General Household Hints and Tips

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Recycling Tips


1. Kleenex boxes - Store plastic grocery store bags in them. You can then grab the bag just like you grab a tissue out of the box.


2. Envelopes - Carefully open the envelope and turn it inside out, so the address is on the inside. Re-glue or tape the flaps down. Or make your own envelopes out of scraps of paper, wrapping paper, newspaper, old phone book pages, or wallpaper scraps (see below).


3. Happy Meal boxes - Save the boxes, and when your child needs to be cheered up, make them their own happy meal! Add your own nutritious foods and a favorite toy. Or pick up inexpensive items from the dollar store: stickers, special pencils, etc (usually 10 for a dollar) as the toy.


4. Ziplock bags - Wash and rinse bags, then store them in the freezer to prevent mildew.


5. Tennis ball - Split it and hide your valuables inside.


6. Coffee cans (big ones) - Make toy "stilts"! Poke holes (with a can opener) on either side of the can and thread a jumprope through and they can walk on the cans while holding the jumpropes. Cool!


7. Egg cartons - Use to make seed starter trays. If you use the heavy cardboard trays, you can compost the cardboard when you pop the seedling out, or you could bury it next to the seedling to decompose. Use to make extra ice cubes or to freeze soup stock and gravy.


8. Old clothes - Use to make quilts, pillows, and blankets. Always save the buttons.


9. Broken candles - Melt them down to make new candles. Add broken crayons for color.


10. Nylon mesh bags from veggies - Cut the mesh into several pieces and use for plastic scouring pads to clean your dishes.

11. Used dryer softener sheets - Use for dusting instead of the Pledge grab-it or Swiffer cloths. Impossible to clean pots and pans - fill with water and used sheet, let sit for awhile, and stains will be easier to clean. Great for removing soap scum from shower doors!


12. Old pillow cases - Use for laundry bag.


13. Empty paper-towel roll - Store extension cords inside.


14. Frisbees - Use as paper plate holders at a picnic.


15. Mouse Pads - Use as a paint pallet. Use acrylic, oils, or most any paints. Wash when done, and reuse!


16. Newspaper - Use to clean windows, line trash cans, wrap presents. Use in place of peanuts when mailing packages, as fire starter, or as garden mulch.


17. Shoulder Pads - Use them to make padded hangers. Just sew a pad on each end of the hanger.


18. Wallpaper books/samples - Use to make book covers, decorative envelopes, or wrapping paper. Or make your own beautiful envelopes: take apart any envelope you have, and trace the pattern onto the back side of the wallpaper, then fold and glue or tape.


19. Film canisters - Store small items such as buttons, sequins, and small nails.



20. Soap scraps - Mix with water to make soap jelly. Put in sock, mesh, or used pantyhose to use in bath or for scenting drawers.


21. Pantyhose - Use for ponytail holders, to secure plants, or buffing your shoes.


22. Coffee filters - Use to clean and polish, or as a replacement for cheesecloth, paper towels, and napkins.


23. Glass jars & bottles - Use as a vase, for canning, or melt and pour wax in for candles.


24. Plastic grocery bags - Donate to local Salvation Army. They deliver meals on Wheels to elderly and are a non profit organization and need bags to put food in to deliver.


25. Plastic jugs - Cut out the side to make a big scoop or garden shovel, cut off the top and use as a funnel, fill with water and freeze to use in coolers, or cut off top and use bottom to store toilet brush.


26. Baby food jars - Fill with salt or cornmeal and use for paperweight, use for crafts, and for storing small items. Use for Use for individual Jar Mix Gifts: 1 cup of coffee mix, 1 cup of hot chocolate mix, or 1 cup of tea. Decorate jar, glue on ribbon, and attach gift tag with instructions.


27. Broken crayons - Sort by color, melt in old can, pour into molds that come with Jello gigglers, then kids have new crayons in all diferent shapes.

28. Socks - Use in crafts, to hold soaps, or to wash car.


29. Milk cartons - use for potting plants, or fill with water and freeze to make blocks of ice.


30. Soap Wrapper - Place it inside your shoe cabinet or shoe box. It's a cheap way of filling the air with a nice smell.


31. Pill Bottles - Use to carry pins, vitamins, or fill it with vaseline to use as lip gloss.


32. Junk Mail - Put it through paper shredder and use as packing material when shipping gifts.

[The March Hare]

Remove heat marks from dark furniture by gently rubbing with a walnut shell and then a little polish.


A small amount of salt added to washing up water will make glass really clean and shiny.


Stubborn stains on polished surfaces can sometimes be removed with a little toothpaste.

[The March Hare]

Due to the heat from an electric light bulb, over a period of time, it can become extremely difficult to unscrew the plastic components when it becomes necessary to change the shade etc. Running an ordinary pencil point over the threads before assembly will make future dismantling effortless. Graphite from the pencil point is a good heat resisting lubricator.

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Polish brass or bronze with a soft cloth dipped in lemon and baking-soda solution, or vinegar and salt solution.

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Toss a few old bath towels in the washing machine when you wash your shower curtains The towels will rub back and forth against the curtain, which helps remove all traces of dirt and soap scum. Hang shower curtains back up right out of the washing machine. They will dry quickly and the wrinkles will fall right out. Most have at least some plastic on them that can melt in the dryer

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To speed drying time of big bulky items and jeans, add a dry towel to the wet items you're placing in the dryer. The towel will help absorb some of the excess moisture.

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Don't want to spend a lot time on oven cleaning? Place ammonia (about 1 cup) in an aluminum pie pan and place it in the oven overnight. In the morning, simply remove the pan and wipe the oven clean with a damp sponge If you do this often (about once a month) you won't have to spend money on harmful chemicals to do the job.

[The March Hare]

To clean the inside a flower vase, particularly one of a difficult shape, fill with hot soapy water, add a teasthingy of dry rice and shake vigorously.


To clean glass decanters, put broken egg shells and water into decanter, shake vigorously. Leave overnight, rinse out well - should be sparkling.


To remove candle wax from material. Heat bowl of sthingy over candle, wet some newspaper and squeeze out excess water. Place damp paper over candle wax to be removed. Rub hot sthingy gently over paper where the wax is, remove paper and the wax should come away cleanly

[The March Hare]

To prevent pedestal mats which lay on carpet from making for the door, buy half a metre of adhesive backed Velcro, about 1 1/2 inches wide. Cut in half, detach one half of the Velcro and fasten it to its other half. Stick the adhesive side of the Velcro to the underside of the mat down the left and right hand sides. Remove the backing from the Velcro and carefully place the mat in position on the carpet and press down.

No more bending down to put it back!

[The March Hare]

CONTACT LENSES

If your contact lenses fall on the floor, darken the room and slowly and methodically shine a torch or small lamp back and forth across the floor area. The light should make the lens glint, even in a deep pile rug.

If you don't want to scratch them while feeling for them, use a piece of bread and dab it on the floor. The lenses will stick to the bread and there will be no scratching

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To keep lint and dust off glass top tables, wash them in a solution of warm water and fabric softener. Add one tablesthingy of liquid fabric softener to one quart of warm water. The fabric softener will clean the glass inexpensively and will help keep lint from gathering on the glass. Also great for computer screens and TV's.

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Don't throw away odd socks or socks with holes in them, use them to make a mop. Tie several socks (10 -12 works best) to a mop or broom handle and use just like you would a regular mop. White cotton socks work best for this project and by the time the "sock mop" wears out, you'll probably have plenty more socks to make a new one.

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To aid in washing dishes, add a tablesthingy of baking soda to your soapy water--it softens hands while cutting through grease.

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When you have a spill in your oven, sprinkle some salt on it right away. Then when the oven cools wipe it off.

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When converting your favorite recipe for microwave cooking reduce the liquid by one-fourth. Liquid does not evaporate in a microwave as much as it does in a conventional oven.

[The March Hare]

To stop sofa cushions from slipping, cut a piece of material roughly two inches smaller than the offending cushion. Thin smooth material works best. Lightly spray first one side and then the other of this material with 3M repositionable spray adhesive (can be obtained from office suppliers or art/graphics material suppliers). Follow the instructions carefully and be sure to protect from overspray. Carry out this procedure in a well ventilated area (outside if possible). Allow about twenty minutes drying time then carefully place the tacky material on the sofa base and neatly place the cushion on top.
It will only move now when you want it to. The cushion can be moved three or four times before the adhesive needs renewing.

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Using Vinegar for CLEANING

1. Cleans Glass. Mixed with water or simply sprayed full-strength on glass and mirrors, vinegar does a great job quickly and easily.
Simply wipe windows dry with crumpled-up newspapers and watch your windows sparkle.

2. Clean your car. Use it full-strength to polish car chrome with a
cloth and see it shine! Use it on your car's windshield and windows, too.

3. Cleans drinking glasses. Soak cloudy drinking glasses in warmed white vinegar for a few hours to remove the film, simply wipe clean, rinse, and dry.

4. Clean your washing machine. Periodically run a gallon of
distilled vinegar through your washing machine to clean it
thoroughly, get rid of soap scum, and clear out the hoses. Run the machine through the warm water wash cycle empty and then add the vinegar during the rinse cycle.

5. Furniture Polish. Make your own furniture polish with one part
vinegar and three parts lemon oil or olive oil.

6. Remove price tags or stickers Paint them with several coats of
vinegar and let it soak in. Depending what you are removing them off of is whether they'll slide off easily or require a little heavier rubbing.

7. Clean your IRON Put vinegar in the water holder and let it steam itself clean. Remember to flush it with water when you are done.

8. Clean paintbrushes Simmer paintbrushes in pure vinegar, then wash in hot soapy water.

9. Wash walls. Wipe down your walls with a vinegar-water mixture and it will help absorb odors and clean the surfaces.

10. Remove spots from glass.Use a vinegar-soaked cloth to remove spots from any glassware or crystal.

11. Unclog drains Pour boiling white vinegar down clogged drains to remove the clog!

12. Clean jars. Remove odors and stains from jars by cleaning them out with vinegar.

13. Clean an old lunchbox. Soak a piece of bread in vinegar and let it sit in the lunchbox over night.

14. Clean and deodorize a garbage disposal Make vinegar ice cubes and feed them down the disposal. After grinding, run cold water through

15. Teapot cleaning Boil a mixture of water and vinegar in the
teapot. Wipe away the grime.

16. Dishwasher cleaning Run a cup of vinegar through the whole cycle once a month to reduce soap build up on the inner mechanisms and on glassware.

17. Microwaves Boil a solution of 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of
water in the microwave. Will loosen splattered on food and deodorize.

18. Remove smoke smells from clothing Add a cup of vinegar to a bath tub of hot water. Hang clothes above the steam.

19. Clean eyeglasses Wipe each lens with a drop of vinegar.

20. Remove stains from furniture and upholstery Remove stubborn stains from furniture upholstery and clothes. Apply Heinz White Vinegar directly to the stain, then wash as directed by the manufacturer's instructions.

21. Natural air deodorizer Heinz Vinegar is a natural air freshener
when sprayed in a room.

22. Remove rust Soak the rusted tool, bolt, or spigot in undiluted
Heinz White Vinegar overnight.

23. Toilet bowl Pour in one cup of Heinz White Vinegar, let it stand for five minutes, and flush.

24. Brighten fabrics Add a 1/2 cup vinegar to the rinse cycle.

25. Natural cleaning wipes A cloth soaked with vinegar for
sanitizing kitchen counters, stove, and bathroom surfaces. This is just as effective as the anti-bacterial products and does not
promote resistant strains like the commercial products can, this is also a cheaper and greener way to protect your loved ones.

26. Remove lint from laundry Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse
cycle.

27. Remove grease from suede Dip a toothbrush in vinegar and gently brush over grease spot.

28. Remove perspiration stains from clothing Apply one part vinegar to four parts water, then rinse.

29. Clean coffee or tea stains from china A mixture of salt and
vinegar will clean coffee and tea stains from chinaware.

30. Clean coffeepots and coffee makers Vinegar can help to dissolve mineral deposits that collect in automatic drip coffee makers. Fill the reservoir with vinegar and run it through a brewing cycle. Rinse thoroughly with water when the cycle is finished.

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Sprinkle cinnamon on aluminum foil and place it in a hot oven, leaving the door open. As the cinnamon heats, the cinnamon will permiate the house.

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Did you know you can freeze milk? Next time it is on sale, pick up several gallons and freeze it!

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Close off unused rooms. If you currently heat and cool several seldom-used rooms in your home, you are wasting energy and money. Consider closing the air ducts and doors in rooms used mostly for storage and occasionally for guests. Closing unused rooms may reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 20 percent, depending on the proportion of your home's total square footage the closed rooms comprise. Check with the dealer of the heating and cooling system in your home to determine whether closing off rooms has the potential to harm the system.