DIY Life

With a toddler and several dogs to transport, I feel like I can never get that lived-in smell out of my car. And summer heat makes it so much worse.

Does your car stink? Obviously, the first step is a thorough cleaning of the interior using a vacuum and fabric shampoo. Beyond that, however, I've discovered lots of clever budget-friendly little tricks for removing persistent odors. Try them out yourself ... and keep your vehicle smelling fresh.

1. White vinegar. Half-fill an open travel mug with vinegar and leave it in your cup holder for a day or two. Just don't forget and take a swig! Or soak a rag or piece of bread with vinegar and keep it in an open container under a front seat.

It seems that when I look at our budget, the greater portion of our expenses seem to be spent on food. Yes, we are self-proclaimed Foodies, so we tend to splurge on good things to eat. The good news is that there are ways to save money in the kitchen; your love of food doesn't have to break the bank.

1. Make a weekly menu and shop accordingly: Creative meal planning wastes less. You'll be less apt to buy things that aren't on your grocery list, and you'll have everything you need for the week's meals, thereby saving gas on fewer trips to the grocery store.

2. Use extra foods to make soups or stews: It's OK to buy that jumbo bag of broccoli florets. After you use what you need in Tuesday's stir-fry, throw the rest into a pot with onions, broth, some dried beans, and some seasonings. The result will be a healthy soup that you can freeze for lunches later. Some of my favorite meals have been the clean-out-the-refrigerator-stews!

Mmm-mmm. Fresh basil. It's so very fragrant -- the indispensable ingredient in a host of mid-summer recipes.

My basil is lush, green and ready for picking. Okay, I don't have a whole lot of it out in my garden; however, I'm planning on growing a lot more next summer. In preparation for that lofty enterprise, I thought it'd be cool to find out how the expert basil-growers harvest their beloved herb. Here are some tips I picked up:

1. Know your basil. There are lots of varieties out there, and it's always good to know which one you have, as the flavors vary quite a bit between them. Chances are good that, like me, you've got the most common variety: Genovese sweet basil.

We have notoriously bad luck with dishwashers at my house. The last one caught on fire, and after my husband, father, stepfather, and repairman each separately reminded me that I needed to scrape the dishes before I loaded them, I nearly fired each of them. Sheesh.

I think I take pretty good care of my dishwasher (yes, I thoroughly scrape each dish before loading), but after reading this post on how to properly clean and maintain one... well, I could probably be doing more.

I clean it regularly and run a cup of vinegar through it, but rarely do I get down in there and disassemble it to make sure nothing has gotten stuck. WikiHow also recommends wiping around the doors and in the "dead spots" where water doesn't reach.

As I said, I usually use vinegar when cleaning my dishwasher, but did you know you can also use Kool-Aid? (Be sure not to use a strong color, however, as it may stain.) Once your dishwasher is freshly cleaned and ready to go, you can get the most out of each cycle using tips and tricks from Good Housekeeping.

A lot of people sell clothing on eBay, and a few years ago, I was a frequent buyer. But I often found myself disappointed in my purchases. Nothing sticks out in my memory like one particular dress: I searched for it for months and was overjoyed to find it... yet excitement turned to horror when I received it. Why? Because although the dress was machine-washable, the seller sent it to me covered in old deodorant. Disgusting!

The more usual experience with unwelcome deodorant stains isn't quite as off-putting: white marks and goo on dark-colored clothing. Still, we all want to keep our clothes looking nice, right? That's why I was so intrigued by the following deodorant removal tips from CasaSugar.

They suggest two possible ways to deal with this nagging issue: dab the stain with white vinegar, then allow it to soak for 30 minutes before washing the garment in the hottest water it can stand; or soak the garment overnight in a mixture of one part water and one part ammonia with a squirt of dish soap, then wash it. Either process should remove the nasty gunk from any affected areas... making your black tank tops presentable once again.

My daughter loves strawberries. She opens up the refrigerator when I am busy and proceeds to eat them straight out of the container. I shudder to think what pesticides are going into her precious tummy because she chomped away before I could wash the berries.

Produce wash can be very expensive, especially if your family eats a lot of fruit and veggies. You can take the pain out of buying commercial produce wash by making your own organic fruit and veggie wash. All you need is a spray bottle, one tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 tablespoons vinegar, and 1 cup water. Put the ingredients in the spray bottle and shake well. Spritz on your produce, and rinse well.

The dollar store has inexpensive spray bottles, perfect for your new organic produce wash. If you happen to have an eager toddler like mine, who just happens to have an independent streak a mile wide, you can spray your produce as soon as you get it home, and no longer worry about what nasty pesticides might be ingested into their tender tummies.

[via:Curbly]

I've been extolling the virtues of Spring the last few weeks with springtime bath and body products and my festive green bath salts and earrings. Yes, Spring is exciting and everything is new and fresh ... except my house.

Probably yours too, if you haven't tackled that Spring cleaning yet. Anna has posted about the many uses of vinegar and baking soda for cleaning. These are two of my favorite cleaners as well. They are all-natural, good for the environment, won't kick up any allergies or sensitivities and are safe to keep in bottom cabinets if you have kids. Did I mention how effective they are? You really don't need chemicals.

Essential oils can be used in cleaning recipes with vinegar, baking soda and other natural cleaners to boost their effectiveness and leave a fresh clean scent around your newly sparkling house. Read on for recipes to brighten, degrease, deodorize and disinfect.

The other day I saw my neighbor using an herbicide to kill the grass that was growing up through the cracks in the driveway concrete. I asked him why he was using that expensive stuff (I think it was Round-Up or something similar).

I advised him to just use vinegar instead. Sorry, I don't recall where I first learned of this tip. I was doing some research on organic lawn care several years ago and ran across it. I believe it said that it was the acidity and Ph that did the killing.

This article on using vinegar as a herbicide says it's the acetic acid that's the active ingredient. But then it goes on to explain that common household vinegar is only 5% acetic acid, and as such, poo-poo's the idea that it's very effective. But shhhhhh, don't tell my driveway; it's been working for me and saving a ton of money!

Did you know that vodka has no scent? It does, however, have the ability to kill bacteria. That's what makes it the perfect antidote for musty smelling clothing that's been in storage. Spray the vodka on, hang to dry, and your clothes are as good as new!

That's just one new trick I learned in this article from Real Simple about surprising household deodorizers. Others include:

• throwing lemon or orange peels into a stinky garbage disposal
• eliminating freezer odor by wiping it down with a little vanilla extract
• soaking plastic containers in baking soda, glass containers in a mixture of powdered mustard
• using baking soda on rugs or furniture that need freshening up
• eliminating that damp smell from your basement by leaving a cut onion down there overnight.

Vinegar is also an important part of any homemade cleaning kit, as any loyal DIY Life reader probably knows. What kinds of tricks do you have for ridding your home of pesky odors?

I love the smell of fresh clothes still warm from the dryer, but then again, who doesn't? What I don't like is having to pay an arm and a leg for dryer sheets. I cut dryer sheets in half so that a box of 80 becomes a box of 160, but then that little half sheet curls up in the dryer, and the clothes don't smell as fresh.

Most of the time, I use vinegar in my wash machine, and it works just as well as liquid fabric softener to freshen and soften my clothing. In the dryer, I always pop a half sheet of Bounce, but I want a cheaper way to get my clothing static free. Thanks to Curbly, I found that way, with these recipes for making your own dryer sheets.

1. Pour fabric softener into a spray bottle, spray an old washcloth 4-6 times, and then put in the dryer with the wet clothes. A small refill carton should last you over 1 year.
   
2. In a pail, such as an ice cream container, mix one gallon water and one cup concentrated liquid fabric softener. Every time you do laundry, dip an old washcloth into the mix, wring out, and dry with your clothes. Put the lid on the pail and don't forget to label both the pail and lid.
3. Pour a 50/50 mix of fabric softener and water into a spray bottle, spray your wet clothes 3 or 4 times, or an old washcloth, then put the rag in the dryer. Basically the same as the first recipe, but less concentrated.
   
4. Mix equal parts hair conditioner and water in a spray bottle, spritz a washcloth, and dry with the wet clothes. I wouldn't recommend this recipe too often, as hair conditioner can be very expensive.
5. Vinegar with a few drops of essential oil misted on an old washcloth works just as well, and is much cheaper than dryer sheets.

One fabric softened rag should last about 5 loads before you have to wash it. Old pieces of flannel work great too, if you don't have any old washcloths kicking around. Don't forget to wash your rags every once in a while too, not only to remove build up, but to keep them from smelling funky.

Is it difficult to find enthusiasm about cleaning the bathroom? Are you living in a place that someone else rented or owned before you? If you said yes to both, try not to think about what may have happened in your bathroom before you moved in. Let's just get to making that place feel like you and your family or friends are the only contaminants.

Here are five inexpensive things you can do to make your bathroom truly feel like it is yours. Doing these will not make the room look new but it will make it feel much more new to you. You'll probably want to wear gloves for most of these. Absent from this list are the obvious cleaning chores that you should be doing regularly -- you know, things like scrubbing the toilet and washing the shower curtain every now and then.

My faithful kettle has boiled untold quantities of water for tea and coffee. I recently noticed it's getting pretty grungy inside from all that use. The culprit? A buildup of alkaline scale. Now, I ignored this for a while because I believed it was harmless. Then I read it's actually important to avoid a buildup of scale in your kettle because it can cause the element to burn out -- thereby landing you with the expense of buying a new kettle. Eeek! Who wants to spend money replacing appliances when the holiday season is upon us?

Anyway, I went looking online for instructions. Most obvious source: electric kettle manufacturers have preventive maintenance instructions on their websites. The Krups website is one example. However, the the best online how-to source that I found is WikiHow's "How to Descale a Kettle." Here's what you need to know: cleaning the kettle involves breaking down the alkaline scale with an eco-friendly acidic solution. The easiest way is to fill the kettle with a solution of one part vinegar and one part water. Let is soak, but do not boil the kettle while the vinegar is inside. Another tactic is to use lemon juice or some other source of citric acid. Fill the kettle with 500ml of water, then add 30mg of juice/citric acid. This time it's okay to boil the kettle. Whichever method you use, finish by rubbing the inside clean with a damp cloth that has been dipped in bicarbonate of soda. Finally, rinse the kettle thoroughly before using it again.

Slow drains are annoying, but they are also a sign of a bigger problem. If you have something clogging your drain it will only build up and become a bigger problem over time. Here are 5 ways to avoid clogging your drains:

1. Use a drain screen
   Hair and soap scum are major culprits in clogging bath and shower drains. Use a drain screen to catch the debris and clean the screen regularly.
   
   
2. Don't pour grease down the drain
   When you finish cooking, let the grease harden and scoop out as much as you can into the garbage. If you pour grease down the drain it will harden in your pipes.
   
   
3. Don't pour anything else down the drain
   Avoid putting any other chemicals down the drain. Even in a laundry room sink, you'll clog the pipes. Chemical drain cleaners can even erode pipes, so use them sparingly.
   
   
4. Clean your sink stoppers
   Pop-up stoppers can accumulate build-up and should be cleaned regularly.
   
   
5. Pour boiling water down the drain
   Pour boiling water down your drains once a week. Make this a regular part of your cleaning routine to clear the pipes of any scum and build-up.
   

If your drain does get clogged, try Heather's vinegar solution. If that doesn't work, you may have to go in to find the offender and tackle it with a plunger.

Winter is here for some of us, and along with the cold comes having to scrape the car windows every morning. That is a serious pain for me, considering I am height challenged. I have a difficult time reaching the center of the windshield.

Surfing the net looking for de-icing solutions, I came across some reader tips on The Dollar Stretcher. Sue was looking for some remedies for a homemade window ice removal formula, and just happened to pose the question on stretcher.com. She received some helpful answers.

Marianne says to place 3 parts vinegar and one part water in a spray bottle, spray the windshield and all the windows and mirrors before you go to bed at night, and in the morning you should have ice free windows. You can also use rubbing alcohol if you don't have any vinegar.

Vinegar is great on that pastrami sandwich, and it makes for a nice liquid in which to dip that homemade bread into if you're into Italian cooking. To those of you who may be uninitiated to the many household uses of vinegar, you'll love this.

Every few weeks, use a few cups to run through your home coffeemaker to get rid of any hard water deposits that turns that loving cup of joe into brittle sludge. Want to get rid of all those flies buzzing around the house? Set a plate of vinegar somewhere out of reach and watch it catch them like Mr. Miyagi.

And, there's more. Pet deodorizer and grooming aid, microwave cleaner, price sticker removal (we all need that one), and even sunburn helper. There's so many things that the eco-friendly vinegar can do it's amazing. Check out the full list and see what you've been missing.