
Mix 1 teaspoon sugar with 2 teaspoons oil. Any unused cooking oil will do.
Rub well into hands for a minute or two.
Wash in warm water using a mild soap.
General Cleaning for Wood Furniture and Paneling
One of the first rules of cleaning wood is this: never soak it with water. Wood is porous, and applying water will swell the pores. Water can also damage many types of finishes-most of us have a table or desk with tell-tale rings on them left by wet cups.
While dusting with a barely-damp cloth shouldn't harm painted wood surfaces, any application of water to oiled, lacquered, or unfinished wood is likely to leave permanent, disfiguring marks. Opt instead for a dry dusting cloth, or use the dusting attachment on your vacuum cleaner to keep wood furniture and paneling clean.
Clean Wood With Vinegar
It isn't a good idea to clean wood with pure, undiluted vinegar-in addition to leaving water marks, the acid in the vinegar could "eat" certain kinds of finishes.
However, for polishing, a homemade treatment of half olive oil and half white vinegar can buff up stained and oiled wood finishes nicely. Simply apply with a soft clean cloth and rub in well. Blot off any excess with a second cloth.
For wood floors, add a cup of white vinegar to your mop bucket for extra grease-cutting power. Just be sure not to let pools of water stand on the wood afterwards, or you may wind up with water marks, especially on darker woods. Stand on a towel and "walk" it around the room to wipe up any excess water.
While vinegar can be safe, DON'T use other solvents like alcohol, ammonia, or acetone-these will damage your furniture or even strip off the paint.
Waxes for Wood Surfaces
Adding a shine to wood furniture, especially antiques or exotic woods, is as easy as applying some wax. Waxes made specifically for wood furniture are designed to provide extra protection from moisture, dust, and stains as well as a pleasing soft sheen. Even better, if you want to refinish your furniture at any point, wax will not cause problems.
Liquid waxes are the easiest to apply, and often dry quickly, but you may need to apply more than one coat to really see results in terms of both looks and protection. The results from liquid wax usually last up to four months, depending on how much wear your furniture gets.
Paste waxes offer superior, long-lasting protection to fine wood furniture. It isn't necessary to apply more than one coat to most woods, but the extra effort can take your wood from looking good to looking great. The hard, shiny finish given by paste wax is well worth your time for treating lacquered and oiled woods.
Removing Water Stains
As with stains on fabric, it's best to treat water stains on wood as soon as possible after they happen. Blot up any excess moisture and try one of the following home remedies, depending on what you have lying around the house:
" Apply shaving cream, leave for five minutes, and wipe up
" Apply real mayonnaise on a cloth. Let rest on the stain for up to ten minutes, and wipe off
" Gently apply metal cleaner. Leave for five minutes and wipe away excess
The Instructions:
Mix the grated apple and mix with honey to make a mask. Smooth over skin then let sit for 10 minutes, rinse off with cool water.
Here's a useful tip.
To stop hair dye from dripping onto your face/forehead, wipe vaseline or lip balm all along your hairline. For even more prevention, you can stick some cotton buds directly onto the vaseline. It catches all the dye.
Among the many changes that occur during the pregnancy months of the female is the swelling of feet. The whole feet may swell up, or just some parts like the ankles or the shins may swell.
Swelling of the feet generally starts becoming apparent during the fifth month of the pregnancy, though this time limit can vary from one woman to another. It occurs due to the accumulation of fluids in the feet of the woman. Swelling of the feet can be painful to some women, due to which they may not be able to move about or do their normal work as the months pass on. In some women, the swelling of the feet is very temporary; it subsides when the woman takes rest for a while, or massages the feet.
This article tells some of the home remedies you can use when pregnant to prevent the swelling of feet.Simple Remedies to Prevent and Treat Swelling of Feet during Pregnancy
#Drink a lot of water when you are pregnant. You must drink at least six to eight glasses of water per day. Water is the most natural therapy to flush out the excess toxins from the body. Thus, the water will expel all the toxic fluids of the body which would otherwise settle in the feet and cause them to swell. Drinking a lot of water could increase the frequency of urination in pregnant women, but that is actually a good sign, as urination is a way to expel the wastes from the body.
#Avoid remaining in a standing position for long periods of time. This gives direct access for the fluids to enter into the lower parts of the body and cause the feet to swell up.
#Hot temperatures are not good during pregnancy. Hot temperatures can reduce the water content of the body, due to which the proportion of the fluids increase proportionately in the body. Therefore, going out when there is a hot climate must be avoided as much as possible.
#It is a misconception that swelling of feet during pregnancy is caused by excessive intake of salty foods. Though over-intake of salt is definitely not good, eliminating salt totally from the diet also does not help. Salt must be taken in moderation.The same idea applies to spicy foods also.
#Keep your diet well-balanced. This is extremely important for a pregnant woman. If the diet is deficient in any kind of food, or if the woman takes the wrong kind of food, then there is more chance of undigested toxic wastes accumulating in the body, and causing the feet to swell.
#Do not wear tight trousers or jeans when you are pregnant, as this would increase the pressure on the legs. Instead, you could wear somewhat loose stockings or pantyhose to give good support to the feet.
#While sleeping, try to change your position frequently. Lying in a single position for a long time will increase the pressure on one side of the body and increase the chances of the feet getting swollen up. You can put some elevated support for the feet, such as propping them up on cushions or pillows, so that the fluid does not accumulate into the feet region.
#Here’s a recipe for preventing the swelling of feet during pregnancy. Take two cups of water and add a teaspoonful of palm sugar in it. Add two teaspoons of fennel seeds to it. Boil this mixture, till the volume reduces to half; i.e. only one cupful of water is left. Drink this mixture thrice in a day. It will help protect the feet from getting swollen.
#Add a few tablespoons of coriander in two cups of water. Boil this mixture till it reduces to half its quantity, i.e. to one cup. Drink this coriander decoction thrice in a day. It will prevent from swelling of feet during pregnancy. In order to improve the taste, you can add sugar and milk to it, so that it becomes like a herbal tea.
#The most important thing to prevent feet from swelling up during pregnancy is to keep them exercised often. Pregnant women tend to reduce their normal activities in the fear that it would harm the fetus. But in fact, the opposite is true. Walking for half an hour per day is ideal. Keep your feet moving about. This is a very sure way of preventing the accumulation of fluids in the feet.
#While sitting, do not press your legs by crossing them. Keep them free and separated so that there is no undue pressure on them.
1. Write. If you've never gotten in the habits on putting your thoughts on paper, start now. Keep a pad and pen next to your nightstand, next to your coffee pot, in your bathroom, on your kitchen counter, and on your coffee table. When you have a predominate feeling, write it down. Pissed off? Write it down. Feeling blue? Write it down. Feeling anxious? Write it down. What were you thinking about when this feeling came up? What part of your body did it come from? What does it make you feel like doing? Write it down.
2. Visualize. Let's say you just had a passing thought of how your ex-wife screamed at you two days ago (in front of your son). Okay, you have her picture in your mind, and your son is there next to you, wincing on cue-like father, like son. Change the face of your ex-wife. Put in Santa's face instead. He got the white beard, the big ruby cheeks, the bright red hat with the puffy ball-the whole shebang. Instead of your ex's sweet raspy voice, you hear Santa joyfully ask you and your son what would make you happy. Santa says, "You name it, you got!" Cut to you and your boy-excited with anticipation.
3. Breathe. Once you have wiggled your way to a happier state of mind, breathe. Breathe deeply three or four times. Focus on you're the breath coming in and your tummy rising. Breathe out, focusing on your body decompressing. Allow you breath to get to a normal, even place so that it feels balanced. Notice an energy moving and swirling inside you like magical fireflies dancing in the night, and experience the sensation it brings.
4. Meditate. Allow whatever thoughts you have to be there. If Santa is still there, that's great. If your ex-wife reappeared, so be it. Don't judge the blips of flashing thoughts, simply observe them as if you were on the bleachers at a football game. Know that you have no control over what happens on the field in front of you. Begin to see that there are really no good or bad actions, only different ones. Enjoy the variety and contrast-it makes for an enjoyable game.
5. Practice this new perspective in the real world. By this time you have your eyes open, and there is no Santa, and no ex-wife in front of you. Your thoughts are still moving in and out of your consciousness, but you do not feel controlled by them. Your problems have not disappeared but you start to look at them in a new way. You do not allow yourself to become emotionally reactive to events that take place. You tackle your problems objectively, like a surgeon removing cancerous matter from an open body. Your dispassionate focus allows your mind to be clear of unnecessary, disparaging thoughts and emotions. Through this clear lens, problems become challenges, and challenges become opportunities for learning. When a so-called problem now arises, you welcome it. Wisdom is one step closer. Now you accept this challenge as a zen gift-simple and wrapped in an expected way.
The steps listed above may seem a bit simplistic. They are in a way, but what makes them challenging is that they need to be done consistently, every day, throughout the day. There are no easy answers, and no quick fixes to dealing with chaotic events. A life of greater ease is open to those who possess wisdom and patience-it's a good thing you were created with these wonderful qualities. Remember that you are made from divine energy, pure source, our inner source. All you have to do is be open, and let it flow.
a. First the elbows and knees should be massaged with cleansing cream and then tissued off. These should then be worked with a pumice stone and water whilst you are in the bath and then rubbed with sea salt or an oatmeal and bran, or with sugar mixed with a little vegetable oil. You should then rinse well.
b. Following the bath, a cut lemon should be rubbed over the elbows and knees and the juice allowed to dry.
c. The areas should then be massaged well using body lotion or hand cream.
You can do this treatment once a week or once a month, but in between times you should ensure to pumice and massage with hand cream or body lotion.
Mix all ingredients together and voila, you can take a shower and use all over your body, and wash with warm water. It leaves towels a bit dirty but it works great.
Table Salt
Salt's granular texture makes it perfectly suited for scouring. Table salt, sea salt, and kosher salt can all be used, but table salt is the cheapest choice.
Use It to Clean Your…
Artificial flowers: Place the fake blooms inside a paper bag and pour in salt. Close the bag and shake vigorously. The salt will dislodge accumulated dust and dirt.
Glassware: Salt won't scratch the way a scouring pad can. To get out stubborn stains, add some salt for extra abrasion and scrub.
Greasy pots and pans: Sprinkle salt on cookware to absorb excess grease. Dump out the salt before washing as usual. (Not recommended for nonstick cookware.)
Spills in the oven: If that casserole bubbles over as you take it out of the oven, pour salt on the spill to soak it up. When the oven is cool, wipe with a damp sponge.
Stained teacups and coffee mugs: Sprinkle salt on the outside of a lemon peel; rub the affected area till clean.
Wooden counters and tables: Cover grease splatters with salt to absorb as much as possible. Wait an hour, then brush away the salt.
Use It to Clean Your…
Acrylic accessories (such as desktop organizers): Squeeze toothpaste onto a toothbrush and work it into scratches until they diminish. Wipe residue off with a cloth.
Chrome fixtures: To polish faucets and taps in the kitchen or bathroom, smear a dime-size amount of toothpaste onto them, then buff with a soft cloth until they shine.
Scuffed linoleum: Reduce marks by scrubbing them with toothpaste and a dry cloth until no toothpaste residue remains.
Piano keys: Rub each key carefully with a damp cotton swab and a dollop of toothpaste. Wipe dry and buff with a clean cloth.
Tarnished silverware: Put a dab of toothpaste on a soft cloth, rub it onto the tarnish, then rinse with water and dry with a clean cloth.
Steam iron: Mineral deposits can stain an iron's soleplate. Apply a dab of toothpaste and work it into the plate. Use a clean cloth to remove residue.
Use Them to Clean Your…
Can opener: Dip a toothbrush in a paste of 2 tablespoons baking soda and 1 teaspoon water and use it to dislodge gunk.
Garage floors (and other concrete surfaces): Pour washing soda generously on oil and grease spots and sprinkle with water until a paste forms. Let stand overnight. The next day, scrub with a damp brush, hose down, and wipe clean.
Garden tools: Dip a moist stiff-bristled brush in washing soda to scrub trimmers, clippers, and more. Rinse, then place in a sunny area to dry. (Don't use washing soda on aluminum tools.)
Grills and barbecue utensils: To combat tough grease stains, dip a moist stiff- bristled brush in washing soda and scrub away.
Stove burner grates: In a dishpan, soak them in 1 gallon warm water and 1/2 cup washing soda for 30 minutes. Rinse and dry.
Stained teacups and coffee mugs: Fill with 1 part baking soda and 2 parts water and soak overnight; rub with a sponge and rinse.
Upholstered furniture: To remove odors, sprinkle baking soda on the fabric, then vacuum.
Scuffed walls: Erase crayon marks by applying a baking-soda paste (equal parts baking soda and water) to white painted walls (baking soda may dull colored walls). Let dry before brushing it off with a clean cloth.
Use It to Clean Your…
Coffeemaker: Pour equal parts vinegar and water into the machine's water chamber, then switch on the brew cycle. Halfway through, turn off the coffeemaker and let the solution sit for about an hour. Turn it on again to complete the cycle, then run several cycles with clean water.
Dishwasher: To disinfect the interior of the machine, pour 1/2 cup vinegar into the reservoir and run an empty cycle, says Hunter. Or place a small bowl filled with vinegar on the bottom rack and run an empty cycle.
Drains: Clean drains―and the pipes they're attached to―by pouring vinegar down them. After 30 minutes, flush with cold water.
Floors: Add 1/4 cup vinegar to a bucket of warm water to clean almost any type of floor except marble (vinegar can scratch it) or wood (vinegar can strip it).
Glassware: For spotless hand-washed glasses, add 1 cup vinegar to the rinse water.
Moldy walls: Spray vinegar on the affected areas. After about 15 minutes, rinse and let dry thoroughly.
Showerheads: To combat mineral deposits, pour vinegar into a plastic grocery bag and knot the handles over the neck of the showerhead, securing with rubber bands. Let soak overnight. Rinse with water in the morning.
Steam iron: To get rid of mineral deposits, fill the iron with equal parts vinegar and water; press the steam button. Turn off, let cool, empty, and rinse.
Windows: Mix 1/4 cup vinegar, 2 cups water, and a squirt of liquid Castile soap in a spray bottle. Spritz windows and wipe with a sheet of newspaper.
Use It to Clean Your…
Baseboards, countertops, and walls: Dissolve 1/2 cup borax in 1 gallon hot water and pour the solution into a spray bottle (which you can store for later use). Spritz generously, wipe down with a damp cloth, and let air-dry.
China (including hand painted): Soak china in a dishpan filled with warm water and 1/2 cup borax; rinse well.
Dishwasher: If the machine is smelling like last night's chicken cacciatore, sprinkle borax in the bottom, let it sit overnight, then wipe down with a damp sponge. No need to rinse; just run the next load.
Pots and pans: Rub borax into cookware with a damp sponge; rinse well.
Toilet: Pour borax in the bowl and let it sit overnight. Swish the bowl a few times with a toilet brush and flush the next day. Borax really gets rid of rust stains.Use Them to Clean Your…
Cast-iron pans: Make a scrubbing paste with vegetable oil and a teaspoon of coarse salt to combat cooked-on debris, then rinse with hot water.
Hands: To get paint off your skin, rub with vegetable oil, then wash thoroughly with soap.
Leather shoes: Wipe away dirt with a damp sponge, then apply a drop of vegetable oil to a soft cloth and rub the surface to remove scuff marks. Buff the shoes with a chamois to a shine.
Rattan and wicker furniture: To prevent rattan and wicker from drying or cracking, lightly brush them with vegetable or sunflower oil and gently rub in with a cloth. Warm the oil on the stove first to thin it and make it easier to apply.
Stainless-steel surfaces: For extra sparkle, pour olive oil onto a cloth and buff.
Wood furniture: Make your own polish by mixing 2 cups olive or vegetable oil with the juice of 1 lemon; work it in with a soft cloth. To smooth out scratches in light-colored wood, rub them with a solution of equal parts olive or vegetable oil and lemon juice.
Lemons
The acid in lemon juice removes dirt and rust stains. It's especially effective when mixed with salt, which makes "an excellent scouring paste.Use Them to Clean Your…
Countertops: Dip the cut side of a lemon half in baking soda to tackle countertops; wipe with a wet sponge and dry. Don't use on delicate stone, like marble, or stainless steel (it may discolor).
Cutting boards: To remove tough food stains from light wood and plastic cutting boards, slice a lemon in half, squeeze onto the soiled surface, rub, and let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing.
Dishes: To increase the grease-cutting power of your dishwashing detergent, add a teaspoon of lemon juice.
Faucets: Combat lime scale by rubbing lemon juice onto the taps and letting it sit overnight. Wipe with a damp cloth.
Garbage disposal: Cut a lemon in half, then run both pieces through the disposal. "The lemon cleans it and makes it smell great," says Linda Mason Hunter, a coauthor of Green Clean (Melcher Media, $17, amazon.com).
Grout: Spilled morning coffee on your tile countertop or backsplash? Here's how to tackle grout stains: Add lemon juice to 1 or 2 teaspoons cream of tartar (an acidic salt that acts as a natural bleaching agent) to make a paste. Apply with a toothbrush, then rinse.
Hands: When you touch raw fish, the smell can linger on your fingers. Rub your hands with lemon juice, which will neutralize the odor.
Laundry: To brighten whites, add 1/2 cup lemon juice to the rinse cycle for a normal-size load.
Plastic food-storage containers: To bleach stains from tomato soup and other acidic foods on dishwasher-safe items, rub lemon juice on the spots, let dry in a sunny place, then wash as usual.