The Country Almanac of Housekeeping Techniques That Save You Money: Folk Wisdom for Keeping Your House Clean, Green, and Homey
256
The Country Almanac of Housekeeping Techniques That Save You Money: Folk Wisdom for Keeping Your House Clean, Green, and Homey
256eBookUniversal PDF (Universal PDF)
Related collections and offers
Overview
"The Country Almanac of Housekeeping Techniques That Save You Money is an empowering book that shows us all how to live healthier and greener, save money, take care of our homes and yards, and do it all ourselves! It would make a great gift for any homeowner."—Brigitte Mars, www.brigittemars.com, co-author of The Country Almanac of Home Remedies
Our forefathers and mothers knew how to keep their homes clean and homey—and live richer while spending less. Many of today's products are expensive, bad for the environment, and don't work any better than Grandma's methods, which only cost pennies.
The editors at Back HomeMagazine have collected hundreds of formulas for effective cleaning, gardening, and home maintenance—as well as ways our ancestors saved on heating bills, prevented costly repairs, and maintained a cozy, charming home with little besides ingenuity.
Drawing on the advice and techniques of contributors across the country, this indispensable guide shows you the best ways to take care of everything in your home from wood floors, to tile, to stainless steel appliances--and how to get the longest life out of every household item from pots and pans to pillowcases.
The Country Almanac of Housekeeping Techniques That Save You Money is chock-full of solutions, recipes, and how-to projects for living a simpler, cleaner life and keeping your home beautiful.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781610581851 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Fair Winds Press |
| Publication date: | 01/01/2012 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 256 |
| Sales rank: | 743,027 |
| File size: | 40 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
About the Author
Richard Freudenberger is the publisher of Back Home Magazine and has authored several books on country skills and sustainable living. He lives in Lancaster County, PA.
Richard Freudenberger is the publisher of Back Home Magazine and has authored several books on country skills and sustainable living. He lives in Lancaster County, PA.
Read an Excerpt
Save Money and See results (really!)
Using Vinegar in the Garden
Cost savings
Between $3.42 and $22.40 depending on how you use it
Benefits
Without chemicals and with a single product, kill bugs, fight plant disease, clean tools, and more
Vinegar is a miracle product for the household—and the garden. here, Pat Kerr shares how vinegar works as a fungicide, poison, and cleaner. I can’t remember when I didn’t use vinegar for just about everything, but I started to see big results in my garden when I moved a bottle into my shed. Now I need two containers of vinegar, one bottle full strength (5 percent) and a second bottle diluted 50:50 with water.
Here are some ways I use vinegar in my garden:
Clean garden utensils. Wipe tools clean with vinegar, and if infested with plants, soak them for 20 minutes or longer. Before storing tools, soak them in full-strength vinegar.
Remove lime and hard-water deposits. Wipe pots with vinegar to remove those tough spots; and soak persistent stains in full-strength vinegar.
Clean bird feeders. For hummingbird and oriole feeders, I add sand and gravel and swish this around with vinegar to remove any mold inside. Rinse the feeders well with clear water after cleaning.
Repel ants. Spray vinegar around doors and windows to keep insects out.
Prevent fungus. Diluted vinegar controls the spread of powdery mildew on plants such as phlox.
Table of Contents
Introduction 6
Part 1 All Around the House
Chapter 1 Kitchen and Pantry
Cleaning and Organization
Avoid Toxins in Home Cleaners 9
Be a Kitchen-Sink Alchemist and Save a Bundle 12
Save on Space with a Pantry Door Storage Unit 13
Make Your Own Nontoxic Odd-Job Kitchen Cleaners 15
Clean Your Appliances Naturally 16
Simple Solutions for Shining Silver 18
Make Your Own All-Purpose Cleaning Wipes 18
Freshen Garbage Pails and Disposals 19
Make Your Own Hand Sanitizer 20
Keep Pests Out of the Kitchen 21
Kitchen Tools
Take a Fresh Look at Cast-Iron Cookware 22
Wok Your Way to Energy Savings 24
Try a Wood Cookstove 25
Cooking/Stretching Food Dollar/Leftovers
Dry Your Own Herbs and Keep Your Money at Home 27
Learn the Art of Fireless Cooking 31
Return to Your Roots 33
Try the Penny-Pincher's Guide to Dutch Oven Cooking 36
Stop Buying Bread 39
Make Winter Soups 41
Fill Up on Stews for Less 44
Blend Your Own Spices 47
Economize Using Hand-Ground Grains 49
Grow Your Own Sprouts and Save 52
Make Herbal Vinegars 53
Save Energy with Combination Cooking 55
Eat Raw Foods for Enzymes and Save Energy 59
Food Storage
Pickle Foods with Appeal 62
Preserve and Economize with Water-Bath Canning 64
Observe Canning Safety Rules 67
Chapter 2 Laundry Room and Linen Closet
Know the Difference Between Soap and Detergent and Get Your Clothes Cleaner 69
Make Your Own Laundry Soap for Pennies a Load 71
Discover the Bonus of Borax 72
Use the Sun and Save on Utilities 73
Join the Cloth Diaper Revival 74
Find a Dozen Uses for Old Sheets and Linens 78
Try Natural (and Safer) Alternatives to Bleach 79
Chapter 3 Bathrooms
Make Your Own Housecleaners 81
Take a Powder and Do Plenty with It: The Power of Baking Soda 83
Make Your Own Toilet Bowl Cleaners 85
Make a Spa from Your Pantry 86
Make Home-Grown Skin Care 88
Make Homemade Baby Care Products 90
Save a Flush 92
Become Septic System Savvy 94
Chapter 4 Bedrooms and Guest Rooms
Bring Spring Indoors with Natural Aromatics 99
Make Space (and Save Cash) with Closet Storage Shelves 102
Ease Winter Woes with Heat-Saving Curtains 104
Save Energy with Seven Tips 108
Chapter 5 Basement and Attic
Use Safe and Effective Indoor Pest Control 111
Try No-Nonsense Mildew Control 114
Part 2 Those Special Interests that Make Life Special
Chapter 6 Pets: Part of the Family
Say Farewell to Fleas 119
Bake Dog Biscuit Treats for Pennies 121
Visit the Vet Less by Using Natural Healing 122
Stitch up a Futon for Fido 124
Chapter 7 Crafts: Do it Yourself
Make Recycled Sandals from Rubber Tires 127
Pound Flowers 132
Make Fireplace Bellows 134
Make a Simpler Solar Cooker for Kids 137
Make a Chair from Bittersweet for Next to Nothing 140
Make Dyes from Nature 143
Stitch up a Reversible Apron 145
Chapter 8 Holidays: Old-Fashioned Fun
Make Your Own Holiday Spices 149
Make Craft Paper Boxes for Gifts 152
Make a Traditional and Thrifty Wreath 155
Bake Pumpkin Treats 156
Make the Season with Mulled Ciders 158
Can the Gingerbread Man 159
Make a Seasoned Soup for the Holidays 160
Make Kids' Candleholders 161
Mix Up "Bomb" Effervescent Bath Treats 162
Make Your Own Homemade Soaps 163
Make Old-Fashioned Jellies 166
Craft a Corncob Doll from Scraps 168
Part 3 Heading Outside: The Great Outdoors
Chapter 9 Exits and Entryways
Make a Mudroom Cubby to Keep Things in Their Place 175
Build an Entry Vestibule to Ease Your Winter Budget 177
Stop Dirt in Its Tracks with a Simple Slatted Door Mat 180
Chapter 10 Garage and Workshop
Find the Ten Must-Have Tools Cheaply 183
Make the World's Simplest Sawhorse 185
Make Your Own Nontoxic Paint 187
Make Your Own Wood Stain for Next to Nothing 188
Preserve and Restore Your Woodwork with Natural Oils 189
Make an Heirloom Bread Box 191
Chapter 11 Decks, Patios, Porches, And Outdoor Rooms
Clean and Maintain Your Deck 195
Garden in Winter 196
Try Safe, Sound, and Easy-on-the-Purse Herbal Insect Repellants 199
Chapter 12 Landscaping
Landscape for Less with Living Mulches 201
Make Mulch from Scratch 202
Conserve Water with Xeriseaping 203
Replace Your Lawn with Edibles 204
Basic Stonescaping 206
Build a Found-Wood Garden Gate 208
Chapter 13 Growing Fruits, Veggies, And Herbs
Save Money and See Results (Really!) Using Vinegar in the Garden 212
Make a $99 Movable Greenhouse 213
Collect and Use Rainwater 216
Extend the Season with Row Covers 219
Save Money and Time with Sheet Mulching 221
Compost in Your Backyard 222
Build the World's Simplest Compost Bin 225
Learn Seed Saving Skills 227
Know the Ins and Outs of Container Gardening 229
Create a Raised Bed Garden 231
Use Beneficial Insects for Garden Pest Control 234
Companion Plant for Garden Success 237
Beneficial Garden Companions 239
Test Your Soil 241
Index 243
About the Contributors 252
About the Author 254