Cleaning Supplies for Specific, Stubborn Messes

There are tons of videos and posts online across multiple platforms about multi-use cleaners for your home, or why one singular ingredient is better than others. Everyone knows that one person in their life who swears by vinegar.

I know a lot of people like to clean with vinegar, and some people swear by Fabuloso or Pine-Sol.

Having lived in the same house for 11 years, I have realized that there are some things that just need a specific type of product to clean.

And here are my favorite “niche” cleaners, or tools that really get the job done, and aren’t terribly expensive.

Drain fly remover. The way our house is set up, fruit flies and drain flies come in, but they never go out. So I recently discovered drain fly remover, and it has been an absolute game changer. It’s also good for fruit flies and house flies.  The best part is, it is safe to use in a garbage disposal.

Pumice stones . These are great for hard water or calcium buildup. We live in a place that has very hard water, and the hard water stains our toilets. These pumice stones are easy to use and are very inexpensive. You can get them at Dollar tree/Family Dollar, Walmart, and even on Amazon. No additional cleaner is needed; you just scrub at the hard water stains in your toilet with the pus stone, and it basically just exfoliates the stain/buildup right off.

Dishwasher cleaner . You would think something full of hot water and detergent would be clean, right? Wrong. Your dishwasher also has a filter/trap that collects all of the food particles that are blasted off of the dishes. Using a dishwasher cleaner is pretty easy. You just clean your filter, add the dishwasher filter, and run on an empty cycle.

In a similar vein, use a washing machine cleaner. I use this kind once a month.

The other ways that I keep my washing machine nice and clean are pretty simple: when you are not using the washing machine, keep the lid up. This only works if you have a top loader; if you have a front-loading washing machine, it can be difficult sometimes to keep the door all the way open, depending on where your washer is stored in your house. If you can keep it cracked open just a little bit. If it’s a space concern, it will keep your washing machine fresh and mold-free. The other thing I like to do is I like to take a cloth about once a week and wipe down the top of the washing machine, including the gasket that is around the top of the drum. It can get a little funky sometimes.

Upcoming Online Project on Children Health $75.00

Opinions is another Market Research company that emails me about studies and surveys. Right now, they are recruiting for a new study.

Compensation if selected and fully participate $75

Open to Parents with children

• Part 1: Online Survey
• Length: 30–45 minutes
• The board will run November 5th–9th. Please complete the survey as soon as possible during this time frame.
• Complete the entire survey in one sitting. Do not log in and out to finish at a later time.
• You must have high-speed internet and use a desktop or laptop computer. Smartphones and tablets are not permitted.
• Use Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.
• You will receive an email from Sago with login instructions the evening before the project begins.
• Part 1 incentive: $75 for completing the online survey.
• Part 2: Follow-Up Webcam Focus Group
• Some participants will be selected for a follow-up webcam focus group on November 12th or 13th.
• You must have a working webcam to participate.
• Part 2 incentive: An additional $125, if selected and you complete the follow-up group.
• Incentives will be paid through Sago Focus Group Wallet within 2–3 weeks of the project end date.

If selected, you will be required to participate in a the above online interview using a desktop or laptop computer with a working webcam and microphone. You must remain visible on camera and participate from a quiet, private, well-lit indoor room without interruptions for the entire interview. Cell phones and tablets are not permitted. Tech Checks will be required prior to participation.

To be considered, complete the form here. 

10/23/2026 Friday Freebies and Deals!

October is officially the longest month of the year. At least, it feels that way. I’m tired. And I’m glad it’s Friday!

Here are some freebies and deals that are available year-round!

For free food resources, see my comprehensive list here.  It is focused on San Diego County, but additional resources are available outside my area.

Freebies:

FREE Swag, Treats & More at PetSmart on October 25th
Seeing Clearly Without the Cost: A Guide to Free Contact Lenses
FREE Haircut for Veterans & Active Military at Great Clips
FREE ARM & HAMMER Platinum Cat Litter
FREE TevraPet Cat Flea & Tick Drops
200 FREE Photo Prints + FREE Shipping with Shutterfly
2 FREE Sets of Retro Mini Prints at Walgreens
500 FREE E-Tickets, FREE Candy & More at Chuck E Cheese
FREE Movie Tickets to Christmas at the Kringles
FREE Sample of Aveeno Positively Radiant Vitamin C Serum
FREE Donut at Krispy Kreme Through October 25th
FREE Wasa Crispbread Chatterbuy Kit
FREE Sample of Murad Retinal ReSculpt Overnight Treatment
USPS Operation Santa – Possible FREE Gift or Send a Gift to a Child in Need
6 FREE 5×7 Photo Cards at Walgreens
FREE $15 to Spend at Sephora
FREE Sample of IAMS PROACTIVE HEALTH Wet Pouch Dog Food
How to Score Free Feminine Hygiene Products and Save on Essentials
FREE Fluval Aquatics Products
FREE Denny’s Triple Play Combo Meal
FREE $15 to Spend at Old Navy
FREE $5 Best Buy Rewards Certificate – 1st 200,000
FREE Roxley Radlands Game Night Party Pack
FREE Tiffwich Ice Cream Sandwich at Tiff’s Treats on October 24 & 25
FREE Sample of CESAR Mini-Pouch Dog Food
FREE 2027 Hallmark Datebook
FREE LEGO Ghost Street Build Event
5 Legit Ways to Get Free Toys in 2026

Deals:

Home Expressions Bath Towels From $3.49 at JCPenney (Reg $12)
Women Denim Tote Bag Casual Trendy Crossbody ONLY $14.49 (Reg $29)
Disney Dash Stitch Fresh Pop Popcorn Maker ONLY $13.99 (Reg $40)
Halloween Light-Up Sherpa Ghost w/ Pumpkin ONLY $14.99 (Reg $35)
Up to 85% Off Kohl’s Women’s Tops – Prices as Low as $2.62
Turandoss Cross Necklace for Women ONLY $4.99 (Reg $10)
Birkenstock Coupons & Promo Codes: Up to 20% Off HOT Birkenstock Sandals
MEGA BLOKS Race Car Building Block Toy 26-Pieces ONLY $7.49 After Walmart Cash (Reg $15)
How Much is Amazon Prime for Seniors in 2026?
Shark Steam & Scrub Scrubbing Steam Mop ONLY $98 (Reg $150)
medicube Exosome Shot Zero Facial Serum ONLY $11.90 (Reg $39)
Save Big on Your Next Move with USPS Mover Coupons
Fall Gel Nail Polish Set ONLY $7 on Amazon (Reg $13)
UGG Women’s Classic Slippers ONLY $99.96 (Reg $130) + FREE Shipping
We Found the Best Air Fryer Deals: Up to 42% Off
Best Halloween Candy Deals Online and Instore: 2026
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Iconic Lip & Cheek Kit ONLY $24.50 (Reg $35)
32-Inch Small Computer Desk ONLY $19.99 on Amazon

These Are The Best 150 Student Discounts: Tech, Clothing, Streaming Services and More!

Recipe: Street Corn Enchiladas

Inspired by Your Barefoot Neighbor, this recipe is really tasty and pretty easy.

Ingredients:

  • 14 ounces fire-roasted corn (available frozen or canned- if you use canned, drain it)
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 T. Neutral cooking Oil
  • 2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces (Rotisserie chicken works great for this)
  • 28-ounce can green enchilada sauce. I like Las Palmas
  • 1 cup Sour Cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 4 T.  Elote Seasoning (or more, to taste)
  • 1 package corn tortillas
  • 4 cups cheese of your choice- I like Monterey Jack or Mexican Melting Cheese blend
  • Spray release

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the corn, bell peppers, and onion in oil until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5-10 minutes.
  3. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
  4. In a mixing bowl, combine the Enchilada sauce, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, and elote seasoning.
  5. Spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick spray.
  6. I prefer to layer enchiladas, like lasagna, instead of rolling them. Spoon a little sauce into the bottom of the pan. Then lay down a layer of tortillas, veggies, chicken, cheese, and sauce. Continue to layer the ingredients until the pan is full. Top with any remaining cheese.
  7. Cover with foil and bake for 30-45 minutes. Remove the foil during the last 10 minutes to melt the cheese on top.
  8. Allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Variations:

  • Gluten Free: Substitute gluten-free cream of Chicken Soup
  • Vegan: Omit Chicken. Substitute faux meat as desired, or increase the amount of veggies. Substitute sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and cheese for your preferred vegan versions.

 

Q-Insights – Furniture Journey Study – $200

QI-logoNOslogan.pngQ-insights is another company where I do research groups, focus groups, and online surveys to earn extra money.

They have a lot of stuff in South Orange County and less often in San Diego County.

They are currently recruiting for a nationwide study with people ages 22-59 for a 1-hour webcam interview regarding furniture shopping.

The interviews will take place the week of November 4th through November 11th.

This study will pay $200 as a thank-you for your time.

If you are interested in participating, please fill out the survey here. A recruiter will contact you if you pre-qualify and ask additional screening questions.

Fetch Rewards App Fetchtopia is back 10/21-10/27!!

Fetchtopia is back October 21-27th! During that time, there will be extra rewards, higher point payouts per dollar spent at featured restaurants (e.g., up to 120 points per dollar), bonus points on online purchases through the app, and extra point bonuses for completing mobile gaming tasks- just to name a few of the opportunities to earn more points.

If you are new to Fetch, now is a great time to sign up, so you won’t miss any of the points. Points can be redeemed for gift cards- I’ve been cashing out my points for Barnes & Noble Gift Cards all year. It’s going to make Holiday Shopping a breeze.

If you are still unfamiliar with Fetch, learn more here. It’s my go-to app for scanning receipts and earning gift cards.

Free Kids Craft Classes at Michaels!

Did you know that Michaels has some fun (and free) craft classes for kids and adults?

There is a wide variety of make-and-take classes for kids and adults  now through the end of the year:

Did you also know that Michaels has a rewards club? Sign up for Michaels Rewards today and earn $5 in Rewards when you spend $25 or more!

Recipe: Choose Your Chip Cookies

Looking to switch up your classic chocolate chip cookie recipe this fall? I have just what you need.

Over the years, I have made hundreds  (maybe thousands) of batches of cookies, and I have substituted all sorts of different flavors of chips and extracts.

With the holidays approaching, there will be a lot of variety in baking chip flavors available at your local retailers. Some of my favorites include mlik chocolate, candy cane, pumpkin spice, butterscotch, and peanut butter. If you are an online shopper, The Bulk Priced Food Shop on Amazon has a lot of great baking chip flavors.

If you like a little more texture in your cookies, substitute one cup of the chips with dried diced fruit, or crushed freeze dried fruit, or diced candied fruit. Candied lemon peels are excellent in cookies with lemon extract, and white chocolate chips. Dried cherries go great with dark chocolate chips/chunks.

Change up the flavor with different extracts. I like cake batter, lemon, or almond in place of vanilla. Watkins is my favorite brand- they have a wide variety of flavor extracts. Rembmer Essential oils and baking extracts are NOT THE SAME THING.

If you are vegan or gluten-free, there will be substitutions at the end of this post just for you.

Choose Your Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup room-temperature butter (not melted, not hot)
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/4 cups, all purpose, baking flour
  • 2 cups of chips, your choice

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until fluffy (about 1-2 minutes).
  3. Add sugars one at a time and mix until fluffy.
  4. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated fully.
  5. Mix in baking  soda, salt, and flour.
  6. Once all ingredients are blended into the dough, add chips.
  7. I like to refrigerate my dough for about 30 minutes, this gives the flour a chance to rehydrate, and for the flavors to meld before the cookies are baked. It really in my opinion it makes the cookie texture a little bit better.
  8. Drop tablespoon-sized dough balls on cookie sheets that have been greased or are lined with parchment paper. I prefer parchment paper.
  9. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes.  Let cookies rest 1-2 minutes before transferring to the cooling rack.

Variations: substitute half a cup of the room temperature butter for nut or seed butter of your choice. This will give your cookies a subtle nut flavor.

If you are vegan, substitute butter with your favorite plant-based butter, or hydrogenated shortening. Butter flavor shortening works best.

Additionally, you can substitute the two eggs for two flax eggs or egg replacer of your choice. It does affect the texture of the cookie, but if you are vegan or egg free, you’re probably used to the texture.

Q-Insights Shopping Online Study – Pays $150

QI-logoNOslogan.pngQ-insights is another company where I do research groups, focus groups, and online surveys to earn extra money.

They have a lot of stuff in South Orange County and less often in San Diego County. Currently, they are conducting an online study about Online Shopping.

They are currently recruiting people ages 18 to 65 for a study about online shopping.

This will be a 60-minute online webcam interview.

The interviews will take place October 28th through November 6th.

The incentive for the study is $150.

If you are interested in participating, please fill out the survey here. A recruiter will contact you if you pre-qualify and ask additional screening questions.

Advanced Opinions: Project Online on Health Conditions $75.00

Opinions is another Market Research company that emails me about studies and surveys. Right now, they are recruiting for a new study.

Open to ages 18+.

This is an online project for individuals who have been diagnosed with, or are actively involved in caring for someone diagnosed with, one or more of the following medical conditions.

Conditions
Narcolepsy Type 1 (with cataplexy)
Narcolepsy Type 2 (without cataplexy)
Narcolepsy (type unknown)
Idiopathic hypersomnia (IH)
Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS)
Dravet syndrome
Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) with seizures
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
Lymphoblastic lymphoma (LBL)
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC)
Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD) / sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS)
H3 K27M-mutant diffuse midline glioma
HER2-positive biliary tract cancer

Compensation, if selected and fully participate – $75.00

To be considered, complete the form here.