Penny-pinching and notes to becoming a Tight-wad! Saturday, Mar 1 2008

I have a new tenant moving into my condo this coming April, and as usual the agent gave me a list of TO DO’s to get the place in a satisfactory state for the Japanese family. One of the things on the list was to clean the stains on the ceramic tiles in the living room. Sounds easy enough….NOT!

Upon closer inspection, I found quite a few tiles had these stains….they kinda look like loopy swirls in dark grey though about 15 of the cream coloured tiles by the sliding doorway to the balcony. Not hideously ugly…but very noticeable. Not sure how these got there either. I’m guessing the last cleaner spilt some dirty detergent water over them, and the chemicals somehow stained through the glazing. Over time, they just seem to be more noticeable…hopefully not spreading though!! Not that I’m particularly savvy about chemical reactions or anything….but have been scouring all the DIY sites trying to figure out how to remove the stains…instead of replacing them…Tsk!

Well there were a few tips given for cleaning stubborn stains on ceramic tiles – like using scouring powder, or ammonia with hot water – I’ll give it a try but may ultimately have to resort to some expert! I mean, thankfully we’re blessed with relatively cheap costs for handy work around the house like cleaning, plumbing, repairs, etc. In the UK or Australia or other western countries, doing things like these would cost a bomb…at least a few hundred dollars or pounds a pop!! Even calling in a locksmith to open the front door for me in Singapore cost S$50 about 10 years ago!! Being the penny pincher that I am…guess I’ll still have to give the DIY approach a try. We shall see how far that gets me!

 And so, whilst (not very happily) going through all the DIY websites with all the tedious ‘how to’s’, I came across this interesting site called – All Things Frugal - Home of the Penny-pincher and the Tightwad Titbits Ezines. Well, will delve more into the site later – but was so chuffed that I thought I would share it with TOHTMYM readers first….and this article:

The Many Uses of Vinegar

 

by Nikki Willhite

www.allthingsfrugal.com

Here is a laundry list of uses for Vinegar!

Food

-Salad Dressing, Pickles, etc.

-Keeps eggs from cracking when boiling by adding 2 Tablespoons to water.

-Stop mold on cheese by wrapping in a vinegar soaked cloth.

-Make a better chocolate cake by adding a teaspoon of Vinegar.

-Perk up wilted vegetables. Soak in 2 cups water, 1 Tablespoon Vinegar.

-Tenderize meat by soaking overnight or rub on both sides and let
sit 2 hours.

-Add to water when boiling vegetables to retain color.

Cleaning

-Cuts grease and freshens dishes when washing them

-Wipe oven to prevent grease build up.

-Cleans and disinfects wood cutting boards, counters, the
refrigerator, microwave, etc. Wipe with full strength vinegar.

-Deodorizes the kitchen drain. Pour a cup down the drain once a
week. Let stand 30 minutes and then flush with cold water.

-Cleans stainless steel, copper pots and chrome.

-Cleans grout.

-Cleans your washing machine and dishwasher. Add vinegar and run through a regular cycle to dissolve detergent residues.

Household

-Cleans your iron. Put equal amounts of vinegar and water into
water holder. Put on the steam setting and let set 5 minutes.
Cool and drain.

-Cleans calcium deposits, lime, and scum. Great for humidifiers,
tubs and wash basins.

-Unclog a drain with baking soda and vinegar, per last week’s issue.

-Film that accumulates in your bathtub can be removed by soaking and scrubbing with Vinegar.

Clothing

-Stain Remover (pre-soak).

-Removes perspiration odors and stains.

-Hang clothes that smell of smoke above a bathtub full of hot
water and a Cup of Vinegar to steam.

-Use instead of fabric softener when you wash your clothes.

-If you buy a piece of clothing or fabric that you think will
bleed, set the colors in fabric. Add 1 cup white vinegar to 1
gallon of water. Soak fabric in this solution until the fabric
stops bleeding.

Beauty

-Like baking soda it will also remove residue left by shampoo from
hair, as well as help control dandruff.

-Cleans Eye Glasses.

Plants

-Flower last longer when fed with 2 tablespoons vinegar and 1
teaspoon sugar.

-If you have alkaline soil and are trying to grow rhododendrons,
azaleas or other acid loving plants, add to water before
watering.

Pest Control

-Put it in a spray bottle and use it as an insecticide. Used in
large amounts it also deters animals. -Deters dogs from scratching ears by applying it on their bodies.

Medicinal

-Sunburns rub lightly to relieve burn.

-For dry, Itchy Skin add to bath water.

-Apply to bee strings to relieve itching.

-Apply to burns for pain relief.

Wah wah wah….didn’t even know you could do so much with the humble vinegar….must go buy a big bottle.

Anyway hopefully all penny-pinchers and would be penny-pinchers out there will enjoy the site…me included. And share your tips with us all

On the To Do list – I have to “bitch” about those unreasonable tenants out there – thankfully, this latest list is not as difficult as the last potential tenants —- who requested that I replaced the queen bed in the master bedroom, with a king bed, and buy an extra single bed to be placed adjacently to the king bed so that their young son could sleep with them. This, on top of the other 10 items on the list!! Buy this, buy that etc….sometimes people ask me why investing in property is no longer as high on my list of priorities compared to mutual funds, stocks and bonds…well you gotta really experience the tenant from hell to understand!!