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Message edited 9/25/2011 4:32:31 PM.

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Message edited 9/25/2011 4:32:56 PM.

Re: Your Best Cleaning Tips and Tricks.

Not really a cleaning tip but something i was told about that i like

I usually hate the scents of cleaning agents (usually always being some tropical mess smell)

So after you are done with all your cleaning,
wet a paper towel and dab some of your favorite smelling oil on it and whip down the counters or any surface

It will smell nice for the rest of the day

Re: Your Best Cleaning Tips and Tricks.

Not cleaning related, but I always iron my clothes inside out in case the iron is too hot. I always do this with hotel irons.

Re: Your Best Tips and Tricks For the Home!!

If you break glass, a piece of bread is usually good at getting up those little shards that are hard to get.

An empty tissue box is a great way to store all those bags from grocery stores, etc.

Fill the washing machine with water and the soap before adding clothes.

Re: Your Best Tips and Tricks For the Home!!

A capful of white vinegar in a bucket of water gets EVERYTHING off a tile floor.

Turn the dishwasher to "Air Dry". Saves TONS of energy and MONEY...who actually sits by the dishwasher waiting for the heat dryer to finish, anyway?!



good thread idea.

Re: Your Best Tips and Tricks For the Home!!

When I lose an earring or an earring back, I turn off the lights and use a flashlight to see if I can find it on the floor. It usually works.

You can use toothpaste to clean sterling silver. It's less toxic and a lot cheaper.

Re: Your Best Tips and Tricks For the Home!!

Cleaning a diamond.

Microwave windex for 20 sec, put your diamond earrings, ring, etc. in over night.

Rinse with clean windex & than water.

Re: Your Best Tips and Tricks For the Home!!

Not really a cleaning tip. When you want to get candle wax out of a burner, put the burner in the freezer for about 5 mins and it pops right out.

Re: Your Best Tips and Tricks For the Home!!

cook vinegar in the microwave for approx 30-45 sec...the whole microwave comes clean

Re: Your Best Tips and Tricks For the Home!!

Use dryer sheets when you rinse tub/shower/shower doors, totally removes soap scum and slows it's return.

If you get wax on your carpet place 2-3 sheets of newspaper on it and iron it. Repeat with clean paper until all the wax is absorbed.

To fix a slow drain dump a can of coke down the drain, wait 20 minutes and then pour and entire kettle of boiling water down drain.

Re: Your Best Tips and Tricks For the Home!!

Rub shaving cream on your bathroom mirror to stop it from fogging up.

Re: Your Best Tips and Tricks For the Home!!

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Message edited 9/25/2011 4:33:24 PM.

Re: Your Best Tips and Tricks For the Home!!

1. Drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional pain relievers.
2. Colgate toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns.
3. Before you head to the drugstore for a high-priced inhaler filled with mysterious chemicals, try chewing on a couple of curiously strong Altoid peppermints to clear a stuffy nose.
4. Achy muscles from a bout with the flu? Mix 1 tablespoon of horseradish in ½ cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply as a massage oil for instant relief for aching muscles.
5. Sore throat – just mix ¼ cup of vinegar with ¼ cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacterial.
6. Cure urinary tract infections with alka-seltzer. Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of symptoms. Alka-seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly.
7. Eliminate puffiness under your eyes… All you need is a dab of preparation H, carefully rubbed into the skin, avoiding the eyes. The hemorrhoid ointment acts as a vasoconstrictor, relieving the swelling instantly.
8. Honey remedy for skin blemishes… cover the blemish with a dab of honey and place a band-aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Works overnight.
9. Listerine therapy for toenail fungus… soak your toes in Listerine mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.
10. Easy eyeglass protection…. To prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of crystal clear nail polish to the threads of the screws before tightening them.
11. Coca-cola for rust… Just saturate an abrasive sponge with coca-cola and scrub the rust stain. The phosphoric acid in the coke is what gets the job done.
12. Cleaning liquid that doubles as a bug killer…. If menacing bees, wasps, hornets or yellow jackets get in your home and you can’t find insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409. Insects drop to the ground immediately.
13. Hunt’s tomato paste boil remover… cover the boil with hunt’s tomato paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes sooth the pain and bring the boil to a head.
14. Balm for broken blisters…. To disinfect a broken blister, dab on a few drops of Listerine, a powerful antiseptic.
15. Heinz vinegar to heal bruises… soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply to the bruise for one hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.
16. Kills fleas instantly. Dawn dishwashing liquid does the trick. Add a few drops to your dog’s bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly. Rinse well to avoid skin irritations. Goodbye fleas.
17. Rainy day cure for dog odor…. Next time your dog comes in from the rain, simply wipe down the animal with Bounce or any dryer sheet, instantly making your dog smell springtime fresh.
18. Eliminate ear mites… all it takes is a few drops of Wesson corn oil in your cat’s ears. Massage it in then clean with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat’s skin, smothers the mites and accelerates healing.
19. Quaker oats for fast pain relief… Mix two cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for one minute – cool slightly, then apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief.
20. Flies or bees bothering you? Spray them with hairspray and they will take a dive.
21. Sealed envelope – put it in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed.
22. 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.
23. Crayon marks on the walls? Take a damp rag dipped in baking soda. Comes off with a little elbow grease.
24. Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt blue).. rubbing alcohol on paper towel.
25. When buying a new box of SOS pads, immediately take a pair of scissors and cut in half. It is much more economical since they last longer and the scissors get sharpened this way.
26. 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.
27. 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 linens.
28. Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning.
29. To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new.
30. Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent dripping.
31. Use meat baster to “squeeze” your pancake batter onto the hot griddle and you’ll get perfectly shaped pancakes every time.
32. To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.
33. To prevent eggshells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.
34. To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing.
35. To easily remove burnt food from your skillet, simply add a drop of tow of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan and bring to a boil on stovetop.
36. Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces to prevent hard stains.
37. When a cake recipe calls for flouring the bake pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won’t be any white mess on the outside of the cake.
38. If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it is cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant “fix me up”.
39. Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting into the fridge and it will keep for weeks.
40. Brush some beaten egg white over piecrust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.
41. Place a slice of apple into hardened brown sugar to soften it.
42. When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn’s natural sweetness.
43. To determine if an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool water. If it sinks it is fresh, if it rises to the surface, throw it away.
44. Cure for headaches… take a lime, cut in half and rub on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
45. Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.
46. To get rid of mosquito itch, try applying soap onto the area and you will experience instant relief.
47. Use air freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.
48. To clean a toilet, drop two alka-seltzer tables in. Wait twenty minutes, brush and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous china.
49. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water and drop in tow alka-seltzer tablets.
50. 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, then run the hot water.

Re: Your Best Tips and Tricks For the Home!!

Wow doodles that is an awesome list!!!!

Re: Your Best Tips and Tricks For the Home!!

Posted by MrsFresca

Here are some more.....

I personally have tried the one with the price tags and alcohol and it works.

To remove stubborn price tags from items like dishes and glassware, I use a cotton pad or Q-tip soaked with rubbing alcohol. The alcohol dissolves the sticky glue and doesn't mess up my manicure.
Kathe Palmucci
Riverside, California

Message edited 11/17/2005 8:20:42 PM.

Re: Your Best Tips and Tricks For the Home!!

my contribution:

Marry a man that knows how to work them Cleaning products

Re: Your Best Tips and Tricks For the Home!!

Posted by neeniebean86

my contribution:

Marry a man that knows how to work them Cleaning products

Re: Your Best Tips and Tricks For the Home!!

I got one!

Store candlesticks in a paper towel tube. It prevents them from breaking! I think I got that one from Martha.

Re: Your Best Tips and Tricks For the Home!!

Posted by neeniebean86

my contribution:

Marry a man that knows how to work them Cleaning products

Re: Your Best Tips and Tricks For the Home!!

Re: Your Best Tips and Tricks For the Home!!

Posted by neeniebean86

my contribution:

Marry a man that knows how to work them Cleaning products

Re: Your Best Tips and Tricks For the Home!!

I saw this on "How Clean is your house" (eeek is that show scary)

When cleaning with Clorox put a capful or 2 of Mr. Bubble in the solution. The clorox will dissinfect and the Mr. Bubble will give it a more pleasant scent.

I have tried it and I like cleaning the bathroom with the clorox/Mr. Bubble mixture.

Re: Your Best Tips and Tricks For the Home!!

Doodles that list is fabulous. I have sone quite a few of those tips. Especially the cooking spray in a container to prevent hard stains. I saw that tip on the cooking channel and have done it ever since.