Sherri's Helpful Hints

More Uses for Everyday Household Items

Wilson® Tennis Balls

Store valuables. Make a two-inch slit along one seam of a Wilson Tennis Ball, then place valuables inside. If you hide the doctored tennis ball among your other sports equipment, remember not to use it.

Fluff your down jacket in the dryer and reduce static cling. Throw in a handful of Wilson Tennis Balls to fluff the down while the jacket is tumbling in the dryer.

Childproof the sharp corners of furniture. Cut old Wilson Tennis Balls in half or quarters and use Scotch Packaging Tape to tape the sections over sharp corners of coffee tables, end tables, cabinets, dining room tables, and other pieces of furniture that might be dangerous to a small child.

Make parking cars in your garage easier. Hang a Wilson Tennis Ball on a string from the garage ceiling so it will hit the windshield at the spot where you should stop your car.

Prevent a chrome trailer hitch from getting scratched. Slit a Wilson Tennis Ball and put it over the trailer hitch as a protective cover.

Make a walker glide more easily. Cut a hole in two Wilson Tennis Balls and fit them on the back feet of the walker.

Give yourself a foot massage. Roll your foot over a Wilson Tennis Ball.

Make a back massager. Put several Wilson Tennis Balls inside a sock and tie at the end. This is frequently used by the labor coach to massage the back of a woman in labor.

Remove cobwebs from unreachable places. Wrap a Wilson Tennis Ball inside a dust cloth secured with a few rubber bands, then toss at the distant cobweb.

Play "basket tennis." Remove the bottom from an empty coffee can, and nail the can above the garage door. Use a Wilson Tennis Ball to play basketball.

Strengthen your grip. Squeeze a Wilson Tennis Ball in each hand.

Prevent snoring. Sew a Wilson Tennis Ball inside a pocket on the back of your pajama top to prevent you from sleeping on your back.

Prevent a deck chair from slipping through the cracks of a dock. Slit four Wilson Tennis Balls and fit them on the feet of the deck chair.

Make a back massager. Put several Wilson Tennis Balls inside a sock and tie the sock at the end. This type of massager is frequently used by a labor coach to massage the back of a woman in labor.

Keep your car door open without wasting the battery. Wedge a Wilson Tennis Ball into the door jamb to depress the interior light switch.

Tidy Cats®

Create emergency traction for automobiles. Keep a bag of Tidy Cats in your car trunk in case you get stuck in the ice or snow. When poured under the tire, it provides excellent traction.

Soak up car oil and transmission fluid. Tidy Cats works as an absorbent to pick up transmission leaks from garage floors. Pour a thick layer of unused Tidy Cats over the puddle, wait 24 hours, and sweep up with a broom. Scrub clean with a solution of detergent and hot water.

Deodorize a garbage can. Cover bottom of garbage can with one inch of unused Tidy Cats to absorb grease and moisture.

Prevent mildew in bathtub. Pour unused Tidy Cats in a flat box and place in your bathtub when you leave your house for a long time to prevent mildew. (Keep the bathroom door closed if you have cats so they don't use it.)

Deodorize a stale refrigerator. Pour unused Tidy Cats in a flat box, place it on the middle shelf, and shut the door for five days.

Provide traction on snow-covered driveways and sidewalks. Sprinkle unused Tidy Cats on the snow-covered walk.

Prevent musty, damp odors in a closed summer house. Fill shallow boxes with unused Tidy Cats. Place one in each room before closing up the house to soak up musty, lingering odors.

Deodorize sneakers. Fill the feet of knee high hose with unused Tidy Cats, tie the ends, and place inside sneakers overnight.

Prevent grease fires in barbecue grills. Cover bottom of grill with a three-quarter inch layer of unused Tidy Cats to reduce fires.