HOUSEHOLD HINTS
MY FAMILY ROOM
Uses for Baking Soda:
Did you burn your favorite pan? Put 1/2 cup of baking soda in the pan and fill it 1/2 full with water.
Set the pan on the stove, and let boil till the burnt particles float to the top!
For coffee, tea or cigarette burns on your china and ceramic ware, rub the stained sections
with a damp cloth that has been dipped in baking soda!
For stuck food on casserole dishes, fill with boiling water and add 3 tablespoons of baking soda
or salt and let sit for an hour.
For clogged drain, pour 1/2 cup of baking soda over the drain, then pour a cup of vinegar over it.
Let set for a minute till it foam. Run hot water or pour boiling water down the drain!
You may need to repeat the process. Works in most simple clogs.
Polish silver to a shine with a soft cloth and some dampened baking soda placed on the cloth.
For grease splatters or dried food on countertops, sprinkle baking soda on area.
Then rub with a wet sponge.
To aid in washing dishes, add a tablespoon of baking soda to your soapy water;
it softens hands while cutting through grease.
Pets
Flea Problems? Pie pan Water Dish soap Night LightThe best trick I've found for flea removal is to take a pie pan, put in about 1/4 inch of water
with a squirt of dish soap. Place under a small night light. The fleas are drawn to the light,
fall in the water and drown. This will also take care of other insects you may have in your house.
Keep away fleas and mange. Add a little vinegar to your pet's drinking water.
Pest Control
Wipe kitchen countertops with a cloth dipped in vinegar to keep ants away.
Outside Tips
Kill weeds. Spray full strength vinegar on tops of weeds. Reapply on any new
growth until the plants have starved.
Kill grass on walks and driveways. Pour full strength vinegar on unwanted grass.
Keep cats away. Sprinkle vinegar on an area to discourage cats from walking,
sleeping, or scratching on it.
General Cleaning
Chrome: To remove rust from chrome, wipe it with aluminum foil dipped in Coke. To polish chrome,
use a crumbled up piece of aluminum foil and rub!
Ink Stains: The best way I have found to get out ink stains is to put rubbing alcohol on the stain - it
disappears! This must be done before washing.
Stickers, Decals, and Glue: To remove them from furniture, glass, plastic, etc. Saturate with
vegetable oil and rub off.
You can make stainless steel sinks really shine with club soda or white vinegar.
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.
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.
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.
Cut SOS pads in half. It's much more economical, you won't have to throw away rusted,
half used smelly pads and some report that cutting them helps to sharpen scissors.
A tip I find really useful, is to use oven cleaner in bathtubs. Spray, wait and rinse.
To remove rust stains from sinks and tubs pour a few drops of hydrogen peroxide on the stain and
sprinkle with cream of tartar. Let sit for half an hour then wipe off and rinse well.
If you drop an egg on the floor, cover it with salt, wait 5 minutes or so and it will easily sweep up.
A cup of vinegar in your mop water will give your floor a shine.
Cooking Tips
and Food
Perfect Pancakes Use a turkey baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the hot griddle and
you'll get perfectly shaped pancakes every time.
If you accidentally over salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato and
it will absorb the excess salt for an instant "fix me up."
Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.
Zap garlic cloves in the microwave for 15 seconds. The skins slip right off.
Sprinkling a little salt in your frying pan will help prevent grease splatters.
When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corns natural sweetness.
Chop hard-boiled eggs with a pizza cutter--it's much easier!
Misc. Hints
Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least three hours prior to burning.
If you have problems opening jars: Try using latex dishwashing gloves. They give a non
slip grip that makes opening jars easy
To remove black marks left on linoleum floors by shoes, use the heel of the shoe and rub.
It will take the mark right up!
Use lifesavers candy to hold candles in place on your next birthday cake! Kids love them.
Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in
tomato-based sauces. No more stains!
For a festive scent, sprinkle cinnamon on aluminum foil and place it in a hot oven,
leaving the door open. The smell will permeate the house.
To make band-aid removal truly "ouch less", rub mineral or baby oil on it first.
Vinegar Uses
The colors in carpets and rugs will often look like they have taken a new lease on life if they
are brushed with a mixture of 1 cup of vinegar in a gallon of water.
A mixture of one teaspoon of liquid detergent and 1 teaspoon of distilled vinegar in a pint of lukewarm
water will remove non-oily stains from carpets. Apply it to the stain with a soft brush or towel and rub
gently. Rinse with a towel moistened with clean water and blot dry. Repeat this procedure until the
stain is gone. Then dry quickly, using a fan or hair dryer. This should be done as soon as the stain is discovered.
Fresh cut flowers can be kept blooming longer by adding two tablespoons of vinegar,
plus three tablespoons of sugar to each quart of warm water. The stems must be
kept in three to four inches of the nutrient.
To remove odors from a room, place a small bowl of distilled vinegar in the warmest corner of the room.
Even the odors of fresh paint or stale tobacco may be removed in this manner.
Excess laundry suds that develop during hand laundry may be eliminated by splashing a
little vinegar into the second rinse. Follow this with another rinse in plain water.
Increase soil acidity. In hard water areas, add a cup of vinegar to a gallon of tap water for
watering acid loving plants like rhododendrums,gardenias, or azaleas. The vinegar will
release iron in the soil for the plants to use.
Prepare fluffier rice. Add a teaspoon of vinegar to the water when it boils.
Treat sinus infections and chest colds. Add 1/4 cup or more vinegar to the vaporizer.
Dissolve rust from bolts and other metals. Soak in full strength vinegar.
Get rid of lint in clothes. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.
Prevent grease buildup in your oven by frequently wiping it with vinegar.
Pour boiling vinegar down drains to unclog and clean them.
Weight loss: Vinegar helps prevent fat from accumulating in the body.
When boiling meat, add a spoonful of vinegar to the water to make it more tender.
To loosen a rusty bolt, saturate with vinegar