Rediscover manual tools

photo by LeifheitUSA

Manual tools are often preferred over their electric counterparts. Electric tools tend to take up more space, cost more money to buy and run, and they’re noisy. They make some jobs a cinch, but there are tasks in which manual tools make more sense. For example, I’ll grab my manual can opener to open cans and use a hand grater over my food processor almost every time. What manual tools do you prefer? The first reader tip shares one to consider.

TRY MANUAL OPTIONS: Last year I picked up an old Bissel carpet sweeper rug cleaner. You know, stick for a handle and little head with brushes that twirl when you push or pull it. I’m sure your grandma had one. Mine did. Now I vacuum with the power vacuum twice a week, and the other five days I “push broom.” No one’s noticed any difference yet, and I’m saving electricity five days a week. — Vail, Washington

CHEAP COPPER OR SILVER CLEANER: I have copper-bottomed pots and pans. I used to buy that expensive cream copper cleaner. Now I use lemon juice and salt. Today I discovered I didn’t have any lemon juice, so I used a slice of dehydrated lemon, got it wet and sprinkled on salt. It worked great! Lemon juice and salt also works on tarnished silverware. — Rainey, Ohio

PREVENT WICKER FROM CRACKING: I learned this one from my grandma and my lovely late mother. If you have wicker or rattan porch/deck furniture, take a paintbrush and paint it with vegetable oil, and rub it in with a soft rag. It keeps the wicker from becoming brittle and breaking. When I was little, I used to think my mom was crazy for doing this. Now I’m doing the same! Also, rinse your drinking glasses with hot water and about 4 tablespoons vinegar to have spot-free glasses. This is handy if you don’t’ have a dishwasher — Stephanie S., Missouri

MAKE YOUR OWN INSTANT RICE: When you’re making rice, double or triple what you actually need, then freeze the extra. Place in refrigerator to chill. Transfer rice to freezer bags and freeze. You just need to heat it through when you need it. Awesome for brown rice. — Tai, Massachusetts

CLEAN PAINTBRUSHES: Soak your dried-up or gummed-up paintbrushes in hot vinegar and they will come out like new. — Jan, Indiana

SKIN SOFTENER: This is something I love to do in the winter time. If you ever need a nice pedicure and your feet are dry, drown your feet in cheap Vaseline (I mean a ton) and put socks on and go to bed. The next morning your feet with feel so baby soft. I know it’s simple, but I love it. — Palooka, Missouri

EASY PET BED: We have a beagle that for whatever reason makes a big mess of his bed. He has to sleep on something soft or he won’t go to sleep. After buying him pet beds that end up getting messed up and not being able to wash them because they don’t fit in the washer, I bought him a regular bed pillow. He LOVES it. I got it on sale and the pillow cases on sale. I can wash the pillowcases weekly or more often if needed. And the pillow fits in the washer, so I can run it through the sanitize cycle when it needs it. A bed pillow won’t work for a large breed like a Lab, but I thought I’d pass the idea along to those of you with smaller breeds. — Janie, Virginia

Posted by Sara Noel on March 20 2010. Filed under Frugal Tips.
Sara Noel owns Frugal Village, LLC and is a nationally syndicated columnist with Universal Uclick. Bio, Follow me on Twitter, Join us on Facebook