HOUSEHOLD HINTS & TIPS
Acrylic Paint
For removing acrylic paint off clothes, hairspray works extremely well. Test a small spot on the item and then spray on hairspray and use your
fingernail to remove the paint. Occasionally you have to wash twice.
Ants-Get Rid of...
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it "home," & can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, esp. if it
rains, but it works & you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!
Baby Hiccups
For baby hiccups, wet your finger and dip it in sugar and let baby eat the sugar off your finger. Usually works.
Baby Wipes
I always have a box of in my home.
They are great for quick pick ups,
wipe the dog, door handles and so much more. Baby wipes are also great for getting fresh spills off carpets before they have time to set.
Baby Powder
Keep a small bottle of baby powder in your beach bag. When your ready to leave the beach sprinkle yourself and kids with the powder and the
sand will slide right off your skin.
Bathroom Mirror Trick
You can prevent that annoying fog that builds up on the bathroom mirror when showering by applying aftershave to the mirror's surface.
Spray a small glop in the middle and then spread it over the surface with a cloth, then you wipe the surface clean. You have a mirror that is fog
resistant for at least three weeks! After you clean your bathroom mirror, use Pledge on it.
Berries
Blot the stain and dip it in cold water. Rub the spot with a cut lemon, rinse, and air dry.
Use pre-wash stain remover and then launder with warm water.
Pouring boiling hot water on a berry stain will get stains right out on any color clothes, even white.
Stretch the stained area sightly over a pot in the sink. Then pour boiling water through the stain from a height of 1 to 2 feet. Be very careful not
to splash yourself with the super hot water though!!
Bee Stings
For bee or hornet stings, remove the stinger, take an onion and cut it in half. Kinda get the juices to come out a little bit and then gently rub
the affected area while pressing the onion onto the wound. In less than 5 minutes, the red and swelling and pain will be gone.
Smooth on a thin layer of unseasoned meat tenderizer to neutralize the venom.
Also, a baking soda and water paste works but will need to be applied several times.
Bird Droppings
Allow to dry before scraping off excess. Sponge with a weak vinegar and water solution.
Blemishes
Dab with lemon juice a few times a day. Or dab some white toothpaste on it.
Saturate a tea bag in warm water and press on affected area for 5 minutes then rinse.
Another good one is to use a cotton swab to dab on some Milk of magnesia. Let it dry and then rinse.
Tip; Get the red out of blemishes by dotting on a drop of Visine!
Blood Stains
Spray the area with Windex and rub a little. Then just throw it in the wash.
For removing blood use table salt. Sprinkle liberally on stain, rub in and then wash as usual. Can be used on dried blood, just dampen with
water and then use the salt.
Hydrogen peroxide will remove blood better than bleach. Saturate in peroxide, leave on over night and rinse.
It can erode the fabric just as much as chlorine bleach. Not take out the color but weaken the material, even Denim.
Oxi-Clean in a sink full of hot water left overnight will remove stains that are even several days old, or soaked through very thick material such
as denim.
Bounce sheets
My mail carrier told me that the US Postal service sent out a message to all letter carriers to put a sheet of Bounce in their uniform pockets to
keep yellow-jackets away.
Use them all the time when playing baseball and soccer. I use it when I am working outside. It really works. The insects just veer around you.
All this time you've just been putting Bounce in the dryer!
1. It will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them. It also repels mice.
2. Spread sheets around foundation areas, or in trailers, or cars that are sitting and it keeps mice from entering your vehicle.
3. It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don't get opened too often.
4. It repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season.
5. Eliminate static electricity from your television (or computer) screen.
6. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling.
7. Dissolve soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a sheet of Bounce.
8. To freshen the air in your home - Place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang in the closet.
9. Put Bounce sheet in vacuum cleaner.
10. Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a sheet of Bounce before beginning to sew.
11. Prevent musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing.
12. To freshen the air in your car - Place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat.
13. Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in a pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The anti-static agent
apparently weakens the bond between the food and the pan.
14. Eliminate odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket.
15. Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the lose hairs.
16. Eliminate static electricity from Venetian blinds. Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling.
17. Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. A used sheet of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.
18. Eliminate odors in dirty laundry. Place an individual sheet of Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.
19. Deodorize shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight.
20. Golfers put a Bounce sheet in their back pocket to keep the bees away.
21. Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before folding and storing them. It will keep them smelling fresh.
22. Place a sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
Broken Glass
Use a dry cotton ball to pick up little broken glass pieces of glass- the fibers catch ones you can't see!
Bruises
Apply the inside of a ripe banana peel to the bruise. It is best if you bandage the banana peel to the bruise overnight.
Bubble Gum
Use an ice cube. Once frozen gently scrape off the frozen gum with a butter knife and blot with dry-cleaning solvent. Or try loosening the gum
by soaking in white vinegar.
Use peanut-butter to take gum out of the carpet. Just put a spoon of peanut-butter on the gum. Use the spoon to mix it into the gum and then
let it sit for just a couple minutes. Then rub with the spoon to loosen it. Take a wet rag and wipe it up in sort of a picking motion. Next take a rag
and wash the spot.
Soak with WD-40 and rub with a cloth. This may take a couple of applications depending on how much gum. The WD-40 breaks down the gum
somehow.
Lighter fluid would work to dissolve it.
Burn holes
Remove some carpet fibers from a hidden spot. Like in the corner of a closet. Or remove some fuzz by shaving or pulling out with a tweezer.
Roll into the shape of the burn. Apply a good super glue to the burnt spot of the rug and press the fuzz or fibers that you tweezed down into
spot. Cover with a piece of paper and place a heavy book on top. Let dry for a few hours.
Butter, Cooking Oil
Blot the spot and rub on some cornmeal. Brush off the cornmeal and then apply pre-wash stain remover, rinse. Wash in hot water. Make sure
that the label allows for hot water!
Shampoo, just rub the shampoo on the spot with a soft brush. Let sit for a few minutes and then wash in hot or warm water.
To remove a butter drip from a cotton/poly pullover. Rub degreaser/hand cleaner into the sweater while damp, leave for a couple of hours,
then launder as usual.
For removal of greasy food stains, sprinkle flour over the spot and let sit for a while. When you shake off the flour the spot will be gone.
Launder as usual.
For an old butter or oil stain, regenerate the stain first with WD-40, then rub in some undiluted dish detergent. Wash as usual.
Cascade dishwasher detergent removes most food and grease stains.
Also great for washing any curtains if you have a smoker in the house. It really gets out the smoke & nicotine.
It contains a bleaching agent and should be rinsed off very quickly. It is best to use Cascade on whites, that way you are safe!
Candle Wax
Wet a white clean cloth, squeeze out the water till the cloth is damp and place over the wax. Place a hot iron over the cloth. The steam will
reach into the bottom of the carpet and melt then suck the hot wax into the cloth! Repeat if necessary.
How to Remove from Wood
Soften the wax with a hair dryer. Remove wax with a paper towel and wash with a solution of vinegar and water.
Carpet Cleanup
For carpet cleanups, try mixing a cup of white vinegar, one quart of water and clear laundry detergent. Shake when needed and sponge the
foam on the carpet. Blot dry.
Liquid tide laundry detergent does a great job on carpet.
Windex removes most all stains from carpet, be sure to rinse well though
WARNING: Windex contains ammonia. This could again potentially cause bleaching in some carpets. Don't forget to test any carpet cleaning
solution on a hidden part of your carpet before you begin!
For fresh stains, use plain club soda. It is an instant spot remover . Pour a bit right on the spot and let it set for a few seconds. Then blot with a
sponge.
Mix together two tablespoons of detergent, three tablespoons of vinegar and one quart of warm water. Work into the stain and blot dry.
To get mud out of the carpet, use shaving cream. Let it sit for a couple minutes, then blot it up. Make sure you use the white foamy shave
cream.
To remove the dents that heavy furniture make in your carpets, place an ice cube in each one and just let it melt, it raises the pile back up.
Then vacuum.
Sprinkle a generous amount of cornstarch on your carpet and let it sit for an hour or so. Then vacuum.
Use any brand of Laundry Detergent powder on your carpet instead of or in place of your Carpet freshener such as carpet fresh brand or
others. This secret also cleans your carpet and adds a wonderful scent that is long lasting. Use sparingly though, as it tends to clog the vacuum
if you use too much. Don't use laundry detergent with bleach however it could fade the colors or damage.
I often add a fabric sheet to my vaccum...fresh scent.
Carpet Shocks
To stop the static shock in rooms with wall to wall carpeting, fill a spray bottle with a mixture of one part liquid fabric softener and five parts
water, then lightly mist the carpet.
Chocolate
Blot or scrape off the excess chocolate, then flush with club soda.
For a tough stain: Sponge with liquid hand soap and ammonia; launder as usual.
Coffee & Tea
To remove tea, coffee or red wine stains from your carpet, pour soda water over the stain then blot dry, repeat until stain has gone. Soak in
cool water, then dab the stain with a liquid detergent like dove. Flush with cool water and let air dry.
Coffee Pot Stains
To clean a burnt coffee pot is to put baking soda in the pot and put the pot back on the burner until the burnt coffee dissolves , then rinse with
hot water.
Vinegar and hot water and let it soak, be sure to rinse well.
Counter Top Stains
To remove counter-top stains liquid dishwasher soap. Very little rubbing is necessary even with older kool-aid stains. This also works to clean
off your dry-erase board if you used a permanent marker. Just put some on a towel and rub the stains off.
Simple Green and Mr. Clean dry erasers.
Cast Iron Pans
.If you have cast iron pans, or a wood stove that has collected "gunk" from being used over and over, remove the crusting with a paste made of
cream of tartar and vinegar.
Chrome Fixtures
Use new or used fabric softener sheets to shine the chrome-plated fixtures in your bathroom and kitchen. Don't toss your lemons after
squeezing the juice! Rub the pulp on your faucet and wipe with a cloth for shiny chrome. Then put them through your garbage disposal to
sweeten your drain.
To easily wipe away soap scum and other stuff from your chrome fixtures and even look alike chrome, simply poor a small amount of rubbing
alcohol onto a cleaning cloth or paper-towel and wipe it away, you don't even have to apply any pressure. Alcohol will kill the germs and it is
streak free.
Cigarette Burns On Wood
Vinegar and baking soda, just a little to make a paste. Use a pencil eraser to gently "erase" the burn mark.
Clean A Vase
To remove those tough stains from the bottom of a glass vase, just fill with water and add two Alka Seltzer tablets!
Clothes Dryers
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something
and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He told us
that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material ... I'm
sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well ...the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that
dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that's what burns out the heating unit.
You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free... that nice fragrance too. You
know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box ..well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also
what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to
keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six
months.
He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!!
Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that.
Note: I went to my dryer and tested my screen by running water on it. The water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the
mesh screen. I washed it with warm soapy water and a nylon brush and I had it done in 30 seconds. Then when I rinsed it... the water ran right
thru the screen! There wasn't any puddling at all!
Common Cold
Drink sassafras tea to shorten the length of your cold.
The number one grandma cure is chicken soup. (add some garlic cloves!)
An Arabian cure is to eat pomegranates.
The Russians recommend drinking an ice-cold glass of vodka with two teaspoons of black pepper!
Garlic contains a natural antibiotic. Chop up one large clove of garlic, and mix it on a spoon with honey. Swallow it down with a few gulps of
water. Don't chew! If you normally have a low fiber diet, though, it can cause diarrhea, but cleaning out your system is a benefit!
My favorite old time remedy for the common cold: Supplies needed for cure; a four poster bed, a bottle of whiskey and one hat. The cure; Hang
your hat on the bedpost at the foot of your bed. Get into the bed and drink whiskey until you see two hats!
Water is beneficial to those with a cold, and warm liquids and soups can add some much-needed nutrition. You probably don't have much of an
appetite so try some natural hot tea or chocolate, which will help hydrate your body, sooth your throat, and ease sinus congestion. Chicken
soup and broth is not a myth, it really can alleviate some symptoms the accompany the common cold.
A cold usually lasts 7-10 days, with symptoms ranging from runny nose, stuffy nose, headache, sneezing, sore throat, cough, cold sores, back
pain and fever. If misery loves company, you've got plenty if you have a cold.
Most colds occur in the Fall and Winter seasons when everyone spends the most of their time indoors -- but you can catch a cold anytime of
the year. Unfortunately there is no cure for the common cold, but there are several home remedies to reduce the miserable symptoms that go
along with it.
There are many OTC cold and allergy remedies you can use at home without a prescription. Some will target specific symptoms, others offer
multi-symptom protection. If you don't have the luxury of bed rest, choose a non-drowsy formula so it doesn't interfere with driving and your
ability to function.
As soon as your throat becomes scratchy and sore, suck on zinc lozenges to relieve symptoms. For a stuffy nose and sinuses, try a Vicks
Inhaler nasal decongestant to help you breath better. Don't overuse any over-the-counter remedies, particularly decongestants because you
could end up with worse congestion. Call a doctor if your symptoms persist or fever spikes. Severe colds can be hard to get rid of and can
cause secondary illnesses such as sinus infection, bronchitis and pneumonia.
Get Plenty of Rest
Stress can often compromise your immune system and increase your chances of catching a cold. Once you get it, the best way to combat the
illness is decrease your obligations and pamper yourself with some good, old-fashioned rest. Try to stay home and commit yourself to a good
book or TV, and sleep whenever possible.
Take Vitamins
If you don't take vitamins regularly, now is a good time to start. Your body needs vitamins to combat the cold virus. Multi-vitamins that include
vitamin C are a good regimen for prevention and recovering from a cold. Just remember to follow the recommended dosage and stick with it for
other benefits as well.
Use a Vaporizer
Air gets dry from artificial heating sources so use a vaporizer to add some humidity to the air. This will help loosen thick mucus and alleviate the
symptoms that go along with it. Your skin needs moisture too and you'll see benefits from this especially if you're too miserable to carry out
your usual skin care regimen.
Warm Washcloth
If you're dealing with a nagging headache in the front of your forehead, try putting a clean, warm washcloth on your forehead and eyes. This
can give some relief to the stuffiness that goes along with a cold, itchy eyes that accompany allergies, and the throbbing headache. It also is a
good relaxation technique to reduce tension.
Take a Warm Bath or Shower
Usually we feel better after a warm bath or shower when we aren't ill. The same goes for when we have a cold, but there are some added
benefits. A warm bath can help you relax and the steam will relieve some sinus and chest congestion.
Gargle with Salt Water
The minute you feel a sore throat coming on, take the opportunity to gargle with table salt added to warm water. It will soothe your throat and
can possibly prevent a full-fledged sore throat. Just add the salt to a cup of warm water and gargle.
Keep the cup full in the kitchen and gargle whenever possible. You can heat the water again by putting it in the microwave for a few seconds.
Be careful that you don't overheat the water and burn your throat. Use a spoon to stir the salt water and check the temperature before use.
Cold Sores
Lyisine! Take 500 mgs a day. Another sure fire remedy is to paint the area with clear nail polish!
Applying Vit. E three times a day will help with pain and quick healing.
Or for quick healing open with a sterilized needle and add rubbing alcohol with a q-tip, burns a lil but does the trick.
Cough Syrup
Mix about four ounces of honey or clover honey, four tablespoons of lemon juice, and a shot of Whiskey. Shake it up really well and take it by
the tablespoon, not directly out of the bottle.
Cramps
That Time of the Month Cramps; Drink a cup of yarrow tea. (available at any health food store) Before you're finished drinking your tea, your
cramps will be gone.
Drink pickle juice to get rid of those cramps.
Crayon
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda plus your usual amount of detergent and the hottest water setting possible on your machine. This also works with
lipstick stains.
Cuts and Wounds
For a minor cut, rinse with water then dress it with any of these remedies to stop the bleeding: goldenseal powder, papaya pulp, moist tea leafs,
wet pouch tobacco, or aloe vera plant leaf gel.
Diaper Rash
Pour some flour in a cast iron skillet and brown it until almost burnt. Let cool completely and apply to baby's bottom and diaper rash should
disappear in a couple days.
Or you can make a paste of cornstarch and water and apply at every diaper change, this helps alot too.
Put some olive oil in the bottom of a teacup, a Tablespoon should be enough. Add about 5 drops of water and beat the mixture with a spoon.
When it gets creamy apply it to your baby's bottom.
Use the gel of the aloe vera plant and the diaper rash can be cured overnight.
Drain Clogged
Just drop a couple denture cleaning tablets down the kitchen drain, along with a cup of hot water.
If your drain is clogged with grease, pour one cup of salt and one cup of baking soda into the drain followed by a kettle of boiling water.
Pour one half to one cup of baking soda into the drain, follow with one cup or more of vinegar.
Dusting
Take a fabric softener sheet that has been used in your laundry and after cleaning your TV, rub it all around the area that you don't want to
dust anymore. Instead of attracting dust, your TV repels it.
Earache
To sooth an earache quickly, just use a hair dryer (on the low setting) and let the warm air soothe that ache.
Just drip a few drops of peroxide into your ear. Then tip your head and let the peroxide drain out.
Eczema
Use Noxema instead of lotions. Remember to use the original Noxema, not the new and improved stuff!
Crisco 2-3 times a day. Suave Intensive Healing (cheapest & most commonly found at your neighborhood Wal-Mart)
Erase That Mess
Mr. Clean Erasers. They are absolutely miraculous!! They have removed everything I have thrown at them, from scuffs and crayons on walls to
counter stains. I don't know what I ever did without them!
False Teeth
To get stains off of false teeth, brush them in Ivory dish washing liquid and rinse well. After several times of doing this they will become brighter.
Fire Place
Do not burn colored newspaper or magazines in your fireplace! They contain lead and when burned will emit dangerous levels of the lead. This
can be extremely harmful especially to children!
Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1/2" with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dishwashing liquid, mix well. You will find those
flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!
Garbage Disposal
Put a few Citris peels (preferably lemon) in the disposal and grind them up. It leaves a nice lemony scent.
If you have a stuck disposal, first check to make sure that you haven't dropped something in by mistake that's jamming the blades. Next grind
up a few ice cubes. Sometimes grease will accumulate and prevent the disposal from operating at full potential. The grease will stick to the ice
and scrub out residue.
Use frozen lemons or limes. Take one or two lemons or limes out of the freezer and put in some warm water in the sink so they are slightly
thawed. Then cut them into 4 pieces and drop one at a time into running disposal.
Glass Shower Doors
To get your shower door clean, shiny, and streak-free rub with a damp sponge soaked in white vinegar.
Glass Door Tracks
Clean the door tracks with furniture polish instead of a cleaner. It gets the tracks clean and the polish acts as a lubricant.
Grout, Silicone Sealer, Mold and Mildew Remover
use hydrogen peroxide to get rid of the hard to remove mildew that collects in the grouting around the bathroom faucets. Pour it on directly and
it instantly softens the dirt so you can remove it with just one wipe! It will also whiten the grout.
If the white grout between the ceramic tile looks nasty, just clean it with a household cleaner let dry and then go over it with white shoe polish.
The kind that contains wax. Remove any polish on the tile with a damp cloth.
Grass
Pre-treat grass stains on washable fabrics by sponging them first with warm water then dabbing the soiled area with un-diluted rubbing alcohol.
Then launder item as usual.
Combine a few drops of household ammonia with 1 tsp. of peroxide. Rub on the stain and rinse with water as soon as stain disappears.
Grass stains are removed easily with white vinegar.
Felsnapth Soap is great for grass stain removal, especially on baseball and football pants. Just wet the bar of soap, rub on the stain and wash
as usual.
Grease Stains
Paint thinner or mineral spirits will get any grease stain out of carpet, etc., even if it's been washed.
Get it out by dipping a tooth brush in Pine-Sol and scrubbing.
Hardwood Floors
When cleaning my hardwood floors, rather than deal with the mess of a mop bucket, I fill a spray bottle with one part vinegar to three parts
water. Spritz the floor and use a sponge mop to clean. The mop doesn't get soggy, but the floors still get clean. Polish floor when finished if you
like.
Headaches
Take two aspirin and rest.
Another good cure is to mix two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with two teaspoons of honey in a glass of water, drink it slowly, and get
results within a half-hour.
Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead! The throbbing will go away!
Eat ten to twelve almonds. The almonds are equal to taking two aspirins but will not irritate your stomach.
Head Lice
Mix a 50:50 solution of mineral oil, such as baby oil, and vinegar. Massage it into the hair and cover for 1 hour with a shower cap then wash with
ordinary shampoo. The vinegar detaches the nits or eggs, from the hair shaft and the oil suffocates any live lice and allows easy and smooth
combing out of deceased lice.
A preventative measure is 10 drops of tea tree-oil to a new bottle of shampoo. This is so much nicer for kids than the horrible smelling
shampoos/creams that they sell over the counter.
Try Denorex Extra Strength dandruff shampoo. The Denorex can be used daily and does not have to be left on like lice shampoos. Be sure to
use the extra strength though.
Shaving cream kills all forms of lice very fast. I think the combination of chemicals they use today in shaving creams is a deadly mix for these
evil critters. A thick coating of shaving cream left on location for 10-15 minutes (rubbed in well) will kill adults and eggs.
Use mayonnaise on the hair for roughly 3 hours.
Hangover
Before you go bed take two spoonfuls of honey.
Before you go to sleep rub cut lemons under your arms... sound's nuts, but it works! When you wake up drink lots of fruit juice or water.
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milk shake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and,
with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Another great tip is to eat watermelon!
Take any kind of aspirin after alcohol consumption. The reason being is that when you mix the two, your liver releases bad toxins and in long
term it will lead to liver damage. Plus it will irritate your stomach.
Ice Pack
Fill a quart-size zip-lock freezer bag with one cup of rubbing alcohol and two cups of water. Add a few drops of blue food coloring if you like and
store in the freezer. The mixture won't freeze solid. Easy to shape around sore elbows or knees!
Ink Stains
First, put a paper towel or a rag under the stained area to absorb the excess ink. Spray on a non-oily, alcohol based hair spray. Saturate the
ink stain with the hairspray. Blot with a rag and repeat until the stain is gone.
Try milk! Yes, put the piece of cloth into a cup with milk and you'll see it vanishing... Then wash or dry clean as usual.
Rub with salt and wash with bath soap.
Use simple rubbing alcohol to remove ink stains. Take some alcohol on a rag, dab on the ink then wipe with a soft rag or paper towel. This isn't
sticky like hairspray.
Indigestion & Heartburn
Teaspoon of Mustard
Ingrown Toenail
Before you go to bed, put a small wedge of lemon on the toenail, securing it with a band-aid. When you wake up, the nail should be soft
enough to ease it away from the skin so that you can trim it. Always cut the nail straight across and not any shorter than the toe.
Insomnia
Chop a yellow onion and put it in a jar with a lid. Place on your night table. When insomnia hits....open the jar and take a few good whiffs. Lie
back and think lovely thoughts. Open your mouth and try to yawn. Bring on a yawn... another....another...keep going...chances are you'll be
asleep in no time.
Or, have a cup of relaxing herbal tea. Chamomile, dill, anise, or rosemary should do the trick.
Ink & Permanent Marker from Walls
Spraying hairspray on the mark then wiping it clean with a dry cloth
or pick up a Mr. Clean eraser they work wonders on everything!
Jeans
Break in those stiff jeans and make them soft by washing with detergent and a half cup of table salt.
Jacuzzi Sparkling Clean
Fill your tub as full as possible without overflowing with hot water. Depending on the size of your tub, put anywhere from 3 to 6 cups of Cascade
into the full "hot" tub and set the jet a bubbling. Keep the jets on for 20-30 minutes. You won't get the "bubble monster" because the Cascade
doesn't bubble.
For your regular tub, let sit for a few hours then bush it out with soft brush that you use for cleaning.
Works good on toilets too.
Ketchup
Just pour some Mr. Clean onto the stain and let set for about 30 minutes. The stain should be gone, if not just soak a few minutes longer. Just
rinse and wash as usual.
Lipstick
Get it out by rubbing the stain with a generous amount of petroleum jelly, then wash as usual.
Hairspray works on lipstick stains too.
Ivory soap and warm water on a washcloth and rub the spot.
Lamp Shades
Use a rolling lint remover over your dusty lamp shades. It even collects all the lint!
Linoleum Floors
(Oxy Clean), a bit of water on a rag & some elbow grease removed the ink from our linoleum floor when nothing else would work!
To get magic marker or ink stains off of your linoleum floors in a breeze, just spray some hairspray on them.
Hide scratches or burn marks on linoleum floors is to cover them with automobile touch-up paint. Choose a color that matches your floor. The
"touch-up" will endure countless washings!
Longer Lasting Cut Flowers
Keep cut roses for 3-4 weeks in a vase! Just put l/2 of water with 1/2 of Mountain Dew in a vase.
Combine two Tbs. of vinegar, three Tbs. of sugar and one quart warm water in your vase. Your cut flowers will last much longer!
Loosen Tight Jar Lids
Try using latex dish washing gloves. They give a non-slip grip that gets those tight lids off every time.
Wrap a rubber band around the lid or top, it will give you enough grip to unscrew it.
Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
Microwave
Dissolve two Tbs. 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.
Important warning; Always put something like a toothpick or a straw in the water that you're boiling in the microwave. Otherwise, it could
explode when you take it out and give you a bad burn, because it actually reaches a point beyond boiling.
Murphys Oil Soap
Murphy's Oil Soap is a great stain remover for almost any stain. Spray on garment, rub, then wash as usual.
Mustard
Mustard contains turmeric which is like a dye. So mustard stains can be tough ones! First scrape off the excess mustard with a credit card or a
plastic knife. Rub some glycerin (in the hand cream isle at the drug store) on the stain and let sit for an hour. Then pre-treat the stain with a
stain remover such as "Shout". Launder as usual.
If the fabric is colorfast, sponge on white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. Then wash.
For mustard stains on white clothing, take a denture cleaning tablet and add it to 1/2 cup of cool water. Then dip in the spot into the cup and let
soak until the stain disappears.
Note: Never use ammonia on mustard!
Mini Blind
Throw them in the tub. Spray with any cleaner and rinse with shower hose. Give them a good shake and hang up wet. They dry very quick. On
nice days I take them outside and use the hose.
Mowing Tips
Now you can cut the grass even when it's wet. Just spray the blades with vegetable oil. This way, the wet grass won't stick to the blades.
Nail Polish
Just spray the stained area with hairspray and dab with a paper towel. Sponge the stain with acetone based nail polish remover or banana oil,
then immediately wash as usual. If stain persists, do not put item in the dryer! Try adding a few drops of alcohol and blot. Wash again. Do not
use polish remover on acetate or triacetate fabric... it will “melt” the fabric!!
Nail Holes
Rub toothpaste into the hole and smooth with a damp sponge.
Patio Furniture
For cleaning resin patio furniture, mix 1 part dish soap to 8 parts bleach then wipe on and leave for 30 minutes. Rinse and repeat if necessary.
Pillow Refresher
Place two feather pillows (in their cases) into washer. Set on warm water and gentle cycle. Halfway through the cycle, flip the pillows. Now, you
have to run the spin cycle twice to squeeze out all of the water. Toss into the dryer with a clean tennis shoe to prevent the feathers from
bunching up, or a tennis ball works well also.
Plastic Grocery Bags
I love to put 3-4 in my smaller trash cans throughout the house so its much easier to get the kids to empty their trash when they don't have to
add a bag.
Poison Ivy
Take watermelon (the rind and the meat) and glide it over the rash. Let it dry naturally. Within a day, the condition should improve greatly.
First put about a half a cup baking soda in a bowl and slowly add cool coffee to make a thick paste than apply the paste liberally to the affected
area and allow to dry. The poison will flow out of the blisters like water.
A good way to get rid of Poison Ivy is to rub Dawn Dish washing soap on the area. Poison ivy is an oil and the dawn will break it up.
Tip: If you're not sure that it's poison ivy, try the white paper test. Take a hold of the plant with a white piece of paper and crush the leaves. If
it's the dreaded plant, the juice on the paper will turn black in five minutes!
Red Dye Stains
To remove red dye number 2 (kool aid, punch, wine, etc.) spray a 50/50 mixture of ammonia and water onto the stain. Place hot, steam iron on
top of damp towel covering the stain and let it set for 30 seconds. Lift the iron and the towel. The stain will have transferred onto the towel.
Pour table salt on the wet area and watch it bring the stain right up. Vacuum the salt and repeat until all is gone.
Ring Around the Collar
To remove ring around the collar, try this simple trick: Wet the collar with warm water, sprinkle liberally with cream of tartar and rub in well.
Launder as usual
Sharper Scissors
Take your dull scissors and cut through three layers of tin foil ten times. Cut some paper to test. Repeat if not sharp enough for you.
Or cut a sheet of medium-grade sand paper into small pieces.
Cut a SOS pad or Brillo pad in half with the scissors. This sharpens the scissors and also gives you two pads instead of one. Just try it but be
careful not to cut yourself!!
Sink Stains
For dark stains, like rust, rub your sink with a paste made of Borax and lemon juice.
Lighter stains can be removed simply by rubbing with a piece of cut lemon.
Stainless Steel Sinks
To shine stainless steel sinks or appliances, rub a lemon on it.
If you have rust marks on your stainless steel, rub with a cloth dipped in lighter fluid. When the rust marks are gone, just clean with dish soap.
Rub on some rubbing alcohol.
STAIN REMOVERS
White Colgate toothpaste, when rubbed on blood, as well as other stains like red wine, will remove them. Don't use Crest if it is tinged with blue.
Mix two cups of water and two tablespoons each of the following - white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and plain ammonia (not the sudsy kind). Shake
well before each use. This is also good for cleaning windows and the shower. It makes mirrors and windows shine like new.
Ivory bar soap removed furniture polish, red wine, tomato sauce, and grape jelly stains from carpet. Just scrub with an old toothbrush and
rinse well.
IMPORTANT!
It is extremely important not to dry anything with a stain in it. Always check your garment before putting it into the dryer or the stain will be there
for good.
Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing
panty hose.
Place pin in seam of slacks and... ta da!... static is gone.
Sweet Smelling Hands
For removing the garlic smell or the prawn smell is to rub a teaspoon full of sugar into your hand. Add a couple of drops of water to make it stick
& rub vigorously. Make sure you rinse well in warm water paying particular attention to under your nails as the crystals will stick down there.
Great for sloughing legs and feet as well!
To remove the odor of onion, bleach and laundry detergents from your skin, rinse with white vinegar.
Use vanilla extract or vanilla scented hand lotion.
Sweet Smelling Home
Add one quart of water, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and some orange rinds into a pot and boil on low heat. When the water is gone, your house
will be home sweet smelling home!
Sweet Smelling Refrigerator
To keep your fridge smelling fresh, dampen a cotton ball with vanilla flavoring and place in the back corner of your fridge. It soaks up the smell
a fridge can sometimes get.
Squeaks
Out of WD 40? Use non-stick vegetable spray
Stinky Feet
Brew two tea bags in one quart of warm water and soak your feet for ten Minutes. Do this every night until the problem is gone. Then you can
soak them periodically.
Tea is terrific at keeping your feet odor free and it also will keep your feet perspiration free because of its tannic acid. 50 mg of zinc a day for 2
weeks.
Scarless Healing
Carefully crack open a raw egg and remove the skin that's inside the shell. Put the wet side on the cut for speedy healing without a scar!
Scraped Knee
Rub the inside of a banana peel on a scrape to ease the pain and help it heal.
Splinters
You crack open a raw egg and peel the skin/membrane from the inside of the shell. Immediately place it, wet side down, on whatever you want
drawn out and wait till it is dry. You will feel a VERY strong pulling sensation.
You can also try putting a piece of tape on the splinter. Then remove the tape from the opposite direction that the splinter is in-bedded. The
splinter should come out onto the tape.
Or, try putting a line of Elmers Glue on the splinter. Let it dry, then pull off in the same fashion.
Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the
squirrels won't come near it.
Stomach Upset
Add the white of an egg to a cup of water. Stir it for several minutes, then strain it through cheesecloth and drink it slowly. It will settle the
stomach.
0il of peppermint (either 10 drops to a glass of water) in drinkable form or an Altiod peppermint . it gets rid of the gassy upset really quickly.
Sty
If you have a sty on your eye, rub a gold ring across the sty a few times and it will stop the pain right away.
Sunburn
To get rid of the sting and the red of the sunburn, slather on Noxzema and then leave it on all night.
Take 2 aspirin (only aspirin) and 2 Benedryl and within a few hours the water blisters will be gone along with all the ache and heat. Keep taking
them for the next 3 days morning and night and you'll be all healed up.
You pour a generous amount of vinegar on the sunburned area. Then rub a glob of sour cream into the vinegar area. Keep it there till the sour
cream dissolves into the vinegar, than wash area off. The red is still there but the tenderness and heat is gone.
My mother always used vinegar for sunburns. Soak a wash cloth in vinegar and apply to the burned area. The vinegar is cool and pulls out the
heat of a sunburn. It also helps to keep the skin from blistering. The was cloth can be stored in an air tight bowl for several days and be used
repeatedly for the burn.
Plain yogurt, rub it on like lotion, wouldn't plan on going anywhere, shower later and helps for a better browning of your tan.
Toilet Cleaner
Out of toilet bowl cleaner? Drop in two Alka Seltzer or Polident tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush! They loosens all that lime build up
and if you do it weekly you will hardly ever have to brush.
Towels
When washing new towels, always add a cup of salt to the water. The salt will set the color so the towels won't fade as quickly.
Toothache
Put a few drops of clove oil on a cotton ball and pack it against the aching tooth.
If you don't have any clove oil handy, a clove with work almost as well.
Or, try chewing on a clove of garlic.
Place several drops of vanilla extract directly on the tooth. If nothing else,the alcohol in the extract will serve as an antiseptic to an infection.
Ulcers
Take some honey! Honey soothes and reduces inflammation of the lining of the stomach.
Eat at least three bananas a day. This will coat your stomach and sooth your ulcer pain.
A few other great ulcer remedies are; barley water, aloe juice, licorice root or marshmallow root.
Wall Cleaner
Combine one half cup of ammonia, one fourth cup each of white vinegar and washing soda into one gallon of warm water for the best wall
cleaner around.
Washing Dishes
Add a tablespoon of baking soda to your water with your usual dish soap. It will soften your hands while cutting through that nasty grease.
Weeds in your Garden
Spray or pour apple cider vinegar on weeds and they will be done for the next day. But do not pour or spray on or around any plant you do not
wish to destroy.A lil salt on Dandelions does the trick also.
Window Cleaner
Fill a spray bottle with three tablespoons of ammonia, one tablespoon of vinegar and cold water. (add a drop of blue food coloring and no one
will know the difference.
Pour rubbing alcohol into a spray bottle. This is also great for bathroom mirrors and faucets because it's streak free and kills germs!
Whites White
Drop a plain aspirin in the washer with your whites it will keep them from getting dingy.
If you add white vinegar to white clothes that has become yellow for what ever reason, such as, aging, baby spit up, it will turn your white
clothes white again.
Dish Washing liquid and Water in a spray bottle using equal parts and spray on stained laundry with it.
Weeds Away
Start putting in your plants; work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with
mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.
WD 40
Water Displacement #40.
The product began from a search for a rust Preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was Created in 1953 by three
technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a "water Displacement" compound.
They were successful with the fortieth Formulation, thus WD-40. The Convair Company bought it in bulk to Protect their atlas missile parts.
Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 That would hurt you.
Here are some of the uses:
1) Protects silver from tarnishing.
2) Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3) Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4) Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making it slippery.
5) Keeps flies off cows.
6) Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7) Removes lipstick stains.
8) Loosens stubborn zippers.
9) Untangles jewelry chains.
10) Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11) Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12) Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13) Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14) Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15) Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16) Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17) Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.
18) It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for Those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the
Finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19) Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed Quickly! Use WD-40!
20) Gives a children's play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21) Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on Riding mowers.
22) Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23) Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier To open.
24) Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25) Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well As vinyl bumpers.
26) Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27) Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28) Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for Easy handling.
29) Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30) Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31) Removes splattered grease on stove.
32) Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33) Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34) Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35) Removes all traces of duct tape.
36) Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve Arthritis pain.
37) Florida's favorite use is: "cleans and removes love bugs from grills And bumpers.
39) WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures and you Will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than The
chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in Mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are Not
allowed in some states.
40) Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and Stops the itch.
41) WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
42) Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick
spots with WD-40 and re-wash. Presto! Lipstick is gone!
43) If you sprayed WD -40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.
P. S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.
Zippers
Zipper stuck? Try rubbing an ordinary pencil over it a few times. The graphite will help it slide smoothly.
Rub a candle over the zipper.
Try rubbing a little bit of Chap-Stick or other tube lip balm.
Or a lil cooking oil applied with a q-tip and let it soak in.
For removing acrylic paint off clothes, hairspray works extremely well. Test a small spot on the item and then spray on hairspray and use your
fingernail to remove the paint. Occasionally you have to wash twice.
Ants-Get Rid of...
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it "home," & can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, esp. if it
rains, but it works & you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!
Baby Hiccups
For baby hiccups, wet your finger and dip it in sugar and let baby eat the sugar off your finger. Usually works.
Baby Wipes
I always have a box of in my home.
They are great for quick pick ups,
wipe the dog, door handles and so much more. Baby wipes are also great for getting fresh spills off carpets before they have time to set.
Baby Powder
Keep a small bottle of baby powder in your beach bag. When your ready to leave the beach sprinkle yourself and kids with the powder and the
sand will slide right off your skin.
Bathroom Mirror Trick
You can prevent that annoying fog that builds up on the bathroom mirror when showering by applying aftershave to the mirror's surface.
Spray a small glop in the middle and then spread it over the surface with a cloth, then you wipe the surface clean. You have a mirror that is fog
resistant for at least three weeks! After you clean your bathroom mirror, use Pledge on it.
Berries
Blot the stain and dip it in cold water. Rub the spot with a cut lemon, rinse, and air dry.
Use pre-wash stain remover and then launder with warm water.
Pouring boiling hot water on a berry stain will get stains right out on any color clothes, even white.
Stretch the stained area sightly over a pot in the sink. Then pour boiling water through the stain from a height of 1 to 2 feet. Be very careful not
to splash yourself with the super hot water though!!
Bee Stings
For bee or hornet stings, remove the stinger, take an onion and cut it in half. Kinda get the juices to come out a little bit and then gently rub
the affected area while pressing the onion onto the wound. In less than 5 minutes, the red and swelling and pain will be gone.
Smooth on a thin layer of unseasoned meat tenderizer to neutralize the venom.
Also, a baking soda and water paste works but will need to be applied several times.
Bird Droppings
Allow to dry before scraping off excess. Sponge with a weak vinegar and water solution.
Blemishes
Dab with lemon juice a few times a day. Or dab some white toothpaste on it.
Saturate a tea bag in warm water and press on affected area for 5 minutes then rinse.
Another good one is to use a cotton swab to dab on some Milk of magnesia. Let it dry and then rinse.
Tip; Get the red out of blemishes by dotting on a drop of Visine!
Blood Stains
Spray the area with Windex and rub a little. Then just throw it in the wash.
For removing blood use table salt. Sprinkle liberally on stain, rub in and then wash as usual. Can be used on dried blood, just dampen with
water and then use the salt.
Hydrogen peroxide will remove blood better than bleach. Saturate in peroxide, leave on over night and rinse.
It can erode the fabric just as much as chlorine bleach. Not take out the color but weaken the material, even Denim.
Oxi-Clean in a sink full of hot water left overnight will remove stains that are even several days old, or soaked through very thick material such
as denim.
Bounce sheets
My mail carrier told me that the US Postal service sent out a message to all letter carriers to put a sheet of Bounce in their uniform pockets to
keep yellow-jackets away.
Use them all the time when playing baseball and soccer. I use it when I am working outside. It really works. The insects just veer around you.
All this time you've just been putting Bounce in the dryer!
1. It will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them. It also repels mice.
2. Spread sheets around foundation areas, or in trailers, or cars that are sitting and it keeps mice from entering your vehicle.
3. It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don't get opened too often.
4. It repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season.
5. Eliminate static electricity from your television (or computer) screen.
6. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling.
7. Dissolve soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a sheet of Bounce.
8. To freshen the air in your home - Place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang in the closet.
9. Put Bounce sheet in vacuum cleaner.
10. Prevent thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a sheet of Bounce before beginning to sew.
11. Prevent musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing.
12. To freshen the air in your car - Place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat.
13. Clean baked-on foods from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in a pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The anti-static agent
apparently weakens the bond between the food and the pan.
14. Eliminate odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket.
15. Collect cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the lose hairs.
16. Eliminate static electricity from Venetian blinds. Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resettling.
17. Wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. A used sheet of Bounce will collect sawdust like a tack cloth.
18. Eliminate odors in dirty laundry. Place an individual sheet of Bounce at the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.
19. Deodorize shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight.
20. Golfers put a Bounce sheet in their back pocket to keep the bees away.
21. Put a Bounce sheet in your sleeping bag and tent before folding and storing them. It will keep them smelling fresh.
22. Place a sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
Broken Glass
Use a dry cotton ball to pick up little broken glass pieces of glass- the fibers catch ones you can't see!
Bruises
Apply the inside of a ripe banana peel to the bruise. It is best if you bandage the banana peel to the bruise overnight.
Bubble Gum
Use an ice cube. Once frozen gently scrape off the frozen gum with a butter knife and blot with dry-cleaning solvent. Or try loosening the gum
by soaking in white vinegar.
Use peanut-butter to take gum out of the carpet. Just put a spoon of peanut-butter on the gum. Use the spoon to mix it into the gum and then
let it sit for just a couple minutes. Then rub with the spoon to loosen it. Take a wet rag and wipe it up in sort of a picking motion. Next take a rag
and wash the spot.
Soak with WD-40 and rub with a cloth. This may take a couple of applications depending on how much gum. The WD-40 breaks down the gum
somehow.
Lighter fluid would work to dissolve it.
Burn holes
Remove some carpet fibers from a hidden spot. Like in the corner of a closet. Or remove some fuzz by shaving or pulling out with a tweezer.
Roll into the shape of the burn. Apply a good super glue to the burnt spot of the rug and press the fuzz or fibers that you tweezed down into
spot. Cover with a piece of paper and place a heavy book on top. Let dry for a few hours.
Butter, Cooking Oil
Blot the spot and rub on some cornmeal. Brush off the cornmeal and then apply pre-wash stain remover, rinse. Wash in hot water. Make sure
that the label allows for hot water!
Shampoo, just rub the shampoo on the spot with a soft brush. Let sit for a few minutes and then wash in hot or warm water.
To remove a butter drip from a cotton/poly pullover. Rub degreaser/hand cleaner into the sweater while damp, leave for a couple of hours,
then launder as usual.
For removal of greasy food stains, sprinkle flour over the spot and let sit for a while. When you shake off the flour the spot will be gone.
Launder as usual.
For an old butter or oil stain, regenerate the stain first with WD-40, then rub in some undiluted dish detergent. Wash as usual.
Cascade dishwasher detergent removes most food and grease stains.
Also great for washing any curtains if you have a smoker in the house. It really gets out the smoke & nicotine.
It contains a bleaching agent and should be rinsed off very quickly. It is best to use Cascade on whites, that way you are safe!
Candle Wax
Wet a white clean cloth, squeeze out the water till the cloth is damp and place over the wax. Place a hot iron over the cloth. The steam will
reach into the bottom of the carpet and melt then suck the hot wax into the cloth! Repeat if necessary.
How to Remove from Wood
Soften the wax with a hair dryer. Remove wax with a paper towel and wash with a solution of vinegar and water.
Carpet Cleanup
For carpet cleanups, try mixing a cup of white vinegar, one quart of water and clear laundry detergent. Shake when needed and sponge the
foam on the carpet. Blot dry.
Liquid tide laundry detergent does a great job on carpet.
Windex removes most all stains from carpet, be sure to rinse well though
WARNING: Windex contains ammonia. This could again potentially cause bleaching in some carpets. Don't forget to test any carpet cleaning
solution on a hidden part of your carpet before you begin!
For fresh stains, use plain club soda. It is an instant spot remover . Pour a bit right on the spot and let it set for a few seconds. Then blot with a
sponge.
Mix together two tablespoons of detergent, three tablespoons of vinegar and one quart of warm water. Work into the stain and blot dry.
To get mud out of the carpet, use shaving cream. Let it sit for a couple minutes, then blot it up. Make sure you use the white foamy shave
cream.
To remove the dents that heavy furniture make in your carpets, place an ice cube in each one and just let it melt, it raises the pile back up.
Then vacuum.
Sprinkle a generous amount of cornstarch on your carpet and let it sit for an hour or so. Then vacuum.
Use any brand of Laundry Detergent powder on your carpet instead of or in place of your Carpet freshener such as carpet fresh brand or
others. This secret also cleans your carpet and adds a wonderful scent that is long lasting. Use sparingly though, as it tends to clog the vacuum
if you use too much. Don't use laundry detergent with bleach however it could fade the colors or damage.
I often add a fabric sheet to my vaccum...fresh scent.
Carpet Shocks
To stop the static shock in rooms with wall to wall carpeting, fill a spray bottle with a mixture of one part liquid fabric softener and five parts
water, then lightly mist the carpet.
Chocolate
Blot or scrape off the excess chocolate, then flush with club soda.
For a tough stain: Sponge with liquid hand soap and ammonia; launder as usual.
Coffee & Tea
To remove tea, coffee or red wine stains from your carpet, pour soda water over the stain then blot dry, repeat until stain has gone. Soak in
cool water, then dab the stain with a liquid detergent like dove. Flush with cool water and let air dry.
Coffee Pot Stains
To clean a burnt coffee pot is to put baking soda in the pot and put the pot back on the burner until the burnt coffee dissolves , then rinse with
hot water.
Vinegar and hot water and let it soak, be sure to rinse well.
Counter Top Stains
To remove counter-top stains liquid dishwasher soap. Very little rubbing is necessary even with older kool-aid stains. This also works to clean
off your dry-erase board if you used a permanent marker. Just put some on a towel and rub the stains off.
Simple Green and Mr. Clean dry erasers.
Cast Iron Pans
.If you have cast iron pans, or a wood stove that has collected "gunk" from being used over and over, remove the crusting with a paste made of
cream of tartar and vinegar.
Chrome Fixtures
Use new or used fabric softener sheets to shine the chrome-plated fixtures in your bathroom and kitchen. Don't toss your lemons after
squeezing the juice! Rub the pulp on your faucet and wipe with a cloth for shiny chrome. Then put them through your garbage disposal to
sweeten your drain.
To easily wipe away soap scum and other stuff from your chrome fixtures and even look alike chrome, simply poor a small amount of rubbing
alcohol onto a cleaning cloth or paper-towel and wipe it away, you don't even have to apply any pressure. Alcohol will kill the germs and it is
streak free.
Cigarette Burns On Wood
Vinegar and baking soda, just a little to make a paste. Use a pencil eraser to gently "erase" the burn mark.
Clean A Vase
To remove those tough stains from the bottom of a glass vase, just fill with water and add two Alka Seltzer tablets!
Clothes Dryers
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something
and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He told us
that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material ... I'm
sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well ...the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that
dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that's what burns out the heating unit.
You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free... that nice fragrance too. You
know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box ..well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also
what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to
keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six
months.
He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!!
Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that.
Note: I went to my dryer and tested my screen by running water on it. The water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the
mesh screen. I washed it with warm soapy water and a nylon brush and I had it done in 30 seconds. Then when I rinsed it... the water ran right
thru the screen! There wasn't any puddling at all!
Common Cold
Drink sassafras tea to shorten the length of your cold.
The number one grandma cure is chicken soup. (add some garlic cloves!)
An Arabian cure is to eat pomegranates.
The Russians recommend drinking an ice-cold glass of vodka with two teaspoons of black pepper!
Garlic contains a natural antibiotic. Chop up one large clove of garlic, and mix it on a spoon with honey. Swallow it down with a few gulps of
water. Don't chew! If you normally have a low fiber diet, though, it can cause diarrhea, but cleaning out your system is a benefit!
My favorite old time remedy for the common cold: Supplies needed for cure; a four poster bed, a bottle of whiskey and one hat. The cure; Hang
your hat on the bedpost at the foot of your bed. Get into the bed and drink whiskey until you see two hats!
Water is beneficial to those with a cold, and warm liquids and soups can add some much-needed nutrition. You probably don't have much of an
appetite so try some natural hot tea or chocolate, which will help hydrate your body, sooth your throat, and ease sinus congestion. Chicken
soup and broth is not a myth, it really can alleviate some symptoms the accompany the common cold.
A cold usually lasts 7-10 days, with symptoms ranging from runny nose, stuffy nose, headache, sneezing, sore throat, cough, cold sores, back
pain and fever. If misery loves company, you've got plenty if you have a cold.
Most colds occur in the Fall and Winter seasons when everyone spends the most of their time indoors -- but you can catch a cold anytime of
the year. Unfortunately there is no cure for the common cold, but there are several home remedies to reduce the miserable symptoms that go
along with it.
There are many OTC cold and allergy remedies you can use at home without a prescription. Some will target specific symptoms, others offer
multi-symptom protection. If you don't have the luxury of bed rest, choose a non-drowsy formula so it doesn't interfere with driving and your
ability to function.
As soon as your throat becomes scratchy and sore, suck on zinc lozenges to relieve symptoms. For a stuffy nose and sinuses, try a Vicks
Inhaler nasal decongestant to help you breath better. Don't overuse any over-the-counter remedies, particularly decongestants because you
could end up with worse congestion. Call a doctor if your symptoms persist or fever spikes. Severe colds can be hard to get rid of and can
cause secondary illnesses such as sinus infection, bronchitis and pneumonia.
Get Plenty of Rest
Stress can often compromise your immune system and increase your chances of catching a cold. Once you get it, the best way to combat the
illness is decrease your obligations and pamper yourself with some good, old-fashioned rest. Try to stay home and commit yourself to a good
book or TV, and sleep whenever possible.
Take Vitamins
If you don't take vitamins regularly, now is a good time to start. Your body needs vitamins to combat the cold virus. Multi-vitamins that include
vitamin C are a good regimen for prevention and recovering from a cold. Just remember to follow the recommended dosage and stick with it for
other benefits as well.
Use a Vaporizer
Air gets dry from artificial heating sources so use a vaporizer to add some humidity to the air. This will help loosen thick mucus and alleviate the
symptoms that go along with it. Your skin needs moisture too and you'll see benefits from this especially if you're too miserable to carry out
your usual skin care regimen.
Warm Washcloth
If you're dealing with a nagging headache in the front of your forehead, try putting a clean, warm washcloth on your forehead and eyes. This
can give some relief to the stuffiness that goes along with a cold, itchy eyes that accompany allergies, and the throbbing headache. It also is a
good relaxation technique to reduce tension.
Take a Warm Bath or Shower
Usually we feel better after a warm bath or shower when we aren't ill. The same goes for when we have a cold, but there are some added
benefits. A warm bath can help you relax and the steam will relieve some sinus and chest congestion.
Gargle with Salt Water
The minute you feel a sore throat coming on, take the opportunity to gargle with table salt added to warm water. It will soothe your throat and
can possibly prevent a full-fledged sore throat. Just add the salt to a cup of warm water and gargle.
Keep the cup full in the kitchen and gargle whenever possible. You can heat the water again by putting it in the microwave for a few seconds.
Be careful that you don't overheat the water and burn your throat. Use a spoon to stir the salt water and check the temperature before use.
Cold Sores
Lyisine! Take 500 mgs a day. Another sure fire remedy is to paint the area with clear nail polish!
Applying Vit. E three times a day will help with pain and quick healing.
Or for quick healing open with a sterilized needle and add rubbing alcohol with a q-tip, burns a lil but does the trick.
Cough Syrup
Mix about four ounces of honey or clover honey, four tablespoons of lemon juice, and a shot of Whiskey. Shake it up really well and take it by
the tablespoon, not directly out of the bottle.
Cramps
That Time of the Month Cramps; Drink a cup of yarrow tea. (available at any health food store) Before you're finished drinking your tea, your
cramps will be gone.
Drink pickle juice to get rid of those cramps.
Crayon
Add 1/2 cup of baking soda plus your usual amount of detergent and the hottest water setting possible on your machine. This also works with
lipstick stains.
Cuts and Wounds
For a minor cut, rinse with water then dress it with any of these remedies to stop the bleeding: goldenseal powder, papaya pulp, moist tea leafs,
wet pouch tobacco, or aloe vera plant leaf gel.
Diaper Rash
Pour some flour in a cast iron skillet and brown it until almost burnt. Let cool completely and apply to baby's bottom and diaper rash should
disappear in a couple days.
Or you can make a paste of cornstarch and water and apply at every diaper change, this helps alot too.
Put some olive oil in the bottom of a teacup, a Tablespoon should be enough. Add about 5 drops of water and beat the mixture with a spoon.
When it gets creamy apply it to your baby's bottom.
Use the gel of the aloe vera plant and the diaper rash can be cured overnight.
Drain Clogged
Just drop a couple denture cleaning tablets down the kitchen drain, along with a cup of hot water.
If your drain is clogged with grease, pour one cup of salt and one cup of baking soda into the drain followed by a kettle of boiling water.
Pour one half to one cup of baking soda into the drain, follow with one cup or more of vinegar.
Dusting
Take a fabric softener sheet that has been used in your laundry and after cleaning your TV, rub it all around the area that you don't want to
dust anymore. Instead of attracting dust, your TV repels it.
Earache
To sooth an earache quickly, just use a hair dryer (on the low setting) and let the warm air soothe that ache.
Just drip a few drops of peroxide into your ear. Then tip your head and let the peroxide drain out.
Eczema
Use Noxema instead of lotions. Remember to use the original Noxema, not the new and improved stuff!
Crisco 2-3 times a day. Suave Intensive Healing (cheapest & most commonly found at your neighborhood Wal-Mart)
Erase That Mess
Mr. Clean Erasers. They are absolutely miraculous!! They have removed everything I have thrown at them, from scuffs and crayons on walls to
counter stains. I don't know what I ever did without them!
False Teeth
To get stains off of false teeth, brush them in Ivory dish washing liquid and rinse well. After several times of doing this they will become brighter.
Fire Place
Do not burn colored newspaper or magazines in your fireplace! They contain lead and when burned will emit dangerous levels of the lead. This
can be extremely harmful especially to children!
Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass fill it 1/2" with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dishwashing liquid, mix well. You will find those
flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!
Garbage Disposal
Put a few Citris peels (preferably lemon) in the disposal and grind them up. It leaves a nice lemony scent.
If you have a stuck disposal, first check to make sure that you haven't dropped something in by mistake that's jamming the blades. Next grind
up a few ice cubes. Sometimes grease will accumulate and prevent the disposal from operating at full potential. The grease will stick to the ice
and scrub out residue.
Use frozen lemons or limes. Take one or two lemons or limes out of the freezer and put in some warm water in the sink so they are slightly
thawed. Then cut them into 4 pieces and drop one at a time into running disposal.
Glass Shower Doors
To get your shower door clean, shiny, and streak-free rub with a damp sponge soaked in white vinegar.
Glass Door Tracks
Clean the door tracks with furniture polish instead of a cleaner. It gets the tracks clean and the polish acts as a lubricant.
Grout, Silicone Sealer, Mold and Mildew Remover
use hydrogen peroxide to get rid of the hard to remove mildew that collects in the grouting around the bathroom faucets. Pour it on directly and
it instantly softens the dirt so you can remove it with just one wipe! It will also whiten the grout.
If the white grout between the ceramic tile looks nasty, just clean it with a household cleaner let dry and then go over it with white shoe polish.
The kind that contains wax. Remove any polish on the tile with a damp cloth.
Grass
Pre-treat grass stains on washable fabrics by sponging them first with warm water then dabbing the soiled area with un-diluted rubbing alcohol.
Then launder item as usual.
Combine a few drops of household ammonia with 1 tsp. of peroxide. Rub on the stain and rinse with water as soon as stain disappears.
Grass stains are removed easily with white vinegar.
Felsnapth Soap is great for grass stain removal, especially on baseball and football pants. Just wet the bar of soap, rub on the stain and wash
as usual.
Grease Stains
Paint thinner or mineral spirits will get any grease stain out of carpet, etc., even if it's been washed.
Get it out by dipping a tooth brush in Pine-Sol and scrubbing.
Hardwood Floors
When cleaning my hardwood floors, rather than deal with the mess of a mop bucket, I fill a spray bottle with one part vinegar to three parts
water. Spritz the floor and use a sponge mop to clean. The mop doesn't get soggy, but the floors still get clean. Polish floor when finished if you
like.
Headaches
Take two aspirin and rest.
Another good cure is to mix two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with two teaspoons of honey in a glass of water, drink it slowly, and get
results within a half-hour.
Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead! The throbbing will go away!
Eat ten to twelve almonds. The almonds are equal to taking two aspirins but will not irritate your stomach.
Head Lice
Mix a 50:50 solution of mineral oil, such as baby oil, and vinegar. Massage it into the hair and cover for 1 hour with a shower cap then wash with
ordinary shampoo. The vinegar detaches the nits or eggs, from the hair shaft and the oil suffocates any live lice and allows easy and smooth
combing out of deceased lice.
A preventative measure is 10 drops of tea tree-oil to a new bottle of shampoo. This is so much nicer for kids than the horrible smelling
shampoos/creams that they sell over the counter.
Try Denorex Extra Strength dandruff shampoo. The Denorex can be used daily and does not have to be left on like lice shampoos. Be sure to
use the extra strength though.
Shaving cream kills all forms of lice very fast. I think the combination of chemicals they use today in shaving creams is a deadly mix for these
evil critters. A thick coating of shaving cream left on location for 10-15 minutes (rubbed in well) will kill adults and eggs.
Use mayonnaise on the hair for roughly 3 hours.
Hangover
Before you go bed take two spoonfuls of honey.
Before you go to sleep rub cut lemons under your arms... sound's nuts, but it works! When you wake up drink lots of fruit juice or water.
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milk shake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and,
with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Another great tip is to eat watermelon!
Take any kind of aspirin after alcohol consumption. The reason being is that when you mix the two, your liver releases bad toxins and in long
term it will lead to liver damage. Plus it will irritate your stomach.
Ice Pack
Fill a quart-size zip-lock freezer bag with one cup of rubbing alcohol and two cups of water. Add a few drops of blue food coloring if you like and
store in the freezer. The mixture won't freeze solid. Easy to shape around sore elbows or knees!
Ink Stains
First, put a paper towel or a rag under the stained area to absorb the excess ink. Spray on a non-oily, alcohol based hair spray. Saturate the
ink stain with the hairspray. Blot with a rag and repeat until the stain is gone.
Try milk! Yes, put the piece of cloth into a cup with milk and you'll see it vanishing... Then wash or dry clean as usual.
Rub with salt and wash with bath soap.
Use simple rubbing alcohol to remove ink stains. Take some alcohol on a rag, dab on the ink then wipe with a soft rag or paper towel. This isn't
sticky like hairspray.
Indigestion & Heartburn
Teaspoon of Mustard
Ingrown Toenail
Before you go to bed, put a small wedge of lemon on the toenail, securing it with a band-aid. When you wake up, the nail should be soft
enough to ease it away from the skin so that you can trim it. Always cut the nail straight across and not any shorter than the toe.
Insomnia
Chop a yellow onion and put it in a jar with a lid. Place on your night table. When insomnia hits....open the jar and take a few good whiffs. Lie
back and think lovely thoughts. Open your mouth and try to yawn. Bring on a yawn... another....another...keep going...chances are you'll be
asleep in no time.
Or, have a cup of relaxing herbal tea. Chamomile, dill, anise, or rosemary should do the trick.
Ink & Permanent Marker from Walls
Spraying hairspray on the mark then wiping it clean with a dry cloth
or pick up a Mr. Clean eraser they work wonders on everything!
Jeans
Break in those stiff jeans and make them soft by washing with detergent and a half cup of table salt.
Jacuzzi Sparkling Clean
Fill your tub as full as possible without overflowing with hot water. Depending on the size of your tub, put anywhere from 3 to 6 cups of Cascade
into the full "hot" tub and set the jet a bubbling. Keep the jets on for 20-30 minutes. You won't get the "bubble monster" because the Cascade
doesn't bubble.
For your regular tub, let sit for a few hours then bush it out with soft brush that you use for cleaning.
Works good on toilets too.
Ketchup
Just pour some Mr. Clean onto the stain and let set for about 30 minutes. The stain should be gone, if not just soak a few minutes longer. Just
rinse and wash as usual.
Lipstick
Get it out by rubbing the stain with a generous amount of petroleum jelly, then wash as usual.
Hairspray works on lipstick stains too.
Ivory soap and warm water on a washcloth and rub the spot.
Lamp Shades
Use a rolling lint remover over your dusty lamp shades. It even collects all the lint!
Linoleum Floors
(Oxy Clean), a bit of water on a rag & some elbow grease removed the ink from our linoleum floor when nothing else would work!
To get magic marker or ink stains off of your linoleum floors in a breeze, just spray some hairspray on them.
Hide scratches or burn marks on linoleum floors is to cover them with automobile touch-up paint. Choose a color that matches your floor. The
"touch-up" will endure countless washings!
Longer Lasting Cut Flowers
Keep cut roses for 3-4 weeks in a vase! Just put l/2 of water with 1/2 of Mountain Dew in a vase.
Combine two Tbs. of vinegar, three Tbs. of sugar and one quart warm water in your vase. Your cut flowers will last much longer!
Loosen Tight Jar Lids
Try using latex dish washing gloves. They give a non-slip grip that gets those tight lids off every time.
Wrap a rubber band around the lid or top, it will give you enough grip to unscrew it.
Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
Microwave
Dissolve two Tbs. 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.
Important warning; Always put something like a toothpick or a straw in the water that you're boiling in the microwave. Otherwise, it could
explode when you take it out and give you a bad burn, because it actually reaches a point beyond boiling.
Murphys Oil Soap
Murphy's Oil Soap is a great stain remover for almost any stain. Spray on garment, rub, then wash as usual.
Mustard
Mustard contains turmeric which is like a dye. So mustard stains can be tough ones! First scrape off the excess mustard with a credit card or a
plastic knife. Rub some glycerin (in the hand cream isle at the drug store) on the stain and let sit for an hour. Then pre-treat the stain with a
stain remover such as "Shout". Launder as usual.
If the fabric is colorfast, sponge on white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide. Then wash.
For mustard stains on white clothing, take a denture cleaning tablet and add it to 1/2 cup of cool water. Then dip in the spot into the cup and let
soak until the stain disappears.
Note: Never use ammonia on mustard!
Mini Blind
Throw them in the tub. Spray with any cleaner and rinse with shower hose. Give them a good shake and hang up wet. They dry very quick. On
nice days I take them outside and use the hose.
Mowing Tips
Now you can cut the grass even when it's wet. Just spray the blades with vegetable oil. This way, the wet grass won't stick to the blades.
Nail Polish
Just spray the stained area with hairspray and dab with a paper towel. Sponge the stain with acetone based nail polish remover or banana oil,
then immediately wash as usual. If stain persists, do not put item in the dryer! Try adding a few drops of alcohol and blot. Wash again. Do not
use polish remover on acetate or triacetate fabric... it will “melt” the fabric!!
Nail Holes
Rub toothpaste into the hole and smooth with a damp sponge.
Patio Furniture
For cleaning resin patio furniture, mix 1 part dish soap to 8 parts bleach then wipe on and leave for 30 minutes. Rinse and repeat if necessary.
Pillow Refresher
Place two feather pillows (in their cases) into washer. Set on warm water and gentle cycle. Halfway through the cycle, flip the pillows. Now, you
have to run the spin cycle twice to squeeze out all of the water. Toss into the dryer with a clean tennis shoe to prevent the feathers from
bunching up, or a tennis ball works well also.
Plastic Grocery Bags
I love to put 3-4 in my smaller trash cans throughout the house so its much easier to get the kids to empty their trash when they don't have to
add a bag.
Poison Ivy
Take watermelon (the rind and the meat) and glide it over the rash. Let it dry naturally. Within a day, the condition should improve greatly.
First put about a half a cup baking soda in a bowl and slowly add cool coffee to make a thick paste than apply the paste liberally to the affected
area and allow to dry. The poison will flow out of the blisters like water.
A good way to get rid of Poison Ivy is to rub Dawn Dish washing soap on the area. Poison ivy is an oil and the dawn will break it up.
Tip: If you're not sure that it's poison ivy, try the white paper test. Take a hold of the plant with a white piece of paper and crush the leaves. If
it's the dreaded plant, the juice on the paper will turn black in five minutes!
Red Dye Stains
To remove red dye number 2 (kool aid, punch, wine, etc.) spray a 50/50 mixture of ammonia and water onto the stain. Place hot, steam iron on
top of damp towel covering the stain and let it set for 30 seconds. Lift the iron and the towel. The stain will have transferred onto the towel.
Pour table salt on the wet area and watch it bring the stain right up. Vacuum the salt and repeat until all is gone.
Ring Around the Collar
To remove ring around the collar, try this simple trick: Wet the collar with warm water, sprinkle liberally with cream of tartar and rub in well.
Launder as usual
Sharper Scissors
Take your dull scissors and cut through three layers of tin foil ten times. Cut some paper to test. Repeat if not sharp enough for you.
Or cut a sheet of medium-grade sand paper into small pieces.
Cut a SOS pad or Brillo pad in half with the scissors. This sharpens the scissors and also gives you two pads instead of one. Just try it but be
careful not to cut yourself!!
Sink Stains
For dark stains, like rust, rub your sink with a paste made of Borax and lemon juice.
Lighter stains can be removed simply by rubbing with a piece of cut lemon.
Stainless Steel Sinks
To shine stainless steel sinks or appliances, rub a lemon on it.
If you have rust marks on your stainless steel, rub with a cloth dipped in lighter fluid. When the rust marks are gone, just clean with dish soap.
Rub on some rubbing alcohol.
STAIN REMOVERS
White Colgate toothpaste, when rubbed on blood, as well as other stains like red wine, will remove them. Don't use Crest if it is tinged with blue.
Mix two cups of water and two tablespoons each of the following - white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and plain ammonia (not the sudsy kind). Shake
well before each use. This is also good for cleaning windows and the shower. It makes mirrors and windows shine like new.
Ivory bar soap removed furniture polish, red wine, tomato sauce, and grape jelly stains from carpet. Just scrub with an old toothbrush and
rinse well.
IMPORTANT!
It is extremely important not to dry anything with a stain in it. Always check your garment before putting it into the dryer or the stain will be there
for good.
Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing
panty hose.
Place pin in seam of slacks and... ta da!... static is gone.
Sweet Smelling Hands
For removing the garlic smell or the prawn smell is to rub a teaspoon full of sugar into your hand. Add a couple of drops of water to make it stick
& rub vigorously. Make sure you rinse well in warm water paying particular attention to under your nails as the crystals will stick down there.
Great for sloughing legs and feet as well!
To remove the odor of onion, bleach and laundry detergents from your skin, rinse with white vinegar.
Use vanilla extract or vanilla scented hand lotion.
Sweet Smelling Home
Add one quart of water, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and some orange rinds into a pot and boil on low heat. When the water is gone, your house
will be home sweet smelling home!
Sweet Smelling Refrigerator
To keep your fridge smelling fresh, dampen a cotton ball with vanilla flavoring and place in the back corner of your fridge. It soaks up the smell
a fridge can sometimes get.
Squeaks
Out of WD 40? Use non-stick vegetable spray
Stinky Feet
Brew two tea bags in one quart of warm water and soak your feet for ten Minutes. Do this every night until the problem is gone. Then you can
soak them periodically.
Tea is terrific at keeping your feet odor free and it also will keep your feet perspiration free because of its tannic acid. 50 mg of zinc a day for 2
weeks.
Scarless Healing
Carefully crack open a raw egg and remove the skin that's inside the shell. Put the wet side on the cut for speedy healing without a scar!
Scraped Knee
Rub the inside of a banana peel on a scrape to ease the pain and help it heal.
Splinters
You crack open a raw egg and peel the skin/membrane from the inside of the shell. Immediately place it, wet side down, on whatever you want
drawn out and wait till it is dry. You will feel a VERY strong pulling sensation.
You can also try putting a piece of tape on the splinter. Then remove the tape from the opposite direction that the splinter is in-bedded. The
splinter should come out onto the tape.
Or, try putting a line of Elmers Glue on the splinter. Let it dry, then pull off in the same fashion.
Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the
squirrels won't come near it.
Stomach Upset
Add the white of an egg to a cup of water. Stir it for several minutes, then strain it through cheesecloth and drink it slowly. It will settle the
stomach.
0il of peppermint (either 10 drops to a glass of water) in drinkable form or an Altiod peppermint . it gets rid of the gassy upset really quickly.
Sty
If you have a sty on your eye, rub a gold ring across the sty a few times and it will stop the pain right away.
Sunburn
To get rid of the sting and the red of the sunburn, slather on Noxzema and then leave it on all night.
Take 2 aspirin (only aspirin) and 2 Benedryl and within a few hours the water blisters will be gone along with all the ache and heat. Keep taking
them for the next 3 days morning and night and you'll be all healed up.
You pour a generous amount of vinegar on the sunburned area. Then rub a glob of sour cream into the vinegar area. Keep it there till the sour
cream dissolves into the vinegar, than wash area off. The red is still there but the tenderness and heat is gone.
My mother always used vinegar for sunburns. Soak a wash cloth in vinegar and apply to the burned area. The vinegar is cool and pulls out the
heat of a sunburn. It also helps to keep the skin from blistering. The was cloth can be stored in an air tight bowl for several days and be used
repeatedly for the burn.
Plain yogurt, rub it on like lotion, wouldn't plan on going anywhere, shower later and helps for a better browning of your tan.
Toilet Cleaner
Out of toilet bowl cleaner? Drop in two Alka Seltzer or Polident tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush! They loosens all that lime build up
and if you do it weekly you will hardly ever have to brush.
Towels
When washing new towels, always add a cup of salt to the water. The salt will set the color so the towels won't fade as quickly.
Toothache
Put a few drops of clove oil on a cotton ball and pack it against the aching tooth.
If you don't have any clove oil handy, a clove with work almost as well.
Or, try chewing on a clove of garlic.
Place several drops of vanilla extract directly on the tooth. If nothing else,the alcohol in the extract will serve as an antiseptic to an infection.
Ulcers
Take some honey! Honey soothes and reduces inflammation of the lining of the stomach.
Eat at least three bananas a day. This will coat your stomach and sooth your ulcer pain.
A few other great ulcer remedies are; barley water, aloe juice, licorice root or marshmallow root.
Wall Cleaner
Combine one half cup of ammonia, one fourth cup each of white vinegar and washing soda into one gallon of warm water for the best wall
cleaner around.
Washing Dishes
Add a tablespoon of baking soda to your water with your usual dish soap. It will soften your hands while cutting through that nasty grease.
Weeds in your Garden
Spray or pour apple cider vinegar on weeds and they will be done for the next day. But do not pour or spray on or around any plant you do not
wish to destroy.A lil salt on Dandelions does the trick also.
Window Cleaner
Fill a spray bottle with three tablespoons of ammonia, one tablespoon of vinegar and cold water. (add a drop of blue food coloring and no one
will know the difference.
Pour rubbing alcohol into a spray bottle. This is also great for bathroom mirrors and faucets because it's streak free and kills germs!
Whites White
Drop a plain aspirin in the washer with your whites it will keep them from getting dingy.
If you add white vinegar to white clothes that has become yellow for what ever reason, such as, aging, baby spit up, it will turn your white
clothes white again.
Dish Washing liquid and Water in a spray bottle using equal parts and spray on stained laundry with it.
Weeds Away
Start putting in your plants; work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with
mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.
WD 40
Water Displacement #40.
The product began from a search for a rust Preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was Created in 1953 by three
technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a "water Displacement" compound.
They were successful with the fortieth Formulation, thus WD-40. The Convair Company bought it in bulk to Protect their atlas missile parts.
Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 That would hurt you.
Here are some of the uses:
1) Protects silver from tarnishing.
2) Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3) Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4) Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making it slippery.
5) Keeps flies off cows.
6) Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7) Removes lipstick stains.
8) Loosens stubborn zippers.
9) Untangles jewelry chains.
10) Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11) Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12) Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13) Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14) Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15) Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16) Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17) Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.
18) It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for Those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the
Finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19) Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed Quickly! Use WD-40!
20) Gives a children's play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21) Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on Riding mowers.
22) Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23) Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier To open.
24) Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25) Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well As vinyl bumpers.
26) Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27) Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28) Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for Easy handling.
29) Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
30) Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31) Removes splattered grease on stove.
32) Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33) Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34) Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35) Removes all traces of duct tape.
36) Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve Arthritis pain.
37) Florida's favorite use is: "cleans and removes love bugs from grills And bumpers.
39) WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures and you Will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than The
chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in Mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are Not
allowed in some states.
40) Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and Stops the itch.
41) WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
42) Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick
spots with WD-40 and re-wash. Presto! Lipstick is gone!
43) If you sprayed WD -40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.
P. S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.
Zippers
Zipper stuck? Try rubbing an ordinary pencil over it a few times. The graphite will help it slide smoothly.
Rub a candle over the zipper.
Try rubbing a little bit of Chap-Stick or other tube lip balm.
Or a lil cooking oil applied with a q-tip and let it soak in.
