Household Tips & Tricks

I stumbled onto a post with tips and given that lately I’m all about the tips – those nuggets of wisdom intended to ease my life, I wanted to post it because I picked up some new ideas that liked it a lot.

So here it is, a list of tips compiled and unattributable as it seems the author is unknown. I’ve kept the tips I liked most, I’ll credit Ana with the list since she posted it and you can find her complete list of found tips in her post.

Know of others? Add them to the comments.

1. Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom  of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drip.
2. To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.
3. To prevent egg shells form cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.
4. To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it’s fresh, but if it floats, throw it away.
5. When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn’s natural sweetness.
6. Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies treats in the pan and the marshmallow won’t stick to your fingers.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. If you accidently 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.”
10. Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in a refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.
11. Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it.
12. Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
13. If you a problem opening jars: Try using latex dishwashing gloves. They have a great non-slip grip!
14. Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.
15. To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief.
16. Ants are said never to cross a chalk line. So, get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march.
17. Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.
18. When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Place tape over splinter, then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.
19. Don’t throw out all the leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.
20. Alka Seltzer tips: –Clean a toilet. Drop in 2 tablets, wait 20 minutes, brush and flush. –Clean a vase. Fill with water and drop in 2 tablets. –Polish jewelry. Drop 2 tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for 2 minutes. –Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in 4 tablets, and let soak for an hour. –Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping 3 tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes, then run the hot water.