The Country Almanac of Housekeeping Techniques That Save You Money: Folk Wisdom for Keeping Your House Clean, Green, and Homey - Softcover

Freudenberger, Richard; Editors Of BackHome Magazine

Softcover

ISBN 10: 159233413X ISBN 13: 9781592334131

Publisher: Fair Winds Press, 2011

Synopsis

"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 Home Magazine 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.

About this title

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 BackHome Magazine (http://www.backhomemagazine.com) and has authored several books on country skills and sustainable living. He lives in Lancaster County, PA.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

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.

About this edition

• Publisher: Fair Winds Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 159233413X
• ISBN 13: 9781592334131
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256