Household tips and tricks! - Are you having trouble getting the wine stains out of your carpet? Do you clean your cookware with something extraordinary? Come share!

[retard strength II]

My mom has a pantry moth problem. Every week or two I am there I source the issue, remove it, then they find a new spot by the next week. I don't really blame her because her vision is atrocious and she spills lots of little things without knowing, or leaves like a closed ziploc bag of rice out or a sealed packet of oatmeal and they go nuts around it and eventually get in.

Is there anything to be done to murder them all other than mothballs? She had this house for decades without issue and the past 5 or 6 months these fuckers have moved in and will not leave. I want moth genocide.

 

[glass_houses]

My mom has a pantry moth problem. Every week or two I am there I source the issue, remove it, then they find a new spot by the next week. I don't really blame her because her vision is atrocious and she spills lots of little things without knowing, or leaves like a closed ziploc bag of rice out or a sealed packet of oatmeal and they go nuts around it and eventually get in.

Is there anything to be done to murder them all other than mothballs? She had this house for decades without issue and the past 5 or 6 months these fuckers have moved in and will not leave. I want moth genocide.

I have a similar problem in my pantry due to the housemate, although his vision is fine so he doesn't have a good excuse. Basically, I check everything in the pantry once a week and I permanently have sticky traps out. I also ended up spraying barrier insecticide in all the nooks and crannies like the space between the edge of the shelf and the back wall of the pantry, the cockroach stuff that's supposed to last for months and months. The cockroach spray is probably the most effective thing I've done, tbh, but there is a potential contamination issue that comes with it.

Also, check any tea containers and any little used spice jars, the fuckers get in those too.

 

[Milk Float]

My mom has a pantry moth problem. Every week or two I am there I source the issue, remove it, then they find a new spot by the next week. I don't really blame her because her vision is atrocious and she spills lots of little things without knowing, or leaves like a closed ziploc bag of rice out or a sealed packet of oatmeal and they go nuts around it and eventually get in.

Is there anything to be done to murder them all other than mothballs? She had this house for decades without issue and the past 5 or 6 months these fuckers have moved in and will not leave. I want moth genocide.

Amazon has sticky cardboard traps specifically for pantry moths with a pheromone that attracts the little bastards. Just swap them out petiodically. Make sure you also clean out the pantry first and wash it down with soapy vinegar water. Throw out anything that may be tainted and freeze any incoming food for a couple of days before it goes in the pantry.

If you can score some canning jars for her pantry food that will help a LOT.

 

[Aunt Carol]

Amazon has sticky cardboard traps specifically for pantry moths with a pheromone that attracts the little bastards.

I've used those too and they work well, but I think they're better at stopping a straggler moth from laying eggs--or for letting you know you have an infestation, because the trap is suddenly full.

If you can score some canning jars for her pantry food that will help a LOT.

This is what'll help more. Containers with lids are easier than packets to close, and know you've closed, than zip-top bags. If her vision is poor, she can still tell she screwed or snapped a lid on and doesn't have to go back and feel the bag.

Get her a set of, say, those OXO Pop storage containers as a gift. Even if you don't have bug problems, a set of storage containers is a nice gift if you're a mom-type person.

Every week or two I am there I source the issue, remove it, then they find a new spot by the next week.

This really sounds like they have a hiding place you haven't found yet. I don't think it's crumbs; I bet there's a rogue box of noodles hidden somewhere, or you guys clean up everything infested but you miss something with eggs but no moths yet. By the time you're back, they've spread again.

I hate pantry moths too, so much. Whenever I've had to get rid of them, I go through and open everything and throw out what needs throwing out--then put everything that looks fine in a container, or at least put a zip-top storage bag around it. A week later, a box of Rice-a-Roni that looked OK will be inside a zip-top bag full of moths, but at least they didn't spread and start the cycle over again.

I also ended up spraying barrier insecticide in all the nooks and crannies like the space between the edge of the shelf and the back wall of the pantry, the cockroach stuff that's supposed to last for months and months. The cockroach spray is probably the most effective thing I've done, tbh, but there is a potential contamination issue that comes with it.

I'm a big fan of diatomaceous earth for applications like this. It's not invisible like barrier spray, but it's less worrisome for being around food.

 

[Bag of Bones]

Question for anyone who has used a steam mop or steam cleaner, how effective are they? I've been looking into them and the 2 main opinions I see are "they're the best ever, definitely get one" and "they're not worth it unless you're getting one of the 4,000$ - 6,000$ industrial grade ones".
I recently moved to a new place where all the floor is tile so I feel like I could get alot of value from a high quality steam mop/cleaner combo, but I've never used one before and don't want to spend like 400$ - 600$ on a non-cheap one that I'll just kinda go "it's okay, I guess"

On the topic of general cleaning, the bathtub in the new place I moved was kinda grody initially. I've since cleaned it but there's still these noticeable blotches around the bottom and I just can't get it out. I've tried alot of methods and cleaners and abrasives like steel wool and pumice stones, but it doesn't really seem to do too much to it at all. I'm trying to avoid the abrasives like steel wool and pumice stones since at one point I scraped a bit of the white off the tub trying to scrape off the hardened junk so I don't want to be too harsh with it. Is that something the steam cleaner could probably also help with, or does this just require alot of elbow grease and I'd get more value out of one of those cleaning brush attachments for a drill?

Spoiler: Bathtub Pic

 

[The Jewel of the Nile]

I've since cleaned it but there's still these noticeable blotches around the bottom and I just can't get it out. I've tried alot of methods and cleaners and abrasives like steel wool and pumice stones, but it doesn't really seem to do too much to it at all.

I can't see it properly but maybe it's an issue with the paint itself? Maybe it would take less effort to just strip the bathtub and re-pain and re-seal it again

 

[long waters]

I can't see it properly but maybe it's an issue with the paint itself? Maybe it would take less effort to just strip the bathtub and re-pain and re-seal it again

I almost wanted to say I'm not entirely sure it's worth it, but after checking prices for new bathtubs nowadays, I have to eat my words.
Has anyone actually reconditioned a bathtub like this before? I'm curious what it was like to do it.
I know there are some special bi-component paints specially made for bathtub repairs, but I imagine it might not come out as smooth as a brand new one. I imagine you have to sand it down first, then apply the paint, then maybe polish the paint afterwards?

 

[Accept Only Substitutes]

I saw some article that people who keep really clean houses have significantly worse lungs because of the harsh cleaning chemicals they use, so I am just dropping in to say, baking soda and vinegar reactions do a great job of cleaning, as does simple soapy water. Please stop accidentally making mustard gas ladies.

It’s got to be true. I’ve had “waking” pneumonia five times in the last ten years. No visible lung damage, I can breathe fine and pass breathing tests, but a little bit of all-purpose cleaner use and my chest just aches for hours afterwards and I can’t stop coughing.

Toilet bowl cleaners and bleach (not mixed together!) don’t bother me. I use Zep toilet bowl cleaner with hydrochloric acid (only thing I’ve found to tackle my water stains) too, so strong stuff.

But spray cleaners, oof. Can’t do them.

 

[Accept Only Substitutes]

Quick tip for anyone with a dryer that doesn't have this feature: Put a (CLEAN) sneaker or running shoe in the dryer with the pillow. The shoe will help fluff it up. Noisy as hell but also works for puffy coats/jackets.

My apologies for the double post, but what you really want are wool dryer balls. Dirt cheap, last for ages, silent, and gets rid of all static cling. Even with polyester. Or microfiber cleaning cloths. I’ve never had such soft clothes, and unlike fabric softener these don’t affect the absorption on towels.

If you really must use fabric softener, white vinegar works just as well, and is good for towels as well. Also works to get pee smells out of your clothes, in case you have an elderly cat who forgets about the litter box at times.

 

[Imp]

I've been adding citric acid solution or crystals to my fabric softener compartment in an attempt to overcome my hard water. The solution is 800 g of water and 200 grams of citric acid in a one liter lab bottle. If I have run out of that I use 1 tablespoon of citric acid crystals instead. I use wool balls in the dryer too and sometimes the microfiber cleaning towels get static cling, but it's nbd.

So anyway I have a couple of misc tips, one of which is the citric acid in the wash.

I also make my own mineral water to carbonate with our sodastream machine. The recipe I use is 1/8 tsp each of baking soda, potassium bicarbonate, citric acid and Epsom salts plus a scant amount of potassium chloride to a one liter sodastream bottle. You can find various recipes on the net for mineral water.

We also have been shopping at Costco once a week and bringing home a rotisserie chicken for dinner. I like my chicken very well done and we're not usually ready to eat it as soon as we get home. I take the chicken out of its bag and wrap it up in foil (yes from the extra wide Costco roll of foil), place it on a baking pan or sheet and put it in the oven at the lowest temperature. Our oven goes down to 170F. The chicken will be extra well done and not at all dry if thoroughly swaddled half the day later. My husband makes the Thanksgiving turkey and he was always trying to time everything to come out at the same time. A couple of years ago I suggested doing the Costco chicken trick with the turkey. He uses a roasting bag (special plastic bag for oven roasting for non-burgers) for the turkey and doesn't foil it once it reaches done temperature. It'll sit happy for several hours until we feel like eating or until the dressing is done. The dressing can be treated the same way by covering with foil in a warm oven. Luckily this house came with a double oven so everything will fit at the same time.

I posted before about ironing my sheets and kitchen towels but didn't add I iron my bath sheets too. I have been using peshtemal towels for over ten years but only started ironing them after I embarked on sheet ironing. Peshtemal towels are flat weave 100% cotton Turkish towels and are very absorbent imo. Ironing them gives me back the inches on the sides that get that permanent cotton wrinkling. Sometimes the most appealing and plush looking terry towels are the worst performers that leave you wishing you had used paper towels instead to dry off. I put all my terry hand towels in the rag bag and use peshtemal (also pestemal) hand towels in my bath. My husband prefers terry for bath and hand - less ironing for me, right?

Our house had separate baths for man/woman in the master area and we've combined them into a much more functional double shower/double toilet/separate vanities/single bathtub which rarely gets used and only by me/single closet space. That was the first time we had someone else do a remodel but those rooms had to be torn down to the studs, replumbed, new electric (heated floors!), etc so it would have taken eons for my husband to do on his own with a bit of help from me. I highly recommend having dual toilets with bidet seats. No more competing for the home toilet. My toilet seat is never left up for me to fall into in the early morning hours. The cats loooove the heated floor. I have a vanity chair with a fabric skirt that I put a small round bath rug under to make a kitty cabana for cold day cat snoozes.

Anyway I am a kiwi crone and most probably have more advice, helpful or not, coming your way from my vast years of living! If only I could remember,

 

[Aunt Carol]

I've been adding citric acid solution or crystals to my fabric softener compartment in an attempt to overcome my hard water. The solution is 800 g of water and 200 grams of citric acid in a one liter lab bottle. If I have run out of that I use 1 tablespoon of citric acid crystals instead. I use wool balls in the dryer too and sometimes the microfiber cleaning towels get static cling, but it's nbd.

So anyway I have a couple of misc tips, one of which is the citric acid in the wash.

I'm not nitpicking, but curious as a fellow laundry-doer: what's the rationale for citric acid instead of vinegar? Easier to store/titrate, smell, cost? Or does it just work better?

this house came with a double oven so everything will fit at the same time.

Our house had separate baths for man/woman in the master area

Clearly the previous owners of your house understood how to keep things amiable day-to-day. Your remodel introduced the possibility of competitive shitting, but the 1:1 toilet:butt ratio was already there. That's what they tell you with cats, too: at least one litterbox per kitty, so there aren't territorial squabbles.

 

[Imp]

I'm not nitpicking, but curious as a fellow laundry-doer: what's the rationale for citric acid instead of vinegar? Easier to store/titrate, smell, cost? Or does it just work better?



Clearly the previous owners of your house understood how to keep things amiable day-to-day. Your remodel introduced the possibility of competitive shitting, but the 1:1 toilet:butt ratio was already there. That's what they tell you with cats, too: at least one litterbox per kitty, so there aren't territorial squabbles.

I was trying to find something to soften the water vs the fabric and citric acid came up in some recommendations. I can't really tell if it helps yet but it does smell better than vinegar. I bought some cleaning vinegar at 30 or 40% solution but am afraid to use in in my front loader for fear of damaging the seals.

Our toilets are back to back with a full wall between them. My husband teased me about having them face each other so we could poop competitively yes. There was what I called a coffin shower on his side, 4x4 tiles all around and on ceiling with a frosted door. My side had a bathtub exposed on two sides and no shower curtain rod - wtf - it would have needed a curved one or a hoop kind. When we were house shopping here in mid 2010s we had some luxury in choice so we looked at a lot of houses; some I went to alone and I started holding the listing pages on top of my head to see if the shower was going to be tall enough to not hit my husband in his face or chest instead of above his head. The realtor who was selling our previous house was a short guy who had a lightbulb moment from that as he was remodeling his own house and had never thought of a low shower head being an exclusion reason for a buyer.

 

[JanuaryViolet]

OMG, @Imp, you have me looking for peshtemal towels. I have to try this.
(p.s. I am also an elderly sheet-ironer)

 

[Imp]

OMG, @Imp, you have me looking for peshtemal towels. I have to try this.
(p.s. I am also an elderly sheet-ironer)

I have bought from Costco and from Amazon. The Turkish towel company towels from Costco are generally heavier and nicer than what you can get from Amazon. You can buy directly from The Turkish Towel Company but it'll cost you at least 1.5x what you would pay from Costco. I bought the beach towels last year at 2 for about $60 and the ones marketed for bath were about $10 more for two event though the towels are identical in size and fabric. I think that the beach were more colorful than the white/grey/navy/beige neutral tones for dignified bathrooms. Ha sez I.

 

[NoReturn]

My mom has a pantry moth problem. Every week or two I am there I source the issue, remove it, then they find a new spot by the next week. I don't really blame her because her vision is atrocious and she spills lots of little things without knowing, or leaves like a closed ziploc bag of rice out or a sealed packet of oatmeal and they go nuts around it and eventually get in.

Also, check any tea containers and any little used spice jars, the fuckers get in those too.

Amazon has sticky cardboard traps specifically for pantry moths with a pheromone that attracts the little bastards.

Unrelated to the topic at hand, you guys may have just solved the mystery of Anon's flying triangles:

 

[TrainWreckSpotter]

I keep getting an ad on YouTube for some cotton blankets, extoling the virtues of cotton over synthetic fibers like it's something brand new. At my house, EVERYTHING possible is, and always has been, cotton or wool...clothes, sheets, curtains, blankets, and even sofa slipcovers. It's becoming harder to find, but I root it out. Also, I shed a lot of hair, and when I have wool socks in the laundry they attract the loose hair like a magnet.

Question for anyone who has used a steam mop or steam cleaner, how effective are they? I've been looking into them and the 2 main opinions I s
ee are "they're the best ever, definitely get one" and "they're not worth it unless you're getting one of the 4,000$ - 6,000$ industrial grade ones".

I love mine. It was called a "Whitewing." Unfortunately, the company went out of business, but it looks like the design and technology has been picked up by another comany. I paid $800, which was a steep price, but I saved up for it, I've had it for over a decade and it was well worth it. You may even be able to pick one up on eBay. Just make sure to always fill it with distilled water because the interior is aluminum.

I was trying to find something to soften the water vs the fabric and citric acid came up in some recommendations. I can't really tell if it helps yet but it does smell better than vinegar. I bought some cleaning vinegar at 30 or 40% solution but am afraid to use in in my front loader for fear of damaging the seals.

The regular 5% acicidy that you buy in the supermarket works just fine. I use it for cleaning, too. I find that the vinegar smell doesn't linger.