As The Workhouse Approaches....How To Do Everything To Avoid It, the Old Style Way

ginnyknit

Loving the discussion on knickers :rotfl:Basically us lot will do anything rather than buy paper towels or cleaning cloths! I just got a bin bag of clothes of Ds and have chopped up his t shirts to crochet a bath mat Oh showers 3/4 times a day so need lots of mats. When Dgs is here I use his old vests as mopping up cloths but really seem to need baby wipes for his bum as he is like vesuvius at that end. I really will not throw away a piece of fabric if it can be made into something else.

Smileyt so sorry about your poor chook. It cannot be helped though if an animal is ill we need to see a vet, unlike so many people on the RSPCA programmes who leave them sick and in pain -Why????

Sammykaye, go with your instincts hunny, its not as if you are a first time mum ( a scary world it is too) your little one is thriving, active and happy.

just been to Mr S and got stopped by a chap from British gas, under the guise of being a rep from Mr S, so I let him check out my Electric price. Such a shame really he was so full of confidence until he found he could only save me 22.00 a year, I told him I knew what I was doing Got a nice piece of pork 1/2 price and a few other cheapies including some baby meals for 44p, useful for Ds to take out with her when she wanders off for a day. I also bought 2 union jack hats reduced to 44p, just right for cushions , I saw one advertised at 15 pounds and thought I could make it cheaper -yes 14.66 cheaper!

ceridwen

lostinrates wrote: »

OK, I did something today I've very rarely done EVER. I bought a ''premium'' washing powder. My machine wasn't washing brilliantly this morning, and I don't know why. Its been progressively more temperamental, and for a long time my dirty out doors clothes have been coming out grubby but smelling ok. Today whites came out not white. I'm hoping its a powder issue....I don't want to have to find money for a new machine now. I don't see how it can be though...own brands have always been ok before.

Buying ''proper'' powder made me notice how expensive it is. Gulp. I'd rather have bought the cupcakes.

(edit: I wash knickers before throwing them away, I don't find they make good cleaning rags, personally)

...and there was me thinking "The latest way to tell an Old Styler is they are using old knickers for cleaning with - whilst drinking home-made herb tea...":)

Hmm....dont think my knickers would yield a very big piece of cloth to clean with somehow....

...but I did hoick out a "linen type" teatowel a few days back and think "Thats gone threadbare in the middle - but if I cut it in two....". So its now in two halves and I'm using one as a floorcloth now..

hornetgirl

Emptynester wrote: »

Does any one have any ideas to use orange peel apart from marmalade and cakes, bics etc? It seems such a shame to bin (compost) it, especially the one I had at lunchtime which was lovely but seemed to be more peel than flesh. I am trying to avoid marmalde and baking as I am fighting middleaged spread. :rotfl:

Thank you

Empty

Pam Corbin made something she called Compost Heap Jelly on River Cottage. It used up various citrus and apple peels. I don't have the recipe I'm afraid, but a quick google will probably turn it up. If not, it's in the RC jams & preserves book, which you can get from the library.

lostinrates

ceridwen wrote: »

...and there was me thinking "The latest way to tell an Old Styler is they are using old knickers for cleaning with - whilst drinking home-made herb tea...":)

Hmm....dont think my knickers would yield a very big piece of cloth to clean with somehow....

...but I did hoick out a "linen type" teatowel a few days back and think "Thats gone threadbare in the middle - but if I cut it in two....". So its now in two halves and I'm using one as a floorcloth now..

cleaning clothes are really personal I think. The right cloths get me in the mood for cleaning, and keep me at it. I like the single layer small mesh dishcloths, microfibre clothes (colour coded for job:o), old toothbrushes and towelling nappies. I'll also use worn out hand towels, facecloths and tea towels for many jobs happily. I like a good scrubbing brush too, and to have plenty of my clothes/towels to use (no point cleaning with dirty clothes.)

DH likes bigger thicker cloths and towels and doesn't like scrubbing anything with a brush. I like small sponges he likes big ones. Its just preference, but the wrong stuff can be frustrating....I like to be as least frustrated as possible!

edit: since typing this I went to grab a cloth and the first one to come to the front of the drawer was a large mesh dishcloth (i use this to clean not for dishes) and the second a double layer small mesh: both hated types bought in error. As such, I put both in the drawer and decided it can wait till tomorrow. My bleached white cloths are all now drying and spanking white.

rachbc

My mum used to use all our old clothes as cleaning rags - I hated it when I had to clean using my dads old y fronts! I have a bit of a thing for nice knickers and I'm not sure silk or lace is much cop for cleaning!

LIR I colour code my clothes too - red for the loo, green for wood, silver for kitchen, pink for floor - small things make me happy!

blackandwhitebunny

Today I went to school knowing that I had loads of coursework still to sort out and mark and some still to wring out of the little darlings, but thinking that I could get by with limited practical lessons and a fair bit of 'you get on with that while I do this' type lesson. But...OFSTED Weds and Thurs:eek::eek::eek:any of teachers on here will know exactly how I feel at this point._pale_
Oh well I'll see you all next week!

littlecal

Oh blackandwhitebunny,I know just how you feel:eek::eek: Will have fingers and toes crossed for you:lovethoug

hex2

Emptynester, Shirley Goode in the Goode Kitchen suggests collecting peel and freezing it to batch make candied peel or orange and lemon peel marmalade.

modern_millie_2

Hi everyone, I'm another for the old clothes for cleaning brigade - mainly T shirts, my mum was the one for knickers, don't think she ever washed up with anything else while I was growing up! I actually prefer old T shirts to bought dusters.

Had a good think today about next Winter - I know we are just approaching Summer, but most of our income is seasonal so need to prepare now. Decided I will try to pay off years council tax by October, have a full tank of heating oil by then, dry goods, toiletries etc. for 6 months and money for Christmas set aside - also set aside water rates for April if possible. Hopefully if I can do this, will be able to relax a little more this year! Will also be doing the usual, veg. growing, jamming and chutneying, but unfortunately man cannot live by chutney alone!

Puddleglum

Good luck B&WBunny. These weeks go so quickly, you will be out of purgatory before you know it! Thinking of you though.