HCE Blog

Let’s admit it, many of us don’t clean our children’s toys as often as we should. Some of the most neglected toys, though, are often the ones that need it most. And what toys are those? Bath toys, of course! It’s easy to think, “Oh, I don’t have to wash those! They’re always in soap and water, so they’re perfectly clean!” But sadly, that’s not the case. Bath toys are perfect breeding grounds f...

If your child’s toy box is jammed packed with toys, maybe it’s time to donate some of them! Even as adults it’s easy to remember just how hard it was for us to give up our favorite toys when we were children, so be easy on them as you go through this process. You know your child better than anyone, so you can either include them in the cleaning or do it on your own.  Empty the toy box and star...

Dust mites are microscopic insects that like to live in dust, especially dust found in your carpet or on your bed. They feed on the skin cells shed by people, so your child’s favorite stuffed toy is a prime place for them to hide! These tiny bugs cause allergic reactions in many people, so your child’s favorite teddy bear could be contributing to their allergy issues!    There are several diff...

We established a few posts ago that white vinegar is a powerful (and natural) cleaning solution! This makes it a great substitute to normal disinfectants many people use to clean their children’s toys. It’s even easy to make! Put equal parts water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Simply spritz the dirty toys with the solution and set them aside to dry. It should only take about 15 minutes ...

Do your kids have some toys a good scrub just won’t fix?  Try putting them in the dishwasher! It sounds crazy, but it works! The detergent you use to wash your dishes and the hot water of the dishwasher will disinfect the toys for you.  A word of advice… don’t put in toys you think may melt. Keep the toys in the top drawer of the dishwasher to make sure they don’t get damaged!

It’s a hard thing to admit to ourselves, but our children’s toys are covered in germs. We don’t want to think about our precious little ones playing with things that are so dirty. Wooden toys are some of the worst, too. But what’s the best way to clean them?  You can use a 100% natural spray cleaner or a water-laundry detergent mix to wash them. Just use a clean washcloth to rub the cleaner on...

It’s really easy to pack on the pounds during the holiday season. There is so much food to eat, and much of it isn’t exactly the healthiest. It’s hard to work off those holiday pounds, especially if you don’t know how many calories you need to burn. Here are a few holiday staples and their caloric values, as well the amount of exercise it would take to burn off those calories.   Thanksgivin...

Did you know Thanksgiving has a twin? There’s another, less well-known day that happens on the same day as Thanksgiving: National Family Health History Day! It may not sound as fun as Thanksgiving, but it’s really important. And there’s no better time to discuss your family health history than when the whole family is gathered together!  Sit together and discuss everyone’s health history. Is t...

If you make homemade biscuits on Thanksgiving you know how hard it is to make sure they all come out close to the same size. Sometimes eyeballing it just doesn’t cut it. So, how do you get more uniform biscuits without having to buy a biscuit cutter? Try this simple hack! It turns out, the base of a wine glass is the perfect size for a biscuit. Roll out your biscuit dough and take out a wine g...

Need to cut down on prep-time this Thanksgiving? You can skip the tedious task of scrubbing potatoes clean by trying this easy hack! All you need is a dishwasher.  Yep. A dishwasher. Make sure there’s no soap left in your dishwasher before trying this out. Stick your potatoes on the top rack of your dishwasher. Once it’s loaded with spuds, close the dishwasher and set it to the rinse cycle. J...