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Cold Weather Cleaning Idea: Organize Your Kitchen Pantry!

Summer's great for eating fresh produce, but with cooler temperatures, you might find yourself looking less to the vegetable crisper and more to the kitchen pantry for dinner ingredients. If you have a free moment, take some time to clean out and organize the pantry, drawers and cabinets in your kitchen to make things fresh and easy to find. In fact, you may find cans of nonperishables that you purchased on impulse and don't actually plan to use; clear out these dry or canned goods, and either toss them if they've expired, or donate them to your local food pantry. (This time of year is ideal to donate food, so even if you don't plan on parting with goods from your kitchen, you might consider purchasing a few extra items on your next grocery run to give to those in need.) Assess what's left and write up your weekly shopping list accordingly to fill in the gaps!

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How to Store Your Teacups Neatly in the Cabinet this Season!

We're in the thick of tea season, meaning your teacups and mugs may be getting some more action than usual. While the saucers are a no-brainer to store in the cabinet, teacups can be a little trickier to stack. An easy way to solve this problem is to place a teacup on top of a saucer, and then place another saucer on top of the teacup. Add another teacup on top of that saucer, and continue stacking once or twice; this way, your teacups won't topple and everything will be nice and organized when teatime rolls around!

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How to Remove Cobwebs from Around the House

Cobwebs can make for great Halloween decorations, but they can also be a frightful sight when they take over spaces in your home, like the basement, attic, etc. Fortunately it's easy to remove them, though! If you don't have a cobweb duster, you can also use a plain microfiber duster or even an old stocking stretched over a broom to get the job done. Sometimes it helps to wet the duster or the cobwebs first, so if you're having a hard time you might want to try a few spritzes of water here and there. You can then either shake out your duster outdoors, or you can wipe off excess webs on your carpet, vacuuming up the resulting residue immediately afterward.

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How To Get Face Paint Out of Clothing Items this Halloween!

Whether you're planning to paint your face or will be around someone else who has done this Halloween, it might be useful to know how to remove potential stains from your clothing items. Fortunately the process is pretty straightforward; wet the stained area and apply vegetable glycerin soap, and then, stretching the area as tightly as you can, run under hot water. Once the stain has been removed from the clothing, you may wash the garment as you normally would. So don't shy away from face paint this Halloween, because now you know how to keep all your clothing looking BOO-tiful!

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Mess-Free Alternatives to Traditional Pumpkin Carving!

We're exactly thirteen days away from Halloween, and it's likely you've started thinking about carving some pumpkins to put on your front stoop. We're ALL for being festive, but as cleaning experts, we know it can be a pain remove the pumpkin innards before you get started. To avoid that whole process, we vote you decorate the pumpkins instead of carving them! You can be as creative as you like; for instance, you can paint or draw faces on the pumpkins, or glue festive ribbons, buttons and other doodads to embellish the outside surface. This is a great alternative to the mess factor, plus your pumpkins will maintain a much longer shelf-life. AND it's a great idea if you've got little ones who aren't able to handle knives and other common pumpkin carving tools. Whatever you do, HAVE FUN!

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Tips for Making Leaf Raking A Quicker and Easier Process

Jumping into a pile of leaves might have fun written all over it, but cleaning them up from your yard just doesn't have the same appeal. As the leaves continue to fall this October, we've compiled a few tips to help you stay on top of your lawn maintenance.

First, make sure you're working with a good rake; there should be some bend to the tines to help you increase the amount of leaves captured per rake.

Similarly, if your rake is causing you back or shoulder pain, consider purchasing a sturdy ergonomic rake for more comfort.

Allow some build-up before heading out for a raking session; you'll quickly drive yourself crazy trying to keep up with every falling leaf.

As you rake, make sure you're downwind to avoid extra work.

Make sure to wear long pants and sleeves to protect your skin as you work in the yard.

Finally, make sure you're raking in small motions rather than long, big ones; not only will this help to effectively pick up more leaves, but it'll boost your comfort!

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Get Organized for Fall and Store All Your Summer Clothes!

Now that we're officially in October, it's probably time to begin storing some of those summer clothing items away for fall and winter. Here's how to go about it:

First, sort through your garments and weed out any items you don't think you'll wear again; these can be washed and donated.

Next, take up the remaining "keepers" and wash as instructed before storing.

Place the laundered garments in clean, air-tight containers, like plastic storage bins or hanging garment bags. Then, put the filled containers in a well-ventilated, out of the way area of your home.

And now that you've got all that extra wardrobe space, you can treat yourself to some new sweaters and coats as an added bonus!

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Quick Tip: Use An Eraser to Easily Remove Household Scuffs!

Back-to-school supplies aren't just limited to the classroom; you can also use an eraser to remove scuffs from your walls should they appear! You'll want to use a white nylon eraser for this task to prevent staining, so try to avoid the standard pink varieties if possible. All you've got to do is rub the eraser over the scuff in question, and typically the problem area will be removed as easily as that. This method works particularly well on walls and kitchen floors, so just keep an eraser on hand nearby to prevent having to resort to deeper cleaning methods!

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Tips for Fall: Remove Vines from Your Home Facade!

Now that fall weather seems to have set in for good, it's time to take advantage of the milder temperatures to get your home in tip-top shape for winter. If you've got some free time this weekend, get to work removing unruly vines from the siding of your home; these can cause water damage, either from creating cracks in the walls, or by simply retaining moisture for long periods of time, so you should deal with them now as this winter is predicted to be a rough one. Work from the top down, pulling them away from the walls and cutting them at the base. Then, remove any roots that remain in the soil. This is a fairly simple task that could end up saving you a lot of time and money down the road, so take advantage of these sunny fall days and hop to it!

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Simple Methods to Get Rid of Unpleasant Musty Odors!

We don't know about you, but for us, fall feels like the perfect time to go antiquing. And while it's always exciting to find a great piece of vintage furniture to complement your home decor, it's not so great to bring back a musty odor. Eliminate unpleasant smells with these super simple items:

Charcoal: This is an affordable, all-natural solution to getting rid of musty odors; simply place a bag of small pieces inside the furniture item and leave it to rest for 1-2 days.

Kitty Litter: Not just for cats! You can pour some into a bowl and then place inside the item, allowing at least 24 hours to absorb the unpleasant smells.

Coffee: You can also place dry ground coffee into bowls to place inside the item in question, allowing at least 1 day to absorb the odors.

Baking Soda: This is an inexpensive option that's tried and true. Just place an open box inside the musty-smelling item for a couple of days to get rid of the unpleasant odor.

See? Easy! You'll be soon able to enjoy that fantastic find sans musty smell!

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Going On Vacation? How To Come Home To A Clean House!

Squeezing in one last trip before summer's over? Well, nothing's worse than returning to a messy home, so we've compiled a few tips to make pre-departure cleaning quick and painless.

First, sort through your fridge and pantry. If there are items that are about to go bad, either try and use them or give them away. Otherwise, these should be chucked out.

Next, make sure you take out the trash; it's not the most glamorous job, but it only takes a second and will guarantee your home will smell nice and fresh upon your return.

Then, do a quick sweep for clutter, sorting any misplaced items into piles, and then dropping those piles off in the appropriate spots in your home.

You'll also want to put fresh sheets on your bed. This can be a hassle, but it'll really pay off when all you want to do is get a good night's rest in your own clean bed.

Finally, do a scan for dirty dishes around the house, place them in the dishwasher, and then run a cycle before you leave home.

These chores will go by even faster if you delegate tasks to family members, so divide and conquer and be on your merry way!

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Quick Tip: Use Cooking Oil As A Natural Cleaning Agent!

Cooking oil's not just for the frying pan; turns out it's a really versatile, all-natural cleaning agent, too! For instance, if you've been painting house and have some stubborn paint spots on your skin, you can apply some cooking oil to help remove them more easily. You can also use it to remove scuffs from leather shoes, use it as wood polish by combining 2 cups olive or vegetable oil with the juice of a lemon, or use it to buff stainless steel surfaces in your home!

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How To Store Fresh Herbs for Quick, Easy Access Year-Round

Fresh herbs pack a powerful flavor punch, so it's nice to have them on hand year-round. How to preserve them, then? Look no farther than your freezer! For this cool trick, all you need is an empty ice cube tray, fresh herbs you'd like to store, and some extra-virgin olive oil. Break up the herbs to fit in the ice cube tray compartments, and then distribute them evenly throughout, about 2/3 of the way to the top. Pour the olive oil over the herbs to fill the ice cube wells, cover the tray with plastic wrap and freeze overnight. Then, remove the frozen cubes and place them in plastic storage bags or containers to be kept in the freezer! And there you have it, the perfect solution to keeping your herbs fresh year-round!

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Although many newer homes come equipped with ample counter space, not all kitchens provide adequate surfaces for all your cooking and prep needs. This is especially true of apartment set-ups, so if you find yourself short-changed for space, today's your lucky day! Food52 user vvvanessa shares this ingenious kitchen hack in this video; she suggests using your ironing board for a makeshift counter, which is perfect for baking and cooking since the board is already specially designed to withstand high temperatures! When you don't need the extra room to work, you can simply fold up the board and store it away until next time. So smart!

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Vinegar Packs a Powerful Punch For Eco-Friendly Cleaning!

We're all for inexpensive, environmentally-friendly cleaning solutions, so we thought today it would be nice to highlight all the shortcuts you can take with a pantry staple: vinegar! Not just for cooking, this stuff packs a powerful punch in a variety of cleaning scenarios. For instance, if you plan to sport sweaters this fall, toss a few tablespoons of vinegar in with your rinse cycle. Then, when the wash is done, the sweaters will be extra fluffy! Or, next time you take a bath, add a half cup of vinegar to the water. Not only will it improve dry skin, but it will simultaneously clean your tub! And although you might not need to for a while, you can use equal parts vinegar and water to clean off salt-stained leather and suede boots, perfect for all that wintertime slush. How about in the kitchen? You can use vinegar in your ice cubes as a dish disposal deodorizer, or you can use equal parts water and vinegar to clean out your coffee maker. Not bad for a commonplace, inexpensive ingredient, huh?

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How To Quickly (and Easily) Clean the Sole Plate of Your Iron!

Summer's also known as wedding season, so your suits, your dresses AND your iron may have gotten quite the workout these last couple of months. If you want to keep your clothes looking crisp and clean year-round, though, it's important to keep your press in good shape, especially after extensive use! Don't worry, the maintenance of an iron is nowhere near as strenuous as using it to press a pile of wrinkled shirts. All you need to do is set your iron to low heat, and then gently rub the sole plate over a clean dryer sheet to remove dirt and gunk. Soon you'll have a sparkling appliance that's ready to take on even the wrinkliest laundry!

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Quick Tip: Use Vanilla Extract To Help Freshen Your Freezer

From ice cream to ice cubes, we're sure your freezer has been getting quite the workout this summer! There's also a chance that the chilly chamber's not smelling as fresh as it used to, so for a quick fix, reach for a bottle of vanilla extract. Sounds a bit crazy, but wiping down the inside of the freezer with a vanilla-soaked pad can work wonders! This environmentally-friendly solution is both inexpensive and simple, so give that icebox a refresher it well deserves!