I don’t know about you, but I always thoroughly rinse my dishes before I load them into the dishwasher.

Cascade Complete was ranked number one for the second year in a row by a top consumer product guide.  Savvy Housewife was asked to pit Cascade Complete against Electrasaol in a kitchen smack down and found that Cascade Complete left dishes free of any debris with no pre-rinsing required! I tend to buy store brands, but I’ll definitely buy Cascade Complete when it’s on sale. Hey, I’m all about “on sale.”

Now if Savvy Housewife could only find someone to load and empty the dishwasher for her, that would be golden. (She’s not trusting her 6 and 3-year-old to do it just yet.)

The Cascade Complete website features dishwasher tips, which begs the question, “Are you anal retentive about the way your dishwasher is loaded?” I tend to be very OCD about the “proper” (in my book) way to load dishes. Everything must go in a certain place in order to maximize the full load capacity, while my husband tends to just place things in a haphazard manner that drives me nuts.

So, what’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever washed in your dishwasher? I’ve actually washed baseball caps (I read that tip once upon a time) and a baby potty seat. No actual dishes or dishwashers were harmed in the experimental dishwasher rounds and no dishes were washed with the potty.

I just started using reusable shopping bags when I go to the grocery, although I’ve been recycling my plastic grocery shopping bags at the handy recycle bins at the store entrance for as long as I can remember. RuMe bags are a small, but fashionable, choice you can make to go green.

Every minute, one million plastic bags are used worldwide. Going green can seem like an overwhelming task but making the simple choice to use a reusable bag is a small way to help and it also reinforces that simple choice to your children each time they see you carry in your own bags to the store. The RuMe bag is versatile, durable and designed for daily use, whether it’s for grocery shopping, carrying to the office, the beach or pool, the library to return books, picnics, for laundry, or even as a reusable gift bag. And not only are you helping eliminate waste, you are helping save the more than one million birds and 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles that die every year from eating or getting entangled in plastic

The RuMe bag is uniquely designed and manufactured, as well as functional:
• The 11.5” handle is sized to carry over any shoulder – male or female
• The innovative box-stitch side and bottom design makes it roomy, without being bulky
• The water-resistant 180 denier polyester material means these bags can hold more than 50lbs. Dude, that’s a lot of Corona Light with limes for the weekend.
• RuMe bags are sold in sets of three in fun, fashionable designs and colors and fold down to pocket size.

RuMe bags are sold at Delight.com (which features an entire line of eco-friendly gift ideas) in two wonderful lines: Springtime In New York or Silicon Valley.

Do you use your own bags for shopping?

Weiman, maker of several household cleaning products such as wipes for stainless steel, granite, and computer screens, sent me a handy plastic container of their new leather wipes.

Let me tell you how exciting my life is. I was thrilled to get these in the mail. With two children under the age of six I’ve seen my share of baby wipes, but cleaning wipes for my house are one variety that I don’t mind using. Housekeeping is not fun, so any products that make it easier are welcome into the fold.

I’ve actually been using my Weiman leather wipes to clean some of our wood furniture, especially in the den as our coffee and end tables have a lovely sheen o’ yogurt thanks to my two girls. We also have our resident man chair (burgundy leather recliner) in our den and I’ve used the wipes to make it look like new.

Weiman leather wipes come in a plastic container (30-count) and clean, moisturize, and condition leather and leather accessories while restoring the natural sheen of leather. They are safe for all leather furniture, car seats, luggage, briefcases, etc., as well as for wood furniture.

As a bonus, because they come in a handy wipe form, my 6-year-old can help me clean with ease and I don’t have to supervise her to prevent her from spraying cleaner all over the place.

Weiman household cleaning products have been around since 1941are available at Target, WalMart, The Home Depot, Ace Hardware, KMart and Publix.

There is one bright spot in the drudgery surrounding the neverending laundering of tiny My Little Pony and Barbie cotton undies and the hubby’s work pants and shirts.

It’s the rack. Racks, actually.

Don’t worry, I haven’t gone all soft on you. I still despise doing laundry and Mount Clean But Wrinkled Clothing taunts me daily.

Years ago my mother gave me two large vintage wooden clothes drying racks and when my girls were both babies I loved to hang out their tiny cotton print sundresses and infant gowns and cotton pjs on the racks and set them in the hot summer sun to dry lickety split. Today I still dry a lot of things in the summer, although Hello Kitty has replaced soft Carters prints. One of my nicer hand washable work skirts and blouses and our bathing suits from this weekend are hanging on the rack on our back patio today. Our clothes smell wonderfully fresh and infused with sunshine, with the bonus of saving a few pennies (the clothes dryer is the second biggest energy hog of the household, according to this article on the California Energy Commission’s website.)

Hey, I may hate ironing, but I don’t mind the rack.

Here are some resources on the Web with more information about wooden drying racks:

Amish handcrafted racks from Amish Home Place

Wooden drying rack from Stacks and Stacks

Let It All Hang Out

Reclaimed Wood Drying Rack From Green Feet

12 Laundry Tips for Maximum Energy Savings from Care2

Do you ever line dry clothes? What kind of set up do you have? For vintage drying racks like mine, try eBay, garage, and estate sales.

I’m sure 20 years ago I’d never dream of getting excited over a new line of disinfecting wipes, but times have changed. I also have a mortgage now and carpool with another mom to school.

Savvy Housewife received a sample of Clorox’s newest line of cleaning wipes to test out as part of Mom Central’s Clorox Disinfecting Wipes tour. The new wipes are thicker and have a textured surface, which makes cleaning up, especially in the kitchen, much easier. I’m a big fan of Clorox Disinecting Wipes already, having dealt with a nasty case of flu in February and wiped down every inanimate object in our house.

Some highlights of the new and improved Clorox Disinfecting Wipes (from the Clorox website):

• Better cleaning in a thicker, textured wipe
• Low-streak formula for use on shiny surfaces like glass and mirrors
• Effective against common bacteria such as Staphylococcus (Staph.), Salmonella, and E.coli*
• Pre-moistened disinfecting wipes that kill 99.9% of germs including viruses that cause colds and flu (Rhinovirus and Influenza A2)*

p.s. Now through June 30, enter the Clorox Clean Getaway Sweepstakes for a chance to win a trip to the Galapogos Islands