Your Lesser Known Tips

[Scamper]

Re: Your Lesser Known Tips

Useful Tips We Can Benefit from. Part 1

If your shoes or boots are worn, just use a marker in that color, and fill them in.

The rubber around sneakers. Clean with baking soda.

A run in a stocking, stop with hairspray.

If snaps won’t close. Then get a hammer go easy and hit, the round point of the snap several times. Don’t hammer it flat though.

Use scotch guard on all new clothes , and stains will be a breeze to clean.
You can waterproof jeans, with it to make snow pants to.
But you will have to respray after each washing.
You can also use it on tennis shoes.

If you need clothes, check with the dry cleaners, for left behinds.

Clothes won’t bleed if you use 1 cup of salt in your wash.

Leather sneakers clean with a rag, and Spray and Wash.

.Recycle panty hose elastic, and use it around your waist.
For instance if a slip is too long.

Sharpen garbage disposal blades, by throwing in some ice cubes..

Flying roaches, spray with 409. Game over.

Make baby diapers with cotton flannel.

Fire starter bricks you only need only a half. It will work good..

For wood scratches, you can use brown shoe polish.

If bath towels are frayed on the ends, get some lace an sew it on.
Will look new.

Windex spray on marble or granite counters, they will sparkle.

Plant leaves, wipe off with milk. They will shine. Ex Philodendrom.

If you need shelf paper, pretty wallpaper works to. Even more patterns.

To help keep your pipes clog free, run hot water down them once a month.

Shower caps can be used as bowl covers.

White walls on the car. You can use basin tub and tile cleaner.

If you need tires buy take offs if they have some. These are the tires they remove when someone, wants to replace his tires with some new fancy specials.

Use tension rods in the shower to hang up clothes in nasty weather.

[Scamper]

Re: Your Lesser Known Tips

Useful tips We Can All Benefit From Part 2

Need rugs for your car or van, you can use plush ,rubber backed bathroom rugs.

Need your car painted. Call the college ask for the tech department.
They need the experience and their supervised. Usually all you pay for is the paint.

Need paint for a small room. Call the hardware store. Ask if they have any goofs.
Usually sell them for $ 5.00 a bucket.

Need a picket fence. Call Lowe’s or Home depot. Ask if they have any rejects.
These are usually missing a few slats. All you’ve got to do is, buy some singles for about 40 cents. Replace, and good to go.

Need gas for the car. Fill up in the morning before the sun comes out. Will get 5 % more. Gas expands after the sun comes out.

Use rain X on your car windows. Then you can see anything a car splashes at you.

Need a hair cut. Call the Beauty Academy. They need training too. Also supervised. Welcome strangers in off the street, with open arms. Usually a cut is $ 5.00

Lost your gas cap. Ask the attendant. He usually has it in his box.

Get your cellophane bags at a florist.

Plastic eye glasses clean with pledge.

For all occasion gift wrapping, buy red, green or gold paper at x mas time.

Having a problem with weaning. Then put unsweetened kool aid in the bottle, and put sweetened kool- aid in the cup. He’ll switch fast.

Your child won’t give up his pacifier. Then keep cutting the nipple off until it goes flat.
Cut a little at a time and give it to him. Pretty soon nothing left.

When your child brings home art work, take his picture with it. But don’t over praise.
Other siblings will think you love, one more than another.

If going out for pizza, just dress the kids in red. No stains will show.

Scars. You need to drink lots of water, to help fill your skin out.

Small busts. Wear bulky sweater, and blouses.

Menstrual cramps. Cut out sugar, salt and caffeine, two weeks before, and cramps won’t be so bad.

Frozen door locks, use W D40.

[Scamper]

Re: Your Lesser Known Tips

Useful tips We Can All Benefit From. Part 3

If you need shiny nails, then rub in some olive oil and they’ll gleam.

To plump up your cheeks, apply a lighter foundation to the hollows.

For wider looking eyes, put 2 coats of mascara at the outer corners.

When you have your picture taken, don’t wear shadow, blush or frosted lipstick.
These will rob your facial features.

For thick eye lashes just powder them. Then when you apply mascara, it has something to grab onto.

When you use eye shadows match your eyes to your eye color. Use complementary colors. Pretty. Some people match eyes to their clothes. I prefer the above.

For static on brushes, use static guard.

If your hair frizzes, rub a dab of canola oil into the palm of your hand.
Then apply sparingly all over your head.

For puffy eyes, you can apply a cold teething ring.

For a pretty pony tail. Put your hair up, then pull a narrow piece out on one side, and wrap it around the tail. Secure with bobby pin.

To get bobby pins in stay in you hair, cross them. You know like an X.

To give your head more volume. Stand with your feet apart and bend over.
Now dry your head from the roots. Stand back up and look in the mirror.

Don’t know what color rouge you need. Just bend over feet apart , and hold this position to count of 30. Be careful so you don’t fall over. Stand up and go look in the mirror.
This is your true rouge color. Go buy it.

To keep your brown hair color. Brew some coffee, and let it cool. Then pour it on dry hair. Leave 20 minutes and rinse.

If you have dry hair, rinse it in warm water.

Eat zinc foods, and you’ll have a nice complexion. Nuts, whole grains etc.

Honey is wonderful for cuts, and scratches. Used on the battle fields for dressing.
It also acts like an antibiotic.

Never rub leather with stains. Use a sponge an dab at it.

For static in your carpet. Put some fabric softener and water in a sprayer.
Now spray the carpets.

Beer makes a nice setting lotion. Combs out with no problem.

[Scamper]

Re: Your Lesser Known Tips

Adult Games. And Ideas

First of all every body needs a name tag. This will help them be more at ease.

Now lets all have some fun

Mingle Mingle Mingle
.Have guest all stand in a circle and cha cha until you say freeze. At this point everyone needs to obey your instructions. Ex go find someone with the same shoe size, or someone with the same hair do, or someone that has the same interests. If that can’t follow your command they sit down.

Assumption.
Everyone needs a pen and paper. Now look at the person on your right.
Write down something about that person,. Fold it up and put in on the table.
When each one is read the rest have to guess who it is about.

Truth and Lies.
Every one has to tell three things about themselves. The rest have to figure out which two are a fact, and which one is a lie.

Balloon Crotch.
Put a balloon between the crotch of a husband and wife. Don’t blow them up all the way. Makes it harder to pop. Now everyone has to tell them something to do. Kiss, hug etc.
The first couple to pop the balloon gets a small prize.


Blindfold.
One of the guys is blindfolded. Each of the guests take turns sitting in a chair, with bare feet, and raised pant legs. Now the guy blindfolded has to find his wife, only by touching the feet.

You decide winners and prizes if any.

A quick dessert to serve is a frozen pound cake. Top with whip cream, and smash up a chocolate candy bar, and sprinkle all over the top.

Sprinkle flower petals all over the table for elegant look.

Put out a tray of precut vegetables, with a dressing in the center.

[Scamper]

Re: Your Lesser Known Tips

Lets Make Cleaning Funtime.

Sock puppets or bath mitts are also great for cleaning windows. Have children pair up and one child can clean one side of a window, while another cleans the opposite side. They can mimic each other's movements. Or even make faces.


Give children hand puppets or just plain socks to use for dusting. Make a contest out of it-whichever child has the dirtiest sock after dusting the house gets a small prize.

Hide small toy prizes in clever places around the house for your child to find while cleaning. Underneath cushions and behind knickknacks are good places. Before they begin, tell them how many prizes there are total so that they have a range in mind.

Insert rolled-up pieces of paper with chores listed on them inside balloons, and then blow up the balloon. Have the children pop the balloons to find out which chore to do next.

Instead of leaving children a chore list out on the counter for after school, try this technique: Write chores on small pieces of paper, wrap them inside squares of aluminum foil and bake inside muffins. Make sure you label the container of muffins as "chore muffins" so everyone knows the foil is inside.

Play musical chores. Set up a portable stereo in the room being cleaned.
Designate a chore to each child. Play the music and let them go to work.
When the music stops, the children must switch chores.
Repeat until the room is clean.

Have the kids use a feather duster. The brightly colored feathers make it more interesting to do the chore.

Hold a contest to see which child can get the most laundry in a basket in 30 seconds. Award a small prize to the winner.

[Scamper]

Re: Your Lesser Known Tips

Cleaning Tricks

Create a homemade all-purpose cleaner, by combining the following in one gallon of hot water: one cup clear ammonia, 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda. Pour into a spray bottle, or use from a bowl with a sponge. This no-rinse formula is a degreaser, that prevents mold and mildew. Wipe down the entire refrigerator with this solution, including the drawers and shelves.

To prevent grease and odor buildup on top of the refrigerator after you have cleaned it, just buff some paste wax into the surface.

Use toothpaste to remove tough stains. It has a gentle abrasive and pleasant odor.

Get those dust bunnies out from under the refrigerator, first remove the grill, then cover a yardstick with a pair of pantyhose and run it. Be sure to check the pan of water underneath the unit, since it can hold unpleasant-smelling water.

To combat household odors, fill a clean, old sock with activated charcoal from an aquarium store, tie a knot in the top and place it in the back of the refrigerator. This will last a month or two, depending on the size of your refrigerator and how heavily you use it.

For a more quick fix for odors, sprinkle vanilla extract on some cotton balls, place in a shallow dish and put in the refrigerator. Orange extract also works.

Eliminate lingering odors in your clothes, drawers, by placing a crumpled-up piece of a brown paper grocery bag inside, and leaving it for 48 hours. The paper will absorb the odor.

To make sure your refrigerator is using energy efficiently: try this tip: Check for adequate tightness of the insulating seam, around the door by placing a lit flashlight, inside the refrigerator and closing the door. Turn off the lights in the room (this should be done at night), and see if any light escapes from the seams. This will help you pinpoint any leaks.

If you don’t keep your refrigerator full, fill a large bottle (at least a gallon) with water and leave it in the refrigerator. It helps keep the refrigerator cool and running efficiently.

Keep your refrigerator at 37 degrees.

[Scamper]

Re: Your Lesser Known Tips

Kids' Lunches they Like.


Cut out cheese in a variety of shapes, to add fun to your child's lunchbox.

Make a peanut butter and jelly spider-shaped sandwich a treat.

Yogurt--Buy a large container and spoon a serving into a smaller container that fits into the lunchbox. To make it fun, add some blue food coloring (now you have ocean-blue yogurt), and pack with fish-shaped crackers. Try green food coloring to simulate alien slime).

Cheese--Cut into various shapes to make it fun and interesting. Use tools such as a melon baller, lemon zester or crinkle cutter. Also, buy it by the block to save money.

Peanut Butter And Jelly. To make this all-American favorite more exciting, turn the sandwich into a spider. Use a large glass to cut a circle shape from the already-made sandwich.
Add eight pretzel-stick legs and two chocolate chips for the eye. Sprinkle around a couple of chocolate-covered raisins to look like "flies," and draw a spider web on the napkin.

Drinks--Fill a small plastic recycled water bottle about 1/3 full with water, and freeze overnight. Add fruit-juice concentrate in the morning, and it will mix with the water as it thaws. It will keep the food cold in the lunchbox and be ready to drink by lunchtime.

[Scamper]

Re: Your Lesser Known Tips

Grandma's Tips:

Blenders usually have measurement gradients on them. Use a blender for measuring a large amount of liquid rather than doing it a cup at a time with a measuring cup.


Attach a sardine-can key to the bottom of a tube of toothpaste and roll up to ensure no toothpaste waste.

To reduce the smell of paint fumes, place a chopped-up onion in a bucket of water, and place in the room being painted.

Soak a hard-to-clean paintbrush in warm lemon juice. Bring lemon juice to a boil and remove from heat. Place the hardened brush in the juice. Let soak for 15 minutes, then wash the brush with soap and water. It should be as good as new.

Store candles in the freezer and they will burn slower than candles stored at room temperature.

If a casserole overheats and results in a smoking oven spill, sprinkle some salt on the spill to cut the smoke, until you have a chance to properly clean the oven.

Remove food stains on your hands by rubbing them on the cut side of a potato.

Keep potatoes from budding by placing an apple in the potato bag.

Use an onion to remove a scorch stain on fabric. Cut the onion in half and rub on the stain, then soak the item in cold water.

Baking soda is a cleanser and deodorizer. Use it to remove stale odors from plastic drinking glasses. Just add some baking soda and water to the glass, mix well, and let it soak for awhile. Baking soda can also be used as deodorant in a pinch.

[Scamper]

Re: Your Lesser Known Tips

Vinegar Tips

To clean the water line from a vase, rub it with a vinegar soaked paper towel.

Eliminate odors in a smoke filled room, during the and after a party, by placing a small bowl of vinegar in the room.

Remove old decals by painting them with several coats of white vinegar, or covering them with a cloth soaked in vinegar. After several minutes the decals should wash off easily.

Remove wall paper by mixing up equal parts of vinegar, and hot water.
Dip a paint roller in this mixture, wet the paper thoroughly.
After several applications most of the paper will peel off in sheets.
I find the easiest and fastest way, is put this mixture in a spritzer. Then spray it several times. This works great for me.

Fill a spritzer with vinegar, and chase away the ants.

Soak dentures overnight in vinegar to soften any tarta,r enough to easily brush it away with a toothbrush.

Remove salt stains on shoes and boots, by wiping them with a solution, of equal parts of vinegar and warm water. Do it as soon as possible. Polish shoes and boots after removing the salt.

Get rid of stains left by deodorants and antiperspirants on washables, by lightly rubbing the spots with white vinegar before washing.

To keep lint from clinging to corduroys and blue jeans, add1 cup of vinegar to each wash load.

Clean hoses and unclog soap scum from your wash machine, by pouring 1 gallon of distilled vinegar into the tub, and running it through a complete cycle.

One cup of vinegar in the wash with a load of blankets, will come out lint free.

After washing a wool sweater, rinse it in vinegar water, to remove all odor.

Wash your plastic shower curtain, with 1 cup of vinegar .in the rinse.
Then tumble dry - throw in two towels for 5 minutes. Then hang.

For beautiful azaleas feed them vinegar. Put 2 tablespoons of vinegar in a quart of water Use this occasionally, they love the acid.

Pour white vinegar on unwanted grasses. For instance in cracks of sidewalk, driveway, even between bricks.

Put 1 cup of white vinegar in a wash load with new jeans, they won’t fade for a long time.

Put 1 cup of vinegar in the washer, with all new clothes to keep their color.

Striped tops wash in 1 cup of white vinegar. Stripes won’t run.
I do this a lot. Have several striped tops.

I also wash several colors together with 1 ½ cups of white vinegar. Come out great.
But I do not put and black items in with my other colors. Don’t want any grey black clothes.

I also put 1 cup of white vinegar, in with all my towels and wash cloths.
No nap or fuzz on them afterwards.

I put 1 cup of vinegar in a wash load of sweaters. No sweater balls after. No runs.
Then hang to dry on a sweater hanger. If I have any lumps in my shoulders after they dry, I just spray them with water out of a spritzer, and flatten them with my hands.
Works for me. Only wet for a few minutes. Not even noticeable

Now my t –shirts I hang those up to after washed. I put my hands up under and shape them good, then I shape the sleeves last. Always look nice and neat, like they’ve been ironed. I only iron our good clothes. Have learned so many neat tricks on my own.
I have taken t shirts and made them look expensive, like they were suede.
I’m always turning a cheap t – shirt around $ 10.00, into something else more expensive looking. This is fun. Again any lumps in shoulders, spray and flatten with your hands. Otherwise it looks like a bone coming through the shoulders

I take a cheap sweat suit and dye it into three or four different colors. Gorgeous.
Then I dye my sneakers, and socks to match. Have a complete outfit, that gets a lot of heads turning, when I walk into a store.. As though to say “Where does she do her shopping”.

I use white vinegar for all of these tips.

[Scamper]

Re: Your Lesser Known Tips

Shampoo tips:

Use mild shampoo if you run out of dishwashing soap. Not in a dishwasher though.

Dirty tub floor. Pour on a bit of shampoo, and use your foot to scrub dirt away. Be sure to hold on, the tub is slippery.

Use only hair shampoo to clean collars ( after all, the dirt is nothing but body oil and soil) instead of expensive laundry products.

To remove grime and grease from your hands after working on your car, wash them with oily hair shampoo. It’s a great grease cutter and is gentle to the skin. When traveling save space by using, shampoo and hand laundry.

[shelbylovesmelby]

Re: Your Lesser Known Tips

I saw this one on TV, you can use a garbage bag, rubber band and vacuume to create your own home made version of a "space bag", why pay that kind of $ for the bags when you've got a whole box of garbage bags @ home for a fraction of the cost

[Scamper]

Re: Your Lesser Known Tips

Shel my husband and I have done that for years. Every time we move, we put clothes, blankets, pillows etc, in a trash bag. Then we close off the top, until just the neck of the cleaner hose fits in. Turn it on suck out all the air. Then twister seal tight. Works like a charm, and you can get a lot into a truck, or car.

[Scamper]

Re: Your Lesser Known Tips

Ice Cube Tips

Wrap a cube in a small piece of cloth, an use to dampen wrinkles while ironing.

When moving furniture, and it leaves a dent in the carpet, fill the dent with cubes. The next day when it’s dry it will look nice. Can brush it up some if needed. Have done this a lot.

Gum put an ice cube on it, until it gets hard. Then it should break off.

Yummy dressing. Combine oil and vinegar. Pour it in a jar. Then add a cube an shake her up. It will be tasty and smooth.

Drop a few cubes into hanging plants.

Put a bowl of cubes in the freezer, when you go on vacation. If any are melted when you return, you will know you lost power.

[Scamper]

Re: Your Lesser Known Tips

Kitty Litter Tips

Sprinkle litter good around the tires of a car stuck in the snow.

Keep a bag in your trunk for emergencies.

Sprinkle litter on snow covered driveways and walks. We need to make these safe, for visitors to.

Put litter in all rabbit, hamster, gerbil, guinea pig and hamsters beds.
Odor free.

Keep your trash barrel odor free, after you scrub it good, with hot soapy water. Put about 2” of liter in the bottom. Toss filled bags on top. In the morning of pick up , just take the bags out.

Make some odor grabbers for the sneakers. Fill the toe of a knee high with liter, and tie it. Place in the shoes and leave all night.

[lrjohnson]

Re: Your Lesser Known Tips

I took the catch pan from the oven, with nasty deeply baked on gunk. Stuck it in a black garbage bag with a half cup of ammonia on a hot day. Tore open the bag, and the yucky bits just fell off the pan. It was actually pretty amazing.

(It was in one of the tightwad Gazettes for cleaning grills.....it might be pushing it to say something in Tightwad Gazette is lesser known, but hey-for oven parts you heard it here first.)