Thursday, January 9, 2014

Alternative Uses for Cat Litter

Cat litter has so many more uses than just keeping your kitty’s litter box odors under control. Here are several more uses you may have never heard of:

1. Use cat litter in the bottom of your trash cans, especially outdoor ones to keep odor and moisture at bay. Just change it out about once a month.

2.Cat litter can be a saver for you in the winter if you keep some in your car trunk. It can help your tires grip if sprinkled near them when you are stuck in the snow.

3. If you have smelling ashtrays around, sprinkle some cat litter in them to help rid yourself of ash odor.

4. If your refrigerator has a terrible odor and you are at your Witt’s end, try emptying your fridge and placing a cookie sheet with Maxx Scoop cat litter in it. Wait a couple days and the odors should be gone.

5. If you have spills in your driveway or garage that are oil based (motor oil, paint etc.), cat litter can help soak up the mess. Just sprinkle some on and wait for it to work its magic, and then sweep it up.

6. Stinky work boots got you down? Fill old socks with litter and place them in your shoes overnight.

7. If you have plants that are moisture-sensitive, adding a small amount of cat litter to the potting soil that you plant them in can help keep the right amount of moisture in.

8. Do you have mole or prairie dog issues in your fields? Wet some cat litter and fill in the holes. Most animals that dig homes hate it and will evacuate.

9. Dried flowers are so beautiful, but can be a pain to dry out beautifully. Try place a small layer of cat litter in an airtight container and then placing your flowers on top of it. Seal it and wait a week.

10. Antique items are fun to own, but often come with a musty or moldy smell. To get rid of this odor, place a small amount of litter in a zipper style bag and place the items in it. (This works great for books!). The smell should be gone after about a week.

11. Instead of buying expensive fake flower steadying items like foam, arrange them in some litter in a pot. It will allow you to set an arrangement up beautifully, and allow you to change it out easier as well for cleaning or making a whole new arrangement.

12. BBQing is fun, but waiting for the fires and coals to go out can be annoying. Instead, use some cat litter. It is also good to use when starting up your bonfires by placing as a base to start your campfire on.

13. Aquariums are a pain to maintain, especially if you keep getting algae. A tablespoon per 10 gallons will help clear up the problem.

 

Friday, January 3, 2014

Tip of the Day: Cleaning your Stove Hood

As we cook everyday, buildup is bound to occur; especially in places that you may not take notice of. One of my biggest pet peeves is the grime that accumulates on top of our stove hood! Because for many of us, our hoods stand taller than us, we tend to not pay attention to it much. For me, I make it a habit of cleaning this area every few days by doing the following:

1. Pour either vegetable oil or mineral oil on a cloth and wipe the area vigorously. It is also good to wipe down the surrounding cupboards or walls as splatters frequent those places as well! and can be difficult to remove if left for too long!

2. Once all debris is removed, take another clean, damp cloth and wipe down the area again.

3. Finish by drying and buffing to shine.