#safety reference

- do the dishes before the sink grows its own ecosystem.

- you can’t put Dawn dishsoap in the dishwasher. If you do accidentally put dawn in your dishwasher, run it empty and put hair conditioner where the detergent goes. that’ll clean it out.

- Wash or rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. It prevents gross caked on junk.

- “The Works” is an excellent cheap toilet cleaner.

- MAGIC. FRIKKEN. ERASERS. THEY WORK ON EVERYTHING, JUST DON’T SCRUB HARD. I took the ring out of our bathtub with one. Generic ones work just as well.

- Keep some bleach around but if you use it for cleaning? Dilute it. There’s rarely ever a case where you need to pout straight bleach on anything. A cap full or two in a bucket of water works just fine.

- DO NOT MIX CLEANERS. Chemical reactions are can be very dangerous. Here’s a good list of dangerous mixes.

- vinegar and baking soda can actually be a good combo for removing smells from things but it’s not very good at actually cleaning.

So I’ve wanted to make this post since my friend vintagebattlestar got stuck in the school parking lot last January and I just haven’t done it yet, but I’m gonna list some things you should keep in your car in case of emergencies.

Cat Litter – CAT LITTER IS SO USEFUL. Not that biodegradable crap, but the stuff that’s little rocks and stuff. Try not to get the stuff with the odor rocks, but if you do, that’s okay. A small bag will do, you only need two gallons of it.

Get 3 gallon size bags (like zip lock bags) and fill one entirely of the cat litter. That is in case your car starts leaking random fluid. Never assume liquid leaking from your car isn’t harmful. Cover that shit with cat litter, you can then shovel it up and toss in a garbage bag – WHAM your drive way is no longer a death trap. Also, if you park in nature, you’re no longer leaving your harmful chemicals in the beautiful nature.

The other two gallon size bags, fill half way with cat litter and fill the rest of the way with road salt and mix it up good. If you get stuck in ice or snow, poor half a bag behind each tire. The road salt will melt the ice/snow and the cat litter will dry up the moisture. WHAM you’re safely pulling out of the spot you were stuck in.

Class B Fire Extinguisher – You can literally buy these from Walmart for $15 bucks (here). If your car starts smoking (here for reference on what different smokes mean), whip this out of your trunk and spray the hell out of your car. IF THERE IS A LOT OF SMOKE just get away from your vehicle and call 911, but this is also useful for camping and such and good for non car emergencies. Make sure it is CLASS B, because that’s the kind that takes care of chemical fires.

Survival Stuff – A gallon of water, a warm blanket (even if you live in a warm climate, this can be used to create shelter or can be ripped up in case of real emergencies), non perishable snacks/food (I recommend canned stuff, that shit lasts decades, but if you go canned make sure you have a can opener). If you live in an environment that gets really cold, have a set of extra warm jacket, gloves, hat, and warm socks, as well.

Some standard stuff – Tire iron, jack (most cars come with one, if you buy a used car, make sure you have one, because not all used cars do), tire gauge, windshield scraper, A SMALL SHOVEL (SO IMPORTANT).

Medical/First Aid Kit – Bandages of all sizes, triple antibiotic ointment, 90% Isopropyl Alcohol (good for sterilizing wounds), burn cream of your choice, bag balm (this will do everything from cure wind burn and chafing to pull a splinter out, when in doubt, use bag balm), liquid stitches/bandage, splints, ace bandages, ibuprofen, Bayer asprin (this stuff has literally been proven to ward off a heart attack), tweezers, small but sharp scissors, condoms, pads, and tampons. 

and last but most certainly not least, DUCT TAPE – You can use this for so much, from building shelter to keeping you bumper on to keeping your exhaust pipe from dragging.