Household Tips

Baby wipes are surprisingly effective on clothing stains. Keep some in your car (even if you don't have kids) or around the house. Dab the stain lightly and then wash the garment immediately.

OK, so it's not a household tip, but it is useful. I've tried every remedy in the book for hiccups, and this is the only one that I've found to be truly reliable (for me anyway). When you have the hiccups, grasp your tongue with the finger and thumb of each hand and pull gently. You may have to do it twice. Voila - hiccups are gone!

This is an amazing tip I read last week (I wish I could remember where, though)! When you're drawing your bath, fill the tub with one inch of cold water. Then fill the rest of the tub with water of the desired temperature. The result? No steamed up bathroom! I've tried it twice and it works like a charm!

Got a bunch of weeds sticking out in your driveway or on your sidewalk? You can kill them quickly, easily and safely with boiling water. Pour at least a cupful of boiling water directly onto the weed and a little surrounding it. The boiling water kills the weed and it rarely comes back! This is a safe, easy alternative to using toxic pesticides in the areas where your children play.

Write down the names, account numbers and telephone numbers for every card in your wallet and store it in a safe place. If you ever lose your purse or wallet, you'll have all the information you need at your fingertips!

Gather all the old worn and torn t-shirts that you were planning to throw away and cut them into large rags for Dad to use on the car and in his shop. Those soft, worn t-shirts make cleaners and polishers!

Kelly Berenger of Domestricks.com shares this great tip: "Peanut butter works very well on getting off the sticky stuff left behind by labels and stickers. Use a damp cloth and a small amount of peanut butter. Smear the peanut butter on the sticky spot, rub it around good, then use another part of the cloth to wipe it off. Then dry the item with a dry towel." Thanks, Kelley!

When you get the sticky stuff off, clean your glass with a mixture of vinegar and water. Easy, economical and fume-free!

Keep all those Christmas cards and reuse them! If the area on the other side of the picture or decoration hasn't been written on, cut them in half at the crease and write thank you's in the format of a post card. Using post card postage will also save you a few pennies. (Kat)

Roll pine cone in peanut butter, then in birdseed, to make a hanging feeder the birds will love. Tie a red ribbon around the top for hanging. (thelma)

Instead of buying expensive antibacterial sprays for the kitchen, just put about 1 tablespoon of household bleach in a spray bottle filled with water and use it to disinfect around the sink and counters, especially when you've been handling or packaging meat.

When your drain is clogged with grease, try pouring a cup of salt and a cup of baking soda down the drain followed by a generous amount of boiling water. This will usually dissolve the grease and clear the drain.

Use a cloth moistened with rubbing alcohol, club soda, or white vinegar to give your stainless steel a brilliant shine.

Club soda makes a good instant spot remover. Pour a little on the stain, let it set for a second or two, and blot with a damp sponge.

A mixture of 1/2 cup mild dishwashing liquid and 2 cups boiling water makes a great spot remover for carpets. Apply with a damp sponge.

Black marks left on your floors from the heels of your shoes can be removed with a pencil eraser.

A little birdie told me Murphy's Oil Soap is a good stain remover. I haven't tried it, but if you find success, let me know!

Water rings or spots can be removed from wood furniture with a mixture of toothpaste and baking soda applied with a damp cloth.

To clean all types of wood work, make a mixture of 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, 4 tablespoons white vinegar, and 1 quart warm water. Apply with a soft cloth and dry with a separate, clean cloth.

To clean the stubborn stains in your bathtub, make a paste of hydrogen peroxide and cream of tarter. Use a toothbrush to rub it into the stains and rinse thoroughly.

Stubborn grease stains on clothing? Try Eucalyptus Oil! I have never had this method fail and it's much cheaper than laundry stain removers! (from Tanya)

The Dollar Stretcher featured a great hint in one of their newsletters: When cleaning the fish tank, save the water and use it to water your plants. The "dirty" water acts as a natural fertilizer!

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