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Rust Busting Secrets

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To me, metal furniture looks much more sophisticated than plastic lawn chairs. It’s also more durable, and will last you much longer. My entire life, I’ve had metal lawn furniture, and I’ve always loved the look of it. However, it does have its weak point: rain and rust. Now- one little storm won’t render your outdoor furniture useless- but over time, rust can build up. But even if it does- you don’t need to worry! Just read this tutorial by Lane Cummings at eHow and your patio furniture will be good as new:

-Spray the metal furniture with vinegar until each piece of metal is sopping wet
-Wait 15 minutes, then wipe off, and rinse with water- then dry

-Rub the rest of the rust off with a wire brush

-Sand off any remaining rust, wipe off

-Apply primer and rust-resistant paint

Photo Credit: Delwin Steven Campbell 

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Things You Didn’t Know You Could Clean With Salt

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There are tons of recipes out there for DIY, natural cleaners. Most of them use vinegar or baking soda, which works for almost everything. But, there is another natural cleaner sitting in your kitchen- table salt! Sea salt will also work for most of these. It’s a great exfoliator and will help you scrub almost anything back into shape: including most metals. Check out this post by Heather Schisler at Passion For Savings:

–Remove Soap Scum – Remove soap scum from bathroom tile by mixing salt and vinegar (about 1 part to 4 parts) and scrubbing. Wipe clean with damp rag.

–Remove Rust from Metal – Make a paste from salt, cream of tartar and water and apply to the item. Let sit in the sun (if possible) until dry and then buff clean.

–Add Shine to Chrome – Shine up sink faucets and other fixtures using a mixture made from 2 tablespoons salt and 1 teaspoon vinegar. Apply to fixture and then buff with a rag. Rinse with water and wipe dry.

Photo Credit: Karyn Christner 

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Spring Cleaning: Garage Organization

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Spring is just around the corner! It’s time to open all the windows, get rid of the stale air, and dump all the winter clutter. A good place to start? The garage! It’s an area that accumulates mess really easily. The pros: it’s a really big area, and you’ll have a huge sense of accomplishment. Plus, it frees up space for storage (and maybe even a car!). Cons: …it’s a big area, and it might take a while. So where do you start? Well, this post by Jenetta at A Lazy Girl might help:

-Remove the cars

-Take care of large items first- organize, trash, or donate.

-Work on smaller items- shelves and cabinets are your friend!

-Organize the tools

Photo Credit: Rubbermaid 

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Best (and Most Fun) Way to Clean a Paint Roller

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Paint rollers are really great for painting large areas at one time, but the second you set it down, they’re ruined forever. Trying to switch colors? Forget about it. Leave it out too long without washing it? Ha! They turn into hard, matted, gross blobs that are unusable. Or so I thought! Apparently, there is a way to get paint rollers as clean as new, but it’s a bit messy. This tutorial from Kelly at View Along the Way is amazing and life changing:

1. Without removing the paint roller from the… uh… paint roller tool thing (also called a paint roller?), soak it with a water hose.
2. Now use the water hose to get the paint roller spinning until the water and paint start flying off the roller like friggin MAGIC.
3. Continue until all the paint is gone. It’s seriously miraculous, guys.

Photo Credit: Gary Cycles 

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A Few Home “Hacks”

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Sometimes, the problem that seems the hardest to solve actually has a simple solution. It just requires some thinking outside the box! Especially when it comes to home organization and decorating. Even if you think everything in your house is well organized, these tips will still give you some new ideas. Check out this post by Skaie Knox at Home Jelly for some tricks and hacks to use around the house– using objects you probably already have:

–Use a shoe lace to keep extension cords tied together.

–Utility box birdhouse slipcover: disguise an unsightly utility box with a cover made out of bead board, topped with a birdhouse.

–Potted plant coffee filters: to prevent soil from falling through the drainage hole of your ceramic pots, place a coffee filter at the bottom.

-Adhesive hooks lid organizer: a package of self-adhesive hooks, placed strategically inside a cupboard door will keep lids organized and easy-to-reach (oh, and clang-free!). 

Photo Credit: Home Jelly 

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