Use Oatmeal to Keep Cast Iron Skillets Clean - PROVEN

Cooking on cast iron is pretty awesome, except when you are left with a mess that is hard to clean up.  And since cast iron is a special material that you aren't supposed to clean with soap it becomes a hassle to keep the pans clean and maintain the "seasoning" you have done so far.

Well my sister found this awesome idea and it's just too good not to share.

Because of this, I will probably uncover and dust off my old cast iron cookware and start using it a lot more often.  Takes a lot of the hassle out of the clean-up and it works amazingly well.

Click the link above to get a detailed list of directions.   She used oatmeal (which I have a ton of in my cupboards)

Can't wait to do this and to be able to use my cast iron more often!

Thanks for sharing the story and pictures, Ann!

Cleaning the Inside of an Oven Door - PROVEN

I am so excited about this one, people!

I have been searching for an easy way to clean inside the glass of my oven door.  There is a double pane and things, nasty, terrible things get trapped there and I needed to get them out.....especially because we have an Open House this weekend!

Beth was here today watching Maddy and I roped her into helping me with this project.

We found this pin on how to clean inside, between the glass and got moving! 

This is my oven before....like all my other 'before' photos, please don't judge!

First we tried it with a wire hanger, because I thought that was a better idea than the stick the pin suggested...plus it was raining.  Also, I didn't have any duct tape handy so I used scotch tape and it worked perfectly (the tape, not the hanger)

Unfortunately, that idea was a bust, I should have put trust in the pin.  The wire hanger was too thin and I couldn't create enough friction with it to clean the inside of the glass, so we went in search of the perfect stick.

I am so happy I did this.  Who thinks about how to clean the inside glass of the oven door?  This girl...she does! And she did it!

Do this one, it is amazing and I couldn't be happier with the results.

(I also cleaned the rust stains from inside our dishwasher but that's a separate issue...I just want you to know I have been busy today! Haha)

Cleaning Microfiber with Rubbing Alcohol - PROVEN

My couch is long overdue for a good cleaning.  I have used other products before that weren't effective.  At the time a stain occured I would use carpet cleaner, which removed the stain only to leave a large water mark on the couch.

With a one year old and 5 animals inside the couch has always been a bit of a tough piece of furniture to keep clean, even when we don't let the animals on the couch.  (now we only have 4 animals and all the cats are "outside" cats now...makes it a little easier)  but still, babies and microfiber are NO match!

Don't judge my before pictures...they are terrible, but it shows even more how effective this process is.

The pin says to use Rubbing Alcohol in a spray bottle, a sponge of similar color to the couch and a bristle brush.  Well, I used a blue sponge (the white one shown started to crumble as I was using it!) and a blue bristle brush and there was no color transfer.

DURING PROCESS:

The results speak for themselves, but even the overall appearance of the couch it better, it appears "fluffy" and like new, not to mention that ALL the stains and water spots are GONE!  With a little help from the products I purchased and some elbow grease my couch looks awesome!

I am so pleased with these results that I will continue to use this process on anything and everything I ever own that is microfiber.  I believe they sell microfiber cleaner, but it's not worth the money.  I got the rubbing alcohol, spray bottle, sponge (assortment pack of 6) and brush from Dollar General for a total of $4, and I can use it more than once.

I am sure you will be just as surprised and pleased with the results on your microfiber furniture!  Enjoy!

Homemade Febreze - PROVEN

I recently wrote a status on Facebook saying how I really wish someone would create a candle, oil warmer or spray that smelled as good as my fabric softener.

I got a lot of responses and most of them included making my own Homemade Febreze!

I have had this pinned on my Pinterest DIY board for a while now and I had completely forgotten about it! 

I have used Febreze before, all the different types and scents and I like them, especially the "seasonal" ones, but not so much that it's worth spending the $4 a can/bottle on, even at the dollar store.  So, when I found out that I could make my own and I could determine the scent, I was sold.

I happened to have an empty spray bottle in the basement (which I just happened to find when we deep cleaned down there...yuck.)

Beth helped me and we had to use a make-shift funnel...but hey, whatever works!

 

I doubled the recipe because I use a cheap-o fabric softener (I had a coupon) and I wanted the scent to be more concentrated.  It smells amazing!!!!

The one and only complaint I have, is that the scent doesn't seem to stick around long enough for my liking, but I believe that has to do with the Purex I was using.  If I would spring for Downy I am sure it would last a lot longer, but I don't see that happening in my near future.

Get on this one people, saves a lot of money and smells SO good....it really does work!

Wish you could give this a whiff! Haha!

Quick Egg Salad - PROVEN

This is a tip my sister, Ann found.  She was kind enough to share her photos and results with me.

She found this great idea on Pinterest to make a Quick and Easy Egg Salad using a cooling rack to "cut" the eggs.

It's easy to say that this was a winner in her book and it was a fun activity for one of her boys to help her with.

Josiah is 3 and loves helping in the kitchen!  Have I mentioned before that I have the cutest and smartest nephews in the world?

Ann said: It's really easy for an adult to do, but [Josiah's] hands got kind of tired of pushing (I make egg salad with a dozen eggs). So, I did the pushing and then he did the "pounding," which is pounding on the rack to get the bits to fall that didn't get pushed through the first time.

Below are the photos she shared with me, makes me hungry!

Oxygen Bleach to Clean Grout - PROVEN

My husband came up with this idea actually, and I later found it on Pinterest.

He used AJAX Oxygen Bleach, Vinegar and Water to clean our bathroom grout.

The online version I found did not include white vinegar, but he used it anyway and the results were amazing.  He decided on the Oxygen Bleach because it is safe for kids and pets and we have both :)

I am embarrassed about the condition of our grout in the before photos, so please don't judge.

I knew this item needed to be crossed off our to-do list, we just never seemed to get around to it.  I came home to my husband on his hands and knees in the bathroom with a scrub brush and the stinky smell of vinegar.  The results were beyond what I could have imagined and I am so happy that this is done.

Our tiles look brand new and the vinegar smell only lingered while he was scrubbing, airing it out was a breeze ;)

Can you tell which area has been scrubbed??

Make Real Lashes Look Fake - PROVEN

I've never really had a problem making my eyelashes appear long and lush, I was blessed with nice lashes at birth...thanks Mama!!!

Also, I have actually tried to apply fake lashes before and not one person even noticed that I was wearing them.

Although it's not really needed for me, what girl doesn't want fuller looking lashes?  I saw this pin about making your natural lashes appear to be false.

I watched the video one day and decided that I would make this trick a part of my morning routine.  I have documented the results below with photos, see for yourself, this really does work!



Before

Cheap-o Eyeliner I Use ;)

After Applying Eyeliner

Eyelash Curler (or torture device, as my hubby says haha!)

Curling!

 

After Curling

The 2 Mascaras I Used

After 1st Mascara Application

After 2nd Mascara Application

I really love my results, and I have been using this method to apply my eye makeup since I saw the pin and watched the video! 

Hopefully you have good luck with it!  Please share your results!

Also, I want to let you know that I do not buy any eye makeup remover, I use baby oil.  It works wonderfully with a cotton ball.  I swear that's all that is packaged in the eye makeup remover at the store, anyway!



Explosive Shower Head Cleaner - PROVEN

Finally!!!  I used baking soda as a cleaner and I wasn't disappointed.   

Once again, we have a water softener on the brink of a break down and well water that is really rusty, so we get a lot of rust build up.  Scrubbing the tub, sinks and toilets is a constant pain but I wanted to test this idea out I found on Pinterest to remove water residue and build up called the Explosive Shower Head Cleaner.

I wasn't expecting much, since I haven't had great luck with the cleaning pins, but I wanted to test it anyway.




Before



Vinegar and Baking Soda Mix (Explosive Mix)

Let soak overnight (I didn't have a twist tie so I used a large hair tie!)

I noticed that the water build up and residue was greatly diminished, if not gone completely in most places on the shower head. Also, it actually removed some of the rust, which I wasn't expecting (I'll have to scrub with some CLR or "The Works" to finish the job) but that's fine with me.

After using this product the shower seems to have more water pressure since there is no more build up around the spouts!

Overall, I am very pleased with these results!