List of Tips - some I haven't heard yet

**Blessed** · 10-27-2006, 01:12 PM

First I want to apologize for doing more lurking than posting. I don't have internet at home and when I'm at my shop I'm usually too busy!

Dd brought this home from Preschool yesterday and I thought there were a few good tips here! It's funny how after you do some of these things for a while, you don't think about it.

To unclog a drain, add two 1000 mg Vitamin C tablets and let them dissolve overnight. Then, flush with hot water in the morning.

To keep dampness out of the closet, fill an old coffee can with charcoal briquettes and place it in the back of the closet.

Rub bathroom fixtures with half of a lemon to remove water deposits.

Pick up glitter off a table with ease by taking some tape and looping it with the sticky side out around your hand. Then press down on the table and keep repeating until all the glitter is removed. (this also works for lint)

When you need to paint the botom of a door, place a piece of scrap carpet under it to catch thany paint drippings.

Use leftover wrapping paper as shelf liner and drawer liners.

Keep flies away from a barbeque by filling a heat-safe bowl or pan with water and three drops of lavender oil. Put the bowl or pan on your grill and as the mixture heats up, the aroma will keep the flies away.

Sprinkle baby powder near doors and windows to keep ants from entering.

Recycle old plastic playing cards by using them to scrape off excess glue or caulking.

Use old 35 mm film canisters to carry slat and pepper in for picnics and camping. They also hold matches well.

Reuse a cylinder-shaped baby wipe container to hold yarn and dispense the yarn easily without tangling.

Cut cereal box tops off at an angle and they instantly become a magazine holder. Use fabric, paint or other material to decorate the box and you can add them to any room in the house.

Use old baby food jars to miz small amounts of paint.

Cut the pant leg off old jeans and tie them into a knot for a dog toy.

Remove the waistband of old pantyhose to use as a giant rubberband. You can use them to hold newspapers together, tie a garbage can lid to the can and more.

To clean a shower mat, use kerosene on a stiff brush along with warm water. Scrub the mat until clean and then rinse well.

Clean a bathtub ring by wiping it with a sponge that has a generous amount of baking soda on it. Rinse clean and then wipe dry. Another option is to use automatic dishwashing detergent and rub on with a cloth.

Keep grout joints on tile countertops clean by using one quart of water mixed with two tablespoons of chlorine bleach. Wash and then dry.

When soot adheres to fireplace tiles, clean them with a mixture of lemon juice and salt and then rinse well.

When you drop a glass on the floor, try using a damp piece of cotton cloth to pick up the small slivers of glass. The glass should adhere to the cloth and protect you from getting cut.

Rub discolored wodden bread boards and rolling pins with a cut lemon. Let the lemon juice stand for a few minutes and then rinse the boards and pins clean.

To remove the white film on the inside of vases, fill the vase with vinegar and leave it in for a few hours before rinsing. The white film should rinse away.

When a pet has an accident on the carpet, try this cleaning solution. Sponge the area with a solution of 1/2 cup white vinegar in a quart of warm water. The stain and smell should be removed easily with a few applications.

To remove a popsicle stain from carpet try using a teaspoon of mild detergent mixed with water. Sponge it on the stain and then wipe up using a circular motion.

When gum gets on carpet, rub the area with ice cubes until the gum is ice cold. Scrape up the gum with a spatula (or odd playing card?) Then clean the area with gentle soap and water.

If there is a cigarette burn on carpet, you can make it less noticeable. First clip the ends of the carpet to remove the blackened edges. The rub the area with water and a gentle cleaner. Let dry and reapply the cleaning solution if necessary.

Store appliance cords in empty toilet paper rolls to keep them neat and label them easily.

Apply rubbing alcohol using a paper towel and wipe to remove permanent marker on appliances.

To easily clean glass shelves, vases or ashtrays, simply place them in the dishwasher and let the wash cycle rinse them clean.

Use a hair dryer to quickly remove the steam off of a mirror after stepping out of the shower.

Save plastic grocery bags to use in the home as trash bags. To easily store them cut a three inch hole in a gallon milk jug that is empty and rinsed out. Stuff the bags in the jug when you get them and then just take them out as you need them.

Use a mixture of 1/4 cup salt and 1 cup vinegar to clean brass. Add enough flour to the mixture to make a paste. Then rub onto the brass item and wipe the mixture off with a clean cloth.

Apply car wax to new tile in the bathroom to repel water and keep them clean longer. The wax will give it a nice shine as well.

Place a bath towel in the bottom of a toy chest before filling with toys. Then once every few months clean out the toy chest. It there are any little pieces that have broken off toys, simply gather up the towel and shake it out in the garbage for easy clean up.

Add spell check to Post a Thread to save time checking for typos (lol)

**Mumzy** · 10-27-2006, 01:25 PM

To unclog a drain, add two 1000 mg Vitamin C tablets and let them dissolve overnight. Then, flush with hot water in the morning.

I am going to try this out tonight. Draino has been on my list. But I didn't want to buy it and end up just having half a bottle sitting around.

**baxjul** · 10-27-2006, 01:29 PM

Thanks, great tips!

**Neeley** · 10-27-2006, 03:44 PM

Love all of the tips!! Thanks so much!!

**Nada.Leona** · 10-27-2006, 05:15 PM

Yay, I love reading tips! Thanks!

**autumnlynn** · 10-27-2006, 08:21 PM

Great tips!! Thanks for sharing.

**emily_hope** · 10-27-2006, 10:04 PM

Thanks for sharing with us. Some good ideas.

**PrairieRose** · 10-27-2006, 10:50 PM

Lots of great tips there, thanks!

**kittyrose** · 10-28-2006, 05:19 AM

for unclogging drains, i normally pour baking soda and vinegar and then flush with hot water...

i will have to try the vit c tabs...

**homemaker66** · 10-28-2006, 08:10 AM

lots of great ideas. Thanks a bunch. When there is a container that needs to be cleaned and I can't get my hands down in the bottom I put a few ice cubes and a cup of salt into it and just swivel it around until the stain is gone.