Helpful Hints

  These are some helpful hints and tips picked up by JB’s Corner. Some are not tested by us; however, most should prove useful.

 

Click Here for "How to Clean Anything"

 

More Tips

A sealed envelope: Put in the freezer for a few hours, and then slide a knife under the flap. Voila! The envelope can then be resealed.

Use empty paper roll to store appliance cords: 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 dish washing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won't refreeze. Test out this one beforehand.

 

To remove old wax from a glass candle holder: Put it in the freezer for a few hours. Then take the candle holder out and turn it upside down. The wax will fall out.

 

Crayon marks on walls? A damp rag, dipped in baking soda. Comes off with little effort.

 

Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt blue): Rubbing alcohol on paper towel.

Whenever you purchase a box of S.O.S Pads: Immediately take a pair of scissors and cut each pad into halves. This is economical. Now a box of S.O.S. pads will last much longer! In fact, the scissors get sharpened this way.

 

Blood stains on clothes? Just pour a little hydrogen 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.

 

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 linens.

 

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 as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new.

 

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 stove top.

 

 

Spray your TUPPERWARE with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.

 

Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.

 

When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.

 

 

Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half, and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.

 

To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief.

 

Ants, ants, ants everywhere ...Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So, get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself.

 

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, and then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.

 

 

 

More Ideas Worth Knowing
Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store.
If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

 

 

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil.
It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

 
Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef.
It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

 

To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of
spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.

For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.

 

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste
of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.  
Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!!  Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream.

 

                                                   Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm.
This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.
 

 
Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up.
Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg.
Just throw bag away when done easy clean up...
 

 
Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size.
You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

 

 

                                           Reheating refrigerated stuff:
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in
a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food
moist and help it reheat faster.

 
Newspaper Weeds Away:
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. wet newspapers,
put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and for-
get about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic, they will not
get through wet newspapers.

 
Broken Glass
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.

 

 

                            No More Mosquitoes
     Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.

 

 

      Squirrel Away!  
To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

 

              Flexible Vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.

 

                                                   Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and ... At DA! ... Static is gone.

 
Measuring Cups

Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water.
Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such
as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.
 

 

 
Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!

 

 
Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.

 

 
Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!
 

 
Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!

 

 

 

 

 

     Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer

Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets; wait twenty minutes, brush and flush.

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 and then run the hot water.

 

 

 

 

How About Coffee Filters?
 They are so inexpensive.

 

Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers. 

Clean windows, mirrors, and chrome...  Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.

Protect china by separating your good dishes with a coffee filter between each dish.

Filter broken cork from wine.  If you break the cork when opening a wine  bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter. 

Protect a cast-iron skillet.  Place a coffee filter in the  skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

Apply shoe polish.  Ball up a lint-free coffee filter. 

Recycle frying oil.  After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.

Weigh chopped foods.  Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a  kitchen scale..

Hold tacos.  Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot.  Line a plant  pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through  the drainage holes.

Soak grease. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken  fingers, etc on them.  It soaks out all the grease.

Keep in the bathroom.  They make great "razor nick fixers."  

Odor prevention. Put baking soda into a coffee filter and insert into shoes or a closet to absorb or prevent odors. 

Prevent spilling. Use a coffee filter to prevent spilling when you add fluids to your car. 

Utensil rest. Use them as a spoon rest while cooking and clean up small counter spills. 

Ornament protection. Use them to wrap Christmas ornaments for storage.  

Seed sprouting. Use them to sprout seeds.  Simply dampen the coffee filter, place seeds inside, fold it and place it into a plastic baggie until they sprout.  

Flower pressers as blotting paper. Use for pressed flowers.  Place the flowers between two coffee filters and put the coffee filters in phone book.

 

 

 

                                                                                                                           

     Clorox vs. Peroxide 

VERY interesting and inexpensive. This was written by Becky Ransey of Indiana (a doctor's wife).  
   
She was over at a friend’s for coffee and smelled the bleach she was using to clean the toilet and counter tops. This is what she said, “I would like to tell you of the benefits of that Plain little ole bottle of 3% peroxide you can get for under $1.00 at any drug store. What does bleach cost? My husband has been in the medical field for over 36 years, and most doctors don't tell you about peroxide.  Have you ever smelled bleach in a doctor's office?  NO!  
   
Why? Because it smells, and it is not healthy! Ask the nurses who work in the doctor's offices, and ask them if they use bleach at home. They are wiser and know better!”  

Did you also know bleach was invented in the late 40's? It's chlorine, folks! And it was used to kill our Troops.  Peroxide was invented during WWI in the 20’s. It was used to save and help cleanse the needs of our troops and hospitals.  


More on Peroxide  
   
1. Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and hold in your mouth for one minute daily, then spit it out. No more canker sores, and your teeth will be whiter without expensive pastes. Use it instead of mouthwash.  

2. Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of peroxide to keep them free of germs.  

3. Clean your counters and table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters.  
   
4. After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.  

5. Fungus on feet: spray a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry.  

6. Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for 5-10 minutes several times a day. Some have gangrene that would not heal with any medicine but was healed by soaking in peroxide.  

7.  Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and Water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system  like  bleach or most other disinfectants will.  

8. Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture whenever you have a cold, plugged sinus.  It will bubble and help to kill the bacteria.  Hold for a few minutes, and then blow your nose into a tissue.  

9. If you have a   terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right away, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for 10 minutes several times a day.  The pain will lessen greatly.  

10. For the ladies: if you like a natural look to your hair, spray the 50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You will not have the peroxide-burnt blonde hair like   the hair dye packages but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, reddish, or dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually, so it's not a drastic change.  

11. Put half a bottle of peroxide in your bath to help  get rid of  boils, fungus, or other skin infections.  

12. You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour it directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water.  Repeat if necessary.  

13. Use peroxide to clean mirrors. There is no smearing.  

14. Another place it's great is in the bathroom, if someone has been careless & has peed on the floor around the toilet & it's begun to smell of urine.  Just put some peroxide in a spray bottle & spray. In the blink of any eye all the smell will be gone & the bacteria eliminated!  

 

 

The Amazing Cucumber 

This information was in The New York Times as part of their "Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems.

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber.  Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.
 
3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower?  Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds?  Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long.  The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.
 
5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool?  Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the photochemical in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite.  Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache?  Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free.  Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!
 
7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge?  Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes?  Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.
 
9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge?  Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa?  Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

 

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints?  Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the photochemical will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

 

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel?  Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

 

13. Using a pen and made a mistake?  Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

 

Recommend this web page to everybody you know who is looking for better and safer ways to solve life's everyday problems.

  

Let us have your additional hints. Send them to the Webmaster.