Below is a compiled list of helpful household hints and humor that were recovered from some archives from my mother's computer. These are being shared proudly in honor of my mom Arlene Veix, and my dad Joe Veix, who gave a lot of hints and help to a lot of people. Feel free to share.
HINTS - HOUSEHOLD
Ceiling Dusting - Use 1-1/2” dia. plastic conduit as a hose extension on the vacuum cleaner to reach high corners.
Bird-feeder Filling - Use watering can with spout cut off to make larger pouring hole.
Ceiling stain from water leak - On white ceiling, put equal parts water & bleach in a spray bottle and spray the stain. (May need second application.)
Caulking tube cap - Use lids from sharp-pointed permanent markers.
Flossing the faucet - Use dental floss to clean base where it meets vanity. Wrap around and pull back and forth.
Fridge Photos - Glue photos to advertising magnets with rubber cement.
Box fan filters - Attach furnace filter to back of box fan using silicone seal (for easy removal)
Leaf stuffer - Cram leaves down in a can or bag with an empty bucket.
Varnishing chair legs, etc. - Dip stocking into varnish, wring out and wrap behind leg, pulling from side to side.
Recycle Crayons - Peel off labels, break or chop into small pieces. Line muffin tins with foil baking cups or alum. foil. Fill about 1/3 full. Place in over or toaster oven for 2 to 4 minutes or til melted. They melt fast, so keep a watch. Let cool. When cold, peel away to foil.
Roof Moss & Fungus preventer - Install zinc metal strips under both edges of ridge cap. Will not remove moss or fungus, so clean off first.
Repair mortar joints - Mix mortar from 1 part portland cement, 1/2 part hydrated line, 4-1/2 parts sand and enough water so that the mixture can be compacted into a ball.
Washing Machine Agitator - to remove agitator, unplug machine, remove agitator cap. Work a deflated bicycle tire underneath the agitator, distributing it as evenly as possible, leaving valve stem exposed...use hand pump or compressor to gradually inflate. It shouldn’t take long for agitator to pop loose.
Storing Clothes - Add one bay leaf when storing clothes to repel moths.
Fluorescent Lights - Look for rating markings that specify “3000K, CRI of 75” or higher. Avoid bulbs called “cool white”, “warm white”, or “daylight”.
Find
Wall Studs - Use electric razor, slide it across the wall. Deep sounds
is between studs, shallow sounds are over studs.
Wood split from Nails - Dull nails before use. Place nail on its head and it with a hammer 2 or 3 times.
Level Measuring - Use a clear (1/2” or more) plastic tube for ‘water leveling’. Fill tube with water, excluding all air bubbles. Make mark at correct height on wall, hold one end of tube by that mark. Take other end of tube to another location you want to be level with first location, and raise or lower the end til the water in first end is level with mark on wall. Make mark at second location where the water level is. It will be the same height as at first location.
Play
Clay Recipe - 2 cups Baking Soda (1 pound package)
1 cup cornstarch + 1-1/4 cups cold water
Mix corn starch and soda in saucepan. Add water and cook (medium) stirring
constantly. When consistency of mashed potatoes, turn out on a plate and cover
with damp cloth. When cool, shape as desired. Store left-overs in tightly
sealed plastic bag in fridge. Bring to room temperature before using. Let
items made dry overnight (or longer if needed). To shorten drying time, heat
at 350 for apx. 15 mins. If items come apart, they can be glued after drying
is complete.
Hints
& Tips Household Uses for Bread
Fasten a slice of bread to the cut edge of a cake with toothpicks to keep
the cake from drying out and becoming stale.
To remove extra moisture from a pot of rice, remove the rice from the heat and place a piece of bread on top of the rice. Cover the pot. In a few minutes, the water should disappear.
When broiling meat, place a few pieces of dry bread in the broiler pan to soak up dripping fat. This not only eliminates smoking fat, but it also reduces the chance that the fat will catch fire.
Before
cutting an onion, thread a small square of bread onto the knife, positioning
it right above the handle. The bread will absorb the strong onion odors, which
may prevent the shedding of tears while cutting
the onion.
Bring new life to stale marshmallows by putting a couple of slices of bread in the bag. The marshmallows should freshen up in a couple of days.
Use a piece of bread as a spoon rest. The heel works best.
Take a couple of pieces of bread, wad them into a ball and use as a sink stopper.
A piece of stale white bread works great for cleaning suede. Rub the suede gently with the bread, and replace with a new piece of bread when it gets dirty.
Hints & Tips
To clean the inside of your microwave, place a bowl of vinegar in the microwave and run on high until it comes to a boil. Wipe the interior clean with a rag dipped in the vinegar.
If your recipe calls for cucumbers and they do not agree with you, substitute zucchini. Zucchini will take on the flavor of your recipe and will not cause indigestion.
Parsley wilted? Place parsley in a bowl of warm water (not hot) and add three or four drops liquid dish soap. Let stand 2 or 3 minutes. Drain and rinse well with cold water. Viola! Fresh crisp parsley!
Substitute dried cherries in rice pudding for a change of taste treat. They are also good in bread pudding.
Add a diced sweet potato to your homemade vegetable soup. Delicious!
When making creamed peas, mix the flour into softened butter. Stir into hot peas and milk for a smooth sauce.
Combine fresh sliced peaches and sliced bananas, sweeten to taste. Delightful dessert when peaches are in season.
The plastic that the bacon lays on is the perfect material for stenciling.
Meat trays are good for a paint palette.
Keep ice cubes in a bowl when your hot gluing
Protect your paint brush bristles by storing them in small straws.
Makeup sponges are great for stenciling
No skid socks-Put dots of fabric paint on the bottom of the socks, let dry.
Add a fabric softener sheet in you fiber fill crafts.
Use a small metal cookie cutter to cut out shapes of orange and or lemon peels. Let them dry a little. thread a needle with thin ribbon and thread the semi dry shapes with a tail on the bottom and go back thru shapes leaving a loop at the top, and knot the ends on the bottom, tie a small bow between the loop and the shapes.
Sharpen your scissors with the neck of a glass bottle open and close your scissors like you’re going to cut the bottle.
Pinecone
candle holders, find pinecones that lay flat, cut the pinecone
2/3rds of the top. Drill a hole in the center. And from the bottom push a
long nail in and hot glue in place. Put your tall candle in the middle of
the nail and push down. Get a few small greens from the back yard and Viola.
Need floral pins untwist paper clips and with wire cutters cut in half. Now you have two.
Put your paint brushes, bristles up, in Pringles cans.
I lose the cap to my glue all the time so I take those colorful thumb tacks the ones you use on cork boards and put it in the hole of the glue (not the flat ones)
Store your spools of ribbon in baby wipes box. Better yet, cut slits in the top of the wipes long enough to slip the ribbon thru the inside out and pull as you need ribbon.
Make your own rubber stamp by using craft foam or an innersole, and a baby food jar lid. Cut your shape out and glue it to your lid.
Take a round cookie cutter (small) get some apples, with your cookie cutter push it into the top of the apple go down into the apple the size of votives candle. Don't forget to rub some lemon juice where you scooped out the apple. Scoop out the apple and place your candle in it. Float a couple of them in a nice bowel.
Store your glue sticks in a shoe box with a few cone incense, when you are hot gluing you get a nice sent.
Put tubes of glue in airtight jar to keep it from drying out.
If you
get some glue or anything sticky on your scissors just rub some
fingernail polish remover on them. Good as new.
Use a clay pot saucer for resting your hot glue gun. All the drippings are caught inside the saucer.
Don't throw out those old sweaters, use those sleeves as knitted hats on your next project. Cut the size you want and the cut side, make a gathering stitch and pull tight and knot.
When getting ready to roll out dough, wipe table with a damp cloth, lay 2 overlapping sheets of waxed paper down. Flour paper and you're ready to roll dough. The dampness holds the wax paper in place so it doesn't slip and you can throw away the mess when you are done. Saves cleanup work.
When you are fixing a ham steak, just before serving, drizzle a little maple syrup over it for a delicious taste.
When making scrambled eggs, for each 2 eggs, add a tablespoon of sour cream and 1/4 teaspoon dill weed. Delicious!
When making a salad using ranch dressing, add a little dill weed for extra flavor. This is especially good on tomatoes and cucumbers.
For a change of pace when making fried potatoes, season with chili powder, garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper.
When making hash brown potatoes, use seasoned salt instead of regular salt. Makes a tremendous difference in taste.
If you are preparing turnips, peel, cut in chunks, cover with water and cook until tender. (If turnips are strong tasting, change the water one or two times while cooking.) Drain and mash with a potato masher, add a little butter, cream, salt and pepper. Delicious!
Add cut-up raw carrots, celery sticks, broccoli and cauliflower florets, and red and green pepper strips directly to the jar of any type of leftover pickle juice. Make sure to keep these tangy tidbits refrigerated. The marinated veggies are great for snacking on straight from the jar or become an innovative addition to a crudité platter.
Uses for Canada Dry Club Soda
Clean diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. Simply soak the gems in
Canada Dry Club Soda.
Make fluffy pancakes, waffles, and matzah balls. Substitute Canada Dry Club Soda for the liquid used in the recipes.
Make a poor man's lava lamp. Fill a glass with Canada Dry Club soda and drop in two raisins. The carbonation will cause the raisins to repeatedly bob to the surface and then sink again.
Clean grease stains from double-knit fabrics. Pour on Canada Dry Club Soda and scrub gently.
Make inexpensive soft drinks. Add Canada Dry to fruit juice for a low-cost and healthy beverage.
Remove wine spills or other spots from carpet. Apply Canada Dry Club Soda to the stain, rub it in, wait a few minutes, and sponge it off.
Clean and shine porcelain fixtures. Pour Canada Dry Club Soda over the fixtures.
Clean chrome or stainless steel. Use Canada Dry Club Soda in a spray bottle.
Water your plants. Feed flat Canada Dry Club Soda to your house plants or outdoor plants. The minerals in club soda are beneficial to green plants.
Remove food stains from clothes. Immediately blot up the spills on any washable fabric, sponge with Canada Dry Club Soda, then wash the item in the wash through a regular cycle.
Clean countertops. Pour Canada Dry Club Soda directly on the counter, wipe with a soft cloth, then rinse with warm water, and wipe dry.
Relieve an upset stomach. Drink Canada Dry Club Soda to soothe indigestion.
Remove grease from a car windshield. Keep a bottle filled with Canada Dry Club Soda in the trunk of your car.
Loosen rusty nuts and bolts. Pour Canada Dry Club Soda over them. The carbonation bubbles away rust.
Change blond hair dyed green by chlorine back to its original color. Simply rinse your green hair with Canada Dry Club Soda.
Preserve newspaper clippings. Dissolve one Milk of Magnesia tablet in one quart
Canada Dry Club Soda. Let the mixture stand overnight. The next day, stir the mixture well, then soak your clipping in the solution for one hour. Blot the newspaper clipping between two sheets of Bounty and place on a screen to dry.
HINTS - CLEANING
Copper - Dip lemon half in salt, rub onto copper surface. Squeeze a little juice on surface and let sit for a few minutes to remove stubborn tarnish. Apply paste wax to delay future tarnishing. Can also use paste of salt, vinegar & flour.
Gold - Wash in lukewarm, soapy water, dry and polish with a chamois cloth.
Silver - Rub with a paste of baking soda and water. Can also use paste of lemon juice and salt, or vinegar, flour and salt.
Brass - Mix equal parts of salt and flour with a little vinegar, then rub.
Chrome & Stainless - Rub with dry cloth and flour.
Furniture Polish - Mix 3 parts olive oil and 1 part vinegar. Or use 1 part lemon juice and 2 parts olive oil.
Old Wood Furniture - Mix 1 cup turpentine, 1 cup linseed oil, 1 cup white vinegar. Mix and use to clean and protect old wood furniture (do not use on paint) with clean cloth, wiping off all accumulated grime. Mix linseed oil and a little turpentine to treat inside and outside of drawers.
Painted surfaces - Remove finger-prints rub a slice of potato over the surface.
Room Deodorizer - Place bowl of white vinegar next to stove for cooking odors. Also removes cigarette odors. For paint fumes, one chopped onion in bucket of water in the middle of the room. Sprinkle dry coffee on carpets, then vacuum to absorb smells.
Grease spots on clothes - Use shampoo, rinse then blow-dry. Use club-soda on double-knits. Talcum powder on polyester...rub in then let stand 24 hours then brush off.
Mildew - Spray on straight vinegar. For stubborn areas, let vinegar sit overnight.
Windows - ½ cup non-sudsing ammonia, ½ cup rubbing alcohol, ½ cup water. Add food coloring if desired. Use in spritz bottle and label bottle.
•
Mix a little cornstarch with ammonia and water to polish windows.
• For extra sparkle, wipe clean windows with a clean blackboard eraser.
• Wipe dry with crumpled newspaper to make them sparkle and be streak-free.
• Spray with 1 qt. warm water & 2 tbsp. vinegar (or ammonia, do
not use vinegar and ammonia together, since they neutralize each other).
• Use 4 tbsp. lemon juice to 1 gallon water
• ½ cup sudsy ammonia, 1 pint rubbing alcohol, 1 tsp. dish-washing
liquid, and enough water to make a gallon.
• K-Mart’s window cleaner with ammonia is best. Next best SOS
Extra Strength with ammonia plus.
Blood Stains - Soak in cool water. When it turns light brown, wash in warm suds. Old stains - soak in 2 tbsps. ammonia per gallon soapy water for 15 mins.. Rinse well then wash in warm suds and bleach.
Stained China Cups - Put equal amounts of salt and white vinegar in cups and let stand, and then rub off stains and rinse.
Piano Keys - Clean with a mix of half non-gel toothpaste and half baking soda,
Loose Chair Legs - Coat tenon with glue and tightly wrap thread around tenon. When dry, apply more glue and assemble, then clamp to dry. Can use gauze, cheese-cloth, sheeting, etc., soaking it with glue, apply and let harden, then sand to size and trim off excess.
General Household Hints
-Use straw on thread-holder spindle for tall spools
-Use toothpick to draw word on cake icing first to avoid mistakes
-To remove carpet dents, leave ice-cube on dent overnight. Blot in a.m. & comb.
-Remove onion odor from hands by rubbing stainless-steel spoon under water
-Mineral oil will remove scum from glass shower doors.
-White
Wizard removes stains from leather, carpets, brocades, clothing, vinyl,
etc., without leaving rings or film.
-Window
cleaning - Glass Attack, repels dirt, leave protective coating.
or: ½ c. ammonia, ½ c. alcohol, ½ c. water in spritz
bottle (label bottle)
or: use ammonia and detergent w/ squeegee, then wipe down w/ dry cloth
-Furniture polish - 3 parts olive oil and 1 part vinegar, use soft cloth
-Charcoal or chalk in toolbox absorbs moisture and prevents rust
-Use vinegar to clean tile. Use 20 Mule Team Borax in laundry
-Baking soda cleans ovens, clear drains, strips auto paint, removes tarnish
Murphy’s Oil Soap - wood & leather cleaner, pre-wash stain removal, pet shampoo
Remove static cling, add ¼ cup vinegar to rinse cycle
Clean windshield wiper blades w/ alcohol
To remove garlic, onion odors from cutting board, rub w/ slice of lemon & rinse
Extra
juice from lemon, roll on counter, cut in half, microwave HI for 30 seconds.
50 Uses for Vinegar
1. Kill grass on walks and driveways.
2. Kill weeds. Spray full strength on growth until plants have starved
3. Increase soil acidity. In hard water: one gallon of tap water for watering rhododendrons, gardenias, or azaleas.
4. Deter ants. Spray vinegar around doors, appliances, and along other areas where ants are known.
5. Polish car chrome. Apply full strength.
6. Remove skunk odor from a dog. Rub fur with full strength vinegar; rinse.
7. Keep
cats away. Sprinkle vinegar on areas you don't want the cat walking,
sleeping, or scratching on.
8. Keep dogs from scratching his ears. Use a clean, soft cloth dipped in diluted vinegar.
9. Keep chickens from pecking each other. Put a little in their drinking water.
10. Tenderize meat. Soak in vinegar over night.
11. Freshen vegetables. Soak wilted vegetables in 2 cups of water and a tablespoon of vinegar.
12. Boil better eggs. Add 2 tablespoons water before boiling eggs. Keeps them from cracking.
13. Soothe a bee or jellyfish sting. Dot the irritation with vinegar and relieve itching.
14. Relieve sunburn. Lightly rub white vinegar; you may have to reapply.
15. Condition hair. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to dissolve sticky residue left by shampoo.
16. Relieve dry and itchy skin. Add 2 tablespoons to bath water.
17. Fight dandruff. After shampooing, rinse with vinegar and 2 cups of warm water.
18. Soothe a sore throat. Put a teaspoon of vinegar in a glass of water. Gargle, then swallow.
19. Treat sinus infections and chest colds. Add ¼ cup or more vinegar to the vaporizer.
20. Feel good. A teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water, with a bit of honey added for flavor, will take the edge off your appetite and give you an overall healthy feeling.
21. Deodorize the kitchen drain. Pour a cup down the drain once a week. Let stand 30 minutes and then flush with cold water.
22. Eliminate onion odor. Rub on your fingers before and after slicing.
23. Clean and disinfect wood cutting boards. Wipe with full strength vinegar.
24. Remove fruit stains from hands. Rub with vinegar.
25. Cut grease and odor on dishes. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to hot soapy water.
26. Clean a teapot. Boil a mixture of water and vinegar in the teapot. Wipe away the grime.
27. Freshen a lunchbox. Soak a piece of bread in vinegar and let it sit in the lunchbox over night.
28. Clean the refrigerator. Wash with a solution of equal parts water and vinegar.
29. Unclog a drain. Pour a handful of baking soda down the drain and add 1/2 cup of vinegar. Rinse with hot water.
30. Clean and deodorize the garbage disposal. Make vinegar ice cubes and feed them down the disposal. After grinding, run cold water through.
31. Clean and deodorize jars. Rinse mayonnaise, peanut butter, and mustard jars with vinegar when empty.
32. Clean the dishwasher. Run a cup of vinegar through the whole cycle once a month to reduce soap build up on the inner mechanisms and on glassware.
33. Clean stainless steel. Wipe with a vinegar dampened cloth.
34. Clean china and fine glassware. Add a cup of vinegar to a sink of warm water. Gently dip the glass or china in the solution and let dry.
35. Get stains out of pots. Fill pot with a solution of 3 tablespoons of vinegar to a pint of water. Boil until stain loosens and can be washed away.
36. Clean the microwave. Boil a solution of 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water in the microwave. Will loosen splattered on food and deodorize.
37. Dissolve rust from bolts and other metals. Soak in full strength vinegar.
38. Get rid of cooking smells. Let simmer a small pot of vinegar and water solution.
39. Unclog steam iron. Pour equal amounts of vinegar and water into the iron's water chamber. Turn to steam and leave the iron on for 5 minutes in an upright position. Then unplug and allow to cool. Any loose particles should come out when you empty the water.
40. Clean a scorched iron plate. Heat equal parts vinegar and salt in a small pan. Rub solution on the cooled iron surface to remove dark or burned stains.
41. Get rid of lint in clothes. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.
42. Keep colors from running. Immerse clothes in full strength vinegar before washing.
43. Freshen up the washing machine. Periodically, pour a cup of vinegar in the machine and let in run through a regular cycle (no clothes added). Will dissolve soap residue.
44. Brighten fabric colors. Add a 1/2 cup vinegar to the rinse cycle.
45. Take grease off suede. Dip a toothbrush in vinegar and gently brush over grease spot.
46. Remove tough stains. Gently rub on fruit, jam, mustard, coffee, tea. Then wash as usual.
47. Get smoke smell out of clothes. Add a cup of vinegar to a bath tub of hot water. Hang clothes above the steam.
48. Remove decals. Brush with a couple coats of vinegar. Allow to soak in. Wash off.
49. Clean eyeglasses. Wipe each lens with a drop of vinegar.
50. Freshen cut flowers. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar for each quart of water
BETCHA DIDN'T KNOW
*Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
*Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
*The national anthem of Greece has 158 verses. *No one in Greece has memorized all 158 verses.
*There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
*There are more chickens than people in the world.
*Two-thirds of the world's eggplant is grown in New Jersey.
*The longest one-syllable word in the English language is "screeched.
*On a Canadian two-dollar bill, the flag flying over the Parliament Building is an American flag.
*All of the clocks in the movie Pulp Fiction are stuck on 4:20.
*No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver or purple.
*"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".
*All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the $5.00 bill.
*Almonds are members of the peach family.
*Winston Churchill was born in a lady’s room during a dance.
*Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.
*There are only four words in the English language which end in "-dous": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.
*Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
*A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.
*On an American one-dollar bill, there is an owl in the upper left-hand corner of the "1" encased in the "shield" and a spider hidden in the front upper right-hand corner
*Mr. Rogers is an ordained minister.
*John
Lennon's first girlfriend was named Thelma Pickles.
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