Pop Bottle Greenhouse

GREENHOUSE

Cut your soda bottle in half one inch above the point where the curved bottom becomes the straight side.

SEEDLING POTS
On a toilet paper roll, make four, equally spaced, vertical cuts, each ¾ inch long, up from the bottom of the tube to make four tabs. Crease each tab as you fold it down to form the bottom of the pot. Fold the bottom shut like a cardboard box. Trim the sides of the pot to the hight you like.

Fill each pot with damp potting soil, then plant your seeds or cuttings. My photo is a happy little zucchini plant soaking in the moisture and sun!

Place the pots into the bottle base. Although it's a tight squeeze, four pots should fit snugly inside.

Water the pots, then slide the top of the greenhouse over the bottom piece. Don't be afraid to press the bottom in creating an indent while slipping the lid in place.

Set the bottle greenhouse in a sunny windowsill and observe the humidity level over the next few days. You'll see moisture collecting on the sides of the bottle. This is proof that your greenhouse is working. As the water evaporates it is caught and redirected to the plant! Voilà! A homemade automatic watering system!

Grease Lightning

aie!
What a sticky mess!!! A roll of sticky packing tape got stuck to my stovetop, combined with oil from recent cooking adventures, I've got sticky goo galore!

So what do I do to fight this goo?

My first thought was *bring out the heavy artillery* I thank God for my lovely husband who saved me from a near disaster...

He reminded me of an old trick where you can dissolve stickiness with vegetable oil. Yeah! I let out a cheer, for natural ingredients!

So my hubby grabbed the bottle of oil from our pantry and let it soak for a while then wiped it up with a towel. A little fingernail action took care of some stubborn tape residue.

Don't forget a quick wipe over with lemon juice to remove the oil and leave a shiny finish and a fresh lemon scent.

Effacer Ma Honte - Yellow Armpit Stains

Plagued by yellowing armpits and sweat stains?

I had a problem recently while I was vacationing at a friend's house.
Talk about embarrassing!!!

My innocent little sweat stains weren't getting better in the washer, in fact they were getting worse! The rust in their water transformed every the tiniest drop of sweat into a funky orange tie dye stain. I thought the shirt was lost forever.

Then I learned this amazing new trick.
You squeeze a fresh lemon on the stain until it's saturated, nevermind the pulp clinging to the garment, it works great. Then pour a generous amount of salt and allow it to dissolve a little into the saturated stain. Then, and this is the best part, hang the garment in direct sunlight!

If you have a stain on both sides of a shirt, don't bother doing both sides at once, because only the side in direct sunlight will be cured. Just flip the shirt over and begin again. Then wash your shirt according to the manufacturers recommendations. Voilà! Presto-Chango! It's like magic!

Windows

Keep the spray bottle when your window cleaner runs out. Refill it with plain ordinary white vinegar. Safe, fast, and a great clean shine. It's the natural ecological choice, and it just works great!

AU NATURAL
To save even more trees and money, trade out your store bought paper towels for yesterday's newspaper. That's right, reuse an old spray bottle, with ecological vinegar, on old newspapers - for sparkling clean windows!

Deodorize a Humidifier

When your humidifier starts to smell funky, deodorize it with ease: Just pour 3 or 4 teaspoons lemon juice into the water. It will not only remove the off odor but will replace it with a lemon-fresh fragrance. Repeat every couple of weeks to keep the odor from returning.

Marble

Do not use anything other than liquid dish soap on marble. Harsher cleansers will damage the surface. Always dry marble to prevent water spots from leaving their signature mark. Marble stains easily so wipe spills immediately. Do not use vinegar or orange based cleaners to clean marble. The acid in them will damage the surface. Peroxide is safe for stain removal.

Polish Chrome

Get rid of mineral deposits and polish chrome faucets and other tarnished chrome. Simply rub lemon rind over the chrome and watch it shine! Rinse well and dry with a soft cloth.

Clean Tarnished Brass

Say good-bye to tarnish on brass, copper, or stainless steel. Make a paste of lemon juice and salt (or substitute baking soda or cream of tartar for the salt) and coat the affected area. Let it stay on for 5 minutes. Then wash in warm water, rinse, and polish dry. Use the same mixture to clean metal kitchen sinks too. Apply the paste, scrub gently, and rinse.