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Handy Tips
Stuff your
mother should have told you... If she didn't, then perhaps she didn't
know it either!
- Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone
to prevent ice cream drips.
- Use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the
hot griddle and you'll get perfectly shaped pancakes every time.
- To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with
the potatoes.
- To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to
the water before hard-boiling.
- Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies
treats in the pan and the marshmallow won't stick to your fingers.
- To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room
temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen
counter before squeezing.
- 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 stovetop.
- Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring
in tomato-based sauces and there won't be any stains.
- When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a
bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess
on the outside of the cake.
- 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.
- Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to
yield a beautiful glossy finish.
- Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it.
- When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help
bring out the corn's natural sweetness.
- To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of
cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh, but if it rises
to the surface, throw it away.
- Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it
on your forehead. The throbbing will go away. (And even if it
doesn't, you'll smell fresh all day!)
- Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes
for future use in casseroles and sauces.
- If you have a problem opening jars: Try using latex dishwashing
gloves. They give a nonslip grip that makes opening jars easy.
A nutcracker also works.
- Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice
and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.
- To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on
the area and you will experience instant relief.
- Use 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,
scotch tape removes the splinters painlessly and easily.
- Now look what you can do with Alka-Seltzer:
- Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets, wait
twenty minutes, brush, and flush. The citric acid and effervescent
action clean vitreous china.
- 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 bottle. Fill the bottle with water,
drop in four Alka-Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour
(or longer, if necessary).
- 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, then run the hot water.
- Flies or bees bothering you? Spray them with hairspray
and they will take a quick dive.
- Sealed envelope? Put in the freezer for a few hours, then slide
a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed.
- Use Empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords in. 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 Dawn dishwashing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps.
They won't refreeze.
- Crayon marks on walls? A damp rag, dipped in baking soda. Comes
off with little effort.
- Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops? Use rubbing alcohol
on paper towel.
- Whenever you purchase a box of SOS Pads (steel wool), take a
pair of scissors and cut each pad in half. Your SOS pads last
longer, and the scissors get sharpened!
- Blood stains on clothes? Pour a little peroxide on a cloth
and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood.
- 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 lovely 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.
- 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 and the salt will absorb
all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking
like new!
Note: If no author is given, then the author is unknown. A lot
of these writings have been circulating around via email for years.
If you are the author of this piece, please e-mail
me, and I will (according to your wishes) either give you
written credit for your writing, or remove it from this website.
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