Happy Slob Gazette "Housecleaning with a Sense of Humor!" Issue #20 April 6, 2006 --------------------- ...The Happy Slob's Guide to Housecleaning... is available now! Only $12.95 for a cleaning guide that will change how you clean forever! Get yours today. The Happy Slob's Guide to Housecleaning Book >>> LAST WEEK AT THIS PRICE <<< Take advantage of this price NOW before I increase the ebook price next week!!! (I need to do this, as I'm going to make it an affiliate program -- so any of you slobbos with websites can sell my guide too!) ---------------------- Contents: - A Note from Christina (The Original Happy Slob) - New On Our Website: "5 Surprising Cleaners Already In Your Pantry" - 3-Steps is All It Takes - Looking For...Essential Oil Ideas and Uses - Readers Questions - Happy Slob Helpers - - Cleaning Recipes of the Week - Testimonials ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A NOTE FROM CHRISTINA Contact Christina at christina@happyslob.com with ideas, tips, lovely remarks or anything else you'd like to share! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi everyone, It's almost the weekend...and here is our lovely Happy Slob Gazette for the week. :) I just discovered a great way to clean walls and kitchen cabinets - and I share that with you over at Easy Wall Cleaning tip . I don't know why I didn't think of it before! Plus, this week we have lots of tips from you great slobbos all around the world - and literally you ARE from every part of the world. I appreciate your input and tips, and want to remind you to always feel free to email me with questions or ideas. :) You guys make this newsletter really spectacular. Hugs to you, Christina P.S. Yes, it's true that I'm trying to figure out how to create an affiliate program for my book so that any of you can sell it on your site and make a little moolah too! :) I'm working out the details, but as soon as I have it set up I'll let you guys know... P.S. II - I realized this morning, while sipping on my coffee that I hadn't ever told all of you about my OTHER site at Kitchen Crafts 'n' More . If you love recipes and household hints you'll adore it over there! Drop by and let me know what you think...I've been writing the KCnM newsletter for YEARS now. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ON OUR BLOGS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Click HERE for The Happy Slob Blog * Roberta's Vinegar Cleaning Tips (LOTS!) * Household Uses for Paper Coffee Filters * LOTS of uses for the Magic Eraser cleaner Click HERE for The Happy Slob's Greatest Bargains Blog * Lush Bath Bombs - to treat yourself well * Another handbag or two :) Click HERE for Kitchen Crafts 'n' More Blog * Eggshells for Houseplants * Chili Potato Wedges * Homemade Coconut Lip Balm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >>> NEW ON OUR WEBSITE <<< ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5 Surprising Cleaners You Already HAVE in Your Pantry Here's another new article - on some easy and inexpensive cleaners that you already have in the home! Some old slob favorites are here, plus a surprise or two. :) 5 Surprising Cleaners You Already Have in Your Pantry Easy Wall Cleaner Easy peasy - works better than anything I've tried. Easiest Wall Cleaner ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3 STEPS IS ALL IT TAKES! Housecleaning in only 3 steps ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Remember, easy, stress-free cleaning starts with the Happy Slob's 3-Step Solution: 1. 2 fast cleaning bursts every day - budget the time you can spend - anywhere from 5-20 minutes or more. Set it on the timer. Tidy up as much as you can - focusing your attention on IMPACT areas (those areas that are seen the most and used the most in your home. Kitchens, bathrooms, and living areas are often impact areas.) 2. 1 Focus Room every day - A minimum of 10 minutes in one specific room or area. I like to add storage areas to my focus room list so that those nasty areas also get cleaned! (This is when I do some de-cluttering - just one small section in the focus room.) 3. One weekly Clean-for-All - You and the family get down to cleaning business once a week. This is where you get some of those other cleaning tasks done. But don't worry if you can't get everything done. Over time, and with the accumulation of your good efforts you WILL! These basic guidelines will help you keep your home cleaner and tidier than ever before. It's simple, it's not intimidating and it works! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ READERS QUESTIONS If you guys have some answers to these questions, please send them in to me at christina @ happyslob.com. :) Either myself or one of our readers will surely be able to help... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CLEANING MARBLE Nettie asks: "Just found your website and subscribed to your newsletter. I just built my dream log home and we used marble for the bathroon sinks and showers. I also have brushed nickel fixtures. I have been told not to use Windex with ammonia or vinegar or anything abrasive like Comet. Please advise any tips you may have." CLEANING TERRACOTTA FLOORS Kare writes: "What to use to clean this type of tile floor? How to nonslip"shine" this type of floor?" SILVER CLEANER USING FOIL & WATER SOFTENER Maurie asks: "I really do enjoy your newsletter. Do you have the recipe for cleaning silver using a foil container, water softener and some of there ingredient that I cannot remember?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Happy Slob Helpers - ANSWERS to Questions CLEANING & HOUSEHOLD TIPS Send yours to christina@happyslob.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Another 'Cleaning with Socks' Tip Rettamay writes: "Hi, I have a good suggestion for you. A great way to clean the top of mop boards is to put on an old pair of socks and just run your big toe over them. Works like a charm and saves all the stress on your knees and back. I would use your blog but I don't know how those things work. I am really a computer dummy." OOPS...A CORRECTION ON THE LINTY TIP Jude says: " make sure the dryer lint trap / exhaust are closed off " I just read my hints for linty clothes. The above line should read -- - make sure that the dryer lint trap / exhaust ARE NOT closed off. I have flower plants near my outdoor exhaust vent for the dryer, and would like to remind others to make sure flowers, branches, etc. are kept a few inches away from that vent. The dryer did seem to work better by doing that. - some items -- towels, blankets, flannel -- are naturally linty, until after they have been washed a few times. - washing any article before it is used helps by removing tiny particles of lint from the manufacturing sewing and if you don't remove that stiffing agent added to most clothing that first stain is sure to set and be more difficult to remove. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CLEANING RECIPES OF THE WEEK I'd LOVE to hear from you if you have a natural cleaning recipe to share! Send it to me at christina @ happyslob.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wintergreen Air Freshener Wintergreen Air Cleaning Tip Rust Remover Rust Remover Fizzy Jewelry cleaner Do It Yourself Jewelry cleaner ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LOOKING FOR... Uses for Essential Oils Send in uses to christina @ happyslob.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How do YOU use essential oils around the house? Do you love lavender oil, tea tree oil, or other EO's? Then share your ideas with all of us, and I'll feature them on the site! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TESTIMONIALS & THANKS Don't keep those sentiments to yourself - send them to me at christina @ happyslob.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "The Newsletter is a Godsend" Debbie writes: "This is a wonderful newsletter! I don't know about other people, but I didn't grow up with good routines for cleaning the house and never learned the right good habits. This newsletter is a godsend for me. I'm going to recommend it to my sister who's even worse at housekeeping than I am!" Enjoys the Book Linda writes: "Thank you so much for the book, Christina. I read a lot of the book. Make a lot of sense. Thank you so much."