I had no idea my cats were so active at night!

I set it up to only take pics when there is movement and then every 10 seconds, but you can play with these settings.  The garage is also another great place.  I discovered there was a red squirrel living in my garage.

So, my goal is to make like easier, cheaper and fun!  as the goal of this blog, and this definitely comes under the "fun" category!

Why not treat yourself and get outside and into your yard, and see what happens out there while you are sleeping!

Meidase Trail Camera

For under 100 dollars, it is a fun and affordable way to enjoy the winter, and see the wildlife safely.

Tonight, I am trying a different tree in the yard as I did see an owl last night!

How to Clean a Smelly Dishwasher

 It is funny to think, that the very thing that actually cleans dishes can get smelly, but it does!

My dishwasher started getting this funky mildewy smell, that was even worse when the dishwasher was going thru the drying part. 

It smelt like "heated mildew" and actually started to make some of the dishes smell.  GROSS!

I looked around and found this option so far to be the best homemade cleaner for the dishwasher.  If you do this 3-4 times a year, or say.. each season you should keep it at bay.  

But also check the filter in your machine.  I didn't even know my machine had a filter, until I looked up my model and found it.

Rotting bits of food can get stuck in the filter, or in the bottom of the machine near the drain, and this alone can create a funky smell.

Here is my best formula!!

Step 1.  Make sure the dishwasher is empty.

Step 2.  Check any filter (you can look your machine up online if you don't have any paperwork.)

Step 3.  Check in the bottom of the machine under the spray arms to see if there is any food particles.  Using a flashlight helps with this.

Step 4.  Place a small bowl with 1 cup of white vinegar upright between the cup holders so that it doesn't move.

Step 5.  Run your machine on the hot cycle.

Step 6.  When it is done, open the door to let it air dry inside.

This worked for me.  I had read about lemon juice and baking soda but in all honesty the best option that worked for my funky dishwasher smell was plain old white vinegar.

You can also purchase:

dishwasher cleaner online if you prefer something ready to go.  But really the vinegar did an awesome job.  If you do this at least 3-4 times a year, you should be able to stay on top of the funky smells.

Washable Baggies Save Money and Help the Environment

 I am guilty as charged..  Yes I do use plastic baggies for sandwiches and leftovers.  I do try to use the containers when I can, but it is easy to slip a sandwich into a baggie!

I have come across many washable ideas for baggies, and couldn't really understand how they worked until I saw one with a friend.

reusable baggies

Just click on the link to see a page full of reusable ideas for lunch!.

She said she loves them so much she will never go back!  This is an awesome idea for anyone trying to reduce their footprint on this world, and at the same time add some fun to lunch for yourself or the kids!

reusable baggies 

I had not seen these before.  I had heard of them, but never gave them much attention until I went to replace my plastic baggies and the price has gone way up!

I am now convinced this is the way to go, especially if you have a few lunches to pack with this new school year.  It also adds some fun to eating a sandwich!

How to Clean Outdoor Cushions

 I love the nice outdoor cushions you can get for your outside patio or lawn furniture, but they do get dirty.  I gave up on bringing them indoors all the time, and by mid summer they were looking a bit grungy.

I came across this perfect recipe for cleaning them outside.

What you will Need:

1 x Cup of Borax (grocery stores or online)

1 x squirt of dish soap

1 x bucket (to mix solution in)

1 x hard bristle brush

Sunny warm day!

Method:

Pour the one cup of borax into your medium sized bucket.

Add water from your garden hose or in the house

While adding water also add a few squirts of dish soap

Mix all together

Take your bristle brush and brush the solution generously all over the cushions and give a good scrub especially near the seams and edges where dirt collects.

Flip over and do the other side.  NOTE:  Its best to do this on a hard surface such as a patio, deck or driveway rather than the grass.

Take your garden hose and really rinse the cushions to get solution out.

Press on cushions to get out excess water.

Lean up against an outdoor wall or garage to dry.

Outdoor cushions are created from fabrics and inserts that will dry fast.  

Put back out on your furniture and you are good to go!

If you are finding your cushions still grubby, maybe it is time to get some new ones! 

patio furniture 

Borax is awesome for releasing outdoor stains. Something I was introduced to a long time ago.

How to Stop Meat From Sticking To Grill

 We have all probably read the dangers of using a wire brush to clean the barbeque grill, so I went in search of a way to create picture worthy meals that are not torn in half by sticking to the grill!

This is what I have found so far that works super well.

What you will need:

1 x large white onion

1 x large white potato

Method:

1.  Heat up your grill, and then peel the onion and then slice one end off.

2.  Take a fork and jab it into the non cut end of the onion and start rubbing the cut end on the grill quickly.  Not only does this clean the grill but it smells awesome and if some onion bits stick to the grill?... that's ok, as it will add to your cooking.

Now that the Grill is Clean...

3.  Next slice off one end of the potato and take the fork and jab into the uncut end and then quickly slide this along the grill.

The starch apparently helps to keep food from sticking!

 Propane Levels

Always check your propane levels before you start because if the level is too low the grill may not get up to the optimum temperature causing your food to stick and take forever to cook if at all.

There are tricks and scary ways to check the level, but I decided to invest in a gauge that you attach to your propane tank.  Plus I always keep one extra tank full and as a spare just in case.

How to Get Rid of Pesky Mosquitoes From Your Yard and Patio

 Mosquitoes are not only annoying and itchy, they can carry viruses and drive even the toughest guest back indoors.  

I love the summer months, but especially the evenings on the back patio.  But ever noticed if the air is still how quickly the mosquitoes move in looking for dinner?

I have tried all the toxic sprays and lights and candles and found that unless you are almost sitting on top of them, they simply don't work or leave a yukky smell.  

Mosquitoes Do Not Fly Well

I did some research and discovered that apparently mosquitoes are weak fliers.  They simply cannot stand wind.  Have you ever noticed they are way worse on those still warm nights?

If you love to sit outside in the evenings, by yourself or to entertain, then instead of handing out bug spray and coughing in those fumes, how about using box fans?

These totally work.

Set Them to Create A Breeze Around Yourself and Guests

You don't aim them at you or your guests and blow their hair and cute hats off, you simply aim them at the areas around your seating, and the mosquitoes will not be able to get close to you.

These larger box fans do not need to be on full blast, but just enough to create a breeze around your seating area.

They are a nice addition if the air is still and humid.  Perfect for the porch, deck or back patio.  I found these worked well and you can control the direction.

This way you are not actually on a killing spree but rather a "blowing them away" mission.  You create a soft breeze if positioned right, and you put off the mosquitoes and flies as well without blowing away plates of food or hats!

Enjoy the Summer!