These are tips and helpful hints that I've been collecting throughout my life. Some of them come from relatives, some from friends, and some from magazines such as Better Homes and Gardens®, Family Circle®, Martha Stewart's Living®, etc. I hope you find something that may be useful to you and if you have any of your own you may want to share, please don't be shy! We could ALWAYS use tips, hints and ideas to make our lives a little easier!!!
Use paper towels instead of newspaper to wrap dishes, glassware, etc., when you move. This will keep the glasses cleaner than if you used newsprint, and the towels can be used for clean-up jobs once you are unpacked.
(Patti Whitman/San Diego, CA)
Use a lamb's-wool mitt as a dust rag. The mitt attracts dust like a magnet, is machine washable and can be air-dried.
(Maria Miller/Russellville, AR)
If your fingernails have turned yellow from too much dark nail polish, dip them - for a few seconds only - in a bowl of water containing a dissolved denture-cleaning tablet.
(Olivia Simpson/Cairo, GA)
To keep cheese fresh and mold-free, place two sugar cookies in a re-sealable plastic bag along with the cheese, and taste the difference!
(Adeline F. Kiss/Helena, MT)
Store an old plastic shower curtain in the trunk of your car. The next time you have to check for a leak or change a tire, place the curtain on the ground to catch any drips to help speed the clean-up.
(Marjorie Willard/Shawnee Mission, KS)
To separate two delicate glasses that are stuck together, one inside the other, set the bottom glass in a pot of hot water while at the same time fill the top glass with cold water. The glasses should separate in minutes.
(Carla J. Gandy/Kihei, HI)
Here is a simple way to prevent hot oil splatters from getting all over the stove. Place a metal colander upside down over the frying pan. The steam given off from the food will escape, but the grease won't splash around.
(Lorraine Halli/Lakeville, MN)
Buy large bags of potato chips, popcorn or pretzels, and re-bag them in individual plastic bags so they're ready to pop into your child's lunch box.
(Patricia Freiwald/Hamburg, PA)
Save flour and reduce your mess at the same time by using a brand-new powder puff to dust the pastry board.
(T.C./Mayfield, KY)
Use see-through plastic containers for storing plastic building blocks. It will make the toys easy to find and keep them organized.
(Carrie McKenna/Creighton, PA)
Thoroughly wash and dry an empty cinnamon jar with a sifter top and then fill it with flour. The flour will then be easy to use for all of your recipes. The jar is also easy to grip even if your hands are greasy or sticky.
(Marily Steele/Spring Lake, MI)
If you use a curling iron often, hang it over a cup hook attached to the side of the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. the curling iron will be easily accessible and safely hidden away from water and other potential hazards.
(Dot Cooper/Gaffney, SC)
If you have a hard time removing a stubborn screw, hold a lit match over the tip of the screwdriver for five seconds. The hot tip will then easily twist out the screw.
(Ann Molesworth/Amarillo, TX)
Use mint flavored dental floss to secure vines to a trellis. Floss is weather resistant, yet gentle to plants. And the green color of the floss conveniently blends in with the plants.
(Jean Banet/Crestwood, KY)
To ripen green bananas quickly, simply wrap them in newspaper.
(Charlotte Levin/Tamarac, FL)
Whenever you need to combine grocery shopping with running other errands, keep a large cooler in the back of your car to hold refrigerated items from the supermarket. This will prevent them from getting spoiled.
(Regina Powell/Pittsburgh, PA)
Get rid of unpleasant freezer odor by placing a few lemon wedges in the freezer. Replace the wedges as needed to keep the freezer odor-free.
(Roberta D'Uva/New Port Richey, FL)
After you open a jar for the first time, spray the threads of the lid and the jar with non-stick cooking spray. You'll have no trouble opening the jar again.
(Pauline Holmes/Westland, MI)
Stop all-cotton clothes from getting wrinkled in the dryer with this tip: After washing, spray a little bit of starch on the items; then put them in the dryer. They will come out virtually wrinkle-free.
(Cathy Speer/Powder Springs, GA)
To get the last bit of shampoo out of the bottom of the bottle, float the container in warm water for a few minutes. The warmth should loosen the shampoo so it will pour out easily.
(Cheri L. Cunningham/Cloverdale, OR)
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Last revised: November 23, 1999
