Friday, June 15, 2007

Cool household tips

    A sealed envelope - Put in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed.
    (hmmmmmm...)
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    Use Empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. It keeps them neat  and  you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.
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    For icy door steps in freezing temperatures:
get warm water and put Dawn dish washing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won't
    refreeze.    (wish I had known this for the last 40 years!
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    To remove old wax from a glass candle holder, put it in the freezer for a few hours. Then take the candle holder out and turn it upside down. The
    wax  will  fall out.
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    Crayon marks on walls? This worked wonderfully! A damp rag, dipped in baking  soda. Comes off with little effort (elbow grease that is!).
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    Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt  BLUE!) rubbing alcohol on paper towel.
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    Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S. Pads, I immediately take a pair of scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw
    away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this would be  much  more economical. Now a box of S.O.S.  pads last me indefinitely!
    In fact, I  have noticed that the scissors get 'sharpened'' this way!
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    Blood stains on clothes?  Not to worry!  Just pour a little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood.   Works
    every time!  (Now, where to put the body?)    LOL
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    Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for  inside  windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks.
    Straight vinegar  will get outside windows really clean.  Don't wash windows on a sunny day.  They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.
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    Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the light  is turned on.
 
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    Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels
    and linen.
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    Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least  3  hours prior to burning.
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    To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag an d add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt
    and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm.
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    To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to
    a boil on stove top.
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    Spray your TUPPERWARE with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in  tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.
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    Wrap celery in aluminum foil
when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.
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    When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.
 
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    Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half, and rub it on your   forehead.   The throbbing will go away. 
(I prefer to soak the lime in Gin and rub it on my tongue first) 
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    Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for  future use  in casseroles and sauces .........  Left over wine? What's that? 
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    To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and  you will experience instant relief.
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    Ants, ants, ants everywhere ...
Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So, get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants
    tend to march. See for yourself.
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    Use air-freshener to clean mirrors.
It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.
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    When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, and
    then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.
 
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    Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer........

    Clean a toilet.
      Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush.  The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous China .

  

   Clean a vase.
   To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water and drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets.

   Polish jewelry.
   Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry  for two minutes.

    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).

     Unclog a drain.
      Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer tablets down the drain  followed by a cup of  Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes,
      and then run the hot water.

Thanks Joe P

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Used dryer sheets are also great for cleaning spotted bathroom fixtures and I've heard that you can kill ants with "blue" sugar - I think it's "Equal"?

Anonymous said...

is very very nice your site

Anonymous said...

I second the glass candle holder in the freezer trick; it works like magic, and I've had it work in less than 30 minutes. Even just a tiny amount of wax holding the wick disk will fall out in a little solid slice. After they come to room temp I wash them in a little soapy water and they're good to go. I don't recommend washing used candle holders in the dishwasher unless you want all your dishes to smell and taste of "fresh linen" or patchouli, LOL.

Re the S.O.S. pads: You can put them in a small lidded plastic container (like a margarine tub or yogurt cup) and store them in the freezer between uses. It keeps the pads from disintegrating/making a gooey mess and they last a lot longer.

BTW, the chalk line thing works with the ants, really! I think maybe they don't like the feel of chalk on their tiny feet??? My husband and kids thought I was nuts the 1st time I tried it but we were amazed at how well it works.

Re using baking soda to remove crayon marks, it works, but those Magic Eraser sponges are incredibly useful for removing everything from everywhere. Scuff marks, pen, crayon, kool-aid, spaghetti sauce...just a few of the things I've wiped right off my painted white kitchen walls. And they are wonderful for removing that sticky build-up on white appliances, refrigerators and stove, toasters, coffee pots, can openers, you name it.

Thanks for the great tips!

Anonymous said...

Silver cleaner:
Aluminum foil
3/4 cup of DRY Tide

Place foil in sink shiny side up, add dry Tide and warm water. Don't believe it? Just try it!

Anonymous said...

Those your tips are so wise and discovering! I would never think that Alka Zeltzer is good not just for my morning health but for cleaning as well. They say, Cola contains so active ingredients that may be used as solvent liquid. And there is a method to clean CDs with bananas. The world of human imagination is boundless indeed..

Jhames Stewart said...

I owe you for this, Jonco! My wife could use these tips, especially the one referring to cleaning glass candle holders. She used to remove leftover wax with a knife, and that often resulted in ugly marks on the glass. Oh, I can't wait to show this to her. It's gonna be the end of those wretched lines on our beautiful recycled glass containers!