Tips and Tricks

Here is a hodge-podge of household tips and hints that have made the rounds of email inboxes:

1. Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels and linen.
2. Remove pen stains using rubbing alcohol.

1. Use empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. It keeps them neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.

1. To remove old wax from a glass candleholder, put it in the freezer for a few hours. Then take the candleholder out and turn it upside down. The wax will fall out.
2. Crayon marks on walls? A damp rag, dipped in baking soda. Comes off with little effort -- elbow grease, that is.
3. Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt blue!) - rubbing alcohol on paper towel.
4. Blood stains on clothes? Just pour a little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood.
5. Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside the windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.
6. To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new!
7. Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still leaves a lovely smell to the shine.
8. Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer.
   • Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous china.
   • Clean a vase. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water and drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets.
   • Polish jewelry. Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes.
   • Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour, or longer, if necessary.
   • Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes, and then run the hot water.

1. To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan and bring to a boil on stove top.
2. Spray your tupperware containers with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces and there won't be any stains.
3. Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.
4. When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.
5. Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces. If you have it, leftover merlot is great in spaghetti sauce.

1. For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put Dawn dishwashing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won't refreeze.
2. Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on.
3. Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning.
4. Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half, and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
5. To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief.
6. For any ant problems, get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. It is said that they will not cross a line of chalk.
7. When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, and then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.