Monday, May 23, 2011

Why are my washcloths turning gray?

OK, this may be a little off-topic, but I had a hard time finding it other places on the Internet.

I recently noticed that the center of some of my washcloths were turning gray. I tried washing them with Oxyclean, and bleaching some of them, but nothing worked that well. And they just turned gray again.

I realized that the gray stains were due to using liquid body wash. I use liquid baby wash for my son, and only his washcloths were turning gray.

Rinsing the soap out before putting them in the laundry hamper helped, and I've seen a bunch of other laundry ideas and techniques posted on various obscure websites. But honestly, isn't it just easier to buy a lot of navy blue, burgundy, dark green, brown, and dark gray washcloths?

Friday, May 13, 2011

Radio Interview on The Joy of Organizing Show

 Thank you to Bonnie and Matt of The Joy of Organizing radio show for a great conversation about paper management. Listen here:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/paper-organizing-filing-shredding/id352871697?i=93954469

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Shredding Events at Bryn Mawr Trust

Bryn Mawr Trust will host several free shredding events in the region in May. See http://www.bmtc.com/about/about_community.html for more details.

Shred Your Old Receipts, Statements & Documents

HOW :
Bring those confidential documents and receipts.
DocuVault professionals will shred them as you watch.

WHAT :
• Old credit card receipts • Cancelled checks
• expired credit cards • Insurance forms
• Old financial statements • Any personal information
• Pre-approved credit offers you no longer need
• Credit applications

WHEN :
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

WHERE :
Brookhaven Office : Saturday, May 21, 2011
Parking lot of Bryn Mawr Trust at 3218 Edgmont Avenue
in Brookhaven, PA [610-876-6293]

Bryn Mawr Office : Saturday, May 7, 2011
Centennial Wing Parking lot, adjacent to office at
801 Lancaster Avenue in Bryn Mawr, PA [610-525-1700]

Chester Heights Office : Saturday, May 7, 2011
Parking lot of Bryn Mawr Trust at Rte. 1 & Stoney Bank Road
in Chester Heights, PA [610-361-1300]

Exton Office : Saturday, May 21, 2011
Parking lot of Bryn Mawr Trust at 237 North Pottstown Pike,
Southeast corner of Swedesford Road & Route 100
in Exton, PA [484-875-9050]

Havertown Office : Saturday, April 30, 2011
Parking lot of Bryn Mawr Trust at 18 West Eagle Road
in Havertown, PA [610-789-1840]

Swarthmore Office : Saturday, June 4, 2011
Parking lot of Bryn Mawr Trust at 330 Dartmouth Avenue
in Swarthmore, PA [610-328-9998]

West Chester Office : Saturday, April 16, 2011
Parking lot of Bryn Mawr Trust at 849 Paoli Pike
in West Chester, PA [484-356-9413]

Willowdale Office : Saturday, May 14, 2011
Parking lot of Bryn Mawr Trust at 106 East Street Road
in Kennett Square, PA [610-444-9800]

When Can I Get These Chores Done!?!

Now that it’s spring, you many be tempted to do some much-needed spring cleaning.  But how do you find the time with all of those regular chores to do?  Here are some ideas on how to schedule your chores so you don’t feel like a maid and you have time to do the things you really want to do.

1. Make a list of chores for your home.  Brainstorm all of your chores, including spring cleaning chores.  Write down every task that needs to be done in your house on a regular basis.

2. Mark how often you’d like to do each chore.  On your list, estimate how often you’d like to accomplish each task: weekly, monthly, semi-annually, annually, etc.

3. Estimate how long it takes to do each chore.  Based on your experience with these chores in the past, write down how long it takes to do each task on your list.

4. Assign chores to your schedule.  Look at your weekly availability and determine when you can reasonably accomplish the weekly tasks.  Do the same for monthly, etc.  If you take an evening class or go to the gym on Tuesday nights, it may not be a good idea to schedule two hours of chores on that night.

5. Delegate.  Try to reinforce the importance of these chores to your household.  Give them each a chore that they can handle and that work with their schedules.  Can one of your children be in charge of the trash and recycling?  Can your spouse take care of loading the dishwasher and running it if you take care of emptying it?  Can you hire someone to mow the lawn, clean the bathrooms, walk the dog, etc.?

6. It’s all too much!  If your outcome still seems too overwhelming, it’s time to let some chores go.  If your chore schedule shows that you are spending too many hours cleaning on one or two days, see if there’s anything you can make biweekly.  Most likely, a room won’t fall apart if it has to wait an extra week.  Prioritize your chores and stick to your schedule, and you will have more time to do other things.

For spring cleaning ideas and laundry ideas, please search this blog.