Sherri's Helpful Hints

More Uses for Everyday Household Items

Crayola Chalk

Prevent an ant invasion. Draw a line of Crayola Chalk around windows and doors outside your home, and around water pipes inside your home. Ants will not cross a chalk line.

Clean ring-around-the-collar. Mark the stain heavily with white Crayola Chalk. The chalk will absorb the sebum oil that holds in the dirt.

Prevent silverware from tarnishing. Place a piece of Crayola Chalk in your silver chest to absorb moisture.

Cover spots on white suede. Rub with Crayola chalk.

Prevent tools from rusting. Place a few pieces of Crayola Chalk in your toolbox to absorb moisture.

Prevent dampness in a closet. Tie together a handful of Crayola Chalk and hang the bundle from the clothes rod to absorb moisture.

Prevent a screwdriver from slipping. Rub Crayola Chalk on the tip.

Polish marble and metal. Pulverize a few sticks of Crayola Chalk with a mortar and pestle until it is a fine powder. Dip a soft cloth in the powder, wipe the marble or metal, then rinse with clear water, and dry thoroughly.

Fill a hole in a plaster wall. Insert a piece of Crayola Chalk into the hole, cut it off even with the wall, then plaster.

Repel slugs. Slugs will not cross a chalk line.

Remove grease. Rub Crayola Chalk on a grease spot on clothing or table linens, let it absorb the oil, then brush off. Launder as usual.

Draw on sidewalks. Create games, maps, and adventures.

Prevent costume jewelry from tarnishing. Place a piece of Crayola Chalk in your jewelry box

Glad Flexible Straws

Unclog a freshly opened ketchup bottle. Insert a Glad Flexible Straw all the way into the bottle to add air and start the ketchup flowing.

Blow bubbles. Diagonally cut the end of a Glad Flexible Straw, dip into bubble soap, and blow.

Prevent strings on pull toys from getting tangled. Run the string through one or more Glad Flexible Straws and knot it at the end.

Extend the spout of an oil can. Put a Glad Flexible Straw over the end of the spout of an oil can to reach tight spots.

Prevent tangles in fine chain jewelry. Run the chain through a length of Glad Flexible Straw and fasten the catch.

String plastic straw necklaces. Instead of using macaroni, let the kids cut up Glad Flexible Straws and run a string of yarn through them to make necklaces.

Elongate flower stems that are too short for a vase. Insert the flower stem into a Glad Flexible Straw cut to whatever length you need

Make croquet wickets visible on the lawn. Run the wickets through Glad Flexible Straws before sticking them in the ground.

Improvise an eyedropper. Insert a Glad Flexible Straw into the liquid, cover the open end of the straw with your finger, and lift. The liquid will stay in the straw until you release your finger

Mark a stitch when knitting. Cut a one-eighth inch length from a Glad Flexible Straw and use as a ring to mark a stitch on needles up to size ten.