How to Remove Rust
September 15, 2016
How to Remove Rust Naturally
Have you ever wondered how to remove rust without expensive chemicals and toxic fumes? We’ve all had mishaps with metal, whether it was the prized garden tool left out in the rain or a sink of utensils inadvertently left over night. Rust – the annoying thing that eats our cars, hardware, faucets, garden tools and more.
I have used a variety of expensive chemicals including naval jelly and those stinky nitric acid solutions that make you choke. Most of them do actually remove rust, but at a cost to your pocket book, health and the environment. How to remove rust without toxic fumes and scary chemicals? Here’s how, using safe, biodegradable ingredients you are likely to have in your home.
1. Salt and Vinegar
Vinegar is great by itself but salt adds some abrasion when you want to scrub it. Use 6 parts white vinegar to a tablespoon salt. Submerge your object or, if that’s not possible, wrap it in rags soaked with the solution, replenishing as necessary. This is a great way to clean shower heads and faucets if you don’t want to disassemble them.
2. Plain White Vinegar
Soak the rusty kitchen accessory or other object in a vat of white vinegar for a day. Pull it out to see if rust has dissolved. For larger objects, soak a wash cloth or towel in vinegar and wrap it around the object; then pour more vinegar on it and let it soak. This is great for faucets and faucet parts.
3. Molasses and Water
This is a farmer’s trick (my favorite method) and I’ve seen whole cars submerged in baths that came out completely clean. Ratios vary, but try 1/4 molasses to 3/4 parts water, mix it, and then soak your rusty can opener or other accessory for a day. Pull it out to see if rust has dissolved and soak for another day if it hasn’t. Do not leave your rusty object in the solution for more than a day without checking it, as this is a really powerful solution.
4. Lemon and Lemon Juice
Cut a lemon in half and use it to clean around fixtures. Let the juice sit and the acid with loosen the rust. You can also use lemon juice in a container and submerge the rusty object (check it every couple hours). Lemon also excels at removing hard water deposits.
There you are, four natural solutions for removing rust that won’t break the bank. Please use these ideas but take care in continually monitoring your progress, as the molasses trick in particular can break down iron if left in too long. Feel free to send pictures of your de-rusting projects too!
You might enjoy this post about removing water spots from furniture (from the Clutter Control Freak).
Organized Fridge
September 13, 2016
How to Manifest an Organized Fridge
The organized fridge, while uncommon, is easily manifested with a couple of clever products and minor changes to your daily habits. Here are a few storage items I use to keep my refrigerator organized and my food fresh and accessible:
Fridge Storage Bins
Cold-temperature-safe and easy to clean, these clear fridge bins prevent scary spills from descending your fridge shelves, while keeping food organized. Several kinds are available but these stackable fridge bins by Dial are my favorites and they come with built-in handles to easily pull food out when you need it. Several sizes are available for fruits, cans, cheeses, bottles and other foods.
TrueSeal Glass Storage Containers by Anchor Hocking
I love glass. It’s recyclable, food safe and great for refrigeration, freezing, microwaving and even oven baking. This Anchor Hocking set is great for storing casseroles, desserts and other leftovers. Included are 2 – 1-7/8-cup and 1 – 4-3/4-cup storage containers. Use them in your lunch and rest assured the patented TrueSeal lids won’t fall off like most competitor brands. A clear window in the top of lid makes for easy viewing from every angle. And finally, they’re safe for the dishwasher. These are available in square, round and rectangular varieties with a range of storage capacities. You can’t go wrong with good old-fashioned, American-made glassware.
No Spill Ice Tray
For freezers, the No Spill Ice Tray is the bee’s knees for keeping your in-process ice cubes from splashing all over the interior. A silicone top keeps water put while freezing.
Once you have the organized refrigerator products to keep your refrigerator in top shape, you need to also develop some habits to maintain your organization. Everything has a place, and if you remember that, you’re halfway to having the organized, dream fridge you’ve always wanted. Regular maintenance also keeps your fridge clean and inviting. At least once a week give exposed surfaces a swipe with a warm rag soaked in dish detergent. If you notice a spill, just remove the fridge bin and wipe clean. You’ll find maintenance much more manageable with removable fridge bins and secure food storage containers.
You might like to peruse our other refrigerator storage products here.
Also see our Small Kitchen and Tiny Kitchen organizing blog posts. Also, see Ask Our Organizer for more fridge ideas, as well as tons of great organizing tips.
Stay Focused
September 9, 2016
How To Stay Focused in a Digitally Ecstatic World
How to stay focused is a modern dilemma to many a man or woman, given the noise and busyness in our surroundings. At work, you may be distracted by the activities in the cubes next to you, the voices in your workspaces, the telephone ringing, someone’s radio, the internet on your monitors, and the continual stream of emails coming your way. If you are a social media addict, staying grounded and on task is especially challenging.
The people, customer and co-worker distractions may be, to some extent, out of your control. Time management and reducing the digital noise, however, IS something you can easily manage with a few simple changes in your daily routines.
Here are some great real-world tips on keeping grounded and focused so that you can be the productive whiz you can and should be.
1. Windows Management
When on your computer, close windows as you complete tasks. You’ll be less tempted to return to them, pick at them and be distracted by them. Plus, you’ll give yourself a little sense of accomplishment by closing (completing) the task.
2. The Sound of Music
If radio and music is distracting you, work in silence. It isn’t bad having a blank mental slate to work with. Silence is peaceful and grounding. Be really honest with yourself about whether listening to music is actually helping you stay focused or if it is interfering with your ability to concentrate.
3. Hide Your Toys
Hide your toys from yourself – including digital devices, windup toys and action figures. It’s too tempting to play with them. At the very least, put them up high where you’ll have to stand up and reach, or otherwise go out of your way to play with them. If that doesn’t work, keep them in your car. You’ll be okay without them.
4. Eliminate the Bounciness
Make yourself a schedule so you aren’t randomly bouncing from task to task. Whether you call it ADD or it’s simply a symptom of modernity, bouncing around a lot is generally not conducive to productivity. Plan, be still, schedule and proceed.
5. Love Social Media Sometimes
If you love social media, dedicate some time each day for your fix and stick to your schedule. They’ll still be there when you get to them. Promise. Dedicated social time reduces the amount of time you check in during the day, making you more focused for other tasks.
6. Lists Are Your Friend
Start each work day with a list of things to do (this is good advice for homemakers, students and people who work outside the home). Prioritize your tasks with numbers or letters and congratulate yourself as you complete each task.
7. Schedule Like Tasks Together
If possible, schedule like tasks together as you can more easily stay in a rhythm as you work. Example, group visual tasks together as your brain functions differently when processing visual information than it does for writing or math.
8. The Natural Rhythm of Concentration
It may be advisable to begin each work day with your more complicated and creative tasks, leaving more mundane ones for later when your focus will naturally begin to wane.
9. When to Email
Dedicate some time each day to answer emails. Maybe read them first thing in the morning to catch the previous day’s late emails and again a half hour before you leave work. Reducing the number of interruptions will help you stay focused throughout the day.
10. Meditate
If you find yourself really struggling, take a break and do some deep breathing to try to engage your parasympathetic nervous system. Do this also if you’re stressed. A quick walk is also a good way to empty your head and connect with nature, or concrete, whichever is available.
As you will see when you implement these ideas, limiting exposure to distractions by reserving specific times to complete tasks is hugely beneficial in helping you stay focused and productive throughout your day. When you reduce digital clutter in your life, you’re likely to notice other improvements as well, including your interactions with people and possibly even your health, as so much of our wellness has to do with the physical world around us, including what we eat, how we communicate and our ability to listen and be present for ourselves and others.
Also see: How to Improve Your Office and Decluttering Your Office.