DIY Non-Toxic Dryer Sheets

I've been taking stock of all of my household cleaning supplies and reviewing how toxic they actually are.  I found a site called the Environmental Working Group that is stellar at helping you classify the toxicity level of both household items and beauty supplies.  

To avoid feeling overwhelmed, I started by surveying my laundry cleaning supplies, only to discover that my absolutely favorite laundry item – dryer sheets – were the most toxic!  I was completely bummed until I found a DIY project that uses safe ingredients I always have on hand: vinegar, essential oil and J Cloths.  J Cloth  is a brand of multi-purpose cleaning cloths and is very reminiscent of my childhood (hence why I still refer to them as J Cloths even though I used a different brand).

DIY: Goo Gone

I’ve been on a DIY kick as of late and today I decided to attempt a non-toxic Goo Gone.  I love the original for its effectiveness; however, the harsh smell typically left me with a headache.  This version may require a little bit more scrubbing, but gets the job done in the end – naturally.

Cooktop Scraper

Things happen in strange ways sometimes.  Just last week my BFF was over for our weekly dinner and somehow we got on the topic of cleaning our ceramic cooktops (random, I know).  He was completely surprised that I use a cooktop scraper to get rid of caked on food; dubious that it was even appropriate to use and insisting the cooktop cream cleaner was the way to go. 

Then I was perusing Quora the other day and stumbled across a thread regarding the best way to clean a ceramic cooktop.  Since the cooktop scraper hadn’t been referenced as a solution, it left me thinking that not everyone has been privy to the benefits of the cooktop scraper.  I had assumed everyone knew, as my unit came equipped with one.  Alas, such is not the case and since I so heavily rely on my little scraper I just had to share this post!  

Happily they are not expensive and are available for under $10 at Future Shop or Home Depot.  Rona sells a kit that includes the cream cleaner, a sponge and the cooktop scraper for just over $10.

The cream is nice and certainly does a great job; however, I must admit that I seldom use it.  Most spills I'm able to catch before it cakes on using a regular cleaning cloth and soap, but once it gets baked in I always reach for my cooktop scraper.  It’s easy.  It’s safe.  It won’t scratch your surface.  What more can you ask for?!

Happy organizing!

Tidy Tips: Shelf Liners

Shelf liners are a relatively inexpensive and effective solution to protecting cupboard shelves, and drawers for that matter!  Once installed, they will help your dishes breathe, preventing mold and the clean-up is really easy.  This tip is particularly handy if the shelves have been painted, the shelf liner will protect your glassware and dishes from sticking to the paint.

There are a few options out there, but I have been loyal to the Ikea Rationell Variera for quite some time.

 

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After struggling to try and straighten the plastic roll, I finally figured out to toss them in the dryer for a few minutes.  Super easy fix that makes the laying process so much more enjoyable and efficient!

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Happy organizing!