Archive for the ‘Kitchen’ Category
Monday, May 31st, 2010
Certain home maintenance tasks should be performed on an annual or semi-annual basis. Appropriate tasks for spring or early summer include ensuring that window screens and the cooling system are ready for the impending warmer weather, checking for water damage around the home or garden and performing a seasonal check on home safety equipment such as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
[credit: kaiton]
Inspect each window screen and remove for a thorough cleaning, if possible. Repair small problems or completely re-screen, if necessary. Consider switching to finer mesh screening in areas where midges are a nuisance. (more…)
Tags: Cleaning Tips, spring, WATER, Weather
Posted in Appliances, Cleaning Tips, DIY, Holidays, Home, Interesting, Kitchen | No Comments »
Monday, November 2nd, 2009
Stretching your food budget is not difficult. There are a wide variety of ways in which to save money on food. No special skill or equipment is necessary. Just get back to basics and give these key money-saving tips a try.
Convenience Can Be Costly
Avoid convenience foods and cook from scratch. Many packaged side dishes contain nothing but inexpensive fillers, such as noodles or rice, and flavouring or sauce mix. Save money by cooking plain noodles or rice and making your own flavourings or sauce from herbs, spices and other simple ingredients already in the kitchen. (more…)
Tags: Cooking, food budget, Home
Posted in Home, Kitchen | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009
A variety of non-toxic cleaning products can be made at home with a few simple ingredients. All that is needed for most cleaning jobs is baking soda, washing soda, white distilled vinegar and liquid soap or detergent. Optional ingredients include olive oil, lemon juice and tea tree oil.
Cleaning
To make an all-purpose cleaner, combine ½ teaspoon washing soda and a bit of liquid soap with 500ml water and shake until the soda dissolves completely. Spray on surfaces to be cleaned and wipe off with a cloth. (more…)
Tags: cleaning, Cleaning Tips, Detergent, home clean, home cleaning, Lemon, Olive oil, Vinegar, WATER
Posted in Cleaning Tips, Home, Kitchen | No Comments »
Thursday, October 15th, 2009
A worm farm is easy to set up, requires little maintenance and provides a great way to compost plant-based kitchen waste. All you need is a container and the right kind of worms. (more…)
Tags: Agriculture, Compost, composting, container, Fertilizer, Grass, harvest, worm farm, worms
Posted in DIY, Eco, Garden, Home, Kitchen | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 13th, 2009
Small kitchens present a special organisational challenge, as there is rarely adequate storage space for needed kitchen items. Creative use of the space that is available is the key.
Countertops
Regardless of kitchen size, the only items that should be stored atop the counter are those that are used daily. Keep frequently used utensils in a decorative holder. Purchase the smallest size countertop appliances that will meet your needs. Use canisters to house tea, sugar and other food items.
Drawers
A variety of dividers are readily available for maximising drawer space. Consider dividing deeper drawers into layers. Simply stack drawer dividers or use flat boxes with lids placed within the drawer to house less used objects with more frequently used items placed on top. (more…)
Tags: Cabinet, Cupboard, DIY, Home, home decor, Kitchen, small space, tips
Posted in Home, Kitchen | 1 Comment »
Thursday, October 1st, 2009
- Image via Wikipedia
Households with hard water deal with a number of inconveniences, such as limescale build-up and stains. Even washing one’s hair can be problematic. Many people with hard water complain of dry, brittle hair.
The calcium and magnesium minerals contained in hard water affect soap’s ability to build a good lather. Therefore, building a rich lather takes major amounts of shampoo. Each hair shaft consists of overlapping slates, called scales, which are similar to a roof’s shingles. On a healthy shaft of hair, the scales remain smoothed down. (more…)
Tags: Beauty, Hair, Hair care, Hair conditioner, Health, Shampoo, Shopping, WATER
Posted in Health, Home, Kitchen, WATER | 2 Comments »
Monday, September 14th, 2009
- Image via Wikipedia
Have a small kitchen and don’t know what to do with it? Don’t like its small shape and a tiny look? There are some simple tricks that might help you make it look bigger and more functional.
Lighten up – Use color to reflect light and make even the smallest kitchen seem larger. Paint the ceiling white and the walls in a light color. To add interest, paint cabinet doors a contrasting shade.
Let the sunshine in – Increasing the amount of natural light in a small kitchen will instantly make it appear bigger. Completely remove curtains and blinds or opt for just a valance. If privacy is an issue, opt for a half curtain in a fabric that is light and airy. Keep the window clean and clutter-free. (more…)
Tags: Home and Garden, Kitchen
Posted in Kitchen | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
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Splatters from food and spilled sauces quickly build up making your microwave look untidy and smell bad. Thankfully, by using this simple technique, you can have your microwave clean and fresh again. All you’ll need is a microwave-safe bowl, some water, and a washcloth.
First, fill a microwave-safe bowl with water. Try to use the largest bowl that you own that fits in your microwave. Place the water-filled bowl inside and set the timer for about five minutes. Watch carefully as the water heats and allow it to steam for long enough that it fogs up the microwave door. Once it is steamed up, turn the microwave off but do not open the door. The goal here is to let the steam soften up any dried-up food on the walls of your microwave. Without letting the steam dissipate completely, open the microwave door and remove the bowl. (more…)
Tags: Appliances, cleaning, Cleaning Tips, Cooking, Home, Kitchen, Microwave, WATER
Posted in Appliances, Cleaning Tips, Kitchen | No Comments »
Sunday, July 26th, 2009
We have all had that day when you open up your refrigerator and its smells bad. Sometimes it smells more like a garbage can than a fridge! But don’t worry, bad smells in the fridge are a common problem and there are some quick and easy things you can do to make your fridge smell even better than new.
The first step is to clean it out. Toss the left-overs and old produce. Remove everything else and get to work with some hot soapy water. Make sure to clean all the shelves, and remove the bins and drawers so you can clean under them. Food that spills in the fridge collects at the bottom where you can’t see it, but you will smell it. (more…)
Tags: Clean, Refrigerator, Vinegar, WATER
Posted in Appliances, Cleaning Tips, Interesting, Kitchen | No Comments »
Sunday, June 28th, 2009
Like any other room in the house, a kitchen needs furniture if it is to be used to its fullest potential. But to avoid clutter and unnecessary expense, several tips should be followed when going about the purchase of kitchen furniture.
• Gain an accurate assessment of the needs the kitchen can meet. When home improvement specialists are asked how to choose furniture, the first thing they recommend is knowing what the kitchen is used for. If used for regular dining, for example, the needs for furniture will be different than if no one ever eats there. Kitchen space-constraints will helpfully limit the owner’s list of furniture choices.
• Determine the budget for furniture. It is easy to go over budget when shopping for furniture, so there should be a firm limit to the amount of money that will be spent before anything is purchased. This budget should not be set until the kitchen owner has a rough idea of how much furniture actually costs, but once the budget has been established it should be followed exactly as it is written. (more…)
Tags: Furniture, Home and Garden, home improvement, Kitchen
Posted in Kitchen | 1 Comment »
