Hard Water Stain

Remove hard water stains in your bathroom with a dab of toothpaste on an old toothbrush. Scrub away. =0)

Clothes Drying

Stop-and-start drying uses more energy because the dryer has to warm up each time you begin a new load. Just dry clothes in consecutive batches to save money when drying. =0)

In the Kitchen

Try these tips to save money in the kitchen:

Install an aerator to reduce the amount of hot water flow used in the kitchen sink.

Invest in reusable microfiber cloths instead of using tons of paper towels. The super-absorbent fibers pull dirt into the cloth instead of pushing it around.

Cover half the holes on top of a scouring powder container with tape to keep too much from coming out.

Save $ When Drying

Separate dryer loads into heavy and lightweight. Lighter-weight clothes take less drying time so the dryer doesn't have to be on as long.

Also wash and dry comforters and bedspreads in jumbo machines at a self-service laundry instead of taking them to the dry cleaners. (Just be sure to check the care instructions first.)

Fabric Sheets

Instead of using expensive fabric softerner sheets, lightly dampen an old sock with diluted liquid fabric softener, squeeze out excess and toss in the dryer with each load. Even cheaper: Pour in 1/2 cup white vinegar with the final rinse.

Fight Odors!

Set out a bowl of 1/2 cup white vinegar overnight (where kids and pets can't reach). As the vinegar evaporates, smells will vanish. The vinegar (an acid) combines with odors (typically alkaline). They neutralize each other so you don't just replace the stench with a vinegar smell.

If the smell is in the kitchen, you can boil 3 tablespoons of vinegar in 1 cup of water. (Keep and eye on teh pan, of course).

Lavender

Try growing lavender in the house to repel insects.

Combine 1 ml of lavender essential oil into 25 ml carrier oil for multiple use massage oil. Use for treating painful muscles; rub this oil into the temples and the nape of the neck to treat tension headaches and migraines.

To treat lice, Lavender can also be used as a hair rinse. Simply dilute 5-10 drops of essential lavender oil in water. The hair rinse can also be used on a fine comb to treat hair for nits.

Essential oil of lavender can be used to make a healing cream. Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to a chamomile-based cream to treat skin problems such as eczema.

TRY THESE IDEAS AND LET ME KNOW HOW THEY WORK, PLEASE! =0)

Shower Heads and Decals

Having trouble with a clogged shower head? Fill a plastic bag with vinegar and fasten to the shower head with rubber bands. After several hours, remove the bag and clean off the deposits with a toothbrush and toothpick.

Remove bathtub decals by lifting the edge and spraying lubricating oil or cooking oil under the surface. Let the oil soak into the adhesive for a couple of hours. Then pry off the decal with an old credit card. Remove any remaining adhesive by rubbing it with more oil and a nylon scrubber.

Slow Drain?

Pour 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup salt and 1/4 cup white vinegar into the drain and let sit for 15 minutes. Then pour 1 quart boiling water into the drain and follow with tap water for one minute.