Everyone needs a new idea occassionally!!!!

A few years ago I learned a few cost saving tricks to household items that, retail, costs a small fortune,. Now, I don't know about the rest of you but I don't have a fat bank account so I tried a few and some of them I actually liked and still use today.  Now, I am a huge fan of Dollar Tree and get a great many of my cleaning products there among many other things.  I tried the "recipe" for Febreze and I LOVE it and I can make a whole lot of spray bottles using one bottle of softner.  I used an old Febreze spray bottle....Febreze that I paid over $5 for and when it ran out...oops...no more Febreze.

                                                             "Febreze"


1/8 C fabric softner
2 T baking soda
Hot water....to fill spray bottle

Combine all ingredients and shake well and spray away.  The baking powder helps neutralize odors!!
Now....I triple the ingredients so the bottle lasts a bit longer. When it runs out then I just make up another bottle! So simple and Dollar Tree has several softner scents to choose from.


I don't know many who like standing up at an ironing board and I am one of those.  So I made a homemade version of "Wrinkle Free".  So easy and I've used this on all things needing ironing including my grandson's jeans.

                                                           "Wrinkle Free"

1 T fabric softner (I use the same softner I used for my Febreze)
1 C water

Mix well and put in spray bottle.  Shake bottle well then spray garment, smooth out wrinkles and hang to dry. Drying won't take long unless you saturate the clothing. Again...I triple and sometimes even quadruple this and make a big plastic bottle full.


When my dryer died on me I found myself using the laundromat across the street to dry my clothes...especially in foul weather so I made my own dryer sheets......


                                                        "Dryer Rags

I took an old ragged towel and cut it into about 4 X 4 pieces. In a large margarine tub I put about a cup of fabric softner (from the same bottle of softner I used for the Febreze and Wrinkle Free) and several of the pieces of cloth. When ready to dry clothes, squeeze rags out and place in dryer with clothes and dry away! When drying is done return rags to container for next time.

Yesterday I received an email giving me a ton of uses for WD-40.....thanks Linda Percy for this heads up. Will be out later getting me a couple cans of this stuff. Wonderful uses. Some of these I already knew but there are a LOT I will be trying!!! And now I am sharing with you all.

                             What is the main ingredient of WD40?

Before you read to the end, does anybody know the main ingredient of WD-40?  Don't lie and don't cheat.  WD-40.   Who knew; I had a neighbor who bought a new pickup.  I got up very early one Sunday morning and saw that someone had spray painted red all around the  sides of this beige truck (for some unknown reason) I went over, woke him up, and told him the bad news. He was very upset and was trying to figure out what to do....probably nothing until Monday morning,  since nothing was open.  Another neighbor  came out and told him to get his WD-40 and clean it off.   It removed the unwanted paint beautifully and did not harm his paint job that was on the truck.  I'm impressed! WD-40 who knew?  'Water Displacement #40'.  The product began from a search  for a rust preventative solvent and  degreaser to protect missile parts.  WD-40 was created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company.  Its name comes from the project that was to find a 'water displacement' compound.  They were successful with the fortieth formulation, thus WD-40.  The Convair Company bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.  Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you.  When you read the 'shower door' part, try it.  It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower  door.  If yours is plastic, it works just as well as glass.  It's a miracle!  Then try it on your stove top.  It's now shinier than it's ever been.  You'll be amazed.                            Some WD-40 Uses:   1.  Protects silver from tarnishing.   2.  Removes road tar and grime from cars.   3.  Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.   4.  Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them slippery.   5.  Keeps flies off cows.  (I love this one!)   6.  Restores and cleans chalkboards.   7.  Removes lipstick stains.   8.  Loosens stubborn zippers.   9.  Untangles jewelry chains.  10.  Removes stains from stainless steel sinks. 11.  Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill. 12.  Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing. 13.  Removes tomato stains from clothing. 14.  Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots. 15.  Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors. 16.  Keeps scissors working smoothly. 17.  Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes. 18.  It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor!  Use WD-40 for those  nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring.  It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off.   Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks. 19.  Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly!  Use  WD-40! 20.  Gives a children's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide. 21.  Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers... 22.  Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises. 23.   Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open. 24.  Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close. 25.  Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers. 26.  Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles. 27.  Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans. 28.  Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling. 29.  Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running  smoothly. 30.  Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools. 31.  Removes splattered grease on stove. 32.  Keeps bathroom mirror from  fogging. 33.  Lubricates  prosthetic limbs. 34.  Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell). 35.  Removes all traces of duct tape. 36.  Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain. 37.   Florida 's favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.' 38.  The favorite use in the state of New York, WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements. 39.  WD-40 attracts fish.  Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be  catching the big one in no time.  Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose.  Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states. 40.  Use it for fire ant bites.  It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch. 41.  WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls.  Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag. 42.  Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash.  Presto!  The lipstick is gone! 43.  If you sprayed WD-40 on a distributor cap, it would displace the  moisture and allow the car to start. P.S.  The basic ingredient is FISH OIL. Guess I have come to the end of the line for this one. Check back often. I'm trying to post a blog a couple times a week....maybe more.  And please feel free to leave comments letting me know what you think, what you may want to see in my blog or changes you think needs making! ALL comments are so welcome! :) Have a great day, stay cool and God bless!!!! Rosemary