Household tips
(specialized categories listed in the left hand menu)

PREVENT DRAWERS FROM STICKING
Make sure the wood is very dry and sanded well. Shellac them and then rub with paraffin wax in order to lubricate them so they slide easily. Do this to all surfaces of the drawers.


REMOVE MILDEW
Mix equal parts of non-chlorine Clorox II Lemon Fresh bleach and Palmolive dish soap. Make a paste and apply it to the mildew. You can use a toothbrush to really work it in. This may take a few applications. When mildew brushes off; launder.


PREVENTING RASH FROM WRIST WATCH
Brush back of watch with clear nail polish. When it wears off repeat.


AUTOMATIC GARAGE DOOR OPENER
If you're leaving home for a period of time, unplug your garage door opener and lock the door. Thieves may patrol the area with an opener of their own testing to see who's door opens. Another good idea is to reset the "factory" code on your opener to a personal one.


GET RID OF MITES
Purchase a miteacide for the lawn like Kelthane or Tedion. Mix with water and pour into a sprayer. Spread it in a 1 foot strip around your entire home.


SILENCE SQUEAKING WOOD FLOORS
Dust talcum powder into the cracks.


REMOVE WRINKLES FROM A VINYL COAT
Hang the coat on a hanger and go over wrinkles with a hair dryer til wrinkles come out.


SOFTEN BLUE JEANS
Soak in full strength fabric softener (Like Downy) over night and launder as usual (repeat if necessary).


GET RID OF SMALL MOTHS/BUGS
Fill a small bowl with white vinegar and a few drops of liquid dish soap. The moths are attracted to it, fall into it and expire. Strip the pantry and wash. Remove paper from cans and wash cans in hot soapy water. Discard anything containing wheat. Store flour and wheat containing products in air tight containers. You can even store in the refrigerator or freeze.


TO RID BATS FROM THE ATTIC
Place 6 boxes of mothballs in the area where the bats are residing. The mothballs must contain the chemical naphthalene. The bats dislike loud music and bright lights too. Do not do this between Aug-Sept because they are spawning. They hibernate after that time and again you are not supposed to use the mothballs. You must find how they got into your home and close the opening.

REMOVE A RING STUCK ON YOUR FINGER
Wrap your finger tightly with dental floss and then you can take the ring off over that.


KEEP ANIMALS FROM SHRUBS AND GARDENS
RABBITS, WOODCHUCKS AND DEER:
Use bloodmeal or dried blood. Apply a thin coating to the earth. Adding a lot will rid the area of humans too because it has an offensive odor!
CHIPMUNKS OR SQUIRRELS:
Use a fungicide with a product called Thiram added to it. This will last about 4-6 weeks depending on the rainfall.
CATS AND DOGS:
Bury an empty pop or beer bottle in the ground so that the top is level with the ground and fill it with 2 parts ammonia and 1 part water. This will evaporate so you must refill it periodically.


ELIMINATE DISCOLORATION AND COVER SCRATCHES IN WOOD FURNITURE
Break a piece of peanut, walnut or pecan and rub the broken side over scratches in wooden furniture. The oil from the nutmeat can eliminate discoloration and the furniture may look almost as good as new.


WASHING DOWN PILLOWS
Launder in washing machine. Place in dryer and put 4 new tennis balls in with the pillows (if you don't have the balls use clean tennis shoes). This pounds and fluffs the pillows. This is noisy. This can take longer than a single drying cycle. Feel the pillows with your fingers to make sure the feathers are dry and not matted. If you feel any "lumps", return to drier.


KEEP SQUIRRELS OFF THE BIRD FEEDER
Add a few T. of cayenne pepper to the bird seed and blend it together. The bird's digestive system is not affected, but the squirrels discover it's "hot stuff".

OR

If your feeder in mounted on a pole, put a stove pipe or 4-6 inch diameter PCV pipe around the pole (from the bottom). They can't wrap their paws around the pipe and won't be able to climb up the pole. You can also put a piece of PCV pipe around the chain if your feeder is a hanging type.


USES FOR FABRIC SOFTENER SHEETS
*Repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season.
*Eliminates static electricity from your television screen.
*Dissolves soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a used sheet.
*Freshens the air in your home. Place an individual sheet in a drawer or hang one in the closet.
*Prevents thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a sheet to eliminate the static cling on the thread before sewing.
*Eliminates static cling from hose. Rub a damp, used sheet over the hose.
*Prevents musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet inside empty luggage before storing.
*Freshens the air in your car. Place a sheet under the front seat.
*Cleans baked-on food from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in the pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The antistatic agents apparently weaken the bond between the food and the pan while the fabric softening agents soften the baked-on food.
*Eliminates odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet at the bottom of the wastebasket.
*Collects cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet will magnetically attract all the loose hairs.
*Eliminates static electricity from Venetian blinds. Wipe the blinds with a sheet to prevent dust from resetting.
*Deodorizes shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet in your shoes or sneakers overnight so they'll smell great in the morning.


REMOVE DENTS IN CARPET FROM FURNITURE
Very carefully lift up the fibers in the indentation using the tines of a fork. You may have to apply some steam as well. Use a steam iron, but don't let the carpet get wet.


KEEP CAR DOORS FROM FREEZING SHUT
Spray the rubber door lining with WD-40 or silicone lubricant. Don't forget to spray again after getting your car washed in freezing temperatures.


CLEAR A FROZEN DRAIN-LINE IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR
Boil a pot of water. Fill a turkey baster with the water and squirt down the drain line.


USED PANTYHOSE FOR DRYING SWEATERS
Put the pantyhose in the neck of the sweater and run the legs of the pantyhose down through the arms. Now you can hang the sweater up very nicely and let it dry on the line by clipping the clothespins to the pantyhose instead of the sweater. This eliminates any "clip" marks and helps the sweater dry faster.


GET RID OF CARPENTER ANTS
Mix 1/2 c. molasses, 1 pck. dry yeast and 1/4 c. sugar well. Spread with a knife onto cardboard and place it where the ants are seen.


GARLIC SPRAY DEER AND ANIMAL REPELLENT
2 eggs
2 c. water
4 cloves garlic
2 t. Tabasco sauce
Blend til smooth and let stand 2 days. Use with garden sprayer to spray yard and gardens.


REMOVE WRINKLES FROM PLASTIC TABLE COVERS
Place table cover in the dryer with a wet towel on high heat for a couple of minutes. You want it to almost feel like it's "melting" But caller assures it's not. This is to soften up the cover and make it pliable enough to pull the wrinkles out. Place cover over the table and pull wrinkles out. Watch carefilly so it doesn't melt!


REMOVE BURNT-ON FOOD FROM A POT
Put the pot in the freezer for a couple of hours. Remove and wash it out as you would normally.


REMOVE GUM FROM THE DRYER
Apply a light application of Goo-Gone onto a cloth. Rub on the gum, let stand and wipe off. Repeat if necessary. Rinse well with soap and water (til odor is gone) before using dryer again. Check your local hardware store for Goo-Gone.


CLEANING STUFFED ANIMALS
Place animal in a paper bag, add corn meal and shake the bag for a minute or so. Let stand for several hours. Brush the corn meal off. This absorbs the oils and grease. Repeat if necessary, then place in dryer on "low" setting with a sheet of Bounce fabric softener or other dryer sheet.


MAINTAINING CLEAN DRAINS
After running hot water through, pour 1/3 to 1/2 c. baking soda. Follow with 1 c. vinegar. Let foam. Rinse through.

KEEP YOUR HANDS WARM IN WINTER
Put on a pair of rubber surgical gloves under wool gloves. It works on the same principle as wet suits work for skin divers.

TRAIN PETS TO STAY OFF FURNITURE
Put aluminum foil on the furniture. They won't care for it and should get the message.


UNSTICK STUCK PHOTOGRAPHS
Put them in the freezer for 10-20 minutes. Gently break apart using a butter knife. Put back into freezer if they don't come apart easily.


HELP CONTROL MOSQUITO'S IN YOUR BIRD BATH
Add a few drops of canola, or vegetable oil to the bird bath water (enough to make a light film) it won't harm the birds, but will help control the laying of the mosquito's eggs.


MAKE SCREWING THE LIGHTBULB EAISER
To make it eaiser to screw in or out, just apply a thin film of Vaseline to the threads of the lightbulb.


HOW TO MAKE CANDLES DRIP LESS WHEN BURNING
Put your candles in the freezer for several hours to overnight before lighting them and it will prevent excessive dripping.

REMOVE WAX FROM CARPETING
Place a paper towel over the stain and draw the wax up into it by placing a warm iron over the paper towel (this is called "capillary action"); repeat if necessary. Sponge the stained area with 1 c. isopropyl alcohol and 2-3 c. water if the stain remains. Sponge from the outside to the inside of the stain. Be very sure not to get the area too wet or you can bring up a stain from the padding.

REMOVE CANDLE WAX FROM FURNITURE
Turn stained furniture upside down. Put a piece of cotton cloth (T-shirt) over the wax stain. Using a hot chrome or metal finish curling iron, heat wax and let it melt into the cloth. This may take several applications to fully remove the wax.

REMOVE CANDLE WAX ON MATERIAL
Remove the excess the best you can. This is best done by putting an ice cube on the wax to harden it, then peeling or scraping off the excess wax. Then place an absorbent piece of paper underneath, such as a brown paper bag. Put a white paper towel on top. Place a warm (not hot) iron on top over the paper towel and it should draw the wax up to the towel.