Handy Household Tips
More handy tips or submit your own at Lynns Household tips handy home remedies & recipes
How do you get ants out of your house?
Find where the ants are entering the house and sprinkle a "barrier" of cinnamon or any type of ground pepper to block their way. The spices are too hot for the ants to cross.
How do you get rid of bathroom odors?
Place a shallow dish of baking soda behind the toilet.
How do I get wax from my carpet?
You should first scrape away any excess. Then, using a warm iron and a clean cloth or even a paper bag simply place the iron on top of the cloth over the wax and as you iron it will adhere to the cloth instead of the carpet. Continue moving the cloth around as you pick up the wax so you are always using a clean section of cloth. If a little grease stain remains sprinkle on baking soda and let sit overnight before vacuuming which will remove the grease residue and deodorize at the same time! If colored wax leaves a stain, blot with spot remover or carpet cleaner, following label directions.
How do I keep my chimney clean?
Throw a handful of salt on the fire.
How do I remove rust from chrome?
Wipe it with aluminum foil dipped in Coke. To polish chrome, use a crumbled up piece of aluminum foil and rub!
How do I clean cloudy drinking glasses?
Soak them for an hour or longer in slightly warm (not boiled) white vinegar. Then use a nylon-net or plastic scrubbie to remove film. Still there? The damage must be etching (tiny scratches that occur in the dishwasher) and is permanent, sorry to say. To avoid this altogether, hand-wash your best glasses.
How do I clean a coffee grinder?
Grind up a cup or so of rice and it also sharpens the blades.
How do I polish copper?
Rub an ample amount of ketchup on the copper and let it stand for 5 minutes. Rinse off the ketchup with hot water and dry to find an incredible shine.
How do I get crayon off walls?
Spray with multipurpose lubricating oil. Then gently wipe, using a paper towel or clean white cloth. If mark is stubborn, sprinkle a little baking soda on a damp sponge and gently rub in a circular motion. If lubricants residue remains, dampen a sponge with a solution of one or two drops of mild dish-washing liquid to one cup water. Squeeze out sponge and gently rub in a circular motion. Rinse sponge; lightly moisten with water to go over area; dry with a clean cloth. Another method is to use a blow dryer. It heats the wax and wipes away instantly. If the color remains behind, like red usually does, wet a cloth with bleach and wipe.
How do I get rid of fireplace soot odor?
After you clean out the ashes, place a shallow pan of baking soda for a few hours or overnight in the fireplace.
How do I get rid of spoiled food odor?
Place a bowl of white vinegar on the counter for a few hours. The odor will disappear for good.
How do I clean my garbage disposal?
Sprinkle baking soda in it along with a few drops dish-washing liquid. Scrub with a brush (a new toilet brush works great), getting under the rubber gasket and all around the inside. Then turn on water and the disposal and flush thoroughly. For a fresh citrus scent, throw in a few cut-up lemons or limes and run them through, too, using lots of water.
How do I keep my clothes hampers smelling nice?
Place a fabric softener sheet in the bottom of your laundry basket (remember to change it weekly.) You can also simply sprinkle some baking soda in the bottom of your basket and that will help absorb the odors as well.
How do I make the closets smell good?
Place cotton balls that have been sprayed with your favorite scent. Once they are dry place them in corners and on the shelves.
How do I get rid of ink stains?
The best way is to put rubbing alcohol on the stain - it disappears! This must be done before washing. For ink on the wall, wipe with bleach and it will disappear.
How do I keep the cat litter box smelling clean?
Mix baby powder in with the litter.
How do you get rid of microwave odors left their from other foods?
Keep a cup of baking soda in the microwave between uses to keep potatoes from smelling like bacon or other unusual combinations! To clean baked-on food quickly, simply fill a measuring cup full of water and turn the microwave on for about 1-2 minute, until you see the water boiling. The moisture makes all the old food easily wipe off!
How do you get rid of paint on carpets?
Spray with Windex and wipe clean.
How do you get permanent marker off of carpets?
Dab a washcloth soaked in rubbing alcohol onto the marker stain. Do not rub it - just blot it - rotating the cloth to a clean spot every time.
How do you get pet urine off of your carpets?
First, blot up what you can with paper towels. Mix one teaspoon mild dish-washing detergent in one cup warm water, dip a clean towel in the liquid and, working from outside in, dab at stain. Do not overwet. Rinse with fresh water and blot dry. Next, add on-third cup white vinegar with two-thirds cup water and dab on stain. Rinse with water; blot until dry. Once area is totally dry (after at least 24 hours), sprinkle entire carpet with baking soda or rug deodorizer. Vacuum after a few hours.
How do you take pictures apart when their stuck?
With a hair dryer on low, slowly melt them apart.
How do you get rid of cockroaches?
Combine equal parts boric acid (a powder sold in hardware stores and drugstores) and sugar, mix well. Sprinkle in crevices and, if building or remodeling, between walls before putting up plaster board. Put the powder in jar lids; place lids behind the fridge and under sinks. Caution: Keep mixture away from children and pets. If ingested in large quantities, or even in small amounts over several days, boric acid can be harmful.
How do you clean scum off of shower doors?
Spray Resolve spot remover on the shower doors and with no effort run a dish sponge over it and rinse and every bit of the soap scum comes off.
How do you get rid of smells of food on your hands?
Simply rub your hands over a stainless steel utensil under running water. This works especially well for the odor of garlic, onions or fish.
How to clean smelly sneakers?
Simply fill knee-high stockings with unused litter, tie the ends and tuck them in overnight for a quick refresh. Add baby powder, too! Another refresher for smelly sneakers is to simply take a few teaspoons of baking soda and put in the center of a cotton cloth. Tie the cloth and rubber band the edges securely creating a baking soda sachet, which you put in the shoes overnight as well. These sachets can be used over and over in any kind of shoe.
How do you get rid of stains in plastic containers?
Use a baking soda paste (baking soda and water) and rub into the stain. You can then rinse with vinegar (optional) and wash normally. Another method is to place container outside on a nice sunny day and the sun actually bleaches the stain out. To avoid stains in the first place, spray container with cooking spray before putting things in it that stain i.e. spaghetti sauce.
How to get stickers, decals and glue from where their not supposed to be?
To remove them from furniture, glass, plastic, etc. saturate with vegetable oil and rub off.
How do you get tarnished silverware shiny again?
Line a cake pan with aluminum foil. Fill with water and add 1 Tbls. of baking soda per 2 cups of water. Heat to 150 degrees. Lay silverware in pan, touching aluminum foil. Watch the stains disappear!
How do you get rid of white heat marks and water rings on wood furniture?
If the wood has a good finish (don't try on bare wood), mix equal parts of baking soda and regular white, non-gel toothpaste. Lightly dampen corner of a clean, soft white cloth with water and dip into the paste. With circular motion gently buff the marks for a few minutes. Wipe area clean, and buff to a shine. Follow with furniture polish. (If rings remain after buffing five minutes or so, they may have penetrated the wood; you might have to refinish the piece). If that doesn't work, dip a cloth in vegetable oil, then in cigarette ashes, then rub it over the mark. Another method is to rub real mayonnaise onto the stain, allow to sit overnight, then wipe with a dry towel.
How do you get rid of a color that bled in the wash or avoid bleeding of colors in the wash?
Your red shirt got mixed in with other clothes and ruined them? First off, DON'T DRY THEM! Wash again with regular detergent and color-safe bleach. If that didn't work, Rit®, the makers of clothes dye, makes a color remover that works wonders and doesn't cost much. To prevent bleeding in the first place, I use a scoop of Oxi Clean® with every load.
How to get rid of blood on clothes?
Pour peroxide on blood and rinse with cold water. If some blood remains, repeat.
How to get rid of burn or scorch marks?
If the fabric is washable, brush it gently with a soft brush or dry sponge to remove loose carbon particles. Then, wash the fabric with regular detergent and color-safe bleach. This will permanently weaken the fabric even more than the scorch has, but the scorch may no longer be noticeable.
How to get rid of burnt stuff on irons?
Rub iron with aluminum foil to remove burnt on starch.
How do I get deodorant stains off the underarms of washable shirts?
Sponge on white vinegar (or soak stain in it); wait 30 minutes. Launder shirts in the hottest water safe for the fabric. Using an enzyme detergent or a detergent with bleach alternative check care labels to be sure this is okay). I sometimes put liquid laundry detergent right on the area, leave it for five to ten minutes, then wash To prevent deodorant stains on your shirts: Let deodorant dry before dressing. And don't let stains sit! Apply prewash spray or liquid detergent ASAP, then launder. Every third or fourth washing, use the hottest water safe for the shirts.
How do I get stains from down comforters or jackets?
These can, indeed, be washed rather than dry cleaned. Any stains, such as the grime on the cuffs of a jacket, should be spot-cleaned with a pre-treater, then rinsed with water. Wash the item in the gentle cycle with mild detergent. The key is to ensure the down is rinsed extremely well. Then, place in the dryer rather than line drying. This allows the feathers to plump up again. Place large knotted towels or tennis balls in the dryer with it to help fluff the down. The only caution is, if the item has weak seams or fragile fabric it could "explode" and leave you with only down. If there are stains remaining, place it (on a blanket) outdoors in full sunshine for a day or two. This often helps. If not, at least your comforter will have that outdoor fresh smell.
How do I stop fading in clothes?
Turn dark clothes inside out and wash in the coolest water possible; dry on lowest heat. For all-black clothes, throw in a box of black Rit® dye every 8-10 washes or so to keep black clothes black.
How do I get gasoline or gasoline smell off of clothing?
Gasoline is an oil based product, therefor, use another oil based product to pull out the odor (which is left because all the gas oil has not been removed yet). You can use any kind of oil that normally washes out of clothing, like baby oil. Put some of the oil into the washer along with the clothes, let it swish around for a while, then put in the detergent and all should come out okay.
How do I get regular stains out of clothing?
Read the label! If it says dry-clean only, dry-clean it. If it's washable, try cleaning fluid, spot remover, or petroleum-based pre-wash spray. Place garment stain side down on paper towels and dab cleaner on stain using a terry-cloth towel or scrub brush. Check paper towels underneath and move frequently so there's always a clean area under the stain to absorb soil. Let area dry and check it. If stain remains, treat with prewash spray and launder. Before drying, check again. Still visible? Repeat steps.
How do I get gum off clothes?
Brush egg white onto gum with a toothbrush. Let sit for 15 minutes and then launder.
How do I remove lipstick from clothing?
Use petroleum jelly for removing lipstick stains. Another possibility is to rub in a little vegetable shortening and then launder as normal.
How to remove mildew stains?
Shake or brush the item to remove loose growth. Presoak in cold water. Wash in hot water with heavy duty detergent. For whites, add 1/2 cup bleach. If colored, use color-safe bleach. If staining remains on white items, repeat washing before drying. Dry thoroughly; heat and sun tend to kill mildew
Is there a moth ball alternative?
Take your leftover soap slivers and put them in a vented plastic bag. You place the bag with seasonal clothes before packing them away. Not only will the scent prevent them from moth harm but also they'll smell great when you pull them out. I especially like this for sweaters, which can be difficult to remove the odor of mothballs from. Using soap you simply have a clean smell rather than the smell of an attic.
How to remove rust and mineral stains from clothes?
Add 1 cup of bottled lemon juice in the wash to remove discoloration from cotton laundry.
How do I clean soiled shirt collars?
Take a small paintbrush and brush hair shampoo into soiled shirt collars before laundering. Shampoo is made to dissolve body oils.
How do I get rid of spaghetti stains?
Wet the fabric and then sprinkle with powdered dish detergent. Scrub gently with a toothbrush. Rinse the item and launder normally.
How do I get liquid paper and permanent marker out of clothes?
Dab some sunscreen over the stain and rub off with a paper towel. Repeat until stain is gone.
How do I get my white clothes white again?
Rit®, the makers of clothes dye, makes a white-wash that works well for bleachable and non-bleachable clothing that has yellowed or greyed. You can also hang yellowed clothes out to dry whenever possible to reduce the yellow.
How do I get rid of acne, blackheads and pimples?
Application of fresh mint juice over face every night cures pimples and prevents dryness of the skin OR Mix equal amounts of lemon juice and rose water. Apply on face and keep for 1/2 hour. 15-20 days of this application helps cure pimples and also removes blemishes and scars OR A couple of garlic cloves, crushed and rubbed on the face 1-2 times a day OR Apply fresh lemon juice on the affected area overnight. Wash off with warm water next morning. For acne that hasn't seemed to respond to anything: Use 2-3 tsp. dried basil leaves to 1 cup boiling water. Steep 10-20 minutes. Cool, and apply with cotton ball.
More handy tips or submit your own at Lynns Household tips handy home remedies & recipes
