A couple of household hints

We get very attached to our coffee mugs in this family. My husband used the same one for about fifteen years (it was a very good mug), retiring it only a year ago. It is still on our shelves and he uses it "for old times sake" once in awhile.

His newer mug was purchased last year at Goodwill (obviously brand new). It is large enough to hold a lot of coffee while he works his morning crossword puzzle. My mug is Vintage Pooh, quite sweet...also big enough to hold plenty of coffee while my eyes are attempting to open each morning.

So...when they both became quite coffee stained (I didn't realize how much cleaning power those jet sprays in a dishwasher had and I don't!), I tried everything I knew to clean them and nothing worked. Just as I thought I'd have to give up my beloved Pooh Mug, my eyes fell on the Magic Eraser I'd been using for something else. Hmmm...went to my yellow pantry for some baking soda, sprinkled it inside the mug, ran the Magic Eraser under hot water, and...scrubbed. You never saw a cleaner mug, even brand new. Did the same with my husband's favorite mug with shiny results. My Pooh mug is now safe and sound and shiny.

The second thing I learned this week? Well, it is really something I have known and preached since I was a young bride but I'd let that wisdom go out the door for awhile. I finally purchased a new broom, less than $5.00 at Wal Mart. I'd had my eye on the yellow broom for awhile as it matches my kitchen and my old, yellow pantry, inherited from my mother-in-law. When I arrived home and used it for the first time, I could not believe how much easier it was to sweep the kitchen floor with the new broom compared to the old, raggedy broom I'd been using.

My husband has a saying, "Penny wise and pound foolish". That's exactly what I was doing with the broom. By holding onto an old broom that I could replace for less than $5.00, I'd caused myself hours of tense housekeeping moments. Now I'm finished in half the time with much less effort. Good tools make all the difference for any job.