Martha A. Cheves's Blog, page 34

The Many Uses of Beer

If you, like me, thought beer was only good for drinking, then you, like me, are about to find a few more uses for this popular brew. (This information is from Today.com) 

Remove coffee/tea stains from rugs


Dribbled your morning latte onto the floor? Beer can actually remove coffee and tea stains from rugs, says Erinn Valencich, an Los Angeles-based interior designer. "Pour a bit of beer on the stain. Rub the beer lightly into the rug and the stain should come out." If the stain is being stubborn, repeat the process a few times until it's gone. 

Clean wood furniture


From interior designers to old barmen who use it religiously, beer (especially stale beer) is surprisingly great for polishing wood. "Wipe on the beer with a soft cloth, then wipe off with another dry cloth," suggests Valencich. 

Loosen rusted hardware


Over time, oxidization can cause fasteners to be fixed permanently — or so it would seem when it's you, exhausted, wrench in hand. Don't work quite so hard. Instead, splash a bit of beer on the bolt and wait a few minutes. The carbonation will break down the rust to you can turn the screw. 

Treat your tresses


Using beer to coax shine out of dull hair is a classic beauty trick. The alcohol acts as a clarifying agent, the proteins and vitamins imbue strands with nutrients and the acidic nature tightens and flattens the cuticle for extra shine. (Don't forget to rinse with cool water). 

Make good bread great


Whenever entertaining expert and blogger Julie Blanner needs an elegant, no-fuss snack to serve guests, she whips up beer bread made extra moist and delicious by the addition of a 12oz of brewski. She prefers to use IPAs, wheats and Belgian-type beers, but her recipe  will work with your favorite brew too. "Think of beer as an extract. It's what gives the bread its flavor." 

Marinade away toxins


The ultimate summer bummer — grilling meat over charcoal may result in harmful hydrocarbons. Fortunately, beer is here to rescue your backyard BBQ. According to the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, a beer marinade reduces the formation of potentially harmful substances. So eat, drink and be merry. 

Keep bugs at bay


Is your patio a pest fest? According to Cantone, the owner of a popular New York City bar puts a small amount of beer in a bucket in the far corners of his backyard  to attract small flies and mosquitoes. However, he insists beer must be stale and it must be an amber or darker because bugs seem to prefer the stronger stuff. 

Locking up your info. - 25 Worst Passwords Online

This list came from my friend at Book Town and since it benefits everyone I thought I would pass it on and hope you'll do the same.

1. 1234562. password3. 123456784. qwerty5. abc1236. 1234567897. 1111118. 12345679. iloveyou10. adobe12311. 12312312. admin13. 123456789014. letmein15. photoshop16. 123417. monkey18. shadow19. sunshine20. 1234521. password122. princess23. azerty24. trustno125. 000000

Laundry Myths #7

This was a bit lengthy so I decided to do it in 5 posts.
(I found this on Today.com and found it worth sharing.)

7. Myth: You wear your jeans, you wash your jeans. [image error]
Reality: CEO and president of Levi Straus and Co., Chip Bergh, announced last year that he rarely washes his jeans. And if that's good enough for the head of a denim company, well, that's good enough for us. "It's time to rethink autopilot behaviors like washing your jeans after every wear because in many cases, it's simply not necessary," Bergh says in a news release announcing that the company's efforts have saved 1 billion liters of water to date. According to Levi's release, U.S. consumers typically wear their jeans twice before washing them. In the United Kingdom and France, they wear them 2.5 times, and in China, it takes a typical four wears before washing. So, Americans, it's time to let your denim get a bit dirty. 

Laundry Myths #5 and #6

[image error] This was a bit lengthy so I decided to do it in 5 posts.
(I found this on Today.com and found it worth sharing.)

5. The myth: Yellow pit stains are just gonna happen. And it's the detergent's fault! The reality: Kerr says one way to prevent the ugly underarm stains is to change your deodorant. "Those stains are caused more by the aluminum in commercial antiperspirants than by the actual sweat," she says. "One way to keep them from happening is to switch to an aluminum-free product. In terms of treating the stains when they happen, OxiClean — or any similarly oxygenated bleach or enzymatic-based stain remover — is great." Pre-soak serious stains in solution before you wash them to maximize effectiveness. 6. Myth: There is no hope for those stinky gym clothes. Deal. Reality: "Odor-causing microbes, like bacteria or mildew, build up on damp clothes and feed on soils like oil from sweat," Ooka says. To try to tamper the bad smell, air-dry the clothes before packing them away if they can't be washed immediately. Otherwise, an odor-sealing plastic bag can be your best friend.

Laundry Myths #3 and #4

This was a bit lengthy so I decided to do it in 5 posts.
(I found this on Today.com and found it worth sharing.)

3. Myth: When you spill red wine on your white shirt, race to the sink and start rubbing. Reality: Rubbing isn't going to save that blouse. Instead, grab some salt and toss it on the stain as soon as possible. "The salt will pull the wine up out of the fabric," Kerr says. [image error] "Other great ways to treat red wine stains are to dab at it with club soda (the sodium in club soda will help to remove the stain) or with white wine. Weird but true!" 4. Myth: Bad stain? Throw it straight in that washing machine. Reality: "For stubborn soil and stains (like food, grass and blood), pre-treating the stain before washing is the key," says Ooka. Just apply a small amount of detergent directly on the stain and gently rub before washing as usual.

A Message from God

Many times I've received a 'please read and pass it on' but have been afraid to because of virus.  When I read this one I simply had to pass it on in a safe way and what better way than through Facebook.  Please read and think about what your reading.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that
whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.
I LOVE THE OPENING SENTENCE .

"With what is going on in the world these days Heaven could end up a
ghost town ?

My name is God. You hardly have time for me. I love you and will
always bless you.

I am always with you. I need you to spend 30 seconds of your time with Me
 today.
Don't pray, just praise. Today I want this message to go across the
world before midnight.

Why are prayers getting smaller, but bars and clubs are expanding?

Why is it so easy to worship a celebrity, but very difficult to engage
with God?"

Thank you, God

God has been very good to me, He has given me a wonderful family,
great friends, great health for the most of my life and so much more!

THANK YOU GOD!

Laundry Myths #2

This was a bit lengthy so I decided to do it in 5 posts.
(I found this on Today.com and found it worth sharing.)


2. Myth: Fill the entire cup with detergent for extra-clean clothes. [image error] Reality: "You should almost never fill the detergent cap," Kerr says. "Over-detergenting is a thing that almost everyone does — people think that more soap equals more clean, when actually the opposite is true. Using too much detergent means that your clothes won't be fully rinsed of the soap, which can be irritating to skin." She recommends two tablespoons to a quarter cup of detergent for a normal-sized load of laundry. Akemi Ooka, green chef and formulator at Method laundry detergent, says there's no industry standard when it comes to the proper amount of detergent you need. "That said, too much soap can lead to dinginess from residue that doesn't wash off in the rinse cycle, so it's best to start out following the product's usage instructions rather than adding extra detergent," she says. To get more bang for your buck, try a concentrated detergent that will work just as hard to remove stains with a lot less liquid. **Note: Be aware that many HE machines are larger and can carry more clothes than standard washers, so the detergent-to-load ratio may vary.

I Didn't Know That - Laundry Myths #1

[image error]


1. Myth: There's one correct order, so stick to it. Reality: It's true that order is important when washing clothes, says Jolie Kerr, author of "My Boyfriend Barfed In My Handbag ... And Other Things You Can't Ask Martha," but what really matters is that you use the proper order for your particular machine. The old school water, soap, clothes rule once applied to top-loading washers, but is outdated because the detergent we use today isn't as troublesome. The modern order for top-loaders is usually clothes, water, soap. "Front-loaders, including high-efficiency (HE) machines, have a dispenser for laundry detergent. The thing that's important with these machines is to use the right amount and kind of detergent," Kerr says. "In the case of HE machines, make sure the detergent you're using is HE compatible."

Glass Covers

Use cupcake cases to cover drinks glasses in the summer and prevent flies from dropping in. GOOD ONE
Just in time for Summer!

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Drop a couple of denture cleaning tablets into the toilet bowl at night to clean off stubborn stains.