It all started with a chain letter in the Midwest.. a few experienced housewives sharing (unbelievably useful) household tips with each other. That little chain letter turned into an encyclopedia of say-it-‘aint-so tricks that even the most cleanliness impaired amongst us will appreciate. This is one you’ll most definitely want to forward to your girls n’ gays. Here are a few of the most odd and useful of the lot;
- Spying on your Husband’s mail? Put the sealed envelope in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed. But you may be arrested.
- 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.
- For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: Get warm water and put dish washing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won’t refreeze.
- To remove old wax from a glass candle holder, put it in the freezer for a few hours. Then take the candle holder out and turn it upside down. The wax will fall out.
- The brats making art on your walls again? Never you mind: A damp rag, dipped in baking soda will remove Crayon marks off walls with a little elbow grease.
- Permanent marker on appliances or counter tops? Try rubbing alcohol on paper towel.
- Whenever you purchase a box of SOS or Brillo Pads, take a pair of scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw away rusted, unused, and smelly pads, you’ll find this much more economical. A box will now last you indefinitely. Fabulous bonus: scissors get sharpened this way!
- Aunt Flo come a bit early or other blood stains on clothes? Just pour a little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works every time! Now, where to put the body?
- Window washing tips: Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside, and horizontal for inside 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.
- Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a light scent in each room when the light is turned on.
- 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. It’s also good to put a sheet inside stored luggage so it smells good next time you pack. Don’t worry, you can buy totally all-natural fabric softener sheets. We love the Mrs. Meyers ones.
- Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning.
- 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!
- 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
- Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.
- Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half, and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
- Don’t throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces… Left over wine? What’s that?
- To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief.
- Ants, ants, ants everywhere. Well, they are said to never cross a chalkline. So, get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.
- Use an all-natural air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.
- 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.
- Now to what you can do with Alka Seltzer: Clean a toilet. Drop-in two Alka Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush. 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 or Sigg bottle: Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour
- 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. If that doesn’t work and they are still taking a long time to drain, it might be worth contacting some professionals for General drain cleaning. Plumbers should be able to fix the problem more effectively, so consider contacting them.
If you’re using Alka Seltzer for any household chores, be careful with it. Makes you wonder about ingesting Alka Seltzer, doesn’t it? What actually is Alka Seltzer? Alka-Seltzer is a combination of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid, C9H8O4), sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), and citric acid (C6H8O7), designed to treat pain and simultaneously neutralize excess stomach acid (the “Alka” being derived from the word “alkali”).
Have some invaluable tried and true tips of your own that you couldn’t run your household without? Pretty please share them in the comments section below. Better yet, ask your Grandma and transcribe hers below.