Household Hints
Air Fresheners
When stick-on air fresheners lose their odor, remove the plastic top. Soak the felt in boiling hot water for several seconds. Place it on a paper towel to absorb most of the water. Replace the felt and lid. Or just run them under hot water briefly. They last and last and last if you do this every couple days.
Attach a stick-on air freshener in your favorite scent to the top of one of the blades on your ceiling fan. Turn on the fan (use the low setting so as not to dislodge the freshener) to circulate the fragrance throughout the room.
Place a drop of scented oil on a cotton ball, and add it to your vacuum-cleaner bag.
Ants
For a nontoxic ant repellent, drip lemon juice into floor boards, window sills, cracks in the walls, or any other place where ants appear.
Submitted by Ron Henslee, Missouri
We saw a lot of ants in the cupboard and investigated. They were drawn by some sugar that was spilled there. Laying close by was an Alka Seltzer. Yes... dead ants too. They must have died after eating it. Worth a try. It works here in Missouri!
Bathmats
Instead of throwing away old towels, cut out the best parts and stitch them together to make a bath mat.
Blankets
When space is tight, store blankets by laying them out smoothly between the mattress and springs of a bed.
Brass
Coat freshly-polished brass with wood finishing oil, such as tung oil. It makes the shine last three times as long. When you are ready to clean the brass again, remove the oil by wiping the surface with a little paint thinner on a soft, cotton cloth. You are now ready to polish and re-oil the brass.
Brooms
A new straw broom will last longer if you soak it in hot, heavily salted water before you use it for the first time.
Candles
To remove candle wax from upholstery or carpet: After wax hardens, scrape up excess with a dull knife. Place a white paper towel over the remaining wax. Place a warm iron over the paper towel and press gently. Repeat until all the wax is transferred to the paper towel. If the wax was colored and leaves a stain, pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol on a rag; gently dab the stain. Mix one teaspoon of a neutral detergent (a mild detergent containing no alkalies or bleaches) with a cup of lukewarm water. Blot.
To mend a candle that has broken, hold the two pieces under very hot water to melt the wax, then press the two parts together.
Save the stubs of candles in a coffee can. Melt all the scraps together. Insert a wick to make a new candle.
Use a piece of raw spaghetti to light candles. This prevents burned fingers.
Store candles in the freezer. They will burn longer and drip less.
Carpet
To remove indentations caused by furniture rearrangement, apply moisture from a steam iron and brush the nap of the carpet.
Cement Floors
To prevent painted cement floors from peeling, before you paint them again, pour a bottle of white vinegar in a bucket and "paint" your floors with it first. After the vinegar dries, apply a coat of paint. This will work on most metal surfaces, also.
Chrome
To polish chrome, take a small sheet of aluminum foil and turn the shiniest side out. Dampen the chrome with water and polish with the foil. The foil will turn black, but your chrome will shine.
Cockroaches/Silverfish
An effective pesticide is to use a 50-50 mixture of boric acid and sugar every night for about 10 days. Sprinkle on wiped-dry sinks, drain boards, tubs, showers, around pipes, and behind baseboards. CAUTION: Keep children and pets away.
A one-pound can of boric acid compound can effectively keep a house cockroach-free for one year. It will not kill roaches as rapidly as some pesticides, but it has by far the longest lasting effect. Sprinkle it in cracks, crevices, under sinks and in other dark places.
Copper
To clean copper-bottom saucepans, smother the surface with tomato sauce, leave for a little while, rub stubborn areas and rinse.
Curtains
Restore the body to limp Dacron curtains by soaking them in one gallon of water mixed with one cup Epsom salts, then rinse.
Make good looking curtains from bed sheets, either plain or fancy.
Dishwasher
Try a tablespoon of vinegar in the dishwasher rinse - it's a lot cheaper than the commercial rinse aids.
Run 1/8 cup citric acid crystals through a dishwasher cycle to get rid of any brown spot build up.
Save energy by turning off the heat dry, and popping open the dishwasher to let the dishes air dry at the end of the wash and final rinse cycle.
Drains
For clogged drains, pour in equal amounts of baking soda and salt. Follow that with a pot of boiling water, and flush with cold water to keep them open.
Drawers
If drawers stick, rub a bar of ordinary hand soap across the runners to make them glide smoothly.
Dusting
Wear old cotton gloves to dust with instead of carrying a rag around.
If you can't shake your dust mop outside, shake it inside a large paper bag.
Dustpans
Wax them and the dirt will slide right out.
Faucets
To polish, place a dab or two of toothpaste on a wet sponge and rub the faucets and handles briskly, then rinse them with clear water.
Fireplace
Before cleaning ashes out, mist the ashes with a spray bottle filled with water. This prevents the ashes from flying all over.
To clean a glass fireplace screen, wait until the morning after the fire. Dampen a paper towel with water, dip it in the cold ashes, and rub the glass with it. Wipe the glass with a clean paper towel or old newspaper. Toss used towels or newspaper into the fireplace to kindle the next fire.
Throw a few lemon peels into the winter fire to give your house a fresh, citrus fragrance.
Throw old candle stubs into your fire kindling and use them as starters.
Flashlights
Store your flashlight in the refrigerator to make batteries last longer.
Furniture
To remove water stains from wood furniture, blot and rub with a soft cloth if it is a fresh stain. Otherwise, rub in well a mixture of mayonnaise and cigarette ashes. Let it stand a little while before removing.
Hand Wipes
Make your own by putting three capfuls of baby shampoo into a spray bottle full of water. It works well and costs a lot less.
Hangers
To make sturdy hangers for heavy items, tape two or three wire hangers together.
Humidifier
To prevent lime deposits from building up, drop an old copper scouring pad into the water container.
Add a couple tablespoons of common bleach to your humidifier twice a week. The bleach will clean off slime and scale, kill bacteria, and make parts last longer. You can add a couple drops of fragrance to scent the bleach, if desired.
Eliminate musty odor by pouring three or four capsful of bottled lemon juice into the water.
Iron
To clean the bottom of the iron, sprinkle salt on the ironing board and iron back and forth.
Jewelry
Use a plastic ice cube tray to hold earrings.
Knick-Knacks
Collect them in a dishpan and wash them in a little liquid detergent and water. Rinse, then blow dry with a hair dryer.
Lights
To locate light switches in the dark, put a dot of luminous paint on tape and stick to the switches.
Linoleum
If you have kept some of the scraps, it is easy to repair the small holes. Just throw a small piece into your blender. Mix the dust with a little clear shellac or white glue. Fill the hole with the mixture.
Lint
To remove from upholstery, use an old, clean nylon stocking.
Mice
Keep a pet hamster in a cage. They and mice are natural enemies. The wild rodents will not come around when they smell a hamster.
Moths
For a natural substitute for moth balls, use dried lemon peels as a deterrent.
Painting
To keep a paint tray like new, insert it inside a plastic bag. Pour the paint into the try. When you're finished painting, pour the remaining paint back into the bucket (or an old jar if there's just a little bit left.
Glue a paper plate to the bottom of the paint can. The plate should be an inch or two wider all around than the can so it can catch drips. This saves you the trouble of moving newspapers around under the can.
When using an oil-based paint, keep a bottle of nail polish remover handy. Clean up spatters by dabbing with remover on a cotton ball.
Pewter
Clean old pewter by using a mild kitchen scouring powder moistened with olive oil. For a very stubborn stain, dip very fine steel wool (.0000) in water or kerosene and rub gently. Rinse with soap and water.
Plastic Bags
Before discarding plastic bags, tie them up in knots to ensure that animals or children cannot entangle themselves.
Potpourri
Stuff old socks with potpourri, tie them and hang them in closets for a wonderful smell.
Save glass jars with the lids. Punch holes in the lids. Fill the jars with potpourriand screw the lids on.
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