New Year Chores: Quarterly Mold and Moisture Check

Damp and humid weather is conducive to mold growth. While the mold toxins may not kill you, it can cause nasty allergic reactions such as irritated eyes, nasal congestion and headaches.

With molds, prevention is the key. You can never let your guard down. Constant vigilance is required. Check and clean your cabinets at least once every quarter.

Tools:

• Flashlight
• Bleach Spray (I am using diluted Domex)
• All-Purpose Cleaner Spray (I am using diluted dishwashing liquid)
• Rags
• Moisture Absorbers
• Silica Gels
• Industrial Fan
• Moth Balls

Clockwise: (1) Dehumidifier from Japan Home; (2) Used Dehumidifier; (3) Neopara (moth balls); (4) Sachets from Gourdo's

DETECTION.

Check all your rooms, cabinets and drawers for mold and moisture patches. Use a flashlight to inspect the dark corners. Don't forget to check the cabinet ceiling.

Examine your leather items carefully. Molds love real leather so you better check your designer bags, shoes and belts. I've noticed that if there's leather in the cabinet, they will ignore the pleather.

ELIMINATION.

SPRAY AND WIPE. The best way to kill molds is by spraying them with a bleach solution. Clean the area with an all-purpose cleaner then spray with bleach. DO NOT use bleach on leather.

For items made of leather, click here for instructions -- How to Clean Mold from Leather.

DRY. Make sure the area is dry before returning the clothes inside the cabinet. I used an industrial fan to dry the cabinets.

PREVENTION

Prevent further build up by putting moisture absorbers and silica gels in the area. I also but Neoprana (it smells like moth balls) in small sachets and hang them in the cabinet.

More Resources:

• Molds in Your Home
• Prevent Mold in Your Home
  

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OOSOUJI: Japanese New Year Clean-Up

Welcome the new year like the Japanese.

OOSOUJI -- THE BIG CLEAN

The Japanese prepare for the coming year by cleaning their houses and offices from top to bottom. This is a way for them to inform Toshigami (the new year god) that their place have been purified and is ready to receive his blessings.

I am cleaning our house now. "Toshigami, I am ready for your blessings."

Sources: Wikipedia and Blue Lotus

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Go Organic This Christmas

This is my favorite gift box so far. All that yummy goodness without the guilt.
















Second place goes to the basket containing SPAM that will last us a year.

Oooooh...Temptation!

What's was in your favorite gift basket this year?

(C, I know it's a horrible picture. I'll change it later.)

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Baby - Made in Taiwan

"Mr. G, bring me to the hospital! It's time!"



They just opened a Hello Kitty-themed maternity hospital in Taiwan. (See more pictures here.)

How cool is that?!

Note to Mr. G: The baby need not be made in Taiwan. I just want him to be delivered there.

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GoodHousekeeping's The Maid Manual

I got a copy of GoodHousekeeping's "The Maid Manual" by Tisha C. Bautista last week.

As advertised, it's truly "your ultimate guide to finding, training, and keeping your household help."

Part 1: Finding Help
Part 2: Training your Staff
Part 3: Keeping your Staff

Bonus:
Template for Household Staff Bio Data
Household Staff Interview and Assessment Form
Cheat Sheets for Cleaning the House
Sample Weekly and Daily Schedule for the Household Staff
Laundry Labels
Easy Recipes (my favorite!)

"Part 3: Keeping Your Staff" was most helpful for me. It has tips on how to motivate household staff and an explanation of standard employee benefits.

As to the other parts -- cleaning tips, weekly and daily schedules, and interview notes -- I already have them in my own household manual, thanks to Mrs. Frannie Daez.

For only P195, "The Maid Manual" will be a valuable addition to your household management library. (Click here for my other housekeeping reference materials.)

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Sandwich Wrapper: Use Cloth -- Furoshiki Style

After some thorough research and investigation (See this and this), my quest for the perfect sandwich wrapper has ended. It's CLOTH and REUSABLE PLASTIC CONTAINER for me.

That being said, I present you with a cool way to wrap your sandwich with cloth -- FUROSHIKI STYLE.

Photo by cafeconlecheporfavor










Click here for the tutorial.

As I don't want my sandwich to be crushed inside my bag, I'm planning on buying this cute Rubbermaid TakeAlongs Sandwich container.

















Weird? It's like putting a LV bag inside a plastic bag. LOL! Oh, well...

Note: This is not a paid post. I'm not endorsing Rubbermaid.

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Sandwich Wrapper: Paper or Plastic? PART II

SANDWICH WRAPPING TIPS SHARED BY SOME READERS

Ibyang: "I use aluminum foil. It keeps the sandwich fresh and easy to fold. I even write a little reminder on it for the husband sometimes."

Pros:

• Great to use with hot sandwiches
• Easy to fold

Cons:

• Can cause minor shock when bitten
• Not environment-friendly
• Cannot go straight inside microwave

Aluminum foil is another great option. However, as I told Ibyang, I was traumatized by foil when I was a kid. I accidentally bit the foil while eating a burrito. OUCH! Since then, I stayed away from foil-covered food. (Click here to find out why it hurts to bite into aluminum foil.)

Reshma: "I use a cloth napkin to wrap my sandwiches in...they stay soft and fresh..more environment friendly too!"

Pros:

• Environment-friendly
• No chemicals to react with your food

Cons:

• Not airtight
• Your kid will likely lose this in school

I used to lose a lot of handkerchiefs when I was in grade school. It only stopped when I started to bring Kleenex.

Laura: Ziploc bags for me!

Pros:

• Airtight if sealed properly
• No folding required
• See-thru
• Very convenient
• Can be combined with tissue or wax paper

Cons:

• Not environment-friendly

C! I know you sometimes double wrap. Aluminum foil AND Ziplock. Tsk... tsk... tsk...

Homemom3: "Plastic bags here or those sandwich boxes (plastic). I hate wrapping in paper as it always stuck. That jelly can get tricky."

Mai: "I don't like using throwaway stuff for Pogiji's baon na sandwiches because they become garbage after, kawawa the environment! What I do is I put his sandwiches in LockLock containers (although the most recent LockLock containers are not made in Japan na -- made in China na...ack!) or Biokip (made in Korea naman) to maintain their freshness. The containers are not as cheap as sandwich wraps but in the long run, they are since they are reusable. And they don't harm the environment too! Wax paper gives sandwiches an aftertaste that I don't like."

Pros:

• Environment-friendly
• Air-tight
• Reusable

Cons:

• More expensive
• Your kid will likely lose this in school

I also lost quite a number of Tupperware plastic boxes. It's not my fault! The Tupperware-gnomes followed me and stole my lunch boxes.

Environment-Friendly Choice: Airtight Stainless Steel Food Container

Pros:

• More environment-friendly
• No plastic
• Reusable

Cons:

• Expensive

Some environmentalists do not consider reusable plastic containers as environment-friendly. Only stainless steel containers for them.

My choice: Cloth Napkin AND Plastic Container

I'd wrap the sandwich in a cloth napkin then put it inside a reusable airtight plastic container. I think I'm now mature enough not to lose my lunch box.

Photo credit: WTFwich by minusbaby

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