silvergoldmagazine.ca
HOUSE + HOME
Ditch the dryer sheet!
“How do you eat an elephant?
ONE BITE AT A TIME”
– By Evelyn Thoy, Downsizing Diva
In today’s world, being totally toxin-free is nearly impossible,
as toxins have infiltrated every aspect of our environment.
However, there are a few things you do have control over, like
what you deliberately put ON and IN your body.
Since there are no laws in place that require dryer sheets to
list ingredients they use, you’re better off with one of these
alternatives:
• Wet a face cloth with white vinegar and throw in the dryer
with your clothes for each cycle. Your clothes will smell fresh
(not like French fries) and they’ll be soft and static-free. Note:
For a natural and fresh scent simply add a couple of drops of
your favourite essential oil onto a lonely sock!
• Take an arm-length of aluminum foil and crumple it into
a ball. Throw in the dryer with your clothes. It will eliminate
static cling and last a long, long, long time!
(You may want to keep this method
away from nylon stockings…)
• Put three tennis balls in the
dryer along with your load and
let the cycle begin! It may be a
bit noisy, but it’s quite effective
in reducing static cling.
Often, you don’t begin organizing or downsizing because
you think it will take too long, or you don’t know where to
start. It’s overwhelming! Check out the Elephant Challenge
and discover ten organizing and/or downsizing tasks you can
do around your house in 20 minutes or less!
1. Clean your cutlery drawer. Toss anything that is rusty,
broken or totally useless.
2. Remove everything from the cabinet under the sink. Sort,
purge and replace.
3. Organize the top shelf in the front hall closet.
4. Check your coffee mug collection. Keep only the ones
you LOVE to use.
5. Check your medicine cabinet and dispose of expired
medications responsibly.
For inexpensive, natural recipes and remedies,
check out our sister company’s website for easy
do-it-yourself shampoos, deodorants, sickness
recipes and more!
www.kidsnaturally.ca
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6. Be ruthless with bath towels – frayed or discoloured towels
can be donated to the Humane Society or local animal shelter.
7. Sort the mitten/glove drawer and discard any “orphans”
in the mix.
8. Fresh herbs & spices enhance your cooking and baking.
Replace spices if they are past their “best-before date”.
9. Fill a box with HHW – Household Hazardous Waste –
and take it to your local Transfer Station.
10. For clothes: if you haven’t worn it in the last two years,
think that someone in need could be wearing it. Consider
donating to a charitable organization that helps the
homeless and women’s shelter.
Need more help? Consider hiring a Senior Move Manager,
as they specialize in helping older adults, and are skilled at
both the emotional and practical dimensions of late-life
transitions. These experts can defuse a parent-child emotional
clash while handling everything from sorting/packing, hiring
movers, unpacking in the new home and finding a home for
the items not taken with you.•
More articles, recipes & events online: www.silvergoldmagazine.ca