frugal tip :: cleaning

Stop buying Jet-Dry!  All you need is distilled white vinegar.  Just put it in your dishwasher in the area where your rinse aid would normally go.  I have been using this for a few months now and I must tell you, it works! I find that my dishes no longer have water spots and I just feel like they are extra squeaky clean.

Another plus to this is...its green!  No crazy chemicals or anything, so I feel much better when I run anything of 'lil man's through the dishwasher.  It only releases a small amount at a time so I haven't noticed any lingering vinegar smell in anything I have washed.

I find that it really ads up when you no longer buy all those expensive cleaning products.  Good ole vinegar can clean pretty much anything equally, if not better than commercial products.

Hope you are having a good day!  xoxo

monday money saver :: carpet rescue

Welcome to my blog and the very first installment of the "Monday Money Saver" posts.  I hope to do these on a weekly basis to provide you with great tips to save those pennies.  For my family, any money that is saved is put towards our dreaded credit card bills (hint: click HERE for a great monthly budget spreadsheet).  For me to become a stay at home mom we need to be debt free.

Our carpets are were bad, really bad.  The carpet put in our home by the previous owner is cheap and a very light color, and by very light I mean Grandma's formal living room nobody goes in.  Our carpet also has no contrast (I prefer the carpets with little fibers of different colors so that every tiny spec doesn't show as if there were a spotlight on it).  With two dogs, one 18 month old, and two clumsy adults, this carpet has been through the ringer.  I seriously thought there was no hope for it.  It had come to a point where I didn't want to have people over.

I have tried all the carpet cleaners, even Spot Shot which came highly recommended.  Nothing worked.  I used a steam vac, that didn't help either.

For a while I have had my eye on this.  Behold the Bissell Spot Bot pet edition.  It sits on top of the stain, cleans, scrubs and according to Bissell the stain will be gone.  I was pretty sold, but the price tag of $129.99 was way too steep.

Bissell Spot Bot Pet - MSRP $129.99

Obviously buying new carpet isn't in the budget, nor is installing those beautiful bamboo floors I really want.  I was becoming accustom to life with yucky carpet until I discovered the magical carpet stuff: 

The mix for my magical carpet stuff is: 

1 part distilled white vinegar

2 parts water

1-2 drops of clear dish detergent (no more than that, you don't want it with suds)

You can click here for a printable label with instructions for your spray bottle.

You will also need your iron and an old towel.

Just spray your solution on the stain and let it penetrate

Lay a damp towel over the stain

Using the steam setting on your iron, go over the towel several times

Remove the towel and your stain will be gone (note you may need to rub the area some and it may take two applications).  You should see a very noticeable difference.  For me it was magic.

Happy cleaning!