5 Of The Cleverest Household Uses For Chalk

The best way to avoid sticker shock at checkout, how to clean and protect your outdoor furniture, and more. September 24, 2021 [View Online]( Good morning! Sure, chalk is great for writing on blackboards and making art of the sidewalk, but it also has plenty of usefulness around the house. You’ll learn about 5 surprisingly practical ways to use chalk at home in Today’s Good Thing. And the latest Weekend Cleaning Challenge is all about cleaning up your outdoor furniture and getting it stored away for the season. I always feel a bit melancholy while doing this seasonal chore (but on the bright side, I do get to pull out the pressure washer!) Jillee TODAY'S GOOD THING 5 Of The Cleverest Household Uses For Chalk [Photos of various uses for chalk.]( Why chalk isn't considered a household necessity when it's this useful around the house is anyone's guess. 1. Remove Grease Stains. To remove a greasy or oily stain, start by rubbing chalk on the stained area. Let it sit for 10 minutes to give it time to absorb the grease, then wipe off any loose chalk dust before tossing it in your washing machine. It’ll come out good as new! 2. Prevent Silver From Tarnishing. Keep a few pieces of chalk in the same place you store your silver items. The chalk will absorb excess moisture in the area and help prevent the silver from tarnishing. You can also put a piece of chalk in your jewelry box to help prevent your silver jewelry from tarnishing, too. 3. Keep Closets Fresh. Fill a small organza bag with a few pieces of chalk, then hang it from one of the hangers in your closet. The chalk will keep moisture in check, which in turn will help prevent that musty smell that tends to go hand-in-hand with moisture issues. 4. Stop Screwdrivers From Slipping. If your screwdriver keeps slipping while you’re trying to turn a screw, rub some chalk on the head of the screwdriver. The chalk should provide enough added friction that the screwdriver can grip the screw properly instead of sliding around. 5. Keep Your Tools Rust-Free. If your garage tends to be pretty humid, all that moisture can cause your tools and toolbox to get rusty over time. Help keep your toolbox and the tools inside it free of rust by tossing a handful of chalk pieces in there to help absorb moisture. [4 More Clever Uses For Chalk]( [4 More Clever Uses For Chalk]( Related • [11 Surprising Ways To Use (Or Reuse) A Dryer Sheet]( • [11 Reasons Why Cotton Swabs Are More Useful Than You Think]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • Do your dishes come out of the dishwasher covered in water spots or a cloudy film? There’s a simple fix for both. [Read more ➜]( • Not all organizing projects have to take all day (or worse, all weekend)—these 24 mini projects only take 5 minutes. [Read more ➜]( • Keep your bath towels soft and fluffy by avoiding these 7 common mistakes that can quickly ruin your towels. [Read more ➜]( WEEKEND CLEANING CHALLENGE Clean, Protect, And Store Your Outdoor Furniture [Photos of outdoor furniture being cleaned.]( Cleaning and protecting your outdoor furniture before storing it away is the best way to extend its lifespan. Putting away our outdoor furniture for the season always feels like a farewell to warm weather, so much so that I can hardly bring myself to do it. But I know that it has to be done, and I would certainly rather do it the right way than not at all. So I thought that this weekend we could all tackle cleaning, protecting, and storing away our outdoor furniture. It's pretty simple stuff, and doing it now means that your furniture will be clean and ready for action when warmer weather rolls around again! Here’s how I suggest tackling this project: 1. Clean It. Start by spraying down your furniture with your hose or pressure washer. If it’s particularly dirty, a stiff scrub brush may be helpful. Once the furniture is clean, allow it to air dry in the sun, or if you don’t want to wait that long, use some old bath towels to speed up the drying process. 2. Protect It. Once your outdoor furniture is clean and dry, take the opportunity to apply a protectant to it. Look for a spray with UV protection and make sure it’s safe for the material your outdoor furniture is made of. (If you have metal furniture with rust spots, apply a rust reformer spray before using a protectant or sealant.) 3. Store It. Lastly, store your furniture away for the season, either in a shed, your garage, your basement, or anywhere they’ll be protected from the elements. If you don’t have any indoor space for your furniture, look for protective covers or tarps that will help keep them dry through the wet winter months. [See The Full Tutorial]( [See The Full Tutorial]( SAVE MONEY Keep Track Of Your Total While You Shop [A photo of Jillee using a shopping list while grocery shopping.]( Keeping tabs on your tab can help you avoid an unpleasant surprise at the checkout stand. Have you ever pulled up to the checkout line at the store feeling confident that you’ve stuck to your budget, only to wind up shocked at the final cost? I certainly have, and I know that accidentally spending way more than you wanted to is not a good feeling. The easiest way to avoid an unpleasant surprise at the end of your shopping trip is to keep a running total of your spending as you go. As you put items in your cart, use the calculator on your phone to add up the cost of each item. (I like to round the price up to the next dollar just to simplify things, but you can round however you like.) Once you're done adding items to your cart, your running total will give you a more accurate idea of how much you'll be paying at checkout. It's a fast, easy, and effective way to keep yourself on budget at the grocery store without adding a lot of extra time or effort. JILLEE'S PICK Pineapple Chewy Candy: A Love Story [A photo of pineapple chewy candies in a dish.]( The first time our family went to Hawaii in 2018, I came across a bag of Dole pineapple chewy candy in a gift shop at the [Polynesian Cultural Center](. Since Dave loves chewy candy and I love pineapple, I bought the bag and brought it back to the house we were staying in so we could give it a try. We didn’t just like it—we loved it, and the entire bag was gone by the next day. When we got to the airport to fly home, we all bought more pineapple chewy candy to take home. Our jaws may have been sore from chewing on it all week, but it was just that good. So when we went to Hawaii this July, we were all so excited to get our hands on more pineapple candy, but we couldn’t seem to find it anywhere. By the end of the week we had all but given up hope, but then Britta and Neil found some in an airport shop under a different brand called Enjoy, but it tasted exactly like we remembered! Since I can’t seem to find the Dole brand candy anywhere online besides eBay, I wonder if they stopped making it. But ultimately, I’m just happy we learned that Enjoy sells the same delicious [pineapple chewy candy]( we love so much (especially since they ship to the mainland!) QUIZ CORNER Which Would Work Best? Which of these would be most effective for removing a blood stain? Didn’t think this week’s quiz was going to be a pop quiz, did you? (Scroll down to see the correct answer.) A. Dawn dish soap B. Baking soda C. Hydrogen peroxide D. Bleach A FEW MORE THINGS... 🤣 LOL: As I get older and start to reflect on all the people I’ve lost along the way, I start to think that maybe a career as a tour guide wasn’t right for me. Do Something Good: When we think about doing good things, we rarely consider doing them for ourselves. So today, brainstorm a list of things you need (a nap, a haircut, alone time, etc.) and pick one to help yourself achieve. You wouldn’t hesitate to help a friend in need, so it's time to focus on yourself for a change! ANSWER C. When it comes to removing blood stains, hydrogen peroxide is second to none. Its bleaching properties help break down the part of blood’s chemical structure that gives it its color. That’s why as long as a blood stain is relatively fresh, you can pour peroxide over it and it'll disappear before your eyes. Some people think that the fizzing is what lifts the stain out, but that reaction is actually the result of an enzyme in blood called catalase attacking the peroxide, causing it to fizz as it breaks down into oxygen and water. [Learn more about removing blood stains with hydrogen peroxide here](. What did you think of today's email? [Not good]( | [Just okay]( | [Loved it!]( 🏠[Visit the By Jillee Shop]( 🤗 [Join OGT Free]( Let's connect! [facebook]( [instagram]( [pinterest]( [youtube]( If you have thoughts, comments, questions or a tip or trick you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you! My inbox is always open, so just hit "reply" and let me know what's on your mind. See you tomorrow! Sending you bright ideas and simple solutions to help you create a home and life you love. My mailing address is: One Good Thing by Jillee 841 S. Main St. Heber City, UT 84032 If you're not happy please reply to this email to tell me why, or you can [update your preferences]( or break my heart and unsubscribe [here](. View our privacy policy [here](.