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Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S. Pads, I immediately take a pair of scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw away rusted, unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this would be much more economical. And now a box of S.O.S. Pads last me indefinitely! In fact, I have noticed that my scissors get sharpened this way.
(2)
Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks.
(3)
To freshen dry bread or rolls, so you can serve them one more time, sprinkle with a 1/2 teaspoon of water, seal in a brown paper bag and heat in a 350* oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve at once.
(4)
Clean rusty garden tools by scrubbing with a steel wool soap pad that has been dipped in turpentine. Finish the job by scrubbing with a pad made of crushed aluminum foil.
(5)
Quick way to get bread dough to rise quickly. Heat an electric iron, unplug it, put it in the oven with the bread dough and close the door. It will release just enough heat to speed the rising process.
(6)
Make your own cleaning compound for kitchen counters and appliances by mixing equal parts of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Costs just pennies.
(7)
If you’ll add a cup of white vinegar to the final rinse cycle when washing your winter blankets they’ll come out soft and cuddly, ready to store until next fall.
(8)
Tack cloths dry out over time or if exposed to air, so I store mine in a small food jar. When it starts to feel dry, I add approximately 1/8" of water and place the jar in the microwave for one minute. Reseal the jar and the cloth is like new.
(9)
Always keep a distilled water and acrylic retarder mix in a spray bottle (20 parts water to 1 part retarder nearby. Spray the mix on a paper towel and wipe out accidents. If you’re called to the phone, spray the mix on your brush to keep the paint open. The mix also worked great when thinning paints for antiquing.
(10)
Use an egg white to polish shoes. It gives them a nice shine and covers the scuff marks.
(11)
If your hands burn and sting after handling hot peppers, pour rubbing alcohol on them.
(12)
If you run out of fabric softener liquid or sheets, substitute hair conditioner. For a full laundry load, try 1/4 to 1/2 cup.
(13)
Try using a drinking straw to hull strawberries. It works well and is easy to do.
(14)
To easily remove pumpkin peels, cut a hole on top and remove the seeds and pulp. Then set the pumpkin in a pan of water and bake at 300* for about an hour. The rind will peel right off without wasting any meat.
(15)
Freeze leftover peach or pear juice from canned fruit and use it in your next batch of applesauce. You won’t need to add any sugar.
(16)
To easily remove labels that are stuck on glass jars, briskly rub on mayonnaise, then soak the jar in warm water. The label will peel right off.
(17)
If you spill food on your clothes, wet the spot with cold water, rub it with table salt and wash. This works in removing spaghetti sauce, coffee or tea stains.
(18)
Instead of using sachets to make the clothes in drawers smell nice, use a small scented candle. It’s cheaper, makes your clothes smell wonderful and provides you with lots of readily accessible candles if the electricity ever goes out.
(19)
When you make biscuits, roll out the dough and cut into squares, then bake. Children like the odd shaped biscuits and you won’t have scraps to re-roll, so it’ll save time.
(20)
To keep birds out of your strawberry patch, place several wooden black cats found in craft shops around the plants. Glue marbles on the cats for eyes and paint on whiskers. They look so real that birds never go near the berries.
(21)
Sprinkle baking soda on your car’s upholstery and carpeting before vacuuming to remove smoke and other odors.
(22)
Use your car mats as gardening knee pads. They never get wet and they save wear and tear on your knees and pants.
(23)
Can’t remove rust from clothing?
Just put Lemon Juice and Salt on the affected area and let the clothing item sit in the sun.
(24)
Stop leaks from Ice Cream cones by putting a half teaspoon of Peanut Butter in the bottom before adding the Ice Cream.
(25)
Tack cloths dry out over time or if exposed to air, so store it in a small food jar. When it starts to feel dry, add approximately 1/8" of water and place the uncovered jar in the microwave for one minute. Reseal the jar and the cloth is like new.
(26)
I put small pieces of bath soap in a margarine tub with a small amount of water. When the soap softens, I have an excellent brush cleaner.
(27)
In a pinch make your own baking powder from combining two teaspoons cream of tartar, one teaspoon bicarbonate of soda and ½ teaspoon salt for every one cup of flour used. Use right away------don’t keep.
(28)
If you are plagued by crusty mineral deposits in your Toilet Bowl, pour several cups of vinegar in the bowl and let stand overnight. This often softens or dissolves the minerals and they can be brushed away.
(29)
Teflon pans that need cleaning often respond well to boiling one cup water, ½ cup bleach and two teaspoons baking soda in them. Wash well and recoat with oil.
(30)
A little lemon juice sprinkled over your cut potatoes will keep them from darkening and add a little flavor boost to your salad.
(31)
The freshness of eggs can be tested by placing them in a large bowl of cold water. If they float, do not use them.
(32)
Mosquito Treatment
Pass this on to anyone who likes sitting out in the
evening or when they're having a cook out. So you
don't like those pesky mosquitoes, especially now
that they have the potential to carry the West Nile
Virus? Here's a tip that was given at a recent
gardening forum. Put some water in a white dinner
plate and add a couple drops of Lemon Fresh Joy dish
detergent. Set the dish on your porch, patio, or
other outdoor area. Not sure what attracts them, the
lemon smell, the white plate color, or what, but
mosquitoes flock to it, and drop dead shortly after
drinking the Lemon Fresh Joy/water mixture, and
usually within about 10 feet of the plate. Check
this out---it works just super! May seem trivial,
but it may help control mosquitoes around your home,
especially in the South and elsewhere where the West
Nile virus is reaching epidemic proportions in
mosquitoes, birds, and humans.
Pass it along!!!!!!!!!!
(33)
Degree symbol for recipes.
When typing a recipe and you want the degree symbol, Use your right number keys to type 350º. To get the degree symbol, hold down the alt button and type 167 on the right number keys.
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DID YOU KNOW THAT;
Drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately -- without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional "pain relievers."
Did you know that Colgate Toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns?
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. They'll clear up your stuffed nose.
Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 Tablespoon of Horseradish in a cup of Olive Oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil, for instant relief for aching muscles.
Sore Throat? Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria.
Cure urinary tract infections with Alka-Seltzer. Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the symptoms. Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly -- even though the product was never been advertised for this use.
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.
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.
Listerine therapy for toenail fungus... Get rid of unsightly toenail fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.
Easy eyeglass protection.. To prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of Maybelline Crystal Clear Nail Polish to the threads of the screws before tightening them.
Coca-Cola Cure for rust... Forget those expensive rust removers. Justsaturate an abrasive sponge with Coca Cola and scrub the rust stain. The phosphoric acid in the coke is what gets the job done.
Cleaning liquid that doubles as bug killer... If menacing bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets get in your home and you can't find the insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409. Insects drop to the ground instantly.
Smart splinter remover... just pour a drop of Elmer's Glue all over the splinter, let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter sticks to the dried glue.
Hunt's Tomato Paste boil cure... cover the boil with Hunt's tomato paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes soothes the pain and brings the boil to a head.
Balm for broken blisters... To disinfect a broken blister, dab on a few drops of Listerine... a powerful antiseptic.
Heinz Vinegar To heal bruises... Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to the bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.
Kills fleas instantly. Dawn Dish Washing Liquid does the trick. Add a few drops to your dog's bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly. Rinse well to avoid skin irritations. Good-bye fleas.
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.
Eliminate ear mites... All it takes is a few drops of Wesson Corn Oil in your cat's ear. 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.
Vaseline cure for hair balls..... To prevent troublesome hair balls, apply a dollop of Vaseline petroleum jelly to your cat's nose. The cat will lick off the jelly, lubricating any hair in its stomach so it can pass easily through the digestive system.
Quaker Oats for fast pain relief.... It's not for breakfast anymore!
Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 HoosierHeart. All rights reserved.
Revised: March 26, 2005
