Helpful Hints

Citrus Peel as Garbage Disposal Deodorizer Keep your disposal smelling fresh by dropping a few peels down the drain and flipping the switch.

Cornmeal as Grease Absorber

Add this to the grocery shopping list for new reasons. Cornmeal absorbs grease on light colored fabric or upholstery. Pour enough on to cover the soiled area and let sit for 15 to 30 minutes. Vacuum to remove the grains.

Denture Tablet as Vase Cleaner

When residue clings to unreachable spots inside a vase or a decanter, fill the container with warm water and drop in one or two denture-cleaning tablets for every eight ounces of warm water. Let the fizzy solution sit for the time specified on the product's box, then rinse.

Dryer Sheet as Scum Buster

Remove obstinate soap buildup from glass shower doors by sprinkling a few drops of water onto a used fabric-softener sheet and scrubbing.

Hair Dryer as Sticker Remover

A little hot air quickly loosens price labels—with zero fingernail-chipping frustration.

Lemon as Laundry Brightener

Skip the bleach—add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of lemon juice to the wash cycle to brighter up those fading whites.

Helpful Hints

Baking Soda as Drain Unclogger

To get your drain running again (without resorting to chemicals worthy of a hazmat suit) pour ½ cup soda, then ½ cup vinegar, down a clogged drain. Cover it with a wet cloth, wait 5 minutes, uncover, and flush with steaming-hot water.

Baking Soda as Stain Remover  Clean discolored teacups and teapots by making a paste of baking soda and water. Gently rub over the stain to remove.

Baking Soda as Carpet Freshener

To absorb stale odors from carpet (and to generally freshen up a room), scatter soda on it, wait a few hours, then vacuum up the powder.

Bath Mat as Car Seat Protector

Protect your car seats from muddy paws by covering them with a bath mat or two before packing Lilly the Lab in the backseat. The rubber bottom will help the mat stay in place. Between trips, stow the mat in the trunk.

Car Wax as Stovetop Polish

Preserve a pristine stovetop by applying a thin layer of car wax, then wiping it off. Future spills will lift off easily.

Citrus Peel as Coffee Mug Cleaner

Remove coffee or tea stains from a mug by rubbing them with a lightly salted citrus peel.

Helpful Hints

Use Cooking Spray as an Ice Repellent

Before clearing snow off a driveway, liberally spray both sides of a plastic or metal shovel with cooking spray. The ice will slide right off the oily surface. It's the easiest trick for smoother snow removal.

Dryer Sheet as Iron Cleaner

Remove gunk from the soleplate of an iron. With the setting on low, rub the iron over the dryer sheet until the residue disappears, and you're left with a pristine press.

Emery Board as Stain Remover

Remove small stains from suede by gently rubbing the file (either side) across the problem area a few times to get rid of the splotch and refresh the nap.

Fork as Carpet Fluffer

Use the tines to gently fluff plush carpet fibers back to their original height, removing dents left by heavy furniture. Now, that's a real fork lift.

Baking Soda as Linen Freshener

Place an open box of baking soda alongside your stacks of sheets and towels to stave off mustiness.

Helpful Hints

Baking Soda as Silver Polish

To polish silver: Wash items, then place on aluminum foil in the bottom of a pot. Add a baking-soda solution (¼ cup soda, a few teaspoons salt, 1 quart boiling water) and cover for a few seconds. The result? A chemical reaction that gets the black off the gravy boat.

Broom as Long Distance Duster

To dust crown moldings, place a microfiber rag over the broom's bristles and secure with a rubber band. Then use the long handle to dust areas that your arms can't reach. No more circus acts (starring you, on a rickety, wobbly stool).

Car Wax as Sink Polish

Polish faucets, sinks, tile, even shower doors with Turtle Wax, which leaves behind a protective barrier against water and soap buildup, so your hard-earned sparkle will last past the next tooth-brushing.

For cleaner cuts with less elbow grease, rub a little paste on the hinge of a pair of garden shears so they don’t get jammed.

Chalk as Tarnish Prevention

Slow the tarnish on your good silver by tying up a few moisture-absorbing pieces in cheesecloth and store them with your cutlery for shinier flatware that reflects well on you in no time flat.

Cooking Spray as Candlestick Cleaner

Celebrating by candlelight? Spray the inside of a votive holder with a thin coating before dropping in a tea light. After the candle has burned down, the remaining wax will slip out.

Helpful Hints

Lint Roller as Handbag Cleaner

Quickly clean the interior of your purse by running a lint roller over the lining. 

Baby Oil as Chrome Polish

Forget keeping skin soft, baby oil also polishes chrome. Apply a dab to a cotton cloth and use it to shine everything from faucets to hubcaps. You'll end up with shiny, happy surfaces from a medicine-cabinet staple. (Who actually owns chrome cleaner, anyway?)

Hair Spray as Lipstick Stain Remover

Kiss that smudge of Really Red good-bye. If the fabric is machine washable, saturate the spot with hair spray, let it sit for 10 minutes, then dab with a damp cloth or sponge to remove. Launder as usual to wash out any residual stain and spray.

Aluminum Foil as Glassware Scrubber

To get baked-on food off a glass pan or an oven rack, use dishwashing liquid and a ball of foil in place of a steel-wool soap pad, says Mary Findley, president of the cleaning-products developer Mary Moppins. It's one way to recycle those used but perfectly good pieces of foil you hate to throw out.

Jewelry Holder

What a cute idea!  Take a picture frame, secure wire across it and you have a cute place to hang your earrings!

Make Your Own Chalkboard Paint

Make your own Chalkboard paint.  More info HERE.

Custom Colors How-To Start with flat-finish latex paint in any shade. For small areas, such as a door panel, mix 1 cup at a time.
 1. Pour 1 cup of paint into a container. Add 2 tablespoons of unsanded tile grout. Mix with a paint stirrer, carefully breaking up clumps.
 2. Apply paint with a roller or a sponge paintbrush to a primed or painted surface. Work in small sections, going over the same spot several times to ensure full, even coverage. Let dry.
 3. Smooth area with 150-grit sandpaper, and wipe off dust.
 4. To condition: Rub the side of a piece of chalk over entire surface. Wipe away residue with a barely damp sponge.

Homemade Marker Board

"Easy DIY dry-erase board. All you need is a picture frame with glass, some pretty scrapbook paper, and erasable markers." This is such a great idea! I am definitely going to do it!

Easy Cleaning

Smart Idea..: Heat a bowl of water and vinegar for 5 minutes in the microwave, the steam will dissolve stuck on stains. Simply wipe off.

Recycling Candles

Easy Candle Upcycle

How many of you have candles that look like this?

What I usually do is melt my remaining wax in a pan of boiling water and then pour the wax into an ice cube tray and make my own tarts to use with my tea-lite candle wax burner.  However, I may try this idea next!

 This was such an easy project to do.  

You can get  wicks from Michael's or most craft stores and one glass container.  You can use an empty candle jar or get a new one for about $1.

Step 1:  Melt your first candle down completely.  I put mine in a pot of boiling water.  It only took about 5 minutes for the candle to turn to liquid.

Step 2:  Place the new candle wick in your clean jar.  Wrap it around a popsicle stick so it won't fall over.

Step 3:  Pour melted wax into new jar.  Let cool completely.

Step 4:  Once the first layer of wax was completely hard, melt the next candle down on the stove and pour it over the first layer.  Repeat with one more layer or until your glass container is full.

Step 5:  Cut the wick.  Burn and enjoy your new candle!!

Try to combined scents that compliment each other.  One candle has a layer of sparkling vanilla, apple spice and toasted cinnamon spice.  The other one combined summer scents:  caribbean salsa, strawberry shortcake and island colada.

DIY Spot Remover

The only SPOT REMOVER you may ever need ~ Mix one part Dawn dish washing liquid with two parts hydrogen peroxide; pour or spray it directly on the stain, and watch it disappear like MAGIC....will need to try this out

Secret Shopping Pizza Ranch

Great news!  Pizza Ranch just entered the secret shopping world.  You can sign up with Market Force and check their listings for Pizza Ranch.  They just started Yesterday, so there may be some out there, or if someone has already snatched them up, you will have to wait until next month.  But check often!  They go quickly.  These shops reimburse you for 2 buffets ($20) along with paying you $12 for your time.  Can't beat that!

Family Art

This would be so easy to make!  What a cute idea.

Stamps!

bottle tops, glue on foam stickers. Instant stamps. cheap too!

Storage Ideas

This is such a cute idea!

Use garden hanging baskets mounted low in a kid’s room to corral toys and books.  Be sure to secure to your wall studs !  While I couldn't justify spending $14 on something like this, it would definitely be something I can watch for at a garage sale!

Valentine's Day Cards

What a cute idea!  Take a picture of your kids pretending like they're holding something out, use your favorite photo editing site to add some hearts and words, and develop the picture!  Cut a small hole above and below their hand and insert a sucker or pencil!

Idea found HERE

Recycle It Into A Vase!

This is a really neat idea!  Take your old Starbucks Frappuccino bottles (or maybe even an old vase from a thrift store, be creative!) and spray paint it.  Then, using adhesive letter cut-outs, make some neat holiday vases.  Or Spring, or Fall, or whatever the season!

DIY Candle Holders

(images via: fossil blog)

Add rustic beauty to your mantle with twig candle holders. This DIY project is simple and natural, using just a flat candle holder (check thrift stores!), garden pruners, craft adhesive and dry tree or shrub branches of your choosing. The same concept could be used on vases or other decorative items.

Found HERE

Another Grate Idea

DIY Jewelry Holder

How easy is this?


And this:

Colored Ice Cubes

Imagine the possibilities!  You could even do pink ice cubes in lemonade or create color combinations for each of the holidays!

Cleaning Stove Burners & Grates using Ammonia (The best, easiest, cheapest way EVER.)

Article found HERE

don’t you judge me.
I cook.  A lot.

These were my stove burner/grates.
 
Yep.  They were so bad that I am almost embarrassed to put a watermark on this photo.   You cook... oil and grease spatter... they get heated and reheated and then pretty soon you have a disgusting coating that will not. scrub. off. ever.

What to do...?  Stop. Scrubbing.

Remember ammonia?  Basic ammonia?   Take about 1/4 cup of ammonia and seal it up with one of the burners in a large ziploc bag.  You only need a little amonia in the bag.  You are not trying to soak the burner… you just want to seal it up with the ammonia fumes.
 
I leave it outside on a cookie sheet overnight.  (You can leave it inside, but I move it outside just in case the bag springs a leak or something.  Stinky.)  It is the fumes from the ammonia that dissolves all of the grease and hardened oil. You don't need to soak it, it just needs to be sealed up with the ammonia fumes.

When it’s done sitting, it should wipe clean with a sponge.
 

See how amazing?  It’s the same burner.  Easy peasy, no more greasy.  
 
Why buy expensive cleaners and/or use a lot of elbow grease?  Cheap ammonia and 12 hours = totally clean.  

What would you do with extra time and money…?

You. Are. Welcome.

*****Updated: Never, EVER mix ammonia with anything that has bleach in it.  It creates toxic fumes.  (In general, I suggest you don't play chemist and try to mix ammonia with anything, period.)*****