Welcome

hiWelcome to Pinky Has A Brain. This blog was created because I thought it would be really neat to put some of Grandma’s  recipes and other “Old Wives” secret home   remedies to the test. Please  join me on this journey as I pull out the video camera and prove to you…and myself whether brewed tea leaves will really make my wood floors clean and shiny, vinegar cleans glass as good as Windex, or if wipes stand up to the store bought wipes. I’ll do the dirty work for us all.

While you’re here, don’t forget to subscribe to this site so you don’t miss a beat. Also, be sure to check out my YouTube channel for all of the video demonstrations.

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Homemade Fabric Freshener (Febreze like)

A bottle of Febreze.

Ahhh….there’s nothing like a pleasant smelling home. I have been using this recipe for fabric freshener for a few months and have grown to absolutely love it. The upside to this is that it’s so much cheaper to make than buying and takes less than a minute to make, however, there is a downside. For those who are trying to go totally “green”, you’ll probably want to skip this. For those who are taking baby steps and trying to be more frugal…read on.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup liquid fabric softener such as Downy
  • 3 3/4 cup warm water

Directions:

  • Fill a clean plastic spray bottle with 3 3/4 cup of warm water.
  • Add 1/4 cup of your favorite liquid fabric softener.
  • Shake well and spray, holding bottle at least 6 inches away from fabric.

Freshening Tips:

Again, because of the use of fabric softener, this is not considered non-toxic. Please use caution if using around children or animals.

Always spot test fabric in an inconspicuous area.

Fabric softener is also known to break down the flame retardants that have been added to clothes and upholstery.

Happy fabric freshening!

 

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Always Keep Some Change for Homemade Lemonade

This past Saturday I took a trip to the in Washington, DC with my daugter, son-in-law, and the grands. About a block from the zoo there were the cutest little girls who were selling cups of lemonade for $1.00 from their . I truly wanted to buy a cup to support them, but I just bought pizza for the grands,  gave a handful of change to a guy standing outside of store, a dollar to a guy at the train station who said he was trying to get something to eat, and  my last bit of  change I gave to a man who was entertaining passersby with his guitar. I was fresh out of cash, but they were still kind enough to let me snap a photo of them.

 

man playing guitar and the grands

man playing guitar and the grands

The moral to this story is to always keep at least a dollar handy on a nice, hot summer day. You never know when you’ll run into some kids selling fresh, lemonade.

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Homemade Scrub for Kitchen Sinks

Kitchen sink finished
Image by Ian Haycox via Flickr

This natural, non-toxic for kitchen sinks is absolutely fantastic. Your kitchen sink and drain will be cleaned and deodorized with a nice, fresh scent left behind by using just two simple ingredients….a and .

Ingredients:

Directions:

One of the best parts about this recipe is, if you have a garbage disposal, just drop the used half and any remaining down the drain and grind. Now your drain is clean, fresh, and deodorized too. How awesome is that!

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Quick and Simple Recipe for Shining Plant Leaves

rubber plant on milk stool

Image by back_garage via Flickr

Actually, this one is so simple that I’m not even sure if it can be classified as a . Theres only one ingredient that’s needed to make your leaves nice and shiny….milk. Yep, that’s it.

Here’s all you need to do:

  • Pour a little milk in a container or bowl.
  • Dab a cotton ball, paper towel, or clean cloth into the milk.
  • Wipe leaves.

Before you ask, no, it does not leave your or home smelling like sour milk. This works like a charm and I’m sure you’re going to love it as much as I do.

Happy leaf shining!

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Homemade Furniture Cleaner & Polish

moving furniture (day 251)

If I suddenly shouted “”, would salad be the first thing that comes to your mind? It certainly comes to my mind, but today, instead of putting the on my salad, I’m going to push my bowl over to the side and use it to clean and polish the table. This and polish is super quick and easy. Best of all, it’s a safe, green, non-toxic cleaner that will give your wood furniture a beautiful shine and luster.

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 white vinegar
  • fragrant oil or (optional)

Directions:

  • Pour 3/4 cup of olive oil into a clean plastic spray bottle.
  • Add 1/4 cup of vinegar.
  • If you like, add fragrant oil or juice.
  • Shake well and enjoy…even on your salad.

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