How to Clean your Dishwasher

The other day I noticed that my dishwasher was starting to smell. There was no food caught in the trap, and it looked clean, but it still smelled dirty.
So, I decided to clean and deodorize it!

Here's how you do it:

What you will need:
a bowl
white distilled vinegar

Directions:

1. Fill a dishwasher safe bowl with 1 cup vinegar.
2. Place the bowl in the bottom rack of the dishwasher, facing up so the vinegar doesn't spill out.
3. Run the dishwasher on a light cycle.


That's it! Your dishwasher will smell like new!

How to Wash Cloth Diapers

       Two beautiful days in a row!

        The kids were at daycare yesterday, so I spent most of the day outside; working in my garden.
        I cleaned out all the beds and turned all the dirt. I had planted four strawberry plants last spring. Thing spring, they were all over the garden! I ended up pulling 3-4 plants. I went out today to look at the garden, and it looks like I killed the 4 that I left. :-/
        Hopefully at least ONE will survive!

        I also washed all of our cloth diapers yesterday. Thing Two is big enough to fit into them now. Well, he has been for awhile, I just haven't gotten them out.

      

Here is how I wash my cloth diapers:

1. I let my diapers soak in cold water before washing them. Pee diapers I take off the baby and place right in the water. Soiled diapers get scraped into the toilet, rinsed thoroughly, and then put into the cold water.

2. Once I'm ready to wash the diapers, I ring them out and take them to the washer. You want to wash your diapers in HOT water in a large load. Use 1/4 the amount of detergent you normally would for a large load. Add 1/2 cup baking soda to the wash.

3. When your diapers go through the rinse cycle, rinse in COLD water, and add 1/2 cup white vinegar.

4. Put your diapers through a second rinse. 

5. Line-dry the covers or diaper shells. Put the inserts into the dryer.
You're done!

How to Fold Sheets

I am always looking for ways to save space.
Clutter is my constant enemy.

I don't remember where, but somewhere I saw this way of folding sheets.
I tried it, and love it!

Here's what you do:

Fold your fitted sheet as small as you comfortable can.
Fold your top sheet to match.
Fold your pillow cases, except for one.

Take the sheets and place them inside the remaining pillowcase!

Now, you have a little sack of matching sheets, ready to go!

          I use to just fold the sheets and throw them in the closet. Then, when I would go to make the bed, I could never find a matching set. Now, I never have that problem, and I have so much more room in my closets.