Household/Gardening Tips
By Suzanne

* Deodorize dishes, pans, cutting boards or utensils with pungent odors by adding 1/4 cup of lemon juice to your dishwater.

* Kitty Litter: To keep cat litter fresh smelling, mix baby powder in with the litter.

* Microwave Filth: Food splatters all over the inside of your microwave and cooks itself on after time. To easily remove this mess, place a sponge soaked in water in the microwave. Cook on high heat for 2 minutes, then allow it to sit without opening the microwave door, for 5 minutes. The filth is now ready to be wiped right off - no scrubbing - and your sponge is right there!

* Stains in Plastic Storage Containers: Use a baking soda paste (baking soda and water) and rub into the stain. You can then rinse with vinegar (optional) and wash normally. Another method is to place container outside on a nice sunny day and the sun actually bleaches the stain out. To avoid stains in the first place, spray container with cooking spray before putting things in it that stain i.e. spaghetti sauce.

* Stickers, Decals, and Glue: To remove them from furniture, glass, plastic, etc. saturate with vegetable oil and rub off.

* Stuck-On Food in Pots, Pans, and Crockpots: Fill the pan with water and place a fabric softener sheet in the water. Allow the pan to soak overnight. The food will wipe right out!

* Stovetops: To prevent grease and grime from sticking to your stove top, making it easy to clean, rub it down with car wax on occasion.

Top 8 How to Kill a Houseplant

No one sets out to kill a houseplant, yet most dead houseplants were killed by kindness. Gardening indoors is an artificial climate and all plants will need a period of adjustment. Expect to see a few leaves drop at first.

The best thing you can do for indoor plants is to learn something about their growing conditions and provide as close to those conditions as possible. If you see a problem developing, take action quickly.

Here are some surefire ways to kill your houseplants:
1) Over Watering

The #1 killer of houseplants is over watering, which leads to root rot. Don't let your plants sit in water and don't automatically water all your houseplants on a schedule.

2) Improper Watering & Salt Buildup

Giving your potted plants just enough water so the soil gets wet but is never allowed to drain, can lead to salt buildup which can inhibit the growth of your houseplants. You may not notice it until you start to see whitish crust on the soil or sides of the pot.

3) Low Humidity

Lack of humidity does in a great many indoor plants, especially during the winter. You may first notice this as browing leaf tips.

4) Insufficient Light

Plants that are not getting as much light as they need will look pale, rather than a healthy green and new growth is spindly, as it reaches for the sun. You may also notice that the new leaves are smaller than usual.

Placing an indoor plant, especially a tropical or blooming plant, near a frequently opened door to the outside or too close to a window with limited insulation will have the same effect as leaving the plant unprotected outside.

5) Exposure to Direct Heat

Placing your houseplant near a direct source of heat ,like a radiator or duct, will not only fry your plant, but also speed up dehydration.

6) Ignoring Pest Problems

Indoor pests multiply quickly. There are no natural predators to keep them in check, so you have to be very diligent about checking for symptoms. Spider mites, aphids, mealy bugs and scale can cover a plant in days. If severe enough, the plant may never recover.

7) Allow it to Become Pot Bound

When a plant outgrows its pot, the roots circle around inside the pot and start to restrict themselves. Pot bound plants often seem to dry out more quickly than normal, because the ratio of roots to soil is too large