Coming Clean

This is a very clean post all about an item that I most often buy on our travels.

It's easy to figure out what I'm talking about from this photo. The name says it all.

Time to confess that I'm a bit of a soap shopaholic.

I've been buying soap bars on our U.S. road trips for the past few years. Oddly enough, I didn't buy a single bar on our trips abroad last fall. There was no special reason, other than I had many still unused at home, including ones from the UK. The soaps in Amalfi, Italy, famous for the Italian lemon liquor, Limoncello, were all lemon scented. While I do like lemons, it's just not my favorite scent for soap.

The bar soaps are not bought as souvenirs but for personal use, it just may take a hile to use them, but I have choices.. It's been several years since I've bought an off-the-shelf bar in a retail store, and I have no idea of the cost savings or not.

Overall, the benefits of buying bar soap are that not only is it useful (as this post will show) but eventually it will be all gone. Of course, for myself that means more buys..

I recently purchased a couple more bars on our recent trip to North Conway, NH, which were added to others in my collection, here's ⬇︎ a few of them.

Besides being a consumable purchase, there's another benefit. Many of these soaps are very fragrant with lavender and pine among my favorites. When storing bars of soap that haven't been pre-packaged and are usually homemade, I wrap them lightly in tissue paper and place in dresser drawers. Some pine-scented bars are stored with linens. It's such a refreshing scent when the sheets are taken out for use. 

Some bars have, like the ones above, remain in their original wrappings, as I found them interesting to show where the soaps originated, also as I already have many unwrapped bars.

Speaking of unwrapped bars, there's an ongoing question: Should a bar soap be stored naked or does it last longer if unwrapped before storing? A friend once advised me to never store soap in a box, but to remove outer wrapping and let the bar breathe. 

The theory is that a naked soap bar continues to dry if air is it airs for 6-8 weeks to harden the ingredients, which makes it less likely to dissolve with use. I've never done a scientific test, but believe this is true. I do this with all of the bar soaps I use and they do last quite a while. 

There's also some other useful tips: keep bar soap in a cool place away from direct sun; use a soap dish with drainage; don’t keep bar soap on a metal surface; use a washcloth as it creates later using less soap overall.

Did you know that cooler showers save soap? 

Hotter water makes bar soap dissolve faster and requires more effort to make lather. A cool shower helps bar soap last longer by allowing it to maintain its shape and consistency for a longer time.

How long can soap be stored?

That depends on ingredients used in making the soap. Some commercial bar soaps include an expiration date. None of the ones I've bought over the years have such information. Many haven't even come in a box.

The average time to store bar soap is estimated to be a few years. It might lose fragrance, become discolored, and lather less, but is useable and safe. Scented soaps with an essential oil like rosemary or lavender oil can lose fragrance in 3-6 months, but the soap is still safe.

Can bacteria grow on bar soap?

Yes, bacteria can thrive on bar soap, but usually this doesn't stop the soap from
getting you clean; it won't make you sick.

Overall, the #1 rule for bar soap is — keep it dry. This is considered the biggest factor in maintaining the life of a soap bar. Also to allow proper drainage of water around it. The more drainage and air flow a soap bar is has the longer it will last remaining firm, less messy and easier to use. 

How to keep soap dry? — Store on a soap dish

Washboard style wooden soap dishes work great. The washboard surface elevates the bar so water drips off. I’ve used a teak wooden soap disk, similar to this one, for years; it hasn't warped or discolored. Some folks store soap in a cardboard box. Ideally, it should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place. Never store soap in an air-tight container.

You probably know that soap bars have lots of other household uses aside from than bathing, here's a few, several of which I've used often, maybe you as well.

Unstick a zipper - If a zipper is stuck, run a dry bar of soap over the teeth to make it glide easier. This is the tip I've used most often !

Fix sticky drawers and sliding doors - If drawers or sliding doors won't open smoothly, rub a bar of soap on the drawer edges or along the grooves of the door tracks, the door will slide on the track again.

Make furniture assembly easier - Starting screws into wood can be hard. Make it easier, coat the screw threads with bar soap. 

Loosen a stiff lock - If a door lock is stiff, drag the key over a dry bar of soap to coat the surface, insert the coated key in the lock, turn to make the lock easier to use.

Prevent foggy mirrors and glasses - When a mirror is fully dry, rub a bar of soap over the glass. Don't add water, just buff away streaks with a dry cloth. This also works well on eyeglasses and sunglasses.

Stop squeaks - No WD-40 handy? Rub a bar of soap along creaking or squeakly door hinges and floorboards. Test the squeak; reapply as needed.

Pinpoint a leak - To detect where a tire is leaking, dampen a bar of soap and rub over the area. The soapy film will create a bubble when air escapes. 

Remove tough stains - Some soaps are promoted specifically for stain removal, you can use bar soap to treat oily and muddy stains; use one with no added conditioners.

Make hands easier to clean - Before digging in the garden or doing an auto repair, run fingernails over a bar of soap to prevent soil or grease from lodging under nails. Because the soap slivers stay put, you’ll generate suds when cleaning up.

Soften shoes - If shoes need softening, rub bar soap on the area that’s likely to create blisters; feel the leather soften up.

Remove wallpaper - Rather than spend hours removing, mix soapy water in a spray bottle and spritz. Wallpaper will start peeling, saving time and work.

Relieve Insect bites - Itchy and painful insect bites are annoying. Use a bar of soap,  wet the soap, rub on the bite and the itchiness should stop.

Admittedly, I won't be using the road trip soap buys for these uses, and will use retail bought bars instead. We're going on a couple of upcoming road trips. I can foresee adding a few more soap bars to my collection.

Thanks for fellow blogger (Boud) here's something very helpful that you can do with unused hotel bar soaps or purchased soaps — donate them. We've done the same in the past, but no longer collect any travel bars, many lodgings now use refillable soap dispensers. (The same applies to toothpaste tubes that dentists often dispense.)

Your turn — What item do you buy most often on a trip?

Clearing the Air

As some readers of this blog already know, our current residence is an apartment in a former Nashua, NH, textile mill. Did you know that over the decades, factories have become the top most popular building type to be redeveloped into rentals, now known as apartment homes?

One thing about living in an older repurposed building is the amount of dust that's everywhere. This post is about how we've been recently trying to keep it under control in our place.

Clocktower Place, Nashua, NH, formerly Nashua Manufacturing Company

In the 18th and 19th centuries, merchants built hundreds of mills throughout New England which produced paper to textiles. The region became a center of the American Industrial Revolution. As in Nashua, cities in many of these states were established as manufacturing centers. The mills used rivers and canals for energy. There were few environmental regulations and many production processes released toxic industrial chemicals into the air, waterways and ground.

By the mid-1900s, the manufacturing sector around New England fell apart. Labor was cheaper elsewhere. Companies moved operations to the South and overseas abandoning operations at the large mills. Cities struggled to address contaminants at the abandoned mills and find a new use for the buildings as environmental regulations started taking effect. 

Redevelopment from factories to housing took hold due to changes in local zoning codes that permitted residential development in formerly industrial areas.  Old buildings come with historic preservation rules. To defray the cost of cleaning up and renovating these large buildings, developers relied on expanded state and federal tax credits which rewarded them for preserving historical structures and creating affordable housing.

The Nashua Millyard is known as the center of Nashua’s historic industrial economy. It hosts three former historic mills converted to housing — Clocktower Place, the Apartments at Cotton Mill, and Lofts 34. All are adjacent to the Nashua River and within walking distance of downtown. Mills were built in the time when people walked to work.

Our apartment home is in the former Nashua Manufacturing Company, now Clocktower Place, which consists of 5 mill buildings. While living in a repurposed mill is very unique, and a great conversation topic, there are issues, not the least of which is dust which seems everywhere.

Dust magnets in our living room, black cabinets and TV

Dust is unavoidable, especially in older buildings. The black cabinets in our living room and the black TV are really dust magnets. That's why, last year, we (finally) bought an air purifier as these units can be effective in limiting indoor dust and improving allergy symptoms, which Patrick deals with seasonally. Among the various filter types, studies have shown that HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters can remove many airborne particles, including pollen, mold, and bacteria, so we shopped for one which met that criteria, as so many do now. 

More dust magnets in another room, black computer desk and laptop PC

Of course, we also had a number of questions since an air purifier is a simple unit, a little more than a fan with a filter or several. Here were a few of our concerns:

Do air purifiers work? While air purifiers may not directly or immediately improve your health, studies indicate that such devices can help reduce exposure to harmful pollutants, which may have long-term health benefits. We are pet less, but air purifiers are reported to effectively filter dander from the air. According to many sources, a well-designed purifier can capture airborne allergens, like pollen, mold spores, bacteria, viruses and smoke.

Do air purifiers stay on all the time? The simple answer is yes, the advantages are significant. Running the air purifier all the time, you benefit from the best air quality possible, and the cleaner the air, the better for your health. Both our units are set to auto mode which automatically adjusts the fan speed needed to maintain a comfortable environment. Leaving the units on ensures they are continuously be exchanging indoor air and filtering impurities. That said, we will turn them off for extended periods when we are not at home.

Do they increase the electric bill? Of course, according to online sources, an air purifier roughly equates to a cost of about $120 annually if the unit runs continuously which it's safe to do. While the amount of energy consumed is small, we turn off most devices when away for longer times.

How does a HEPA filter work? A fan draws polluted air into the air purifier. The air drawn in passes through the HEPA filter and  air-borne pollutants get trapped into the fine meshes of the filter. The purified air is then pumped back to the room as the cycle of  air purification continues. HEPA air filters can be costly to maintain. They don’t last forever and require replacement. In heavily polluted areas this can be more often. Also, they don’t eliminate smells from the air. 

Winix 45500 air purifier

After reading far too many online reviews, our purchase decision was this Winix 5500, which was rated for 360 square feet room size, suitable for medium and large rooms. 

Placement of this larger floor unit was in a central location, between the living room and dining areas. In general, an air purifier takes 30 minutes to 2 hours to purify a room as there are aspects including room size, filter, speed to consider. 

Realistically, it's impossible to eliminate dust entirely, but the combination of cleaning and an air purifier has reduced some dust in our apartment.

Which led to us wondering, better to have one larger unit or several small ones? Many articles indicated that getting a larger air purifier could be most efficient. But, that to determine how many air purifiers were needed, you should consider where and how it would be used, whether for one room or multiple rooms. 

The larger unit was performing well in the area where it had been placed. That's why, a couple of weeks ago, we bought a second air purifier. Once again, this was after researching and comparing various brands, models and sizes. We opted to buy another Winix. This unit was larger than many other models, and the buying decision was partially based on our sartisfaction with the previous model.

Winix A230 air purifier

We bought this Winix A230 tower, rated for a room size of 230 square feet, perfect for our second BR and now computer room. This room has black desks and our computers, including a recent addition, a black laptop computer that replaced an older and now recycled desktop. 

In case you didn't know, you can take older Apple products, especially ones that no longer have any trade-in value, to an Apple store for recycling. Remember to first completely erase the hard drive.

Both Winix units have a fine mesh pre-filter, a charcoal filter and HEPA filter and feature what the manufacturer calls, PlasmaWave. 

Smart sensors gauge the air quality and auto mode adjusts the fan speed. Filters, aside from the HEPA filter can be vacuumed and/or washed and should be completely dry before reinstalling. The charcoal and HEPA filters are rated for one year of use before replacement is needed and we recently replaced the one in the floor unit even though the replacement light had not alerted us, yet. 

Just to be clear, specifying the brand of air purifier which we purchased is by not means as a purchase recommendation or endorsement, as everyone's needs and preferences differ.

Since I'm on the topic of clearing the air, here's a few topics related to blogging. All of these choices are strictly my own preferences. You rightly have your own choices.

Avoid hot topic posts. This blog steers clear of many current issues, especially politics, as blog administrator, that's my decision. This exclusion applies not only to not posting about such issues, but also to comments which stray into this arena, thankfully there have only been a few. Going forward, I reserve the right to delete comments that I consider off topic, again a personal decision. 

Avoid centered text. My career was in the editorial field, perhaps that's why my dislike of centered text is remains intact. When text is centered, the starting place of each line changes. This forces readers to work harder as without a straight left edge, there's no consistent place they can move their eyes when they complete each line. Left justified text has a standard starting place where all lines of text start, so reading is easier for other bloggers.

Yes, as with everything, there's exceptions, for example, if text fits on a single line in headlines, titles, captions, quotes, short lines of text or poetry. Readers can follow these easily when lines are short, scannable and don’t require repeated eye movements. If there's not a good reason to center text, it's best to skip it.

Avoid small images. As a blogger, I want to share imagery, my own and those from Internet finds. When there's something for others to see, why not upsize it? Small photos often can be quite annoying at times. If something is important enough to include, why not make it larger?

Please recognize that I do not expect agreement on these items. We all have our opinions, beliefs, dislikes, hang-ups, fears and prejudices. The above only applies to my hangups and dislikes. Your decisions are your own, which is as it should be, your blog, your choices.

Home Bookcases

It's always interesting to read about and see what other bloggers have in their homes. In the interest of sharing too, this post presents an overview of our living room (LR) bookcases.

Our LR bookcases don't hold novels even though we both enjoy reading. The two small bedroom bookcases hold some fiction and nonfiction reads. There's a lot of sale books there, some read and others waiting to be enjoyed.

However, the LR bookcases do have books and other things, which hold meaning. There are five bookcases, four of which have traveled from our NJ and VA homes to our current NH apartment. The fifth one was a giveaway from a fellow resident that perfectly matched our existing ones, a wonderful surprise! 

Regular blog readers may know that Grenville and myself enjoy cooking at home. One bookcase holds our too many cookbooks on three shelves. (The top shelf has framed photos.)

Recently, some of these cookbooks were purged and are no longer in our collection. They went to friends and a local thrift store. But, in recent weeks, a new one, Simple One-Pan Wonders (Jamie Oliver) was added as Grenville's ♥️ day gift from me, so more recipes to try.

The bottom bookshelf holds several holiday cookbooks plus cookbooks from both our late mothers. It's also storage for several of The South Beach Diet books, which we sometimes use.

Regular readers of this blog know of our fondness for travel, especially road trips, which is why travel books fill up a couple of bookshelves. Those shown on the top shelf focus on New England states we've visited or revisited. The basket is full of more travel brochures and maps.

As someone who prefers photos to digital images, another bookcase is dedicated to family/travel photo albums. None of these are labelled on the spine, but there is a system, also there are a number of blank albums bought for possible future use.

The three taller albums in the photo above (left) have grandchildren photos from infancy to present day. Other albums hold photos of various family members, another has photos of our former homes, a few more contain our travel and friends photos.

I've often ordered too many photo reprints and have cut down, but still order prints after holidays/special occasions/travels to send copies to family members.

Just wondering—does anyone else keep photo albums too? 

Framed family photos and collages are on the shelves of two other bookcases. These photos celebrate weddings, birthdays, holidays and other events. 

Other folks we know don't exhibit as many family photos, however, we enjoy keeping the memory of family and friends close by and looking at these photos makes us happy.

The shelf in the top photo is the top one of the cookbooks bookcase and shows photos of our much-younger selves. We're also featured in the photos on the wall. That wall hanging is a favorite expression that's so true and seemed to fit here perfectly.

Vintage photos of our parents and other family members are framed on another bookshelf. The top four-image frame shows our parents, his (left) and mine (right)

This framed collage was made by daughter years ago and received as a holiday gift. It's one of our favorites and captures special family moments, like graduations and weddings.

This photo on canvas was a birthday gift to Grenville several years ago on his July birthday. It was taken when the three grands celebrated July 4th together in PA.

This bookshelf has our collection of Christmas books, plus some fun books, just in case one  this teddy bear fancies a read.

This group of penguins and snowmen have taken up permanent residence on the top shelf of our games bookcase and seem to be living life joyfully.

The bottom shelves contain assorted games. The wooden box, a handmade holiday gift is perfect for holding several smaller card games. 

We hope that you've enjoyed this look at some of our treasures. 

How about you — do you have bookcases? If so, are they used for 📚 or other purposes?

Summertime Decos

The best thing about our apt entry is that we have an area with a shelf and are able to include seasonal and/or holiday decorations. This is our current display. The expense was minimal as all items were purchased from a local Dollar Tree store. 

All that's missing is sand, which would be a bit messy. I'm not saving the beach toys and when the season ends, everything goes to our youngest granddaughter Lilliana. The flip-flops are too big for her and will be given to a young friend here.

These flags were formerly displayed on the porch and in the yard of our VA home. A friend gave me the idea of using dowel rods to them hang on the wall. (Thanks, Marty).

Percy Penguin and Phineas Frog, are also from our VA home and donned patriotic colors, to celebrate the July 4th holiday. Their "outfits" are dollar store finds too.

During the our 12 years that we lived in VA, we always decorated our home. It's fun being able to able to continue that "tradition" despite being apartment dwellers now. We also enjoy the fun comments and smiles from residents passing by our door.

Do you decorate the outside of your home as well?

Just Because

An unexpected surprise arrived yesterday, when our neighbor Nancy knocked on the door.

She brought this lovely floral bouquet, which coincidentally included purple, my favorite color. When I asked her Why? as it wasn't my birthday, anniversary, or any "special" day, her answer was simple and direct . . .

Just Because was her reply, to which she added and because I wanted to.

Of course, the ever-practical Grenville said it may have been because I have visited Nancy in her apartment many times, just to chat. A neighbor on our floor, Nancy has MS and while she is in a wheelchair, isn't confined by it. I don't visit because of her medical issue, but because Nancy is a very an upbeat, talkative, and engaging person.

This unexpected bouquet is now on our window dining table. Looking at it makes me smile, for the reason you might suspect . . . just because.

Who doesn't enjoy an unexpected surprise? Grenville always reminds me that my "habit" of sending cards, letters, photos, small gifts to others amounts to the same thing. To me, it's something I've been doing for many years. Hopefully, it has brightened someone's day in this day of social media and text messaging. I enjoy getting cards and letters too. 

Speaking of surprises, I neglected to mention this recent one from fellow blogger, Kathleen. It's hanging on our apartment door and greets all who visit. Thanks, my friend.

If you know someone who would enjoy an unexpected surprise, no matter what, do go ahead and "just do it." Trust me, it will "make both your day." You will both be very glad.
(Sorry for the puns, but they fit.)

Enjoy your weekend, Everyone
Early Happy Birthday USA

All Washed Up (By Mistake)

Have you ever washed something that wasn't supposed to be washed under any circumstances?

IF you answered Yes, you're not alone. We've washed pants with leftover tissues and papers (usually nothing crucial). We've even laundered currency, which thankfully dried OK for re-use :-) coins just rattled around the washer until collected at the cycle's end. 

But we've also laundered some never-to-be-washed items like a wallet, cell phone, full set of house keys and, more recently, Grenville's Apple earbuds. 

No, all these were not washed at the same time because we never remembered to check pockets first!  All went through the wash cycle — not all went through the dryer (whew).

Except the earbuds, which got the full wash & dry treatment and are working fine. Grenville claims he can hear better now.

We're going to try and avoid future mishaps and now we have a sign near the laundry to be done and in very LARGE lettering: Check ALL pockets first (including gym shorts). Yet, despite that caution, I often overlook a tissue which somehow gets washed, dried, and then get tossed !

The washed cell phone was a flip phone (pre-smart phone ownership). Grenville followed a method of burying the phone in uncooked instant rice to dry it out. After a few days, the phone worked but the home screen looked a bit worse for wear. 

If your cell phone is submerged, the recommended method is to use a desiccant, like those silica gel packets which come free in many items (start saving those packets). There's also other steps to follow as detailed in this CNET article. 

(The commercial washer and dryer shown are in our mill apt laundry room and it's where the keys and earbuds (in gym shorts) were washed. The other items were washed in VA.)

Ever happened to You?

Space Challenged

Living in an apartment means there's less space in many areas, including the kitchen. And, it can also mean giving up some appliances, like a microwave.

At first, we thought that might be a problem since in the VA house our larger counter space gave us plenty of room for a microwave. It's still there, but it's an older, very large unit. We used it mainly for reheating rather than cooking meals. It was especially useful for reheating our morning coffee in the late afternoon.

Relocating it to NH wasn't an option because of the limited counter space shown in this photo. That meant we had to find a replacement appliance. We've owned and used toaster ovens before so that seemed the best choice. A friend suggested we get a toaster/convection oven.

A convection (or fan) oven uses internal fans to circulate air while cooking. Conventional ovens, which don't have fans, rely primarily on radiation from oven walls, and to a lesser extent, on natural convection caused by temperature differences within the oven, to transfer heat to food. Convection oven fans allow more heat to be transferred via convective heat transfer. Translated it means that these ovens distribute heat more evenly around the food, which cooks more evenly in less time and at a lower temperature. So far, we've found that to be true.

We took our friend's suggestion on the make and model to buy — a Cuisinart CounterPro Convection Toaster Oven Broiler. Our decision was also based on its overall size. As shown here, the unit nearly fills the available cabinet space leaving just a bit of counter space.

A similar unit we liked was made by Breville. It was pricier with great reviews. Alas, its dimensions were too large for the available counter space. 

Overall, we've been satisfied with this unit which cost about $100; there's been no problems in a year of nearly daily use. As most folks know, when appliances like this break down, it's hardly worth a repair; replacing it can be about the same cost.

We've survived for over a year without a microwave and aren't interested in buying one. 

How about you — ever reconsidered an appliance because of space or other reasons ?

Window Dining

It's wonderful to have skilled and creative family members, and especially great when their talents result in a very lovely gift. This bistro table was made by our son-in-law Paulo and personally delivered from PA to NH last week. We are so happy with it.

We bought a pub-style dining table after relocating to NH and also bought 6 chairs with the plan to some day get another small table. After looking around and not finding anything that would fit our space, Grenville contacted SIL. He sent information on the table size we needed and included a photo of the espresso and black chair colors.

This is a perfect window seating where we enjoy breakfast and afternoon coffee while viewing the Nashua River.

Fairly soon this area will be showcasing fall colors — and we'll be sitting and enjoying the colorful view — our thanks to Paulo.

Hanging Around

No, it's not Spider Man, but a window washer outside our 5th floor apartment which is located in a former textile manufacturing mill in NH.

The window washing is an annual maintenance service provided by the management. This was the first time we were able to watch this professional at work. He was suspended from lines on the building roof.

And, clean windows mean we can get to view scenes like this just outside our oversize windows. 

Same scene as seen on a different day and this time in color.

This view shows the Nashua River looking towards downtown (Main St) Nashua. To paraphrase Richard Gere in Pretty Woman — we like the high floor as  "It's the best."

More Happenings

It's been a couple of weeks since an update on what's been happening around The Frog & PenguINN. The last update described how we've been downsizing by selling, donating and tossing "stuff" that seems to have accumulated in our nearly 11 years here on the VA eastern shore.

Recent efforts have been focused on outside house projects and yard work. Luckily, we've had some really warm fall temps.

Grenville did some touch-ups on the front porch trim. It needed a freshening after the humid summers here.

He's quite handy with a paint brush and does great work.

I left him to that task as he said he didn't need help. I've learned to only ask once so it was OK with me to skip that project.

Instead, my project was clearing out the front flower beds to ready them for winter. They look pretty barren in this photo, but were soon covered up with pine straw.

Pine straw is simply fallen pine needles. In some areas, folks pay money for this type of mulch, it's free for us thanks to the neighbor's pine trees in the back yard. (No, he doesn't mind if we gather it.)  

A few years ago, fellow blogger, Possum, explained about the various names for dropped pine needles here on the VA eastern shore. Being natives of NJ, we would call them pine straw, whereas folks in different areas here call them "shatters" or "shatts." The idiosyncrasies of local language.

The wildflower meadow was the next yard project. It was tackled by Grenville and his friend, John Deere (the tractor). An earlier post late last week showed off these blooms.

Before and after shots. Pine straw came in very handy once again.

While all this outdoor activity was going on, there were a couple of observers — Percival, the front porch penguin, and Francis, the head garden frog. 

These were gifts given by a friend before we left NJ, who knew what we planned to name our home. They were the first of many future frog and penguins to reside here. All were non-living, of course, unless we include the numerous garden frogs and toads which would visit every spring and summer. But, never a live penguin.

And, in all the years of living here, these two (and others) have never helped with chores.