 Donna’s discoveries and more time for reading_cropped.jpg) Posted by Donna MacMeans Aug 12 2012, 12:36 am While I realize we listed author Cindy Nord as a guest blogger today, she had to cancel unfortunately – which leaves you with me today But back to the blog – you might recall that I talked a bit about Scotland a couple of weeks ago. Well, that hasn’t been my only discovery this summer. While I’m no domestic diva, I did learn a few amazing “tricks of the trade” that have made a once PITA chore a much easier exercise. Of course, less time cleaning means more time for reading & writing (just in case the editor/agent is lurking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnBF6bv4Oe4 Discovery #2 – I’m fortunate in that my daughter cooks. We’ve made an arrangement. She plans the meals, does the shopping, does the cooking and I pay for the groceries and clean up after. Generally this is easy-peasy, but then she made gumbo last week and some of it got burnt on the bottom of the pot. Blech! Now I’m a believe in the value of a good overnight soaking in hot water with dishwashing detergent, but even that didn’t budge the crispy black Of course, you all probably know that a few drops of fabric softener combined with water in a small sprayer is great for taking wrinkles out of cottons and synthetics – esp. after packing. Just spray on lightly, soothe the fabric with your hand and the wrinkle just vanishes as the fabric dries. I hate ironing and appreciate that this works. Discovery #3 – Another burnt pot story – though this one was burnt grease. She was making fried calarmi that night. The problem with burnt grease is that it leaves a smooth discoloration marking on the pan. Routine scouring doesn’t seem to make a dent. I discovered that if you soak the pot in hot soapy water, then put a scouring powder like Comet or BarKeeper’s Friend on the burn like a paste, leave for a few minutes and then scour the pot, the grease burn will come out. It does take a bit of elbow grease though. Still, it’s better than a permanently discolored pot. Discovery #4 – Okay, this is more of a thunk on the side of the head. If when you wash and fold sheets, if you So those are my handy cleaning tricks from this summer. How about you? Any neat tricks to share? Let’s face it – we all can use a little extra guilt-free time with a book. What book are you reading currently that calls your name? Me? – I’m still researching sizzling sex scenes. Research can be a bear sometimes. :-)
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. I do want to mention that Cindy has sent an eARC of her new debut release No Greater Glory for the members only prize drawing that was mentioned in the newsletter. If you’d like to be eligible for the monthly prize bundle, just sign up for the newsletter on the Members Only page.
Nope I have no neat tricks that help in the cleaning area. I just always hoping to find a magic wand to the work.
Melody, maybe you can get the rooster to help with the housework! OK, silly idea…
LOL – I like this idea, Anna
Ha, I don’t think he would lift a beak to help. Even if I bribed him with chocolate.
Maybe you should smear chocolate on the vacuum cleaner. That might get him interested!
ONly in licking the vacuum cleaner! Eeeew!!
Ah Melody – You find that wand – you let me know!
You know – I think the reason I write historicals is that most houses had servants to do the housework. I think I was born in the wrong era!
Melody, if you find that wand, don’t let the rooster near it! Lord only knows what he’d do! (Congrats on catching him, though!)
Oh I hear that, Donna. But with my luck, I’d have been born the servant.
Donna, that fabric softener hint is fantastic! I’ll definitly try it. I do a lot of baking and getting the gunk off the dish is the worst bit – especially if it’s something like a crumble that I’ve reheated and all the sugar has gone hard and black. Bleuch!
Hey, guys, sign up for the newsletter – there are some fabulous prizes every month and there’s exclusive content. Next month, I’ve got an exclusive excerpt from SEVEN NIGHTS IN A ROGUE’S BED that you will see nowhere else. Well, you’ll see it in the book when you buy it but other than that, NOWHERE ELSE! Just click on the Members Den button the top of the screen and it takes you right there.
To say I was shocked when the fabric softener thing worked is an understatement. Hope you see a similar success.
Donna, that is the coolest thing. Also, I had NO idea about the fabric softner/water in a spritzer thing for wrinkles. I’m thinking how great that must be for travel!!
Huzzzah, Anna! I’m so excited for that excerpt!
Not to mention the BOOK!
I just discovered the pillow case trick, why didn’t I think of it before? It’s so simple, it’s genius! I have one: Any other coffee addicts out there? Hate those stubborn brown stains in the pot? Don’t want to scrub? Take a lemon, squeeze it, drop it in with a few ice cubes and some salt and swish it all around the pot. The citric acid combined with the scouring action of the salt and ice will lift the stain right out! P.S. works for tea stains too!
I didn’t see where to sign up for the newsletter, am I just blind?
Not reading anything at the moment, been writing and researching, yay!
Kestrel -
Isn’t that pillow case thing a thunk on the head? I can’t believe I never thought to do that before.
The lemon, salt, and ice thing sounds cool. I don’t drink coffee but I wonder if it works for other sorts of stains. If nothing else – the garbage disposal will smell sweeter once I dump the concoction
Darn! The newsletter signup was at the top of the page of the “Members” page. I’m not seeing it either. I’ve placed a help email to the other more knowledgeavle banditas so hopefully the box will reappear soon.
Congratulations about the writing and researching! As I’m preparing that workshop on sizzling sex scenes, I need to do a little less research and more writing LOL but it’s all good.
Kestrel -
The amazing Tawny Weber says the signup box disappears if you’re already a member – or – if you are already a member, it appears on the “writing cave” page. Congratulations on your awesomeness in signing up early!
Awwww, I’m amazing? Thanks!!!
Kestrel, I’m trying that on the pot, tomorrow! COOL!
And have fun with the research!
Donna
Some great ideas there but I don’t have any to offer either I do like Melody’s idea about a wand now that would be great I usually just scrub but I will be using fabric softner next time this happens to me and the pillowcase idea excellent but of course it would be an idea if I cleaned the linen press out first LOL.
As for the book I am reading at the moment it is Blazing Bedtime Stories Vol 11 with Rhonda Nelson and Tawny Weber’s stories just started it yesterday and went out last night and have been out today so I am really looking forward to picking it up very soon
Thanks
for the ideas
Have Fun
Helen
Helen, I hope you have a fan handy as that set from Rhonda and Tawny is sizzzzzzling hot!
Ooooooh. Now I’m sitting on the edge of my seat wondering what you think. I hope you like it, Helen
Rhonda’s books are always awesome, so I’m just gonna hold my breath to see what you think of the other one *g*
Helen -
LOL – the talk of magic wands just naturally leads naturally to Cinderella and Blazing Bedtime Stories. You picked a good one – well worth making some time for.
I didn’t know about the fabric softener so I am going to remember that one! When my sink starts clogging I put in baking soda and then vinegar. Works wonderfully!
It really surprised me, Catslady, and I’ve washed a ton of pots and pans in my time.
But the really revelation was the corn-on-the-cob thing. Who knew that a brief stint in the microwave would eliminate all that corn silk mess? I used to clean my corn at the supermarket so as to take advantage of their trash bins – but no more.
That corn thing IS pretty cool, Donna!
As to more time for reading – just wanted to say that I just finished reading a suspense by Pamela Clare. She was one of the authors mentioned as writing sizzling sex scenes. I’ll reveal the results of my research in a blog a couple of months down the road when it’s done, but can I just say – thanks for the recommendation
Hey Donna!
Love the tips! I’ve been doing the pillowcase/sheet one for a number of years. When I go to change sheets it’s easy to grab one set all stored neatly in the matching pillowcase. Hubby thinks I’m a genius! Who am I to argue?
Oh and here’s my tip:
Burnt coffee on the bottom of a glass coffee carafe. I don’t drink coffee, but I can tell when it’s burnt into the bottom of the glass pot, (This happens routinely at hospitals at night.)
So, we take salt and pour into the pot, about 3 TBs and fill with crushed ice. You shake and whirl it around for about 2-3 minutes. Repeat as necessary and eventually you have a clean pot!
Suz – Kestrel offered the same tip but she adds some lemon in the mix. Sounds like burnt coffee is commonplace. LOL!
Yes – I attest to your brillance (grin), I just hadn’t thought of the sheet thing before.
But did you know about the corn tip?
No, I didn’t know about the corn tip, but we just wet down the husks, then toss them on the grill. Poof, hardly any silks when we take down the husks! hehehe
This is how we do corn, too, Suz
Love it on the BBQ!
Donna, these are the BEST tips! Love the corn one. And the coffee pot thing – both with lemon and without – is fabulous!
I’m not a very good one for tips and household hints, so I’ve got nuthin’! Ha!
Love to read all these, though.
Good look with the research for your class too…woot!
LOL – Jeanne –
I’m not much of a domestic goddess myself, which is why I was so astounded by these simple tricks. And if it reduces housework – I’m all for it!
Loved your fabric softener story. I’ve never heard of soaking a pan in it. Nice tip! Also, thanks for reminding me that I need to do some laundry. I’m not reading anything right now. Just trying to get through proofs on Bewitching the Duke.
Oooh, Christie! When’s the new one out??
Christie – You know I love writing and creating stories, but it really cuts down on the reading time! One of the nice things about “having to” read hot sex scenes in the name of research is that it forces me to read – something I never had to worry about before writing LOL.
Goody, goody, goody on the new Christie Kelly release. Always something to look forward to.
What a clever post, Donna. I must admit that I didn’t know most of them. You must be a clever little homemaker!
We’re trying to save a wee bit on our energy bills this summer, what with days and days of 100+ degree weather, so I’m hanging laundry outside to dry.
Trouble is, of course, that no one likes his towels and undies to be scratchy, so I dry them and save out one or two smaller and quick-drying items, put them together in the dryer and run about 5 minutes. Makes them soft! And saves a bit of energy.
Jo -
ROTFLMAO at the clever homemarker comment – to say nothing of “little” LOL.
Man – I hear you on saving energy, and not just the type one has to pay for! These hot, hot days not only run up the utilites bill, but they just drain the life out of you. Fortunately the temps broke here. We’ve had three straight days with rain and highs in the low 80s. Love it!
Jo, things always smell so nice when they dry outside. I miss that. We don’t even have a clothesline.
Donna, reading this blog and the comments is like reading the classic Hints from Heloise. I have no clever ideas. If soaking doesn’t work, I soak some more. Or call someone.
The idea about sheet sets would be very handy for us. I need to figure out how to apply it to hand towels. The linen closet seems to eat them.
Every now and thing I read the Hints from Heloise section, but they never address something that gives me more time. That’s why I liked these.
Can’t help with hand towels, sorry.
I tried putting all the hand towels in one place, but that lasted about two weeks. *sigh* Rooting around for them when company is due is a pain.
I’m a basket freak, Nancy. Both the pretty wicker ones and the kiddie plastic ones (I inherited a ton when my kids outgrew them. I just tuck two baskets that fits in the linen closet, one for hand towels and one for washcloths. It doesn’t do the color coordinating for me, but it makes them a lot easier to find after the kids root around and dump everything else into a big pile of fabric.
Along similar lines – I have a problem with cloth napkins. I prefer cloth over paper when we have company, but we don’t have company enough to keep the napkins from getting buried under other linens. I finally collected all the cloth napkins and put them in a pretty box designed for photographs. Perfect fit. Put the lid on and put the box on my “kitchen stuff” shelf in the basement. The box is unique and stands out and I always know where to find the napkins.
I love the sheets in a pillow case idea! I’m actually having to force myself not to jump up and rearrange my linen closet right now, thats how excited this gets me *g*
I don’t have much in the way of tips, although I’m always looking for new ones to make things go faster.
Hey – you did your bit with the baskets (grin).
BTW – In my sex scene research, I”m reading a book by Karin Tabke. I see you’re mentioned in the acknowledgements. Small world this romance business.
LOL – Karin is a doll!!! Great choice for sex scene research. We live near each other and sometimes carpool to chapter meetings and serve on boards together. And hang out and brainstorm and drink and play and stir up the occasional lil bit o’trouble
Karin, not me. I’m always good.
Yep, that’s us! xo T.
Donna I hope you found something useful between mah pages! ^_~
Fabric Softener for burnt crud on the bottom on pots… hmmmm, I’ll have to remember that for the next time I burn jam…
But I wrote a blog post on this very thing – well, it was about uses for basic things around the house like vinegar and bi-carb soda…. here’s the link:
http://mozetteslibrary.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/uses-for-basic-things.html
I’ve had a few people comment on it and say some great things about it; and I’ve also learned a few things from them too. And luckily I’ve got fabric softener as I use vinegar in my laundry as a softener now seeing my skin reacts to ordinary store-bought softener; and it’s cheap as dirt too!
Great post!
I’ll have to tell Mum and Dad about the one with the corn as well.
LOL Mozette – that’s funny that you’ll be using vinegar in the laundry room and softener in the kitchen. You know – my husband’s skin used to have a reaction to the laundry when I used Tide detergent. I switched detergent and this wasn’t a problem anymore. Now I wonder if the problem was the softener.
Glad you can use the corn tip. I loved that – and it really works!
The way my mama taught me to get burned-on gunk off a pot or pan is to fill it with water and then boil the water. If it’s a greasy burn, add vinegar to the water to help get the grease off. Scrape gently with a fork or spatula to help get the chunks off. That usually does the trick. Follow up with steel wool if it’s an aluminum pan or cleanser if it’s enamel.
Also, fitted sheets fold up nice and smooth and flat if you start by putting all four corners inside each other. I love the idea of putting the sheet sets inside a pillowcase. I should think that would make them more compact too; something I really need with my tiny linen closet! Thanks for the tips!!
EC – Perhaps what we really need is a tip to avoid burning crud onto the pot in the first place LOL. I can’t blame my daughter. I know I’ve burnt a few pots in my time. Still I find it interesting that’s there’s so many ways to clean the crud off.