Costco Connection - August 2010

FRANCE FREEMAN

Did you know? Home tips from the Costco expert By Deb Belcourt Costco sundries buyer Deb Belcourt

ILLUS TRATIONS: MEDIA BAKERY

HOW DO YOU CLEAN a ______? What about stains on _______? To fill in those blanks, you could search a household almanac or call mom for advice. Or you could do what we have and turn to Costco buyer Deb Belcourt, who for the last 15 years has negotiated with manufacturers of laundry, cleaning and paper products on members’ behalf. Not only is Deb an experienced buyer, she is an ace when it comes to unusual and handy ways to use these products around the house. Here Deb shares some of her favorite household hints.

Hate to scrub burned-on food from pans?

Next time don’t scrub. Fill the pan with water and a couple of drops of fabric softener, and let it soak for an hour or so until the food wipes easily away.

Many Swiffer-style mops can be adapted to use household wipes for a quick floor cleanup.

Bad odors that you are not sure how to get rid of?

Stuff fabric softener sheets
in gym bags, shoes,
closets, empty
suitcases. To repel
bees when you
have a party, lay
fabric sheets
around outdoors.

closets, empty

u

e

Just drop it in the washing machine (either front or top load machines). When the laundry cycle is complete, the cap will be clean and ready to be put back on the bottle.

Is the measuring cup on your liquid laundry detergent a sticky mess?

Clean plastic outdoor lawn furniture with a mixture of water and automatic dishwashing detergent (used in dishwashers). Apply, let set a few minutes and then rinse off. Note: Some auto dish detergents contain bleach, so use with caution; do not to get on your clothes.

WAREHOUSE/ COSTCO.COM

After painting, prevent stiff paintbrushes by rinsing them in a container full of water and a couple of drops of liquid fabric softener. Wipe the bristles dry and store as usual and they will be soft for your next use.

Grease stains on your clothes? Apply a grease-cutting hand dishwashing soap on the grease spots before dropping the item in the washing machine.

Need to remove wallpaper? Mix 1 capful of fabric softener into 1 quart of water. Using a sponge, wipe the solu- tion onto the wallpaper. Let it soak for 20 to 30 minutes, then easily scrape the paper from the wall. C

Do you have difficult to remove baked-on food in a casserole dish? Fill your dish with very hot water and add your auto dish detergent (used in your dishwasher) and let soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Voila, it’s clean!

The Costco Connection Members can ;nd all these household products and more in their local Costco. For more household tips, see Costco’s Household Almanacs online at costco.com. Click on “Costco Connection Magazine” at the bottom of the page.