Go Green Expo

Go Green Expo
Business-to-Business Expo
Friday, November 6th • 10am - 5pm
Business-to-Business & Business-to-Consumer Expo Minneapolis Convention Center
Saturday, November 7th • 10am - 6pm 1301 Second Avenue South
Sunday, November 8th • 10am - 5pm Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403
(612) 335-6000
www.minneapolisconventioncenter.com
Tickets: Friday: Complimentary to Business Buyers (please bring your business card for admission)
Saturday & Sunday: $10 for a full weekend pass; $5 for Students & Seniors with proper ID;
Children 12 and under are Free

Make-shift Clothesline

Several years ago I started coveting a clothesline pole like my mom has. The kind she has is very elaborate; two big monster metal 'T' poles and four strands of metal strung between them. The truth is you just can't go out and buy those. I decided that instead of buying one of the junky ones and then cementing it in the ground and regretting it later that I should just 'try out' hang-drying my clothes to see if I really like it and to calculate how much I would actually save by doing this. So, I hooked up a make-shift clothesline by securing one end to a metal stake that I drove into the top of my retaining wall and the other end tied around a tree about 40 feet away. I drove a nail into the tree to keep the string from slipping/sagging down the tree (so sorry tree - that is almost dead!) I hung out Todd's T-shirts and they look so fresh swaying in the breeze. It is a bit chilly out so I am sure they will take a little longer than normal to dry. There are a couple of problems with my 'system.' The first one is that the ends are so far apart that the line sags drastically, and the second is that it is not big enough for an entire load. If all goes well I am thinking that I will splurge and contact a welder to make me some like my mom's!

Shoes Off Please!

When we moved into our first home we made a rule that everyone should take off their shoes. The main reason was that we had new light cream carpet in our living room that would get trashed if we didn't remove our shoes. Ever since then, we have maintained that rule, mainly because the houses have been brand new and we wanted them to stay looking 'new.' Recently it seems that we have been slacking in this area, including me. When guests come to visit I even tell them they don't have to take their shoes off. Well, after reading this article I have again decided to re-enforce the Shoes Off Please! rule! The reason I enacted the rule to begin with was to alleviate some cleaning but now it is because of health reasons AND cleaning. The article talks about dog paws but I am sorry, I can't get rid of my pets!

Valuable Vinegar

Vinegar has been used for thousands of years. It dates back to ancient Egypt; it was probably discovered by accident when wine went sour. The active component of vinegar is acetic acid which is a byproduct of a bacteria called acetobacter. Most table vinegars are about 5% acetic acid. Vinegar is extremely cheap and has a long shelf life.
Here is a list of handy tips that I have compiled from several internet sources. I do not claim that they work because I have not tried all of them yet but I guarantee that I will! Tips offered should be spot tested in an inconspicuous area first. And an important note that I came across was 'do not use full strength vingar on grout - it eats away at it - ALWAYS dilute with water in this case.' Also, make sure that vinegar does not come in contact with hydrogen peroxide. It makes Peracetic Acid. The toxicity is low however it can be extremely irritating to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract and can explode ast high temperatures. With all that out of the way here is a list of vinegar uses:

• remove calcium buidup in pots and kettles - boil 1/2 cup white vinegar and leave to soak for a while, rinse with fresh water, reboil with same water and your kettle should now be calcium deposit free
• 1/2 cup vinegar added to toilet left overnight removes odor - the smell will dissipate overnight
• a cotton ball soaked in vinegar and applied to bruises for an hour is said to speed healing process
• vinegar on minor burns and many sorts of stings can alleviate pain
• cleaning dishwasher - vinegar frozen into ice cubes - put a couple in bottom of dishwasher and run through cycle
• cleaning dishwasher - put a cup filled with vinegar on the bottom rack of your dishwasher and run it through a cycle to
• old stiff paintbrushes - dip in heated white vinegar for a couple of hours, follow by a rinse in soapy water (beats using turpentine!)
• broad leaf weed killer - spray undiluted onto the leaves of weeds, avoid plants you wish to keep - set on stream, not mist - next day, brown and dead
• grass in cement driveway joints - mix of vinegar and salt
• pet stains on carpet - white vinegar poured on pet urine then blotted up with towel
• pre-spray for laundry - spray undiluted on deoderant and other stains on garments just prior to washing
• shower doors and screens - spray 50/50 mix of vinegar and water on soap scum, let sit, wipe or rinse off
• Neat (undiluted) vinegar sprayed on mold will kill the mold
• Fabric softener - add half the amount of vinegar as you would of your usual softening agent
• If using a fabric softener 'ball' place white vinegar to the fill line and then add 3 drops of lavendar essential oil
• Dishwasher rinse aid - add vinegar instead of rinse aid

Hair conditioner - many variations of this......

• use a tablespoon of vinegar as a replacement for hair condition
• Apple Cider Vinegar and water 50/50 as a rinse aid for hair (vinegar deters head lice)
• cleans dandruff off of your scalp
• furniture cleaner - 1 cup white vinegar with 6 drops of jojoba oil
• glass cleaner - 50/50 water and vinegar or vinegar neat in a spray bottle
• If you have ever used the blue glass cleaner you might have to add a little bit of liquid soap to the water/vinegar mixture to get rid of the wax left behind by commercial cleaners
• polish chrome and stainless steal - full strength vinegar
• iron - use 50/50 vinegar and water mix to clean your iron, add mixture to your iron and allow it to steam itself clean (some say it causes brown gunk so don't use on clothes until perfectly clear of this byproduct)
• pour boiling white vinegar down a clogged drain to remove obstruction
• clogged drain - pour a couple tablespoon of baking soda down drain, add vinegar, let foam, follow with some boiling water, rinse clean
• room deodorizer - use in a fine mist atomizer (sprayer)
• Ants hate vinegar - spray around doorways and repel ants (I wonder if it works for spiders - I will definitely try this!
• Zits - dab zit with a cotton swab or qtip dipped in vinegar
• Hardwood floors - works great - diluted, of course
• Cheese - wrap in wax paper, a vinegar-sprayed paper towel, and a plastic bag - slows molding
• Toe nail fungus - dab on every morning and every night
• Fungal infections - undiluted or 50/50 with water and left in contact for at least an hour, 2xs daily
• Leg cramps - swab area with cloth or paper towel wet with white vinegar
• Clean your bird bath with vinegar
• Outdoor fixtures come clean with vinegar/water
• Tools can be cleaned with vinegar
• gardening containers - kill mold with vinegar
• Pet's ears - clean your bets ears with vinegar (not sure on the process)
• skunk odor - remove with vinegar
• Cat deterant - vinegar deters cats from prowling around your yard, also racoons, rabbits, and other varmits
• Coffee pot - fill 1/2 full with vinegar and run it through, rinse with another pot full of clean water - I rinse it out 2xs!
• Degreaser - vinegar is a natural degreaser
• Stove top - spritz on and leave for 5-10 minutes, burnt on gunk should come right off - use scrubber and Vinegar's Best Friend .... baking soda if more severe
• Oven cleaner - spray interior of the oven with vinegar and let sit for 15 minutes, wipe, and rinse with water
• Limescale remover - mix 75% vinegar/25% water - spray on sink and wrap cloth soaked in mix around taps and leave for a couple of hours and they are like new
• ..... not to mention vinegar is great for chips and salad dressings :-)
• and the list goes on and on..........

Now, I found an important bit of information. Vinegar can be derived from Petroleum. Make sure your vinegar is NOT! Possible toxins will be emitted. It your vinegar says fermented from "synthetic ethyl alcohol" then there's likely a fossil fuel link - the key work is 'synthetic.'

From gathering all of this information I have deducted this.... go out and buy a big 'ol bottle of non-synthetic vinegar and get busy!

This spring-like weather has inspired me to do a little spring cleaning. I usually mop my oak floors three or four times a year (and spot clean in-between). The guy that installed the floor told me to only do it 2 times or less a year but I can't get by on that. Sweeping only gets you so far.... I am glad to only do it 4 times a year because it is such a huge job. Moving all the furniture and rugs, sweeping, and mopping takes over half of my day. (three rooms, entry and hallway) But, it looks and smells so nice for a day at least!