household

Sewing Bags for my Linen Closet

household, Projects

I had been storing my bedding/linens in large plastic bins with lids. These were all stacked-up doing a balancing act in a reset in the hall. All was fine until I actually needed something from one of these bins. As luck would have it, the something needed was usually in the bottom bin. So, all the bins had to be taken down from the stack. What a back breaking task! I’d had enough!

This is where it helps to have a handy husband. My husband made shelves and really good shelves at that. Built-ins fit for a queen. (I’m the queen in this fairy tale.) Next came my part. I was through with the bins. I decided to sew lined bags made of linen. These I custom made to the size of the shelves and to the size of the linens going inside them. Some have zippers and some have draw-strings. Some are rectangular, some are barrel shaped which fit large comforters well. All are labeled with the contents with hand embroidery.

A drawstring ‘barrel’ shaped bag for a comforter.

Ah, it feels good for the linen closet to be organized at last! And, if we have an earthquake, I don’t have to worry about the bins toppling down.

As always, Happy Organizing!

Catching Hair Before it Goes Down the Drain

household

Drain hair catchers are important in keeping hair from clogging the pipes in the bathtub. But not all are of the same quality or work in the same manner. I have recently replaced our old plastic drain hair catcher with a newer version and what a difference it makes!

The old version was made of plastic and had grippers on it with the idea of catching the hair before going down the pipes. The problem with this style (for our household) was that it did not stay in place all of the time. Also, another factor was that it just looked gross. Imagine (if you dare) looking down to see a wad of hair collected at the drain. To top this off, if there was a big enough wad of hair in the catcher (meaning no one was brave enough to empty it) , water would start to build up in the tub, as the hair blocked the way for the water to go down. The whole thing, disgusting!

Bathroom Drain Hair Stopper™

But if one goes without a catcher of some sort, there is the price to pay of fishing something down the pipe to extrude the hair blockage. Again, a big gross! But no need to panic! There is a better option out there and I have recently added it to my tub.

So this version of the drain hair catcher, the TubShroom, works so much better. It actuallly fits down into the drain and collects the hair down there without anyone being able to see any hair balls. It collects in a circle around a mesh tube so that water still can go through. The top looks like any normal bathtub metal stopper only with holes in it for water can go down. This catcher will allow water to build up a bit in tub if one doesn’t collect the hair when needed. So one still has to empty the thing, but it is not as disgusting as it comes off in a perfect little circle.

Alternate image 1 for TubShroom Drain Hair Catcher in Chrome/Clear
TubShroom
Alternate image 6 for TubShroom Drain Hair Catcher in Chrome/Clear
TubShroom with hair caught on it

So, if finding oneself up to the ankles in water, I recommend giving the TubShroom a try. This is one of my favorite household products of late. As always, Happy Cleaning!

(Images of drain hair catchers are from bedbathandbeyond.com)

Keeping Cleaning Schedule Charts

household

It is very easy to get busy and neglect certain chores or forget when the last cleaning was done. To solve this issue and hopefully get the home back in tip top shape, I have posted a few cleaning charts. Here is what I’ve come up with…

My new HE washing machine needs to have a tub cycle run about once a month to prevent any mold, etc.. from forming. So, I have made a simple chart using Excel that I fill in the date each month when I have completed the tub cycle. The chart is tacked (using poster putty) to the inside door of my cabinet above the machine.

My vaccum cleaner is supposed to have the filters cleaned monthly. I know for a fact that it is not a good thing to let the filters go uncleaned. Again, I made an Excel chart for this and posted it on the wall in the closet where the vaccum is stored.

I saw in one of Martha Stewart’s books where she pins a chart on her mattress to tell when to rotate and/or flip the mattress. Great idea! I am not going to remember when I do this. So I made an Excel chart showing the dates the mattress needing looking after and pinned it to the mattress.

Yesterday, I cleaned the exhaust fan above the kitchen stove. Yuck! I think this needs to be done a little more frequently in order to prevent such a big cleaning job. Looks like another chart needs to be made!

I have also implemented this chart to help my son tackle his room chores. I made a chart that he needs to fill-in weekly for the cleaning of his room, his windows, and his bedding. This is tacked to the back of his door. I am not so sure he is as excited about this chart as I am though.

Cleaning schedule charts are a great way to keep oneself accountable for maintenance on household appliances and for routine cleaning. Charts can be made for anything needed to be maintained or cleaned around the house. Happy Cleaning!