Drying Out Dry Ingredients?

Most powdered cleaners and ingredients can seemed ruined after moisture gets to them. They clump up and become impossible to measure or use effectively. I recently bought a box of borax that was obviously exposed to moisture. It was a solid brick. Not to worry, you can dry out borax, baking powder, brown sugar, and just about any non-flammable dry ingredient. Just break off a clump, wrap in aluminum foil and bake in your oven for 5 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat will remove the moisture and the clump will easily break up.

A Great Easy Bathroom Potpourri

Citrus smells work great to remove unwanted odors. I have found a great and simple way to make a dried citrus fruit potpourri for bathrooms. Its cheap and lasts longer than most store-bought deodorants that often seem a little over-powering to me. Peel 4 or 5 lemons and oranges and place the skins on a piece of aluminum foil. Put in a preheated oven set at 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the peels dry in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and let the peels dry at room temperature for 1 day. Cut the dried peels into 1 inch squares and combine with all-spice, bay leaves, whole cloves and/or broken cinnamon sticks. Put the mixture into jars and place in any area of your home that needs a little scent pick-up. You can add a drop or two of your favorite essential oil to add a little extra kick!

Supercharge Your Ironing Board

Do you want to iron your cloths faster? Take the pad off your ironing board and cover it with aluminum foil. Be sure to make sure the foil is flat and smooth. Replace the cover and iron as usual. The insulation the aluminum foil creates will reflect heat back to the underside of the garment you are ironing. With a pair of pants this means you can iron both side in one stroke. Everything else will also iron with fewer strokes.