Household Hints

To help you keep this room and others all nice and clean! Some beauty tips, health tips, cooking tips and even some for the pets.

PEST

1) Flies or bees bothering you? Spray them with hairspray and they will take a quick dive.

2) To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief.

3) Mayonnaise will KILL LICE; it will also condition your hair.

4) Cleaning liquid that doubles as bug killer... If menacing bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets get in your home and you can't find the insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409. Insects drop to the ground instantly.

5) Bee stings - meat tenderizer.

6) Chigger bite - preparation H

7) Fleas in your carpet? 20 Mule Team Borax- sprinkle and let stand for 24 hours to kill them.

STAINS

1) Crayon marks on walls? This works wonderfully! A damp rag, dipped in baking soda. Comes off with little effort (elbow grease that is!).

2) Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt BLUE!) rubbing alcohol on paper towel will clean it off.

3) 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!

4) Coca-Cola cure for rust... Forget those expensive rust removers. Just saturate an abrasive sponge with Coca Cola and scrub the rust stain. The phosphoric acid in the coke is what gets the job done.

5) Pampers as an absorbent! Remove stains from the carpet with club soda, and a pamper to absorb. Wine stains, pour on the Morton salt and watch it absorb into the salt.

6) To remove wax - Take a paper towel and iron it over the wax stain, it will absorb into the towel.

7) Stains on clothes - Colgate

8) Grass stains - Karo Syrup

9 Grease Stains- Coca Cola, it will also remove grease stains from the driveway overnight. We know it will take corrosion from batteries!

10 Sweat Stains - Efferdent, or vinegar

CLEANING TIPS

1) 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. And now a box of S.O.S pads last me indefinitely! In fact, I have noticed that the scissors get sharpened this way!

2) 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.

3) To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and 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!

4) 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 stovetop.

5) Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.

6) 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.

7) 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.

8) 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).

9) 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, then run the hot water.

10) Kool aid to clean dishwasher pipes. Just put in the detergent section and run a cycle, it will also clean a toilet.

11) Peanut butter will remove ink from the face of dolls.

12) Stay-Free Maxi Pads- clean window, floors, just stick to the palm of your hands and work! Can also be used a knee pad.

13) Remove labels off glassware etc. rub with peanut butter!

14) Baked on food -fill container with water, get a bounce paper softener and the static from the bounce towel will cause baked on food to adhere to it. soak overnight. Also; you can use 2 Efferdent tablets, soak overnight!

15) Dirty grout - Listerine

16) Crayon on the wall - colgate toothpaste and brush it!

MISCELLANEOUS

1) Sealed envelope - Put in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed. (hmmmmmm...)

2) 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.

3) For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put Dawn dishwashing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won't refreeze. (wish I had known this for the last 40 years!)

4) Opening brand new jars can be a feat in itself. Well, I have found a way to make it the easiest thing to do. Instead of banging a jar of jam, pickles, etc., with a knife until it loosens up, I simply reach into the drawer and pull out the handy nutcracker. It adjusts to the size of the jar and I simply give it a good twist and off pops the lid!

5) Spray a bit of perfume on the lightbulb in any room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on. 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.

6) Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning.

FOOD - COOKING TIPS

1) When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake. (or you can sprinkle sugar in the pan and get a "crunchier" crust with no white mess!

2) Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.

3) When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.

4) Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

HEALTH

1) Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.

2) 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, then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily. Smart splinter remover... you can also pour a drop of Elmers Glue all over the splinter, let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter sticks to the dried glue.

3) Arthritis? WD-40 Spray and rub in, kills insect stings too.

4) Drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately -- without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional "pain relievers."

5) Did you know that Colgate toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns?

6) Before you head to the drugstore for a high-priced inhaler filled with mysterious chemicals, try chewing on a couple of curiously strong Altoids peppermints. They'll clear up your stuffed nose.

7) Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 Tablespoon of horseradish in a cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil, for instant relief for aching muscles.

8) Sore Throat? Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria.

9) Cure urinary tract infections with Alka-Seltzer. Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the symptoms. Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly -- even though the product was never been advertised for this use.

10) Listerine therapy for toenail fungus... Get rid of unsightly toenail fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.

11) Quaker Oats for fast pain relief.... It's not for breakfast anymore! Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.

12) Hunt's tomato paste boil cure... cover the boil with Hunt's tomato paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes soothe the pain and bring the boil to a head.

13) Balm for broken blisters... To disinfect a broken blister, dab on a few drops of Listerine... a powerful antiseptic.

14) Heinz vinegar to heal bruises... Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to the bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.

15) Paper cut - crazy glue or chap stick (glue is used instead of sutures at most hospitals)

16) Sunburn -empty a large jar of Nestea into your bath water

17) Minor burn-Colgate or Crest toothpaste.

18) Burn your tongue? put sugar on it!

19) Athletes feet - cornstarch

20) Fungus on toenails or fingernails - vapor rub.

FOR THE PETS

1) Rainy day cure for dog odor... Next time your dog comes in from the rain, simply wipe down the animal with Bounce or any dryer sheet, instantly making your dog smell springtime fresh.

2) Dawn dish washing liquid does the trick. Add a few drops to your dog's bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly. Rinse well to avoid skin irritations. Goodbye fleas.

3) Eliminate ear mites... All it takes is a few drops of Wesson corn oil in your cat's ear. Massage it in, then clean with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat's skin, smothers the mites, and accelerates healing.

4) Vaseline cure for hair balls..... To prevent troublesome hair balls, apply a dollop of Vaseline petroleum jelly to your cat's nose. The cat will lick off the jelly, lubricating any hair in its stomach so it can pass easily through the digestive system.

BEAUTY TIPS

1) Eliminate puffiness under your eyes..... All you need is a dab of preparation H, carefully rubbed into the skin, avoiding the eyes. The hemorrhoid ointment! acts as a vasoconstrictor, relieving the swelling instantly.

2) Honey remedy for skin blemishes... Cover the blemish with a dab of honey and place a band-aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin, sterile, and speeds healing. Works overnight.

3) Easy eyeglass protection... To prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of Maybelline Crystal Clear nail polish to the threads of the screws before tightening them.

4) Budweiser beer conditions the hair - really now, I think any beer serves the same purpose.

5) Pam cooking spray will dry finger nail polish.

6) Cool whip will condition your hair in 15 minutes.

7) Mayonnaise will KILL LICE , it will also condition your hair

8) Spike your hair- with Close-up tooth paste, it will also give it a tint.

9) Elmers Glue-paint on your face, allow it to dry, peel off to remove dead skin and any blackheads.

10) Shiny Hair-use brewed Lipton Tea

11) Heavy dandruff - pour on the vinegar!

12) To keep goggles and glasses from fogging, coat with Colgate toothpaste.

 

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Made with love August 1, 2005