Household Tips

Here’s a book recommendation for homemakers: Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Home: No-Nonsense Advice that Will Inspire You to CLEAN like the DICKENS for $13.59.

It contains several common sense tips that are usually ignored or forgotten. It also includes tips you may probably have not heard of yet. This book is a super-useful guide to keeping your home clean and efficient.

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Oh, hail the paper towel! I use this a lot in the kitchen. In fact, it’s one of the things I buy often at the grocery. Paper towels were a result of an error, according to this book on household tips I’m reading. They didn’t use to come in perforated form and was slightly bigger. But the error turned out to be a blessing as it is how we have our paper towels today.

Paper towels make excellent coffee filter, in case you run out of these. There’s no reason to panic if you can’t have your cup of coffee. As long as you have a paper towel, caffeine is still good to go!

For green thumbs who keep cast iron pots at home, stacked, put paper towels in between the pots so that you keep away the rust and chipping away of the texture.

If you’re a bacon-loving family, but hate the fat, dab the bacon strips on a paper towel first before serving this to your family. The paper towel will absorb all the fat and you’d also have crispier bacon strips to serve. I do the same for any other fried food like pork chops, luncheon meat and the likes.

Bread that has been kept inside the refrigerator will turn soggy once it is out of it. Keep them dry and fresh by putting a paper towel in the bag.

Keep vegetables fresh inside the vegetable bin by lining the sides and bottom with paper towel. It will also make cleaning up this bin easier.

Use paper towel to clean the can opener. Over time, its use get a little bit rusty and grungy. Scrub this with a toothbrush first, and then wipe it clean with paper towel. You’d have a sharper can opener after that.

Coffee is a great drink to perk up your day and keep you energized through out a grueling and stressful schedule. But do you know that coffee is also good for repairing and restoring things around the house?

• For wood furniture with small nicks, hide this away by mixing coffee and water (a few drops only, paste like consistency). With a soft cloth, dab this on the scratch of your table or chair or any wood in your house. Use beeswax or paste wax for long lasting effect.
• Are your brown and black cotton clothes losing their luster? When doing the laundry, add two cups of coffee to the water before rinsing. It will help the bland colors from getting to their right shade again.
• Coffee is a natural fertilizer. Sprinkle this in your garden as they are richer in nitrogen. However, this is not recommended for potted, indoor plants as it is too strong a fertilizer.
• Before you store those kitchen appliances, why not make sure you keep them fresh smelling even while they are kept in cabinets?  Use a pantyhose and put freshly ground coffee in it and then tie this inside the box. This will make sure your things are going to smell okay the next time you pull them out from storage.
• Coffee may be use as hair highlight, if you don’t like to use an actual hair dye.
• Coffee beans are fresh breatheners which can get rid of the garlicky and onion odor after eating that slice of pizza.
• Used coffee grounds can be reused as hand moisturizer.

We know that petroleum jelly is typically used for health and beauty purposes, such as softening up cracked lips or relieving a baby’s bum from diaper rush. But it can also be used in many other number of ways totally unrelated to health and beauty. Below are just some suggestions:

• Petroleum jelly is a little plumber’s helper. Rubbing this on the ring of a plunger before putting it back will allow it to become better sealed and stable.
• Car batteries should be free of any corrosion with the help of petroleum jelly. Sure, clean the batteries with this once in a while to maintain your batteries’ quality in shape.
• Water marks on wood furniture are sometimes hard to remove. But not with petroleum jelly. Let this sit overnight and the next morning, when you have wiped the furniture clean, you’ll see that the marks are also gone.
• Rings stuck in one’s finger are easier to pull with petroleum jelly and not with sopa and water.
• Keep your china plates all shiny and looking brand new by rubbing and polishing this with PJ and soft cloth.
• Before the baby takes a bath, rub a little petroleum jelly around her eyes. This should keep shampoo from lathering towards it, irritating her.
• Use the same jelly to keep leather shoes spunky and shiny.
• Doors that are irritatingly squeaky should be taken off the hinges. Coat PJ on it, put it back, and you’ll see that there is no more sound to drive you crazy.
• Dog’s feet can also benefit from petroleum jelly, it’s just not for humans! Dogs have cracked and dried feet, if you notice. Soften and heal this up with it.

I’ve a growing number of nail polish collection that is slowly becoming clutter in my room. I hardly used some of it for my nails, so I’m gonna use them for something else. Here are a few tips as to where you can apply nail polish —-

• Tighten knobs — are you drawer knobs turning loose no matter how you screw it back? Coat the screws with nail polish first before you try to put them back in. It will make it stick very well, you won’t have to worry about loose screws anymore.
• Nick fix — if you have varnished wood floors that is prone to scratches and nicks, a clear nail polish will help hide away those and it will not be noticeable. It’s the same thing for chipped pieces. Except don’t use nail polish on precious antique items as you will ruin it rather than fix it.
• Fancy jewelry shine — this is a tip I got from my mother very early on. Fancy jewelry or costume jewelry can grow dull and discolor easily. If you’d like for these to keep their shine and luster for a longer time, brush clear nail polish first before you wear it.
• Button safe — to keep buttons from falling off blouses and shirts, dab a little nail polish on top of it, particularly on the thread area. It will keep if from unravelling.
• X-ing poison — use red nail polish to put an X on household items you don’t want kids to mess with, such as disinfectant (poisonous). Kids should know early on, these are products that should not be played with.
• Lace repair — nail polish is a quick fix for laces with a slight tear or run in them as it helps in stopping the run.

Here are some practical pest control tips you can do with basic items found around the house….

MICE/RATS

• Don’t have a cat in the house but have friends who do? Ask used kitty litters from them and place this in small containers around the house. It should help ward off pesky rats thinking there’s a predator out there.
• Cover up any opening (such as doors, garage doors or windows) with steel wood pads. Rats will have a hard time gnawing on these.
• Cayenne Pepper turns of mice and rats. Sprinkle this in areas you think they pass by or enter.
• Peppermint extract also turns off these pests.

MOSQUITOES and TICKS

• Don’t have a mosquito repellant? Use alcohol instead. It cools down your skin and does will deter mosquitoes from having to bite you.
• Ticks are turned off by Vicks Vaporub or any similar mentholated cream.
• A mixture of pure vanilla and water makes an effective tick repellant. Use this with candle incense.
• Lavender also turns off mosquitoes and ticks.
• Basil also has the same effect.

ANTS

• Ants do not like cinnamon. Sprinkle some of this in areas where you think they come from.
• Ants are also turned of by catnip. You can sprinkle the same in areas that they usually crawl into.
• Use this home mixture to clean the surface they pass —- liquid dish soap, with a third cup of water and a third cup of vinegar.

Pests attack the house when it’s generally messy and unkept. Make sure to keep every room clean, airy and fresh. Get rid of the mess and the dirt right away and do not wait for this to pile up and attract these pests.

I enjoy drinking soda, as much as I know it’s bad for the health. But do you know there are several other ways to enjoy soda without having to drink them? Here are a few tips….

• Soda keeps flowers fresh. Cut an inch of it at the end of the stem. Put this in the vase with the desired amount of water. Add a little regular 7-Up or Sprite. When you change the water everyday, you add a little of the soda too. It will keep the buds perky for as long as possible. You can also do this with green plants. Treat them with soda once in a while.
• Carbonated soda’s help clean car battery terminals better. You try this….pour this on your car battery and watch as it fizzles away the dust and dirt. If you can do this on car batteries, you can also do this in other areas were rust is present.
• Carpet cleaning? Use club soda to remove problem spots and clean them. The soda helps loosen the dirt so you can blot cloth or towels onto it easily. Unlike soap, it doesn’t leave any residue (which really makes the carpet a lot dirtier!).
• Fluffier pancakes? Make use of soda as a secret ingredient. Replace part of the water with this.
• Pour soda in toilet bowls, let it soak for an hour and then scrub like normal….watch how it sparkles and shines.
• Add a tad of club soda to your bitter coffee, the one that’s been sitting too long, and enjoy a fresh cup instantly!

Cover lids of your dinner contributions to a church or social group with rubber bands while you transport them. This way, you keep the food secure and clean. You only need to open them when the party or eating starts.

If you have babies in the house, or unexpected guests with babies arriving and if you still haven’t got the time to child proof the house then secure cabinets with extra large rubber bands to keep them from hurting themselves. Babies can get through anywhere they can reach, it’s better to be safe even when they are just temporary guests at your place.

Rubber bands may help improve your child’s grip onto a water glass. Slip a wide rubber band onto the glass, it will help the child learn to hold the glass properly and will keep it from slipping or spilling.

Slippery cutting boards may be kept in place if you wrap a couple of rubber bands diagonally as you hack away the vegetables and meat.

Hair spray has plenty of other uses other than just a styling product. Below are some ideas for you:

• No bug spray in sight? Spray pesky bugs using hair spray. This will make their wings sticky and stuff making them immobile. Once they drop on the floor, you can then swat the pesky buggers or sweep them off the floor.
• Hair sprays are good agents for preserving flower arrangements. Spritzing this will keep them looking fresh longer.
• If you have ink stains on clothes, spray the area with it then blot….and then wash the clothes like usual.
• Keep ruffles on curtains from drooping by spraying on it.
• Spray your child’s precious artwork with a few spritz to keep the colors alive and brighter before hanging them on the wall.
• Having a hard time slipping thread through a needlepoint? Spray the end of the thread with a bit if hair spray, let it dry and watch as it stiffens. It will be easier to slip this in the needle afterwards.
• If your pants’ zippers keep on sneaking down, leaving your fly open (embarrassing!) spray on this product so that it will hold. Make sure that your hair spray has the lacquer ingredient.
• Hair sprays are great for repairing panty hoses that has caught a snag, especially if you have no nail polish handy. The hair spray will stop the running.
• White leather shoes sparkle and shine easily with a few spritz of hair spray. It will also keep dirt at bay as the hair spray will work to seal it.

Author Bruce Littlefield offers some practical Valentine tips when sending out greeting cards to loved ones on this occasion. He suggests using store bought cards, which is fine and easy to do. But then, you can add some more to it and personalize it to make it more meaningful to the one who is going to receive it.

Here’s a video of his handy tips:

I love to use fabric softeners as the scent really helps pick up an otherwise bad day. But do you know you can also make use of fabric softeners in other areas outside of doing laundry?

• The television screen is a dust trap that no matter how many times you wipe it, it stills gather more everyday. Because the screen has static electricity, dusting isn’t easy. Wipe off a few drops of fabric softener on it at least once every week and you will see that you won’t have to do the dusting of the TV set every so often.
• Hair gets static, too. When that happens, you get uncontrollable hair that flips and isn’t easily tamed. Smoothen it out with a fabric softener sheet and your hair will stay in place, afterwards.
• Use the same for Venetian blinds, which also tends to get quite static.
• Add a cup of fabric softener to a pail of water and use this to mop the floor. Not only will your house smell really nice, you will have shiny floors, too!
• Keep a pack of fabric softener inside your luggage or bag when you don’t plan on using them, that way, they smell nice and fresh when you are ready to take that trip. In the same way, keep fabric softeners in sleeping bags.
• You can also place fabric softeners in laundry bags or hampers so as to cover up the pile of stink that comes with clothes scheduled for washing.
• Mosquitos for some reason are repelled by fabric softener. Rub off a softener sheet on your skin, when you are outside or spending time in the backyard, to keep the skeetos from biting.

Do you know you can use ice cubes to remove gum on clothing? Rub this on it a couple of times, till the gum is hardened, then just scrape it off with a spoon or any other utensils.

Do you know you can fluff up creases and dents in carpets with ice cubes? When a carpet is pinned down by heavy furniture, rub some ice cubes ont he spot or better yet, let it melt away. When it is a bit moist to dry, pick it with your fingers or toothpick. It will go back to its normal form in no time.

Do you know that you can keep the keep your pet’s water bowl fresh with ice cubes? This is useful especially in the hot summer months.

Do you know that ice cubes help remove splinter with less pain? Rub on the injured finger gently and feel it getting numb. Once that happens, then pick the splinter away! You will still feel something but it won’t hurt anymore.

Do you know you can make leftover rice more fresh with ice cubes? Put a couple on top, slide the rice in the microwave. The ice cubes will keep it moist.

Do you know ice cubes are useful when you do indoor gardening? Instead of pouring water on your houseplants, which can get messy, put ice cubes instead. It will slowly melt away but at least, there is no mess. If you have plants hanged in higher places indoors, drop a few ice cubes to it, too.

Do you know ice cubes can help your diet? Drop some on your soup. If it has too much oil, the ice cubes will heal congeal it and then you can scoop the fat out later as you enjoy your food.

Aside from giving you minty fresh breath and a sparkling smile, what other uses do toothpastes have? I enumerate these below:

• Make metals shiny suing toothpaste when you’ve got no polish around the house. Use this for cleaning silverware or jewelry along with a good soft brush.
• Clean out glass stains and scratches with toothpaste. Use the non-gel kind as it contains a mild abrasive. Use this on windows and any other type of glass ware.
• Clear up acne with a toothpaste, especially the ones that have already flared up. It will help acne dry faster.
• Make the white on your piano keys sparkle in white if these are already turning yellow. Use as little as possible though. Don’t let paste get stuck in between the keys.
• White leather gets a fresh look when cleaned with a non-gel type of toothpaste. Use this with white leather shoes, for instance.
• Temporarily hang art on the wall, without putting holes in it, with a dab of toothpaste. It’s easier to remove this later because there are no marks and you would just have to wipe the wall to clean it.
• CD scratches and smudges are easily removed with a non-gel toothpaste.

The transparent tape… one of the most important things I keep around in the house, mainly because I pack and ship stuff all the time and would need this to seal the goodies. But do you know there are several other uses for the transparent tape? Below are just some of it:

• Cutting Bangs - this is most useful when it comes to children, who can’t stay still when you’re trying to trim part of their bangs. Simply wet the area and then tape down the bangs. Cut it just right above the tape, using the edge as the guide. Doing it this way eliminates uneven cutting.
• Repair Curtains in the Shower - With torn shower curtains that you don’t wanna throw away yet, cover this with scotch tape to prevent the hole from getting bigger.
• Hemming Jeans - If you don’t like to use push pins like I do…because I’m too clumsy and will most likely pierce myself, use transparent tape instead of it to hold the hem in place. Fold the jeans to the length you desire, then tape it down.
• Keep Cats Off - Cats apparently do not like the feel of sticky tape and if you have one of them on the kitchen counter all the time, put a few strips of tape on the counter to discourage them from climbing up atop it.
• Keep Off Labels - Irritated by the label on the back of your shirt? Instead of cutting it out, let it lie flat by putting a tape on it.
• Bird Feeder - Set down strips of tape inside out by your window sill. Sprinkle this with bird seed and watch bird flock to it. In no time, this will become their favorite spot.

Some men have a panty hose (nylon stockings) obsession. Women’s obsession have to do with need, such as… we need to wear them for support; we need to wear them to hide our ugly-leg days; we need to wear them for work (if you have a corporate career). But other than these, nylon stockings have several other uses, particularly the stockings that are no longer wearable.

Here are just some:

PACKING TIGHT. Going on a business trip? A leisure tour? They say that the most efficient way to pack is to roll up clothes instead of folding them. But aside from that, slide these rolled up clothes into precut stockings. This will keep it from unrolling. You’ll have your clothes pack neatly all throughout the trip.

GARDENING. I often see this in my grandma’s garden. She uses stockings to tie up young, tender plants in trellises to keep it from damaging itself as it grows. My grandmother also uses stockings as “teabags” for manure her plants feed on.

HOLDER, STUFFER. Use pantyhose to stuff craft projects. Or even mothballs (tie this in the closet rod). Or keep gift wrapping paper in crisp condition, if you have several rolls most especially.You can also stash onions in stockings to keep it fresh, cool and dry.

TUG TOYS FOR PETS. Tie or braid ruined panty hoses together and make your dog a his very own tug toy.

HAIR NET. When working outdoors during one windy day, tame your hair with home-made hair net from stockings. It doesn’t look so silly as it sounds.