| How To Clean Anything |
In The Kitchen ~ Clothing Stains ~ Baking Soda ~ Vinegar ~ Painting ~ General Tips |
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| Use lifesaver candies to hold candles in place on your next birthday cake. Kids love 'em! |
| Poke an egg with a small sewing needle before hard-boiling, and the egg will peel with ease and hold that needle in place with a magnet refrigerator clip. |
| Zap garlic cloves in the microwave for 15 seconds and the skins slip right off. |
| To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes. |
| To prevent eggshells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling. |
| Sweeten whipped cream with confectioners' sugar instead of granulated sugar. It will stay fluffy and hold its shape better. |
| Spray your tupperware with non-stick cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces. No more stains. |
| Transfer your jelly to a small plastic squeeze bottle no more messy, sticky jars or knives. This also works well for homemade salad dressing. |
| When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead no white mess on the outside of the cake. Or, for a real treat, try using sugar to sprinkle in the pan for an extra treat. |
| Next time you need a quick ice pack, grab a bag of frozen vegetables out of your freezer. No watery leaks from a plastic baggie. |
| Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator it will keep for weeks. |
| To ripen avocados and bananas, enclose them in a brown paper bag with an apple for 2-3 days. |
| Place a slice of bread in hardened brown sugar to soften it back up. |
| When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corns' natural sweetness. |
| To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh ~ if it rises to the surface, throw it away. |
| Garlic on hands ~ Try washing your hands with toothpaste |
| If too much salt was added to your soup or stew, drop in a whole potato. It will absorb the salt. Remove & discard the potato when soup or stew is done cooking. |
| Sprinkle a little salt in your frying pan before cooking to avoid grease splatter. |
| Sticky mixtures such as honey, molasses, syrup will pour out easier if you dip the cup in flour. |
| Thicken gravy with a bit of instant mashed potatoes. |
| If the power was out for a while and the freezer foods have thawed out leaving a smell afterwards, use charcoal or kitty litter to get rid of the odour. Baking soda or a cotton ball dipped in vanilla will remove fridge odours. |
| To clean copper try soaking the article in sour milk for an hour or so, then clean as usual. Works wonders! You can also clean your copper or brass by rubbing with a lemon oil and salt mixture, and dry with a soft cloth. |
| Bay leaves in the kitchen drawers, flour and sugar containers keep insects away. |
| Dry mustard will remove onion odours from your hands and cutting board. Simply rub in then rinse off. |
| Clear a room from smoke with vinegar. If you're having a gathering of smokers, pour vinegar in small containers, and place them in areas not visible. |
| Sweeten the smell of your disposal with the rind of a grapefruit, orange or lemon. |
Ring around the collar ~ Rub shampoo on the stained area before washing. Always keep a cheap bottle of shampoo as a stain remover for clothing. You can also make a paste of vinegar and baking soda to rub into the soiled area. |
Blood stains are best removed by soaking the clothing in "cold" water only. Rubbing a little bit of detergent on the stain before throwing it in the wash will help also. Bartenders use soda water to remove blood stain off their clothing. |
Ball point pen stains can be removed by spraying hair spray on the area; let the hairspray dry and wash. Table salt will absorb ink when it is spilled. Add salt until the "wet ink" has been absorbed, then vacuum or wash. Rubbing alcohol can also be used for other types of ink and is also good for removing ink marks on leather car seats. It will fade the ink marks tremendously. |
Regular dish soap is great for removing bicycle grease, sun tan oil and gravy from clothing. Pine Sol is also good to rub into the clothing before you wet it; then wash as usual. |
In The Kitchen ~ Clothing Stains ~ Baking Soda ~ Vinegar ~ Painting ~ General Tips |
Stainless Steel sinks and bathroom fixtures can be cleaned with white vinegar or club soda applied on a dry cloth or rubbing alcohol on a damp cloth. Also, you can try spraying the fixtures liberally with Spray & Wash laundry soil and stain remover then rub with dry cloth for an excellent shine. |
A wine stain can sometimes be removed from a table cloth by rubbing it with table salt. |
BAKING SODA is a good standby for stain removal. For rust stains on a cast iron skillet, sprinkle baking soda in the pan, then scrub with a wet cloth. Rust is all gone! Also works well on all enamel finishes. |
Rub baking soda on the inside of stained teacups/coffee mugs. Comet works terrific too; wash with dish detergent afterwards. |
Pour liberal amount directly on spills for carpets and upholstery. Vacuum or brush off when dry. |
Use as a deodorizer ~ carpets ~ fridge ~ shoes ~ car ashtrays. |
Unclog drains with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. |
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VINEGAR is an effective soap scum and mildew remover in the shower. Wipe the surface with vinegar soaked cloth. Done weekly, the mildew will not return. |
Mix vinegar and water for a terrific glass cleaner. |
Pour vinegar in the toilet bowl and let soak for 10 minutes. Lime scale can then be scrubbed off. |
PAINTING shortcuts are always a welcome. Try these next time: |
Put a strip of masking tape accross the top of the open can. This makes scraping your paint brush a breeze and the groove doesn't get full of paint. I usually like to put 3 thicknesses of tape to secure it better. |
If you need to paint with the same roller, wrap it in a few grocery bags, securing it with a twist tie, and put in the freezer. When ready to paint, just remove from freezer and roll your little heart out. Best idea yet!! Thanks Mom :-) |
Clean toothbrush holder grooves with vinegar and a cotton swab or an old toothbrush. |
Keep a plastic colander to hold your child's toys in the bathtub. |
Rubbing alcohol will remove hair spray mist from a bathroom mirror. |
Chewing gum from a child's hair can be easily removed by rubbing peanut butter, olive oil or cold cream into the hair. |
Dissolve half a tsp. of meat tenderizer in water and apply to skin to relieve pain and itching due to insect bites. |
Lemon Extract will remove black scuff marks from luggage. |
Stop squeaky doors with Avon Skin So Soft. This oil is also a good bug repellent. |
Sharpen your scissors and knives by sliding over the bottom of a mug. |
Use lighter fuel to remove sticky labels. |
Remove permanent marker from white boards by writing over with a white board marker and rubbing off immediately. |
In The Kitchen ~ Clothing Stains ~ Baking Soda ~ Vinegar ~ Painting ~ General Tips |
Hope I was able to help you out!
Updated July 22, 2001
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