You might think this is no big deal. Surely it will come off the next time you wash your car. But guess again. This stuff is not easy to get off your car, especially if you leave it your car on for several days.

I’ve researched and personally tested how to deal with this and here is what I’ve learned:

1. The sooner you follow these steps after getting splattered, the easier it is to remove the leftovers.
2. Start with a bucket of hot water and plenty of mild dishwashing detergent. I’ve used Dawn and it hasn’t caused any problems with the finish on my car.
3. Hose down your car in the areas affected. This is usually the front end, grill, headlights, windshield and the back of your side mirrors.
4. Dip you sponge or towel into the hot water/detergent mix and rub down the affected areas. You don’t have to scrub but make sure the splatter is wet and soapy.
5. Give the soapy water a few minutes to loosen.
6. Using a moist dryer sheet, rub the splatter spots until they melt away. The fresher the splatter, the less you will have to rub.
7. Wash the affected areas with what is now warm soapy water and rinse again to remove the soap and splatter. While you’re at it, go ahead and wash the rest of your car because you will find other residues that will come off using this formula.

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So here are 3 ways to clean reusable water bottles.

Use hot soapy water then rinse well. This is probably the most common method. But there are other methods that can help with bottles that need more help.

Use baking soda. It’s a mild abrasive and a degreaser. It does a great job on dissolving dirt and grease and does a wonderful job at eliminating odors.

Use ¼ Cup of white vinegar. Swish it around, let it sit overnight and then rinse in the morning.

Save the planet – use reusable water bottles!

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Here’s an easy way to clean your oven racks:

1. Mix some baking soda and white vinegar into a paste that is thick enough to stay on the rack.
2. Place your oven rack in a large plastic garbage bag and apply the mixture to the rack while inside the bag.
3. Repeat the process for the second rack.
4. Let it sit overnight. Keep the racks in the bag.
5. The next morning, wash off the mix – or even easier, wash the racks in the dishwasher.

You’re done!

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The easiest for me is to combine 1/3 cup of bleach with a gallon of water. Put it in a spray bottle and you have what you need to clean up bacteria and viruses. Spray and wipe the hard surfaces as used and they have a better chance of staying germ free.

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So here are 4 easy steps to clean your keyboard – after first removing power from the device (just unplug it):

1. Shake it – turn it up and shake out the loose whatevers that found their way into your keyboard. Move it away from your computer and anything else that could be harmed by loose stuff.
2. Use some air – get some canned air and blow out the crud between the keys. If you can pop the cover from keyboard (but not the individual key covers), that will make the space under the keys more accessible. Use your canned air to blow away the foreign particles. You can also use a toothpick or cotton swabs to loosen the particles between the keys.
3. Use a vacuum – this will clean out anything that won’t leave voluntarily.
4. Wipe it down – Use some disinfectant wipes to clean the surface including the keys. Don’t use bleach wipes or you may cause some discoloration. A little isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel will work fine.

Let the keyboard dry out before reconnecting the power.

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1. Lemon is a natural scale remover of lime around faucets. Rub the juice of a lemon around the faucet where limescale has built up then rinse with warm water.
2. Sea Salt poured down your kitchen sink drain and you will help prevent a build up of grease in the drain and you will get rid of those nasty smells. It will work in the dishwasher too. Just be sure to clean the strainer in the dishwasher or the relief won’t last long.
3. Use distilled white vinegar to clean windows and deodorize kitchen surfaces. A 50-50 mix of water and vinegar is great for cleaning windows. A mix of 1 part vinegar and three parts water is a great way to clean your microwave. Just put the mixture in and boil the solution until the window steams. Then wipe away the stuck-on food.

I have more of these natural cleaners next month.

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First, some DON’Ts:

• Don’t put your wooden cutting board in the dishwasher or immerse it in water. Your board might crack or warp. Rinsing in water is OK, just don’t immerse it.
• Don’t put raw meat on your cutting board used for preparing vegetables. Use a separate board for meat.

Here are some DOs:

• Do make a paste in a 1:1:1 ratio of baking soda, salt, and water. Scrub your board with that paste, then rinse thoroughly with hot water, and dry. You can improve that paste with a little white vinegar and lemon juice. The white vinegar is a great disinfectant.
• Alternatively, wash your board and then wipe it down with full-strength white vinegar.
• You can deodorize your board by sprinkling it with baking soda and spraying it with white vinegar. Leave it on for ten minutes and let it foam. Then rinse it off and dry it with a cloth.
• Do clean your board used for cutting raw meat with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Spray enough hydrogen peroxide to cover the entire board, rinse it with water, and then dry it.

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Here are steps for cleaning baseball hats.

1. Thoroughly rinse the hat for a couple of minutes with clean water right in the sink. This will remove a lot of the surface dirt.
2. Spot clean areas using an old toothbrush with a mixture of mild dish soap or laundry detergent and clean water. Scrub the obvious stains with small circular motions.
3. Using dish soap or laundry detergent in the sink with fresh water, hand wash the entire hat. Swish it around in the soapy water for several minutes. The dirtier the hat, the longer the swishing. You may need to drain the dirty water and repeat the process if the hat is particularly dirty.
4. If you have a particularly bad stain, try using some diluted Oxiclean scrubbed onto the stain. But test Oxiclean in an inconspicuous are to make sure there is no color loss.
5. Allow the hat to dry but you need to provide support for the hat so it will keep its shape. Sporting goods stores carry hat forms that are made for this. If you don’t have one, fold up a towel or place it on a large can. A cantaloupe might be perfect as well.

I have also used the dishwasher with a hat form to clean a hat. But don’t wash dirty dishes at the same time.

These ideas are not intended for vintage hats. We can clean your hats, including vintage hats for you.

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Here are some tips you can follow for maintaining an updated, streamlined closet.

First, go through your closet and donate anything you haven’t worn in two years to a local charity. If it does not fit, why are you keeping it? Unless you are really planning to lose a few pounds, give those too-tight garments to someone who can use them now.

There are few things as satisfying as cleaning your closet and helping someone else at the same time!

• If you haven’t done so already, store away all your spring and summer clothes. Make sure they are soil-free and hang or fold them carefully. Be sure all garments can breathe while hanging in your closet. Do not store your clothes in plastic bags. Make sure the storage area for your clothes is cool, dry, and free of direct sunlight.
• Sort through your fall and winter dresses, suits, skirts, pants, blouses, and jackets. Determine which ones need repair, cleaning, or pressing. It may be helpful to make a chart listing item, color, style, state of wear, and any repairs or cleaning needed. You can take this chart with you when you go shopping to help make rounding out your wardrobe easier. You may even want to clip a small piece of fabric from an inside, unexposed seam of each garment and glue it on your chart next to the description for that item.
• If you have an old skirt that you love but is seriously out-of-date, consider shortening the garment to give it a new, fresh look.
• Inspect your shirts, blouses, and skirts. Are shirt collars frayed beyond repair? Are buttons missing? Are hems sagging? Vary your wardrobe by wearing different shirt and skirt combinations.
• Check your pants to make sure they fit properly. Remember, if the fit is tight, you will be uncomfortable. If possible, consider moving a button to make it more comfortable.
• When inspecting your jackets, remember that a great jacket can make an entire outfit. Check for fit – jackets should be comfortable – not cumbersome.
• Suits are an important work investment for many people. Check for quality when buying a suit and take care of your purchases to get many seasons of wear.
• Take all your skirts out and look at how many different colors and styles they represent. Are all your skirts straight and black? Or do you own only full, floral patterns? Either way, even though the style may be your favorite and your most flattering, everyone can use some variation.
• Coordinate new outfits. Maybe the jacket you received as a birthday present is the perfect match for those new suede pants. Coordinate several new outfits and arrange your closet in a way that’s convenient for you.
• Don’t forget to inspect your shoes and boots. Have heels and soles replaced as necessary. Remember that ill-fitting shoes can cause misery for your feet and entire body.

Using sachets for your drawers and cedar blocks for your closet will help keep your clothes fresh smelling, moth-free, and a pleasure to wear!

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Perspiration contains fats, oils, and moisture containing impurities that may vary from person to person. Using deodorant may help reduce a perspiration stain. But it does not completely prevent perspiration and may even add to the impurities deposited on your clothes. Perspiration stains may be invisible at first but with age and the heat of drying and ironing after cleaning can cause the stain to discolor the garment. An untreated perspiration stain on silk may cause the fabric to become weak and unable to withstand normal use.

In the case of a dry-cleanable garment, the stain can contain water-soluble impurities and which means if can often be removed by dry cleaning. We use special detergents and formulas to help remove perspiration stains. However, successful removal of perspiration stains is not 100% for every garment or every dry cleaner.

If you have a garment that you expect could have a perspiration stain, let us know because they may not be visible at the time of our initial inspection.

Your best bet to avoid perspiration stains is to wear tee shirts or perspiration shields under your better shirts and tops. However, proper cleaning should get 80% or more of these stains out of your clothing if treated when first contacting perspiration.

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