More tips from the reluctant housekeeper

More tips here.

Unshrinking a shrunken sweater
I accidentally tossed a favorite wool sweater in with a load of towels and washed on hot. The sweater emerged fit for a five year old. Remembering that my mother taught me to treat natural fibers like human hair, I grabbed a bottle of conditioner and a spatula. I spread conditioner over the entire sweater, taking care to cover ever last square centimeter. I gave it a day to soak in, then flipped the sweater over and repeated. For the next few days, I gently and slowly stretched and re-shaped. A week later, the sweater is restored to its rightful size (and smelling like my hair.)

Retrieving things in and cleaning tight spaces
Sacrifice a fondue folk to the cause. If you do not have a fondue set, hit up married friends/family members as the fondue set is a classic wedding present that no one ever uses. Keep in a box with paper clips, a wire hanger, and small pieces of rag or cotton balls.

Avoiding stitches
Always put sharp objects sharp side down in the dishwasher. If the plastic casing has since been lost, store a grater or zester in a paper towel tube.

Fluffy towels and saved energy costs
Those "as seen on tv" dryer balls really do work. I've heard of people using tennis balls, but doubt that's wise because (1) 3 tennis balls is about the same cost as two dryer balls as long as you buy the dryer balls at a brick-and-mortar store, (2) tennis balls are covered in neon fibers that have to go somewhere and (3) tennis balls are, and smell like, rubber.

Make your own wet wipes
Soak thick, high-quality paper towels in a soapy solution overnight, and store in a sealed box or canister. Empty baby wipe containers and plastic pull-through canisters are great. I scent mine with a few drops of tea tree and lavender essential oils. You can also make your own baby wipes this way.

Angie's List!
Well worth the subscription cost.

Make your clothing smell better
Use less detergent. I promise, you do not need to use a full cap unless you're washing very dirty clothing. While I know why detergent manufacturers want you to use a whole cap, I have no idea why clothing smells better with less detergent. It just does.

Fresh air and sunshine
It's warming up here in the mid-Atlantic area. If you open up the windows, your home automatically looks cleaner than it is.

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Tip/trick/lesson of the day: Free ribbon from MADD. Personally, I don't like little doo-dads flying around my car, but I also don't like drunk driving. Coupon for a free tire gauge, which every driver should have in her car.