March 27, 2013
Swept away by a funny looking broom with the funny sounding name Schmutz Haken. (VIDEO)
BUY RIGHT | When it comes to sweeping indoors, I prefer an angled broom with a dirt-catching split-fibre tip that can wiggle into corners (Vileda makes a good one). Outdoors, I want a broad brush that can cover more ground and sweep away heavy debris so I always go for a pusher, though I had no idea how inefficient most push brooms are until I tried a Schmutz Haken, the silly looking sweeper pictured here. Get the whole story »
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March 13, 2013
Here’s how to clear clogged drains without commercial drain cleaners. It’s simple science, really.
CREATIVE SOLUTION | Try as I might, I can’t seem to keep hair out of the bathroom drain, where it diabolically wraps itself around greasy soap residue to form stubborn, icky clogs. Since I dislike using harsh (and expensive) drain cleaners, I tackle drains first with a simple kettle full of boiling water,* hoping to dissolve the hairy sludge. But when hot water doesn’t dislodge the muck, I revisit my seventh grade science project—The Erupting Volcano. Get the whole story »
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February 20, 2013
How one Frugalbits warrior waged a holey war against an empire of evil casemaking clothes moths.
THE FIX | There are many beautiful species of moth in the world (like the Io moth pictured here), but the villainous casemaking clothes moth is not one of them (CLICK HERE if you want to have a look).
As someone who has battled clothes moths, and hopefully won my holey war, let me predict this: if you leave your windows open a lot in the summer and have lovely 100 percent natural fibre garments (regular wool or cashmere; silk; fine cotton—whatever) evil brown casemaking clothes moths will find them, they will lay eggs, and their damn little label-savvy larvae will feast on your Hugo Boss, Mackage and Missoni.
Here’s how I retaliated when moths went to war with me. Get the whole story »
January 28, 2013
What you need to know about eliminating the disgusting smell in your front-load washing machine.
THE FIX | Stink happens. If you have one of those pricey front-load washing machines and do not micromanage its maintenance, the chances are great that the tub will develop a foul odour and your freshly washed clothes will eventually take on the sickly sweet smell of pond scum. Get the whole story »
June 11, 2012
Get out the squeegee, Margie—doing housework may well be the way to improve your state of mind.
HAPPY TALK | We don’t need social scientists or surveys to confirm that having a clean house is a natural mood booster. But did you know that actually doing the cleaning may improve your mood as much as having a house that’s clean? In her new book, The First 20 Minutes: Surprising science reveals how we can exercise better, train smarter, live longer, author Gretchen Reynolds reports that a recent large-scale survey done in Europe found an “inverse association between housework and distress.”
Get the whole story »
April 30, 2012
What we know for sure is that these three ordinary household cleaning products really can perform miracles.
BUY RIGHT | Supermarkets everywhere contain aisles full complex and sexy (the Method brand comes to mind) home and laundry products all claiming maximum cleaning efficiency. Would that everything their manufacturers said about them were true. Then again, there isn’t much any of these companies could say about their liquids and powders that would sway us away from our arsenal of basic, inexpensive household cleaners. Why make a switch when every one of them is a miracle worker—every time out.—Team Frugalbits Get the whole story »
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April 11, 2012
Contemporary bed making requires a skill practiced by the military and hospital and hotel staff. Here’s how to do it right the right way.
DO IT RIGHT | The wedding cake bed—you know, the ultrafeminine one (pictured here) with a frothy meringue of duvet, pleated bed skirt and rows of European shams racked up against the headboard—may not be passé, but it is not what’s currently hot in bedding. What’s in fashion in bedding right now is a tailored, masculine effect, characterized by lean, clean lines and multiple layers of fitted sheets and flat covers drawn in tight to the bed frame. Get the whole story »
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April 3, 2012
Most of us are fastidious about changing bed linens, but pillows often fall by the wayside. Here’s how to keep them sweet and fluffy.
HOME SCHOOL | Is there anything more ewww inspiring than a big perspiration stain on your bed pillow? Or knowing that in the time it took for the stain to materialize, entire nations of allergy-inducing dust mites have taken up residence inside the cushion where you lay your sweet head every night?
While most of us are fastidious about keeping sheets and pillowcases clean, pillows often fall by the wayside. Here’s what we know about keeping bed pillows fresh and in tiptop shape. Get the whole story »
February 9, 2012
Premeasured dishwasher soaps are convenient but overkill almost everywhere—and particularly unnecessary in places where the water is soft.
WASTE NOT | When my four-year-old European dishwasher crashed a while back, I called in a repairman who made an eye-opening comment about my dishwashing detergent. “You use that stuff?” he asked, pointing at the Electrasol Dishwasher Detergent with Powerball Tabs I’d bought in a convenient 100-tab tub at Costco.
“Yes, and I love it. It’s so easy,” I chirped, citing a no-mess no-fuss defense and explaining how my dishes looked at least as sparkly clean as they had with other detergents I’d employed. Get the whole story »
January 5, 2012
The best device ever for removing pilling from fabric is on sale right now.
SALE ALERT | This is hardly the time to suggest that you rush out and buy stocking stuffers with another 354 shopping days left until Christmas, but we’ve decided to do a little pre-Christmas shopping at Eddie Bauer this week because they’re having a sale on our all-time favourite Christmas stocking gift, the Sweater Stone and we plan to stock up. If you’ve ever put one of these tools to work, you’ll know why we’re excited; if you haven’t, you might want to listen up. Get the whole story »
