Mary Hunt's Blog, page 279

No More Bad Hair Days

A recent post in which I wailed and whined about my very bad hair day started it. You may recall how I mentioned volumizing, styling techniques and a great can of hairspray. That brought an avalanche of desperate queries, suggesting to me that perhaps I’m not the only one dealing with an occasional bad hair day!

Which volumizer? Hairspray? What? Where?!

Not long after we visited the world of shampoos and conditioners. That stirred up lots more questions and very specific ones as in exactly w...

Letters to the Editor: Stick Vac, Travel Tips, Cleaning “Juice,” Garbage Disposals and Sweet Peas

One of the great joys of writing is receiving letters to the editor. Not surprisingly, responses to what I write vary greatly, which I find gratifying. That means your’e reading and thinking. And from time to time I find myself re-thinking in response to what you write. I hope you find this selection of recent letters both interesting and thought-provoking.

Best Inexpensive Stick Vacuum—Finally!

I’m a happy user of the Eufy Cordless HomeVac you recommended. I love it—especially as we have a...

Just Hand Over the Sweet Peas and No One Gets Hurt

Confession is good for the soul, I’m told, and so I’d like to confess. I came this close to clocking the woman standing in front of me in the very crowded pick-up line at the airport last week. It’s not that she was rude or jumped in front of me or anything like that. She was holding a bouquet of fresh flowers … Sweet Peas!

It seems that she’d just returned having chaperoned an entire class of high-school students on a Spring Break trip. Amazingly, she appeared to have all of her mental facu...

The Wonders of Epsom Salt

I can recall vividly—and count on one hand—the migraine headaches I’ve had in my life, all of them before age ten. Once I turned double digits, I outgrew them. Until a couple of months ago.

With no warning at all, there I was back to my 8-year-old self, flat on my back with a raging migraine. Why now, after all these years?

In reading up on the latest findings on what causes migraine headaches, I discovered how important magnesium is to overall health. Turns out that an estimated 80 percent...

Ask Me Anything: Dehumidifiers and Glass Stovetop Disaster

Humidity, or the lack thereof, is a popular topic this time of year. Where I live in northern Colorado, it’s dry! We have like no humidity. Well, not exactly, but it averages in the low mid-20 percent during the summer and fall months. We have a humidifier in our home and it runs 24/7 year round for health and comfort.

Recently, lots of readers have inquired about how to deal with the opposite—high humidity, which can get pretty miserable this time of year.

What is the best inexpensive home...

Our Best Father’s Day Gift Guide Ever!

I may know what you’re thinking: Father’s Day? What! When? The answer is yes, Sun., June 18. But don’t panic. You still have more than a week to make it a great day for the Dads in your life!

If there’s one thing I know about Dads, it’s this: They like cool stuff—gadgets, electronics, powerful things. And if a gift is slightly sentimental? That’s a good thing, too.

1. Outdoor Security Camera. This 24/7 live video 130° wide-angle view and all-glass lens will let the man of the house look aft...

Best Inexpensive: Skin Care Products

How shocked was I? Speechless, but somehow I gathered enough strength to respond, “There’s no way!” Even so, I did a quick search only to discover it was no typo at all. 111Skin Celestial Black Diamond Cream 1.7 oz. retails for $1,095.

All I can say is at that price, it better contain a miracle. Seriously. It almost makes Le Lift Firming Anti-Wrinkle Cream by Chanel 1.75 oz., $152 and Lancome’s Hydra Zen Neurocalm Soothing Recharging Night Cream 1.7 oz., $70 look cheap!

Okay, back to reality...

Six Reasons to Celebrate!

Celebrate? With all that’s going on in our economy, our nation—our world?  Given the challenges of the day, you may be thinking that’s the last thing you’ll be doing now, or anytime soon. If so, let me encourage you to think again. Now, of all times, we need to celebrate wherever and whenever possible.

In their book, Why Good Things Happen to Good People, authors Stephen Post and Julie Neimark tell us that celebration is one of the most important ways that we express gratitude. Celebration is...

Take the Sag Out of That Closet Rod and Other Useful Tips

Whether it’s a sagging closet rod, kale down the garbage disposal or premium fuel in the gas tank, EC readers are always anxious to share their best tips, tricks and ideas for ways to save time and  money—and avoid potential headaches!

SAG NO MORE. To fix a sagging clothes closet rod, buy a length of 1/2-inch galvanized pipe and a length of 3/4″ thin-wall PVC (plastic, polyvinyl chloride) piping, both the same length as t rod. You can get these at your local home improvement center such as Home Depot or Lowes. Remove the existing sagging rod. Now slip the pipe inside the PVC to create a new rod and slide this into the existing rod brackets. If you are bothered by the printing on the PVC, clean it off with rubbing alcohol. Bob

STICKY MESSY SAP. A cheap and safe way to remove pine tree sap from your car without damaging the finish is to rub it with a soft cloth soaked with plain 70% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, available at the pharmacy or drug store for a buck or two. George

SECRET INFO. When you finish refurbishing a room in your home, write down this important information on a piece of paper and tape it to the back of the switch plate: the brand and color of the paint, how much it took to paint the room and the circuit breaker number that serves this room. You’ll be happy to find the information next time. Trevor

KALE, NO!  I made a big mistake recently when I cut a bunch of kale up into smaller pieces and put it down the garbage disposal. I let it grind like crazy, followed by tons of water down after it, and still it clogged up the system in my apartment building for three floors down. It took maintenance four hours to clear it. They said, “The lettuce (it was kale) turned into something similar to glue/concrete!” Naomi

SUPER CUBE. This is a crazy simple tip, but it works for me. I love ice cold water and must have it at all times. However, at work the water is just cooled, not the icy deliciousness that I require. I solved this issue by taking a bottle of water slightly less than half full and laying it down sideways in the freezer. (We are lucky enough to have two refrigerators in our break room).  Later, I grab the frozen half bottle and fill it up with water. Voila!  Ice cold water for several hours. I just keep filling it up until its time to get out another one! Just make sure not to put too much water in the bottle, or you won’t be able to fill it with water. Laurel

STICK WITH REGULAR. Most gas stations offer Unleaded Premium for $.10 to $.12 per gallon more than Unleaded Regular. Many customers think they’re giving their car some kind of extra care or a “treat” by filling up with what they think is the best. Don’t do it. Virtually all automobiles run just fine on regular unleaded; so unless your vehicle’s owner manual specifically states that your car requires a premium grade of gas with higher octane, save your money and stick with regular. David

LEVEL PAY. What I’ve done with my electricity and heating bills, after consulting my yearly budget, is pay the same each month. Because I live on fixed income, I send each of those utility providers a flat $100 per month. This means I purposely overpay for heat in the summer when the furnace is not in use, and overpay in the winter to the electric company when I’m not running my central air conditioner. I’ve been doing this for years. No big bills in the summer for the electric, no big bills in the winter for the heat. This takes the mystery out of my budget and works for me quite well. Pam

FLIP THE PAINT. Store partially full cans of paint upside down. The paint will form an airtight seal, extending the useful life. Ted

Got a great tip you’d like to share? Use the comments below or send them HERE.

This column Take the Sag Out of That Closet Rod and Other Useful Tips is today's post at Mary Hunt's Everyday Cheapskate blog, where you can add your comment!

Best Inexpensive: Hair Conditioners

Considering the huge reader response whenever I mention that the most inexpensive shampoos can actually be good for your hair, but not so for hair conditioners—a follow up post is in order.

Unfortunately, conditioners are not quite as simple as shampoos.

First, we need to demystify the term “conditioner.” It is a vague term that refers to a wide range of hair products designed to make hair more manageable and also treat common hair problems.

Conditioners fall into four general categories according to what they do and the problems they solve: moisturizers, reconstructors, acidifiers and detanglers.

Using the wrong product for the specific condition of your hair will produce disappointing results. For example, if your hair is thin and fine you are not going to be happy with my industrial-strength conditioner for thick, coarse, frizzy, color-treated hair!

While the specific products I am about to mention to you are available readily in supermarkets and drug stores, the prices quoted are for Amazon, at the time of writing.

MOISTURIZERS are concentrated with humectants, which are compounds that attract moisture into the hair and hold it there. If your hair is dry, brittle and limp, you should consider a moisturizing conditioner like Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal DreamCare Conditioner (about $7.50 or $.30/oz.)

RECONSTRUCTORS typically contain protein. Many hair professionals say that keratin protein is the best source, because it contains all 19 amino acids found in the hair and has a low molecular weight. The main purpose of a reconstructor is to strengthen the hair. If your hair is fine and thin try a reconstructing conditioner like ApHogee Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor (about $12.70 or $.80/oz.)

ACIDIFIERS put acid on your hair and it’s OK. It’s a good thing for hair. When a product carries a pH of 2.5 to 3.5 it is considered an acidifier. This pH will close the cuticle layer of the hair resulting in shiny, bouncy hair. Acidifiers do not “weigh down” hair but rather create shine and add elasticity. The answer for fine, dry hair that has been damaged by chemicals or harsh environmental factors is a product like Joico Acidifer Chemical Enhancer (about $4.50 or $.45/oz).

DETANGLERS almost always come as a spray-in product that you leave in—no rinsing required. One of the very best as a quirky name, but don’t let that discourage you from giving Mane N Tail Detangler a try. You’ll love it (about $8.00 or $.66/oz.)

Nearly every line of hair care products includes a wide range of conditioners, with at least one in each of the categories mentioned above. You will find many good choices right at your supermarket.

The most cost-effective way to buy good-quality, name-brand hair conditioners is to collect hair product coupons from the Sunday newspaper inserts and then wait for the brands you prefer to go on sale, so you are matching up coupons with sales.

My personal favorite conditioner is Pantene Pro-V Color Revival. When it goes on sale and I have coupons, I load up. The regular price is about $8 for 20 ounces. The last sale was 3 for $15. With my three $1 coupons, that brought the effective price to $12 or about $4 each. See what I mean? Inexpensive!

Infusium23 makes an excellent line of conditioners that are available in most supermarkets. When I have coupons and this line comes on sale, I’m an enthusiastic buyer.

Some beauty supply stores are open to the public and sell conditioner for less than $10 a gallon. While that’s a good deal, it’s also a lot of conditioner, so before you jump on it make sure it’s compatible with your family’s hair needs.

One response to an earlier shampoo article came from hair professional C.C. Courville of Louisiana. In that the subject of her message was “Kudos on the shampoo article!” I sensed we might have a thrifty connection so I grabbed the opportunity to ask her professional opinion on conditioners:

“My all time favorite conditioning spray, which is a leave-in that you spray into clean, towel-dried hair, is a professional product called Biolage HydraSource Leave-In Tonic by Matrix (about $14 or $1.00/ounce.) This spray-in, leave-in conditioner can be used daily.

“Biolage also has a conditioning balm (about $13 or $1.36/oz.) that can be used weekly. After shampooing use a dime- to a quarter-sized amount (depending on the thickness of hair), work through from scalp to ends, even combing through if desired. Leave on for 5 to 20 minutes then thoroughly rinse out.”

C.C.’s Rule of Thumb: Conditioning spray: leave-in. Balms or cream rinses: always rinse out completely.

Now, no article on hair care would be complete without a homemade solution or two:

DIY CONDITIONER. Many readers, including a couple of hair professionals I know, insist that the best way to deeply condition your hair is to put a liberal amount of regular (not low-fat) mayonnaise on it, then put on a shower cap and spend an hour in the sun. Wash out completely. I have yet to try this myself.

DIY “HAIR RID.”  While shampoo will not build up on your hair, conditioner and other styling products will. You can purchase pricey “clarifying” products to remove this build-up, or simply use a teaspoon of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) mixed in your palm with your favorite shampoo every few weeks. Shampoo as usual and rinse thoroughly. The baking soda helps remove the build-up of  conditioners, mousses and sprays to give you naturally clean hair. Follow with your conditioner of choice.

This column Best Inexpensive: Hair Conditioners is today's post at Mary Hunt's Everyday Cheapskate blog, where you can add your comment!