Everyday cooking

Everyday cooking

Fresh lemons are basically your best friend when it comes to all-natural cleaning, and this is largely due to their acidity. Lemons are good at breaking down grease, are high in citric acid, have antibacterial properties, and, of course, smell delightful, making them an optimal choice for those who are looking to avoid chemical cleaners. Harsh chemicals are never really recommended for cleaning a grill grate anyway, so lemons are a great, reliable way to keep your grates looking nice and sparkly clean for all your future barbecues.

Remove your top sheet and bunch it up or fold it so you can use it to slap all over your bed. You want it to feel thick so you can approach the mattress with as much force as possible to dispel the dust, hair, and dander; the heavier it feels, the more you'll be able to clear away in just one motion. Repeat the movement all over the bed, focusing on the corners or whichever part is closest to a window. If you have an extra minute, it's nice to do a quick loop around the bed with a vacuum to pick up everything you've shaken off.

Spare yourself the worry on your next trip and take a picture of the turned-off stove before you leave. Aside from calming your worries, this simple action also acts as a safety net, ensuring that you will actually turn off the oven. If you get into the habit of taking a quick photo before you leave for a trip, you're much more likely to catch an accidental oversight that could cause a kitchen fire.

Cooking for myself. There's probably more that are so entrenched in my day-to-day that I don't even think about them, but cooking my own meals is the cornerstone of saving money.