This is the page for hints, hints, and more hints!
Ten Rules of Housekeeping
1. Vacuuming too often weakens the carpet fibers. Say this with a serious face, and shudder delicately whenever anyone mentions Carpet Fresh.
2. Dust bunnies cannot evolve into dust rhinos when disturbed. Rename the area under the couch "The Galapagos Islands" and claim an ecological exemption.
3. Layers of dirty film on windows and screens provide a helpful filter against harmful and aging rays from the sun. Call it an SPF factor of 5 and leave it alone.
4. Cobwebs artfully draped over lampshades reduces the glare from the bulb, thereby creating a romantic atmosphere. If your husband points out that the light fixtures need dusting, simply look affronted and exclaim, "What? And spoil the mood?"
5. In a pinch, you can always claim that the haphazard tower of unread magazines and newspapers next to your chair provides the valuable Feng Shui aspect of a tiger, thereby reducing your vulnerability. Roll your eyes when you say this.
6. Explain the mound of pet hair brushed up against the doorways by claiming you are collecting it there to use for stuffing handsewn play animals for underprivileged children.
7. If unexpected company is coming, pile everything unsightly into one room and close the door. As you show your guests through your tidy home, rattle the door knob vigorously, fake a growl and say, "I'd love you to see our Den, but Fluffy hates to be disturbed and the shots are SO expensive."
8. If dusting is REALLY out of control, simply place a showy urn on the coffee table and insist that "THIS is where Grandma wanted us to scatter her ashes..."
9. Don't bother repainting. Simply scribble lightly over a dirty wall with an assortment of crayons, and try to muster a glint of tears as you say, "Junior did this the week before that unspeakable accident... I haven't had the heart to clean it..."
10. Mix one-quarter cup pine-scented household cleaner with four cups of water in a spray bottle. Mist the air lightly. Leave dampened rags in conspicuous locations. Develop an exhausted look, throw yourself onto the couch, and sigh, "I clean and I clean and I still don't get anywhere.
TIPS THAT WORK
1. Flies or bees bothering you? Spray them with hairspray and they
will take a quick dive.
2. Sealed envelope - Put in the freezer for a few hours, then
slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed.
3. Use Empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. It keeps
them neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.
4. For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water
and put Dawn dishwashing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps.
They won't refreeze.
5. Crayon marks on walls? This worked wonderfully! A damp rag, dipped in
baking soda. Comes of with little effort
(elbow grease
that is!).
6. Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store
receipt BLUE!) rubbing alcohol on paper towel.
7. Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S Pads, I immediately take
a pair of scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of
having to throw away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally
decided
that this would be much more economical. And now a box
of S.O.S pads last me indefinitely! In fact, I have noticed that the
scissors
get sharpened this way!
8. Opening brand new jars can be a feat in itself. Well, I have
found a way to make it the easiest thing to do. Instead of banging
a jar of jam, pickles, etc., with a knife until it loosens up, I simply
reach into the drawer and pull out the handy nutcracker. It adjusts
to the size of the jar and I simply give it a good twist and off pops
the lid!
9. Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry! Just pour a little peroxide
on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood.
10. Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and hori-zontal
for
inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks.
Straight
vinegar will get outside windows really clean.
Don't wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and
will probably streak.
11. Spray a bit of perfume on the lightbulb in any room to create a
lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on. Place
fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell
freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels and
linen.
12. Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least
3 hours prior to burning.
13. To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add
the
flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt
and
leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like
a charm!
14. To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a
drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and
bring
to a boil on stovetop.
15. Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in
tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.
16. When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit
of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on
the outside of the cake.
17. Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and
it will keep for weeks.
18. When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out
the
corn's natural sweetness.
19. Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on
your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
20. Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for
future use in casseroles and sauces.
21. To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the
area and you will experience instant relief.
22. Ants, ants, ants everywhere ... Well, they are said to never
cross a chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor
or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.
23. Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better
still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.
24. When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before
resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over
the splinter, then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters
painlessly
and easily.
25. Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer.
1. Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets, wait twenty
minutes, brush and flush.
2. Cleans China. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous China.
3. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase
or cruet, fill with water and drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets.
4. Polish jewelry. Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water
and immerse the jewelry for two minutes.
5. Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka
Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).
6. Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka
Seltzer tablets
down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White
Vinegar.
Wait a few minutes, then run the hot water.
When you go to buy bread in the grocery store, have you ever wondered
which is the freshest, so you "squeeze" for freshness or softness.
Did you know that bread is delivered fresh to the stores five days a
week?
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. And each day has a
different color twist tie. They are :
Monday - Blue
Tuesday - Green
Thursday - Red
Friday - White
Saturday - Yellow
So today being Thursday, I wanted a red twist tie --not white which is
Friday (almost a week old?)
The colors go alphabetically by color Blue - Green - Red - White
-Yellow,
Monday thru Saturday. Very easy to remember.
Enjoy fresh bread when you buy bread with the right color on the day you
are shopping.
GRILLING RECIPES, TIPS & HINTS
Always Remember...
· Make sure the meat is fully defrosted and do not place the meat directly on the grill after removing from the fridge. Let the meat sit on the counter while
preparing your fire. It will be no more than 25-30 minutes.
· If marinating, pat dry the meat with paper towels so the meat cooks evenly.
· If using a water smoker or an aluminum pan in the grill, always use hot water. That way the water is already hot and able to steam. You are not wasting
the fuels energy of heating cold water.
· Always use a thermometer to regulate the grill or pit temperature.
· If the cooker or kettle cooking temperature needs to be increased you must add lighted charcoal to the existing fire, do not add unlit charcoal.
· Try not to lift the cover and peek unless you are adding lighted charcoal or basting.
Wood chunks (if you are using them) and charcoal should be added at the same time that you baste the meat. The more you lift, the longer it will take to
cook the food.
!!!And here's something to conserve energy!!!
Use plastic bottles that soft drinks, milk, or juices come in, in all
sizes, to fill the empty places in your freezer.
Not only will be keeping
your freezer filled make it run more efficiently, but you'll be better
prepared for electrical outages, (the extra ice will keep things frozen
longer) and have safe emergency water supplies.
Extra Tip:
If you wind
up with too many in the summer, toss them in the kid's swimming pool to
keep
the water cool. Neat 'ice cubes' for coolers also.
Skin So Soft and it's uses....
It's a bath oil
It's an after shower moisturizer
(put on while still wet and towel dry)
It can be used to remove makeup
It's a suntan oil (no sunscreen)
It's a good insect repellent for people and their pets
as recommended in
OUTDOOR LIFE & FIELD & STREAM magazines
It's a hot oil treatment to soften nails
It's a good massage oil for those overworked,
sore muscles
It helps to relieve itching caused by insect
bites and dry skin
It keeps crawling bugs and mosquitoes out of
your house by sponging it on screens & around doors and windows
It's a good wood cleaner and conditioner for
natural wood
It cuts grease from kitchen cabinets with ease
It removes chewing gum from hair, skin and
most non porous surfaces
It removes glue and gum from price tags and
labels, from glass, metal and most plastics
It cleans tape marks from skin left from bandages
It cleans ink from skin and most vinyl and
painted surfaces
It gently cleans heavy oil and grease from
skin and non porous surfaces
(great for mechanic's hands)
It removes soap scum from shower doors, shower curtains, windows,
kitchen and bathroom fixtures
It removes lime and hard water deposits from
windows, fixtures, shower doors and tiles
It removes tar spots from car finishes without damaging paint finish
It's an oil lubricant for fitting pipe joints that won't slip together
easily as they used to
It removes paint and stain from skin-much
gentler than turpentine
It cleans brushes easily and leaves them
soft as new
It removes gum from carpet
It cuts grease and cleans dirt from range hoods
It helps kill fleas when added to dog's bath
(1 1/2 oz to a qt. of water)
It oils squeaky hinges
And here's hints for Rubbing Alcohol
Remove cigarette or cigar smoke stain and smell from mirrors, computers,
or other household items.
A Chef friend tells us he uses it to clean the stainless steel and hood
system at his restaurant.
As a finishing touch he gives the steel a light coat of mineral oil for
even more shine.
Keep a mop sweet smelling by spraying or dipping mop in Alcohol before
storing.
Keep a container of alcohol with a large mouth on the counter to soak
kitchen
shears or implements used for cutting chicken or meat.
Use a container
with a lid;
Alcohol evaporates quickly.
Let tools stand in Alcohol for at least 10
minutes to disinfect then clean as usual.
Remove permanent marker from glass or plastic with a cotton swab dipped
in alcohol. Rub hard!
Can also do some of these with Bleach!
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