Handy Household Tips - How Many of These do You Know?

To unseal and then reseal a sealed envelope: put it in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed (hmmmmmm...).

Use an empty toilet 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: put dish washing liquid in warm water and pour it all over the steps. They won't refreeze (wish I had known this long ago!)

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? This worked wonderfully!  A damp rag, dipped in baking soda. The crayon comes off with a little elbow grease.

To remove permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt BLUE!) wipe with a little rubbing alcohol on paper towel.

When you purchase a box of S.O.S® or similar cleaning pads, try cutting each pad in half with a pair of scissors. After years of having to throw away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this would be more economical. Now a box of cleaning pads lasts a lot longer and I have noticed that the scissors get 'sharpened'' this way!

Blood stains on clothes?  Not to worry!  Just pour a little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Has worked for me every time!

Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal one for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks.  Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Generally, don't wash windows on a sunny day.  They probably will dry too quickly and streak.

Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in a room (be sure the bulb is cool). This creates a nice light scent (depending on the perfume used) in the room when the light is turned on.

Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks. You can also do this with towels and linens.

Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least three 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 dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new!  Worked like a charm for me!

To easily remove most 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® or other similar plastic containers 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: Try cutting a lime in half and rubbing it on your forehead. Often, the throbbing will go away.

 
A little leftover wine? (it happens): try freezing it into cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, sometimes applying soap on the area will give instant relief.

Ants, ants, ants everywhere ... Well, they don't like to cross a chalk line (or talc or other chalky or peppery substance which disrupt their scent trails). 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® or other similar clear tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the tape over the splinter, and pull it off. Often, the tape will remove splinters painlessly and easily.

Now look what you can do with antacid seltzers such as Alka Seltzer®........

  Clean a toilet.
  Drop in two 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, try filling it with water
  and dropping in two tablets.

  Polish jewelry.
  Try dropping two tablets into a glass of water and immersing the jewelry for two minutes.

  Clean a Thermos® type bottle.
  Fill the bottle with water, drop in four tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).

  Unclog a drain.
  Clear a sink drain by dropping three tablets down the drain followed by a cup of white vinegar Wait a few minutes and then    then run the hot water.