|
This page is intended to make life a bit easier. However,
I have not tried most of the Helpful Tips on this page, so I cannot vouch for the accuracy, veracity or usefulness of
the claims made on this page. If you have helpful tips you would like to share, please e-mail mitchman@myway.com
RELATED LINKS:
Go here:
http://firstgov.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
..to
find the phone numbers, fax numbers, mailing addresses and email addresses of the elected officials for your state.
You'll find the information you need to contact your US Senators, Representatives, Legislators, Governors, and even the
President - then address your concerns to them.
Go here:
http://firstgov.gov/Agencies/State_and_Territories.shtml
..to find your state's web
site where you can locate the contact information for your attorney general and express your concerns to him
or her.
Feel like doing more? E-mail, write,
fax or phone here:
National Association of Consumer Advocates
1730 Rhode Island NW, Ste 710
Washington, DC 20036
Telephone: (202) 452-1989 voice
Fax:
(202) 452-0099
Email: info@naca.net
ANTS
If you have ants and are afraid to use a
spray or poison due to little hands that are everywhere, try a slice of lemon. Place it where the ants are seen and PRESTO!
No more ants! Replace the slice with a fresh one when it dries out. Bay leaves or cinnamon also work.
Sprinkle baby bowder in cracks, along a window sill, or under doors where
ants enter. Ants will not walk through baby powder.
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
Apple Cider Vinegar can be used as a dandruff-stopper. Rinsing your hair with apple cider vinegar can help
keep dandruff away.
ATHLETE'S FOOT
To relieve the itch that often comes with athlete's foot rub onion juice on the affected area.
AUTO GREASE
Remove auto grease from
hands with baking soda and water. This works as well as any product on the market, and is a lot cheaper.
BABY WIPES
Baby wipes are miracle-workers on
carpet stains, from motor oil to blood, they remove almost anything!
BACON
To keep bacon from curling, dip it in cold water before putting it in
the fry pan.
BAKING SODA
Add some to a damp cloth
to remove crayon and marker from walls and furniture.
Pour a little down a drain with some vinegar, leave 5-10 minutes and wash down with warm to hot water to unclog the
drains. Doing this once a week will keep drains runningsmoothly.
Mix with your favorite facial cleanser to turn it intoa facial exfoliator.
You can fight blemishes with baking soda instead of acne creams. Add enough water to the baking soda to make a paste
and apply to blemishes at bedtime to dry up pimples fast.
Also eases the pain of bee stings.
Use 1/4 cup on a damp food burned pan. Leave for 5-10 minutes and see how much easier it cleans up.
Remove auto grease from hands with baking soda and water. This works
as well as any product on the market, and is a lot cheaper.
If you happen to run out of toothpaste check your cabinets for baking
soda. It cleans and polishes just like toothpaste.
Sprinkle baking soda onto your regular toothpaste to create a whitening toothpaste.
To relieve the stinging from a mild burn or sunburn mix a paste of water
and Baking Soda and apply to the area. You can also add baking soda to a cool bath and that will soothe the sunburn too.
Baking Soda can be used for many jobs around the house, scrubbing sinks,
bath tub, stove, refrigerator and laundry. It leaves everything smelling nice and cleans just as good as any cleanser without
scratching enamel.
BAKING SODA
Baking soda can be thrown on stove fires to extinguish the flames. The
carbon dioxide generated when the powder burns starves the fire of oxygen.
BAKED POTATOES
Potatoes soaked in salt water
for 20 minutes will bake more rapidly.
BALL-POINT PENS
If you have an expensive ball-point pen, or even an inexpensive one that
stops writing even though there is still ink in it, dip the pen in very hot water for a minute or so. This will get the ink
flowing again.
BANANAS
If your bananas aren't going to be eaten
right away and you want to keep them from ripening too fast, wrap them in foil and store them in the fridge.
BATTERY TERMINALS
If battery terminals are heavily corroded, the quickest and
easiest way to clean them is to pour carbonated soft drink over them. It will eat the corrosion away. Baking soda mixed with
water will also do the trick.
To prevent corrosion on your battery posts, apply some vaseline to them.
Make sure that your car engine is cold before attempting this.
BEE STINGS
If you have been stung by a bee or mosquito, cut an onion in half and hold it on the sting. It will take the pain away,
and cool the sting.
BLACK PEPPER
Stop colors from running by adding a teaspoon of black pepper with the detergent to the first wash cycle when you are
washing cottons.
BLEMISHES
You can fight blemishes with baking soda instead of acne creams. Add enough water to the baking soda to
make a paste and apply to blemishes at bedtime to dry up pimples fast.
BLINDS / WINDOW SHADES
If you plan to install new shades or blinds to help keep your home warm
in the winter and cool in the summer, consider mounting them outside the frames. If they're installed inside window
frames, air can leak along the edges. Outside mountings help reduce the flow of cold air in the winter and hot air in the
summer into the room.
BOLTS/SCREWS
If a screw or bolt has become rusted in woodwork and is difficult to
remove – put a few drops of cooking oil on top and leave for a while.
BUBBLE GUM
If you get gum on your clothing,
or your child learned how to blow a bubble with gum and hermetically sealed themselves and their hair with it, apply peanut
butter liberally to the gum and gently work it out. Launder the clothing afterwards.
To remove bubble gum or any type of gum from hair, simply spread peanut
butter on the area and wash! It comes out like magic because of the oil!
BUGS ON PLANTS
A tablespoon of Dawn liquid
dish soap to a gallon of water, sprayed on plants will kill bugs on plants and not harm the plant. You can use this for indoor
plants also.
BURNED COFFEE
Don't ruin the carafe by scrubbing with harsh cleansers, add a
few teaspoons of salt and some crushed ice. Let it sit for a minute, then swirl the mixture. Most of the
burnt coffee
should come off, the rest will be loosened so that it will wipe out fairly easily.
BUTTER STAINS
Butter is considered one of the most difficult stains to remove. All
you will need is a soft sponge, warm water, shampoo, and some grease solvent. Apply a small amount of grease solvent to the
stain and let dry. It won't take long for this to happen. Then take the sponge, apply some warm water and a bit of shampoo
and gently lift the stain.
CAKES
If a cake sticks to the pan after baking, simply set the pan over a pot of boiling water for a minute or two. It will
pop out of the pan nice and neat!
CANDLES
If you want drip-free, long-burning candles, put them in the freezer overnight before burning them. Also, If you keep
your candles in the freezer they will last longer and drip less.
Prevent your candles from dripping by soaking them in salted water for a half hour. Use about two tablespoons of salt
for each candle and just enough water to cover the candle.
CANTALOUPE
Pick one with rough skin. It will be as sweet as sugar.
CAR AIR FRESHENERS
Instead of using expensive air freshners in the car stick a dryer sheet
or two under the seats. They are very cheap and you probably have them in your home already. This will disguise and diminish
even the nastiest odors and I find the scent much more pleasant than the sugary vanillas or strong pine or lemon scents often
sold for car air fresheners.
CARPETS
Remove furniture dents by running
a key or coin over the indentation. The carpet will fluff up again!
CARPET STAINS
Stains on carpets are always
a challenge. Treating as soon as possible is always the best idea, but sometimes the stain isn't found right away. Using shaving
cream can lift up the stain, old and new ones. Just load on the shaving cream and push it down into the carpet fibers.The
foaming action will lift up the stains. Blot up with a dry paper towel or cloth.
To clean spots on rugs and carpets, use window cleaner. It works as well
as the spray-on carpet cleaners.
CARVING A TURKEY
A turkey should never be carved until it has been out of the oven at
least 30 minutes. This permits the inner cooking to subside and the internal meat juices to stop running. Once the meat sets,
it's easier to carve clean, neat slices.
CHEWING GUM
Chewing Gum in Coat - For gum stuck just on top of the coat, use ice
cubes to freeze it first, then you can either break it off, or lift it off gently. If the gum has been rubbed right
in, a good solvent will remove it better than anything. Peanut butter works for this rather well.
CITRIC FRUIT RINDS
Citric fruit rinds will remove grease spots from oven tops.
CLEAN HANDS
Clean grease from hands, by rubbing shaving cream between your hands
and it will dissolve grime without water.
CLEANER LAUNDRY
If you want to improve the
cleaning abilities of any laundry detergent you currently use, give it a boost by adding 1/2 cup baking soda along with your
laundry detergent. Baking soda is a cleaning agent and will not only get your clothes extra-clean, but deodorize them also.
CLEANING COPPER BOTTOMS OF POTS & PANS
To clean tarnished copper bottoms of pots and pans, spread a little ketchup onto the ottom. Let it sit for about one
minute. Wipe it clean and rinse.
CLEANING COPPER AND BRASS
Lemon and salt can shine copper and brass. To shine in a pinch, grab a half a lemon dipped in salt and rub over the candle
sticks or any other copper or brass item then polish with a soft cloth dipped in water.
CLEANING COMPACT DISCS
Repairing A Damaged Compact Disc.
Use toothpaste to repair a damaged
compact disc. Just dip a corner of a soft cloth in water and place a dab of plain white toothpaste on the corner. Gently rub
the toothpaste across the disc, and it will remove the scratches. Rinse with warm water and dry thoroughly.
CLEANING DRAINS
Store-brand denture cleaning tablets work like a charm to remove stains
from the bottom of vases, but they also work great to remove grease build-up from kitchen drains. Just drop a couple denture
cleaning tablets down the kitchen drain, along with a cup of hot water.
Grease clogs can also be removed by pouring
one cup of salt and one cup of baking soda into the drain followed by a pot of boiling water!
CLEANING FINGERPRINTS
Erase finger prints from woodwork by Gently rubbing with an eraser.
CLEANING MICROWAVE OVENS
Microwaving is a speedy,
great invention for those who use one. Odors in the microwave aren't so wonderful and seem tobe impossible to remove once
an odor is in there. Easy Off makes a microwave cleaner that may help remove the odor while cleaning it. If you want an easy
solution to use to clean and remove odors, (such as brunt popcorn etc.) Get a microwave-safe bowl that will hold at least
4 cups of liquid. Pour one cup water, 1/4 cup white vinegar and a cut up lemon or line, (cut it in small pieces). Microwave
on high until it boils and continue "Cooking" the mixture for 5 more minutes after boiling. Leave the bowl in the microwave
after the time runs out and allow the steam from the mixture to fill up the microwave. Wait until it cools to remove the bowl.
When cooled, remove the bowl and wipe with a cloth. Leave the microwave door open for at least 30 minutes after cleaning to
"air it out." This should remove the odor and can be repeated if the odor is extremely bad.
Impossible stains on the inside of your microwave? Dissolve two tablespoons
of baking soda in one cup water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Let the solution boil in the microwave for a few minutes so
that the steam condenses on the walls. Then wipe clean with a damp sponge. You probably want to put something like a
toothpick in the water when boiling in the microwave to prevent explosive boiling.
CLEANING MIRRORS
Use air-freshener to clean
mirrors: It does a good job and better still, leave a lovely smell to the shine.
CLEANING OVENS
If you have either run out of
oven cleaner, don't like to use them because of the fumes, or need to clean a self-cleaning oven inbetween the deep cleanings,
look in your cabinet for the cheaper and safer alternative...Baking soda! It's cheap, safe and is abrasive enough to do the
job. Wipe the inside of a cold oven with a wet rag. Generously sprinkle baking soda all over the inside of the oven. Leave
it sit overnight and in the morning, just wipe the grease and "stuff" away.
CLEANING SCUFF MARKS
Removing scuff marks from floors can be an easy task, simply use
an eraser.
CLEANING THERMOS BOTTLES
Clean a thermos bottle.
Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka-Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).
CLEANING TOILET BOWL
If you don't want to use
strong chemicals to clean your toilet bowl, drop 2 Alka Seltzer tablets or two denture cleaning tablets in the toilet and
leave for 20 minutes or overnight and just brush afterwards.
Putting an Efferdent tablet (denture cleaner) in the toilet overnight
will remove stains and hard water deposits.
CLEANING WALLPAPER
To dust papered walls, tie
a dustcloth over your broom and work from the top down.
To remove pencil marks and other non-greasy spots from non-washable papers,
use an art-gum eraser or a slice of fresh rye bread.
To remove greasy spots, crayon marks and food stains, apply a paste of
cornstarch and water. Let dry and brush off. Repeat the treatment until the spot is gone.
Wipe off fingerprints with a damp cloth, then sprinkle the moist area
with cornstarch. Let it dry and then brush it off.
To prevent splash marks when you're washing baseboards or other woodwork,
mask wallpaper with a wide ruler, venetian blind-slat or a piece of rigid plastic.
When you save scraps of wallpaper for patching, tack them to a wall in
the attic or closet. When you use them for repairs, they won't look so brand new.
CLEANING WALLS
Crayon on The Wall: Brush it with Colgate Toothpaste than wipe
clean.
CLEANING WINDOWS
A Bounce fabric sheet will
clean windows without the use of window cleaner. Rub the sheet over your windows, then wipe with a soft cloth. A dryer sheet
will also polish chrome and for T.V. or computer monitors, they're great at cleaning them and keeping static at bay.
To clean windows you don’t need expensive sprays. Wet some newspaper
and clean the window with them – the spirit in the ink does the trick – use the old newspapers and it cost nothing.
CLEANING WINDSHIELDS
Instead of using a cloth
or your hand to remove fog on your windshield, buy yourself a chalkboard eraser and keep it in your glove box. When the windows
fog up, use the eraser. It does a much better job than a cloth or your hand.
CLEAR NAIL POLISH
Always keep a bottle of this in your purse along with the bobby pins.
This is not only great for our nails, but it is also good for stopping those holes in our stockings from running. Also
if you have a tiny little leak in your umbrella and your hair is getting wet, cover the hole with nail polish and Vola! no
more leak. Nail polish is also good as emergency glue, like when your eyeglasses or sunglasses break, or you loose the tiny
screw from the arm, paint on the polish and it will hold until you can get them properly repaired.
CLOGGED SALT & PEPPER SHAKERS
If your salt
or pepper shakers keep clogging up, add a few grains of uncooked rice to them. The rice will absorb the moisture that causes
the salt and pepper to clump. Dried peas will work just the same. If you have shakers that aren't see-through, having the
peas or rice in the shakers will alert you when it's getting near the time to refill. They will start to rattle.
COCA-COLA
Gum in your Hair!: Just take the gum coated hair and dip in a small bowl
that has some Coca Cola in it. Let sit for just a few minutes and the gum will wipe right off.
Someone told me to use Coca Cola when I could not get a tan. I rubbed
it all over, laid out for a while, and when I got up, I had the best tan ever. And it lasted for about 6-7 months. Now
I even use the coke in the tanning machines and it really works.
Coke can also be used to relieve the sting from Jelly Fish. All you have
to do is pour the Coke over the sting.
COFFEE GROUNDS
Coffee grounds make great rose
or evergreen fertilizer. Save the grounds arfter you brew them and put them around your rose bushes or evergreen trees.
COLD SORES
Use a q-tip to dab red wine directly to the sore, leave on overnight
and repeat every 4 hours the next day. Reservatrol in the wine blocks the cold-sore virus from replicating.
COLORING YOUR OWN HAIR
If you are one that
colors their own hair at home and you get haircolor on your skin, just rub the area with a dot of toothpaste on the stain
and wipe off.
COOKIES
Prevent cookies from drying up by placing a piece of bread in the same
storage container as the cookies. The cookies will suck the moisture out of the bread and remain moist for over a week! And
if that doesn't work put a slice of an apple in with them - wrap in a paper towel - will also work to soften bread.
CORN ON THE COB
When boiling corn on the cob,
add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corns natural sweetness.
CRAYON MARKS
The next time your little one goes wild writing on your walls, pull out
WD-40. This household product, that you usually use to stop squeaky hinges, also works brilliantly in removing crayon marks
from most surfaces. Simple spray and wipe crayon right off. You may also want to wipe surface with a soapy rag to remove any
oil residue.
CRAYON MARKS ON THE WALL
Brush it with Colgate Toothpaste than wipe clean.
CUTS / BURNS
Did you know that dabbing honey
on a cut or burn before bandaging it is more effective than antibiotic ointments? Honey has properties that reduce infection
and speed healing. Honey can destroy almost 100% of the bacteria that cause wound infections, reduce pain, stimulate new cell
growth and cut the risk of scarring. When choosing honey, choose one that is un-pasteurized. Pasteurization destroys the antibiotics
and enzymes needed for wound healing..
DANDRUFF
To get rid of dandruff within a few
days, pour apple cider vinegar into the hair, massaging the scalp with it. Leave on a few minutes, then shampoo. Repeat this
daily until the dandruff is gone. (usually within a few days)
DENIM JEANS
When drying denim jeans, cut down on the amount of energy And drying
time by throwing 2 or 3 dry bath towels in with The jeans. The towels will absorb some of the moisture from The jeans and
cut down the drying time
DOLLAR RULE
Use a dollar bill to measure. Every piece of US paper money in your wallet/purse
is 6" long. Folded in half, and you have a 3" measuring stick, and so on. I can't tell you the number of times I've used this
trick at Home Depot to get a rough idea of the size of something.
EGG WHITES
Leftover egg whites? Use them for a facial mask, or put them in a meatloaf.
They break down the 'gum' in chewing gum so that it's easily removed from fabrics and hair, too.
FABRIC SOFTENER SHEETS
Eliminates static electricity from your television screen. Since
Bounce or even a generic brand is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of
Bounce to keep dust from resettling.
Use fabric softener sheets to clean bathtub rings and to shine faucets
and other chrome fixtures. Makes them really sparkle!
FACIALS
Take the cool wet coffee grounds from your morning coffee and apply to
your clean, dry face. Let set for five minutes and rinse off with cool water. The caffeine in the coffee has a "lifting" effect.
Take one ripe banana and smash well with a fork. You can puree with a
mixer if you like. now simply apply to your clean face and let set for ten minutes. Rinse with warm Water and pat dry. This
is a super mask for dry skin!
FINGERPRINTS
Erase finger prints from woodwork by Gently rubbing with an eraser.
FIZZY DRINKS
How to stop that fizzy drink from
bubbling over the glass as you pour. Press the fleshy part of your thumb on the outside of the glass and pour the liquid slowly
onto inner glass surface where your thumb touches the glass.
Fizzy drinks – no cap to seal the bottle simply grab a balloon
and place on bottle opening. Even a coin rested on top of the bottle will stop it from going flat for a while.
FIREPLACE ALERT
Do not burn colored newspaper or magazines in your fireplace! They contain
lead and when burned will give out dangerous levels of the lead. This can be extremely harmful especially to children!
FOOD STAINS
Potatoes will take food stains
off your fingers. Just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.
FOOT ODOR
Got foot odor problems? No sweat! Just make some tea! Boil a quart or
so of water, add 4 or 5 tea bags, let steep for 5 to 10 minutes, and then let cool. Pour the tea into a pan and soak your
feet in it for about half an hour. Dry your feet off without rinsing, and you've just given your tootsies an effective deodorant
treatment! Foot odor is caused by bacteria; the tea contains tannin which acts as an astringent, which helps to close your
pores, dry your feet and prevent further perspiration!
FRESH CELERY
Wrap celery in aluminum foil when
putting in the refrigerator-it will keep for weeks.
FRESH EGGS
To determine whether an egg is fresh,
put it in a pan of cool,salted water. If the egg sinks, it is fresh. If the egg floats to the top, get rid of it, it's not
fresh.
FRESH FRUIT
If you want to keep apples, pears
and other fruits from becoming overripe, keep them away from bananas which give off gases that ripen themselves as well
as other fruit. On the other hand, if you have some fruit you need ripened, place them near bananas...
FRESH LEMONADE
If you like to make fresh lemonade,
freeze your lemons first. Let them thaw and make your lemonade, the lemons will be juicier with a fuller flavor....
FURNITURE SCRATCHES
Scratches on furniture can
be made less noticeable or hidden completely by using paste shoe polish. Find a matching color and apply enough to fill the
scratch. Let dry, then buff to a shine....
GARBAGE DISPOSAL
Clean the blades of your garbage disposal by grinding a handful of ice cues.
GARDENING
Place a clove of garlic in plant soil to eliminate bugs. The garlic keeps the nasty bugs away and will also grow
along with your plants.
When planting vegetables, such as radishes, carrots, onions etc., try sprinkling some coffee grounds in the soil first
and then plant your seeds. This should keep the worms away and is also a good fertilizer.
GARLIC
Garlic camouflages your body's scent, so mosquitoes can't track you down. Simply add 2 crushed garlic cloves to a pint
of water, let sit overnight, strain and spritz around outdoor areas.
GLUE AND STICKY RESIDUE
To remove sticky residue/glue,
try one of these: mayonnaise, peanut butter, nail polish emover, "Goo Gone", or any oil.
GRAPS/RAISINS
Another little known toxin to dogs and cats is actually grapes and of course, raisins. It was only
discovered/decided a couple of years ago that they can actually cause anemia in these animals. Of course, some dogs will eat
grapes every day and never have a problem, but it's impossible to tell which animals are the most sensitive to grapes and
raisins, and so it is better not to feed them any at all.
GREASE STAINS
Get those tough grease stains off of your clothes by applying salt to
the area. Let sit for 5 minutes, then throw it in the laundry as usual. Sodium cuts through the oils, so the spot will
disappear when you wash it!
If you get a grease stain while eating out, grab the artificial sweetner packets
and pour a liberal amount on the stain. Leave it as long as possible and the grease will be absorbed by the sweetener.
Clean grease from hands, by rubbing shaving cream between your hands and
it will dissolve grime without water.
GREASE STAINS ON CARPET
Shake some cornstarch over the grease stain and let set there overnight
or at least 8 hours. Vacuum.
GUM REMOVAL
If you can't get gum out of clothing,
try this...Brush egg whites (no yolks) onto the gum with a toothbrush. Leave it for 15 minutes and launder as usual.
GUM IN YOUR HAIR
Just take the gum coated hair and dip in a small bowl that has some Coca
Cola in it. Let sit for just a few minutes and the gum will wipe right off.
HAIR CONDITIONER
Next time you have to rip off a band-aid try rubbing a little bit of
hair conditioner around the edges before removing. It will peel away painlessly.
HARDBOILED EGGS
To prevent egg shells from
cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.
HEADACHES
If you have a headache, cut a lime
in half and rub it on your forehead, the throbbing will go away.
Next time you feel a headache coming on, go to that trusty cabinet again
and pull out the powdered ginger. Stir one teaspoon Ginger in a cup of boiling water (like tea), steep for five minutes, (like
tea) and sweeten to taste, (like tea). Another sidebar to this mixture is....regular drinking of this "ginger tea" can actually
prevent headaches before they are about to start.
HOT LIQUIDS
Put a metal spoon into a glass before pouring in any hot liquid - this
will prevent the glass from cracking.
HOUSE PLANTS
If you use tap water, let it stand in a bucket for a few days before
watering your plants. This will allow the water to warm to room temperature and most of the harmful chemicals will settle
to the bottom of the bucket.
Use the water from boiling eggs or unpeeled potatoes to water your houseplants.
saves water and gives the plants extra nutrients.
ICE CREAM DRIPS
If you or your kids love ice
cream in cones yet hate the drippy mess that inevitably happens, place a large marshmallow in the bottom of the cone before
placing the ice cream in. If you are using a pointed sugar cone, use a miniature marshmallow. This will prevent the ice cream
from dripping through.
ICE CUBES
Want crystal, clear ice cubes? –
Boil water and let it cool before you pour it into your ice trays. Boiling takes all the oxygen out of the water –
leaves no bubbles always crystal clear.
IMPORTANT PAPERS
When cleaning your filing cabinet keep these things in mind:
Tax
Returns should be kept for 7 years.
Bank Statements for 3 years
Credit Card Statements and pay stubs for 1 year
INK STAINS
Spray a mixture of 1 part rubbing alcohol to 2 parts of water on
the article that has the ink. Saturate the item and launder as usual.
Hairpsray...Spray hairpsray on the ink spot, as the ink starts to dissolve,
rinse and reapply the hairspray if needed.
Milk...Apply milk to the ink spot and gently rub with a clean cloth.
Reapply the milk until the stain is gone. Make sure ou use a clean part of the cloth each time you rub the milk in.
Table salt will absorb ink when it is spilled - pour salt on the wet
ink and continue to add salt until there is no more "wet ink". Then vacuum or wash. Other types of ink can be removed using
rubbing alcohol.
INSECT BITES
Hint to relieve the pain from
insect bites: Meat tenderizer can be used to relieve the pain and itching from insect bites - just dissolve 1/4 teaspoon of
tenderizer in water and apply to bite, or dissolve two Alka-Seltzer
tablets in a glass of water, dip a cloth into the solution, and place the cloth on the bite for twenty minutes.
IRONING
If you put aluminum foil underneath
your ironing board cover, the foil will conduct the heat and cut your ironing time in half.
For those of you who still iron; to remove that burnt stuff on the Iron: Rub
iron with aluminum foil to remove burnt on starch, etc.
If you don't have time to iron a garment, pop it in the dryer along with
a damp towel (fabric shoftner sheet will work too) for a few minutes and this should take care of the wrinkles.
JAMMED ZIPPERS
Olive oil can help unjam zippers - use a cotton ball to apply.
LAUNDRY
Stop colors from running by adding a teaspoon of black pepper with the
detergent to the first wash cycle when you are washing cottons.
To remove grass stains, try rubbing the stain with Karo Syrup, then wash
as usual.
When washing dark clothes for the first time use cold water and put salt
in the water. The salt helps set the color. To brighten dark clothes after they have been washed several times, repeat the
procedure.
Always measure laundry detergent using more doesn’t clean
better but can leave a residue in clothes and have a greater residual effect in the washing machine.
LAUNDRY DETERGENT
Tooooo Much Suds....
Too much soap in your washing machine and it's
overflowing? Pour in a capful of fabric softener to eliminate the suds.
LEATHER/VINYL
If you have some spots on anything
leather or vinyl, use baby wipes to clean them. They have the needed moisturizers in them that helps prevent leather and vinyl
from drying out. They also leave a nice fresh scent behind.
Give your dull leather furniture a little pick me up. You can brighten
it up by rubbing with half a lemon or stale beer. Polish with a dry cloth.
LEMON JUICE
A small amount of lemon juice pour onto minor wounds can help stop bleeding
and disinfect the injury (it will sting a bit). Lemon juice applied to itches, poison ivy rashes and wasp stings is said to
relieve discomfort.
A teaspoon of lemon juice added to your dishwashing detergent can help
boost grease cutting power
LINT REMOVAL
A piece of fine-grain sandpaper
will remove lint from your clothes as good or even better than a lint brush.
LISTERINE
In addition to a mouthwash, use Listerine to repel mosquitoes.
MAGIC MARKER INK
Hair spray will remove magic-marker ink from surfaces.
MAYONNAISE
Mayonnaise on a cloth will remove black scuffmarks from a linoleum floor
with little effort.
MEAT
Cooking Meat
To slice meat into thin strips, as for Chinese dishes, partially freeze
and it will slice easily.
A roast with the bone in will cook faster than a boneless roast. The bone carries the heat to
the inside of the roast more quickly.
A fork should never be stuck in meat while frying or grilling as it punctures
the meat and lets the juices out. Use tongs.
To help stop meatloaf from sticking to the pan, put one or two strips
of bacon in the pan before the meatloaf.
MICE & RATS
Soak cotton balls with a mixture of bleach and WD-40, leave them in cupboards;
or just spray your baseboards with the WD-40, it repels all kinds of pests without poisoning you,
your kids or pets.
Outdoors as well, spray around your window sills and door jambs; the red straw attached to the nozzle gets the juice right
where you want it.
Put mothballs between the outside and inside walls. The camphor
in the mothballs drives
them away. They also breathe in the aroma from the mothballs and it goes to their brain,
giving them paralysis and ultimate death, or they might try eating them and, being poisoned, they would pass it on to their
offspring.
MILK
Did you know you can freeze milk? Next time it is on sale, pick up several
gallons and freeze it!
Don't feed your cat cows' milk. It will give your cat a case of the runs!
you can give kitties either half and half or canned evaporated milk without problem. Neither of them contain lactose which
is what gives kitties the runs. Either choice is far more economical than the "kitty milk" now offered!
MOSQUITO BITES
To get rid of itch from mosquito
bite: try applying soap on the area for instant relief.
MOUTHWASH
When you need to clean out a small cut or wound, use an alcohol-based
mouthwash to Disinfect your skin. Remember that before it became a mouthwash, it was successfully used as an antiseptic to
prevent surgical infections.
Regular deodorants mask unpleasant underarm odors with a heavy perfume
smell but do little to attack the cause of the problem. To get rid of the bacteria that cause perspiration odor, dampen a
cotton ball with a sugarless, alcohol-based mouthwash and swab your armpits. If you've just shaved your armpits, it's best
to wait for another day to try this.
Substitute mouthwash for glass cleaner in a pinch. Clean the glass screens on
computer monitors and television by applying mouthwash with a soft cloth, and then buff dry.
Treat a mild case of athlete's foot with sugarless mouthwash. Place a cotton
ball soaked in the mouthwash on the affected areas several times a day for five days.
Wash gym socks with mouthwash
to get rid of bacteria and fungi. Add 1 cup of sugarless, alcohol-based mouthwash to the wash cycle.
NAILS & SCREWS
Lubricate nails and screws. Both will go into wood more easily when rubbed
with lip balm.
NEW TIRES
When you need new tires for your
car, try and find some that are marked as blemished. They are considerably cheaper. They are just as safe as new ones, and
usually carry the same warranty. You can even do this with appliances. Sometimes you can't even see the flaw.
NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS
Preserving a newspaper clipping - large bottle of club soda and 1/2 cup
of milk of magnesia, soak for 20 minutes and let dry, will last for many years!
ONIONS
Onions can provide many benefits naturally.
Here are just a few...
Bee sting or mosquito bite...Cut an onion in half and hold it on the
sting or bite. This will cool the sting and take the pain away...
Earaches...Slice an onion in half and place it over the ear hole. Leave
for a half hour at a time or until the pain subsides. ( If the earache persists over a long period of time, see a doctor.)
Onions are a natural decongestant. An onion "juice" can be made by cutting
an onion up, placeing it in a cup, add 1-2 tablespoons sugar in the cup with the onion. Leave sit for 30 minutes until a juice
forms. Drink the juice by the spoonful, (not as terrible as it seems.) You can reuse the onions a few times for more
"juicing." This tip is wonderful for pregnant women who have colds and can't take medicine for the symptoms.
The smell of onions on your hands can be removed by wetting hands then
sprinkling with Baking Powder and rubbing the paste all over – then wash in cold water.
Once used and cut in half, rub the leftover side with butter. This way
it will keep fresh longer.
OUTDOOR FURNITURE
See a rain shower coming on? Run out and spray the outdoor furniture
with cleaner, then run back inside and watch the rain do the cleaning.
PACKING SUITCASES
When packing clothes in a suitcase,
don't lay them flat, roll them instead. they take up less space and should be wrinkle free.
PAINTING TIPS
To get rid of paint odor, put
a pail of water in the freshly painted room and the odor should diminish considerably.
PAINTING A ROOM
When deciding to paint a room,
after color choice, the second question most people have is deciding how much paint they will need for the project. There
is a basic formula that generally will help you buy the right amount.
The basic formula is Height X Width= Area
Measure each wall and the ceiling.
An example would be a 10X10 room
with 8 foot ceilings...
8X10=80
80X4 walls=320
10x10=100 for the ceiling
You have 420 square feet that needs covered
You can subtract door and window openings, but this equasion will give
you a good idea on how much paint to buy.
1 gallon of paint covers up to 400 square feet. If the walls have a rough
texture, add 20 % more paint. A better quality paint goes further than a lower quality paint because the coverage is usually
better and you don't have to waste paint. The one coat coverage paints may cost you a bit more, but the time you save is usually
well worth the cost.
PANCAKES/WAFFLES
If you are one who makes pancakes
and waffles regularly, you will improve the flavor of them enormously by simply mixing in one tablespoonful of maple syrup
into the batter before making them. You'll notice the difference and so will your family!
PEANUT BUTTER
Peanut butter will remove ink from the face of dolls.
PLANTS
If you use tap water, let it stand in a bucket for a few days before
watering your plants. This will allow the water to warm to room temperature and most most of the harmful chemicals will settle
to the bottom of the bucket.
POISON IVY
Avoid any contact with poison ivy. It's the oil in this plant that causes
some people to develop a blister like rash which can be extremely itchy. This three leaf plant can be found growing on the
ground or growing up trees and rocks. If you have been exposed to poison ivy, wash up immediately with soap and cool water.
There are special soaps and cleansers that help remove and minimize the spread of the oil. There are also many ointments to
help dry up the rash and relieve the itching and discomfort associated with poison ivy. Learn to identify this plant
and, if at all possible, avoid contact. Also avoid contact with contaminated clothes until properly laundered. The oil is
still present and can again exposes you to this unwanted itch.
POLISHING JEWELRY
Polish jewelry. Drop two Alka-Seltzer
tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes.
POPCORN
Whether you use microwave popcorn or
regular popcorn, more kernels will pop if your popcorn is fresh. Store the kernels or the packages in an airtight container
in your fridge.
POTATOES
Potatoes will take food stains off your
fingers. Just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.
PRESERVING POTATOES
Speaking of spuds...If
you want to keep your potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag. This will extend the life of your spuds.
PRICE STICKERS ON DRINKING GLASSES
Coax a stubborn price sticker off of a drinking glass by placing the
glass in the freezer overnight. The glue will freeze, making it easy to remove the sticker.
RASH FROM WRISTWATCH
If you get a rash from
the back of a wrist watch, brush the back of the watch with clear nail polish. When it wears off repeat. Sometimes
rashes develope if you have too much acid in your body.
REHEATING COOKED FOOD
Always reheat cooked food on half power in the microwave – that’s
what the reheat setting does. This reheats food evenly without frying the edges while leaving the centre cold.
RICE
To cook rice in the microwave place 2 cups of rice and 4 cups of boiling
water in a microwave container and zap on high for 12 minutes. The rice is beautiful – no smells in the kitchen, no
water boiling over on the stove.
If you burn a pot of rice, place a slice of white or "light" bread on
the top of the rice. Let it sit for a few minutes (5-10). The burnt taste will be gone but be sure NOT to scrape the bottom
of the pan. Just use as much as you can without touching the bottom.
RING AROUND THE COLLAR
Ring around the collar
is caused by oil, dirt and grime that gathers around the neck. Shampoo is made to remove body oils and will work on an item
that is made from those same body oils. Apply your regular shampoo to the neck area of the garment, gently scrub, then launder
as usual.
ROACHES
To get rid of roaches, place Bay leaves all around in your cuboards and
floor's! You won't see any the next day, or for years to come!!
If you are having a roach problem try this: Combine equal parts of boric
acid (can be found in hardware stores or drugstores in a powder) and sugar. Make sure you mix well. Put the powder in jar
lids and place them behind your fridge and under sinks.
**keep mixture away from your children and pets**
RUST
One of the main problems with cast iron pot and pans is that they rust
easily. To stop cast iron pans or skillets from rusting protect them by storing them with a paper coffee filter inside. The
coffee filter will absorb remaining moisture and help prevent the rust. Or if you stack smaller iron pots within larger ones,
leave wax paper between them. The wax paper leaves a thin coat of wax on the pan and prevents air from interacting with
the metal and any moisture.
RUST STAINS
If you have rust stains on your clothing, you can do one of two things...Apply undiluted lemon juice on the stain, then
sprinkle with salt and let sit for an hour. Launder as usual afterwards...OR...Apply undiluted lemon juice on the rust stain
and put the item out in the sun. The rust stain will go away for good.
<
|
