Build-Up on Wood

Sometimes a build-up of wax and polish can cause a hazy film on your wood furniture. The good news is that it is usually pretty easy to clean up. Add 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to a pint of tepid water. Soak a clean washcloth in the solution and wring it out. Rub the haze lightly with the cloth being careful not to get too much water onto the wood. Then, use a clean, dry cloth to wipe up any excess. If there are several layers of polish you may have to repeat the process. A white haze can also be caused by moisture stuck in the wood's surface. Try taking some wood ashes from your fireplace, and mixing them with a little water to form a paste. Work that paste into the piece with a washcloth until you see the haze disappearing. Then clean the wood off with the vinegar and water mixture. (If you don't have a fireplace, you could also try some baking soda on a damp cloth. Rub it into the spot and wipe it away with a clean cloth.) Once you've removed all that white film from your furniture, try polishing the surface with some lemon oil.

Getting Kids to Help at Home

Now that summer vacation is here I have some tips for getting your kids to help out at home! You need to think like them and put yourself at their level and it'll be a lot easier to get those kids interested in helping out at home! If you're kids are always leaving their coats and bags on the floor when they come in, look where you want them to hang them. Many closet rods and hooks are too high for kids to reach, put some lower hooks within their reach, so they can do it themselves. The same goes for their bedrooms and their bathroom. If you want things hung up, hang hooks at their level! Kids rooms get messy, but when you say, clean up your room it can seem daunting. The solution: break it into smaller jobs for them. Ask them to pick up trucks, then stuffed animals then something else until the room is done. Want kids to help with the garden or help with the sweeping, get tools their size. A small rake or broom will allow your kids to work along side without trying to maneuver bigger tools. Think your kids are too small to help with chores, think again, even those as young as three can help around the house. They can collect laundry, fold small towels and washcloths, set the table, and help unload groceries. I hope these simple ideas help you to get your kids to help out this summer!

Launry Prep Work

Prep work is an important step before starting any job; laundry is no exception. I have some tips to keep your clothes looking great and coming out clean! First, empty pockets and remove stickers and jewelry from the outside of clothing. Pre-treating is the best way to tackle stains in the laundry. This way you can treat specific stains with the right solutions and it saves time and money by eliminating the need to re-wash. Fasten buttons and snaps, pull up zippers and put hooks in place to avoid snagging in the wash. Tie drawstrings together so you don't have to fish them out of waistbands and hoods later on! Your clothes will last longer if you turn them inside out before putting them in the washer. Slip clothing like stockings and long underwear in a pillowcase and secure the top to avoid tangling and stretching in the wash. Easy prep work to get you on your way to some beautiful laundry!

Father's Day

I hope all of the Dad's out there had an amazing Father's Day! If you're looking for some tips to help dear old Dad - Check out my website www.mrsfixit.com or follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/mrsfixit! It's just that simple!

Top 51 Home Safety Blogs | HomeownersInsurance.org

Check it out - Mrs. FIXIT was featured on the Top 51 Home Safety Blogs!

Mrs. FIXIT on Facebook

Mrs. FIXIT's Official Facebook Page

Help Mrs. FIXIT reach 1,000 fans on facebook this month!

Undersink Cabinet Woes!

Between the inevitable leaks and the unending array of cleansers that you want to shake a stinky sponge at; the cabinet under your sink can get pretty disgusting, don't worry; I have some ideas to help you out! You can buy individual peel and stick vinyl tiles at home improvement centers for very little money. Use them to line the inside of the cabinet. They're sturdier than shelf paper, they clean up easily and they'll protect the bottom of the cabinet from leaks and spills. A plastic bucket or basin can serve double duty as a corral for all of those cleansers. Plus it makes them easier to tote around when you're doing your chores. Hang a wire mesh basket on the cabinet door, to keep your sponges and scrubbers in. It will keep them handy and the mesh will allow them to dry completely so they don't get smelly. A couple of cup hooks can handle bottle brushes, feather dusters and small brooms. To keep the cabinet from smelly musty, fill an onion bag with chalk or charcoal and hang it from another cup hook on the "roof" of the cabinet. Your little sachet will absorb odors and control moisture!

Coat Hooks

Lovin the new coat hooks I just hung in the mudroom - Check them out for yourself at House of Antique Hardware!

Picnic Tool Kit!!!!

Picnic anyone? Well I have some easy steps that will save you time so you can enjoy your day. Line a box with a large garbage bag and pack all of your paper products into the box. When you get to your picnic site and unpack, use the box as a ready-made garbage can! To pack charcoal, take an old coffee can and use a church key can opener to punch holes every inch or so all the way around the bottom edge. Then use a regular can opener to take the bottom off the can. (If your can has a paper label, make sure you remove that as well). Put the lid on the top, flip it upside down and fill it with charcoal. Crumple some newspapers and put them on the charcoal, to hold it in place. When you arrive at your picnic place, flip the can upside down so the holes you made are at the bottom. Remove the plastic lid and light the paper through one of the vent holes. This chimney will give you perfect coals in about twenty minutes! Just make sure you bring a long pair of tongs to pull the coffee can off the coals before you start cooking! Rather than taking up precious space with ice packs, freeze some water bottles. They'll keep food cold in transit and will melt over the course of the day so you'll have cold water all day! Don't forget the baby wipes! They're good for cleaning everything from hands to tables and even silverware!

Keeping your car clean will help it last longer but all of those car cleaning products can get expensive. So why not use things you already have? Make an inexpensive cleaner for interior surfaces by mixing equal parts of water and rubbing alcohol. Just spray it on surfaces and then wipe them down with used fabric softener sheets which won't leave behind lint. Sprinkle some baking soda in your car's ashtrays. This will help absorb odors and keep your car smelling fresh. Some baby wipes in the glove compartment are great for clean-ups on the run. or the outside, rinse the car down to loosen up all the dirt. If you want a cleanser that will cut grease and grime, try shampoo. It's made to clean dirty, oily hair gently. Mix 2 teaspoons into a 2 gallon bucket of water. Make sure that you wash with a gentle cloth. Plus, a clean dust mop is a great scrubber for the roof and hood because it will easily reach where you can't. Clean road grime off windshield wipers with rubbing alcohol. Clean cars made simple!

Looking for more great home improvement ideas?

Visit my website at www.mrsfixit.com - or check with your local newscast for Mrs. FIXIT in your area. It's just that simple!

Broom for Improvement

When you're sweeping a room, work from the outside edges in toward the center, this way you'll be sure to get all of the cracks and crevices around the perimeter. Before you use your dustpan, wipe it down with a used fabric softener sheet. Eliminating the static from the dustpan will help the dirt slide off easily into the garbage and not end up back on the floor or in the broom closet! When you're finished clean your broom. Sound strange? Well, think about it, you would never not rinse a mop or a cloth so spend a minute on the broom. I keep an old comb in the broom closet for quick removal of dust bunnies and dirt. Once a week of so, rinse the bristles under cool water in a utility sink. This will keep the broom in better condition and help it to last. Finally, never store your broom on its bristles, it will bend them and then they won't work as well. Hang the broom in storage to keep it in tip-top shape. It's just that simple!

Work Room

After months of being displaced I finally started putting the workroom together in the studio house - can't wait till it's finished I have a whole bunch of ideas for projects I want to share with you and I just haven't found anywhere to set up. Check back soon for pictures!

www.mrsfixit.com

This week on Mrs. FIXIT

Tune in to your favorite newscast:
DIVOTS, DENTS & RUTS: I'll show you how to fix problems in your lawn!
and
PASHMINA: If you have some pashminas sitting in a drawer, grab them and I'll show you how to repurpose as great home accessories!

If you don't get Mrs. FIXIT on your local newscast - contact the station and tell them you'd want Mrs. FIXIT in your hometown!

Mrs. FIXIT Home Repair & Household Tips

Mrs. FIXIT Home Repair & Household Tips

Looking for a really unique way to display cut flowers? Check out my iron tube vase stand - now on sale for only $9.99 (plus shipping)!

Construction Debris

I was just looking at the leftover peices of molding and tile and wood in the garage from the recent rennovations - I'm thinking I can recycle them into some cool projects! Hmmmmmm - check back.

Want an autographed copy of my Book?

Visit www.mrsfixit.com and you can buy an autographed copy of my book -

"Mrs. FIXIT Easy Home Repair"

Mrs. FIXIT on the Web

Don't forget to check out my website at www.mrsfixit.com!

Peel & Stick Vinyl Tiles - A Quick and Inexpensive Fix

Installing peel and stick vinyl tiles is an easy way to give a bathroom a facelift, but there is some preparation you need to do to get a nice end result! If you have caulk around your baseboards just slit it with an old pizza wheel.
Then, use a pry bar to remove all of the baseboards from the room. A tip, shim a plastic spatula or a piece of cardboard behind your pry bar to protect your walls! If you're planning on re-using the same moldings, mark each one with its location for easy installation later on! You can install these tiles directly onto your existing linoleum floor if it's sound and if it has little or no texture to it. If your old flooring is beat up or textured you have to use a leveling compound or install a sheet of luan board to ensure a nice end result. To determine how much tile you'll need, to multiply the length of the room by it's width. If you have odd nook and cranny, break the room into more squared off sections, figure the square footage of each and add all of them together. Vinyl tiles are easy to care for, stand up to a lot of wear and are easy to install. Find the center point in your room. You can use chalk lines to mark where the center intersects. After the chalk lines are down, check them to make sure that they're square. Lay your tiles out to map where they're going to be. Make sure that when you reach the wall you have at least half a tile to go around the outside. Then, just pick up the tiles, and you're ready to start. Pick one of the quadrants to start in, peel the backing off the tile and press it firmly into place. You want to start in the center and work your way out, staying on the chalk lines as you go. A quick tip: if you roll over the tiles with a rolling pin, you'll be sure they are even. To cut a tile, mark it with a pencil line, then use a straight edge and a utility knife to score the tile. Then, you can just snap it in two. Make sure your cut faces the outside, so the original edge will fit snugly against the other tile. I hope these simple pointers help you tackle that not so pretty bathroom or kitchen floor!