I think my mother used to use newspaper to wash windows. I'm not sure what my parents use now, as my dad usually washes the windows, since my mom can't really do it. I use alcohol for electronics with a cotton swab all the time.
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Delma Sent: Tuesday, May 12, 2009 5:06 PM To: RecipesAndMore; JanetsKitchen Subject: [RecipesAndMore] Loads & Loads of tips Dissolve your washing detergent in water before you add your clothes, otherwise wash cycle will be half over by the time the detergent starts to do its job. Shredded paper - Makes great packing material for shipping gifts; also makes good packing material for when you are moving. One of the most popular uses for baking soda is to deodorize your refrigerator. Just place an open container inside, stir every couple of weeks, replace it every couple of months. Make Your Diamond Ring Shine...Next time you're brushing your teeth, take your toothbrush and run it over your diamond ring to make it sparkle! Clean off any residue with a damp cloth. Is your glassware cloudy or dull? Add one tablespoon of Epsom salts to your next wash cycle and your glasses will come out crystal clear and sparkly. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter. Make giant ice cubes in muffin tins or plastic margarine bowls. These are perfect for using in picnic coolers or punch bowls. They look pretty and keep your drinks or food cold longer. Use Kool-Aid in Dannon plain yogurt as a finger-paint. Your kids will love it and it won't hurt them if they eat it. Dip the ends of Q-Tips in olive oil and then run them along sticky zippers. The oil is an excellent lubricant that will make the closures open and close easier. Clean fruits and vegetables with baking soda. Sprinkle in water, soak and rinse the produce. Can you believe that just a dab of toothpaste can remove scuff marks from your favorite pair of leather shoes? It's simply amazing! Just dab a little on the scuff marks, rub the area with a soft cloth, and then wipe clean with a damp cloth. You will make them look like new! Another unique use for Q-Tip cotton swabs is to dip the ends in soapy water. Then, use the ends to clean the dirt and grime from the fins of furnace and air conditioning ducts. Q-tips brand cotton swabs that are dipped in rubbing alcohol have other uses too. Use them to clean electronic devices such as CD players, DVD/VCR players, cameras, radios and computers. Add 1/2 cup or more of baking soda to your bath water to soften your skin. Buy the cheapest liquid dish washing detergent that you can find, add a few tablespoons of vinegar to the dish water first. The vinegar cuts the grease and leaves the dishes sparkling clean. To get crayon off the wall, use Colgate on a toothbrush and brush it. Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill it with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out. Don't mix cut daffodils in with other cut flowers as the daffodils produce a toxin that kills off the other flowers. Use half vanilla (has to be pure vanilla) and half water for a mosquito and tick repellent. Don't forget to eat breakfast, it's the most important meal of the day! Choosing high-fiber cereals (like All-Bran or Special K) over sugary ones is study-proven to reduce daily fatigue by 10%. Bananas... Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke. Save those plastic bags your newspaper comes in for a rainy day. They make great umbrella covers. Shove a bag in your purse or pocket before you leave the house. When you enter a car or building, take out the bag and slip your wet umbrella inside. Don't throw away your old AA batteries when your walkman or diskman begins to sound rough. There's still enough power in them to run a clock for six months, clock chimes for even longer and doorbells for a couple of years. You can get rid of foul ashtray odors by covering the base of the ashtray with carpet freshener. After you have used the baking soda in the refrigerator, don't throw it away! Put it in the sink drain or garbage disposal. Add a cup of vinegar and let it stand overnight. Run hot water through it in the morning; it will help keep drains clean and smelling fresh. Have a porcelain sink? Fill it with water, drop in two denture-cleaning tablets and leave for 30 minutes. Dentures are also made of porcelain so the action of the tablets erases stains. Scuff marks caused by shoes on vinyl floors, which usually take hard scrubbing to get off, can be easily removed by wiping with a small quantity of eucalyptus oil on a paper towel. Towels Stiff After Washing? This may be caused by overstuffing the washer or by a detergent buildup. To prevent, put in fewer towels, use less detergent and hotter water. Get rid of detergent buildup by washing towels in hot water with baking soda or borax and adding several cups of vinegar to the rinse water. Road Tar on Your Car? To remove it, spritz the spots with an oil-based prewash spray. Allow it to set for several minutes. Rub gently with a plastic scrubber, rinse and then buff with a soft cloth. One of the more important uses for baking soda: Keep a box of baking soda near the stove. In case of a grease fire, you can sprinkle baking soda on the fire to extinguish the flames. This will not damage counter tops or the pans. It is safe for use on electrical fires. Shave with baby oil instead of shave gel. It helps soften dry skin, and keeps skin moisturized longer than lotion. Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives. Put 1/4 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of your favorite potpourri inside old panty hose. For odor-removing sachets, tie the top shut with ribbon and place in hampers, closets, or other areas that end up with bad odors. You've probably tried running hot water over your clogged hair spray nozzle, but many times it just doesn't do the trick. Get that bottle of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol out and dip the nozzle into a little bit of it and let sit for a few minutes. Wipe off and you're ready to spray. You'll keep your "do" from becoming a "don't" and you won't waste any hair spray, and therefore, won't be wasting any money! Apply a mixture of toothpaste and baking soda to remove yellow stains in the fridge shelves. Numb your tongue with an ice cube before swallowing an unpleasant medicine. If you want to help your steam iron have a nice long life, the best thing you can do for it is to empty the water from the reservoir when you're not using it. Leaving water in it is the surest way to clog it up with mineral deposits, and that will certainly shorten it's useful life. If you already hate to iron, then there's nothing worse than trying to steam press your clothes with a clogged iron! To improve the flavor of inexpensive tomato juice, pour it into a pitcher and add a chopped green onion and a cut up stalk of celery. To polish silverware, sprinkle dry baking soda on a damp cloth, rub, rinse, dry and enjoy. To disinfect smelly sponges, wash sponge thoroughly, then microwave it while it is wet, for a short period. When you see steam from the sponge, the bacteria in the sponge will be dead. Remove carefully, it will be hot! Wash the sponge thoroughly before use. **Make sure the sponge has no metal components!** Did those crayon-toting angels of yours get creative and draw some fancy artwork on your wall? Don't worry. Just grab a tube of toothpaste, a rag or scrub brush, and dab a little on the wall and start scrubbing. The fine abrasive in the toothpaste will take away the crayon marks every time. Rinse the wall with water. Remove spilled nail polish from wood furniture: Don't wipe it up! The solvents in nail polish soften most finishes, and wiping may take off the finish. Instead, let the polish dry completely; then gently scrape it off with a credit card. Wax the surface, using superfine steel wool. Clean those dirty, dusty, mini-blinds in your house in a snap! Fill the bathtub with warm, soapy water and let the blinds soak. If they are white blinds, add a little bleach to get rid of any stains. Use crumpled up black and white newspaper dipped in vinegar to wash windows. Dip paper in vinegar and wipe the glass until almost dry, then shine with dry newspaper or cloth. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Access the Recipes And More list archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ Visit the group home page at: http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
