Thursday's Tricks (10 April 2014)

• Brown sugar get hard? Toss a couple of the larger sized marshmallows into the bag with the brown sugar and then seal it up.
• Keep your dishwasher extra clean with white vinegar. Pour ½ cup into the detergent cups and run the empty machine for a complete cycle. 

There's a couple hints for this week that I found. Hope everyone is enjoying the spring-time weather and blooms. 

Take care--

Sharon

Thursday's Tricks (03 April 2014)

Put Your Dishwasher on Double Duty

You've finally learned how to load it correctly, but are you really taking full advantage of your dishwasher's scour power? A dishwasher can reach 155 degrees Fahrenheit to kill bacteria — just the ticket for sanitizing some of the more unsavory items in your household. Tossing these 10 soiled staples in the dishwasher will save time when hand washing or the washing machine just doesn't hold water.

Rubber boots and flip flops*. Freshen your step from summer's sweaty buildup by placing shoes horizontally in the dishwasher rack (make sure to remove the boot liners before hitting START).  Add a little baking soda to the mix for extra deep cleaning.

Plastic hair brushes. To zap all the dirt, skin and debris that collect in the bristles, first use a comb to remove all the excess hair. Then, toss brushes in the quickest cycle available and finish the job by running the dry cycle.  Note: Do not wash brushes with wooden handles

Stove burner grates. A hassle to clean by hand but a dream to throw in your dishwasher's bottom rack.

Potatoes. Yes, potatoes! Lay them flat in a dish or place them on the top rack and give them a bath in the rinse cycle sans detergent. A lifesaver during the holidays.

Baseball caps*. While caps can lose their shape in the washing machine, they do magnificently well in the dishwasher. The normal cycle is all it takes to tidy up these toppers.

Athletic accessories*. There's nothing like the smell of ripe sports paraphernalia to make the whole family run screaming out the door. Shin guards and knee pads are safe for the top rack. Just skip the dry cycle.

Dish sponges. Often the germiest frenemies in the entire kitchen, dish sponges can be successfully sanitized in the dishwasher with the rest of your dishes through a full wash and dry cycle.

Plastic or metal-handle garden tools. No wooden handles, please.

Refrigerator shelving. Newer models are usually dishwasher safe, but consult your user's manual to be certain. You may have to do some maneuvering to fit the shelves in the bottom rack.

Toothbrushes*. Sterilize brushes in the top rack. Your dentist will thank you.

*Avoid washing with dirty dishes

Tip: items that should NOT be placed in the dishwasher include:
Wood (it warps)
Cast iron (it rusts)
Crystal (it cracks)

The above hints are from Scott Brand. Go to their web site for more helpful hints and coupons too.

Dishwasher Clean/Dirty Magnets

Thursday's Tricks (27 March 2014)

The following hints for using microfiber cloths come from my husband's favorite newspaper and online columnist--Heloise.

Uses for Microfiber Cloths

Auto
Keep several microfiber cloths underneath the front seat of your vehicle. Use them to dust off the dashboard, radio and steering wheel.

Bathroom, Kitchen
Store a couple of microfiber cloths in these locations because they will clean and shine the chrome, spiff up mirrors and are great for wiping off the sink. When the cloths become dirty, toss them into the washing machine.

Pets
Freshen up your dog by lightly dampening a microfiber cloth with water and wiping over its fur. If your cat or dog needs to get the gunk out of its eyes, a microfiber cloth will do the job nicely. And if your pet, like Cabbie, my miniature schnauzer, gets a dirty beard after eating, the cloth will remove that food crud.

Plants
To take dust off live or artificial leaves, lightly dampen a microfiber cloth and wipe over the leaves. This will also add a bit of moisture to the real plants too.

Visit Heloise's page to read more of her helpful hints.


Microfiber Cloths

Thursday's Tricks (20 March 2014)

• Make a zigzag pattern with hot glue on common plastic hangers to keep shirts from slipping off hanger.

• Use buttons to keep pairs of earrings together for storage and travel.

Today's tricks come from Craft Passions. See this page to read a few more tricks that are up her sleeves..

Hints from Heloise Books

Found in My Email

I often receive so many "cutsie" things in my email that I barely glance at them before sending them on their way to the trash bin. These hints/pictures took me by surprise because I didn't know or think of any of these hints because I live a sheltered life or something. Here they are...

Most aluminum foil boxes have press-in tabs that secure the roll in place, so you don’t have worry about it flying out every time you rip off a sheet.

You’ve been dispensing Tic Tacs the hard way.

You know how when you violently shake a container of Tic Tacs into your palm it seems as though you always end up with zero or seven? Avoid that altogether by letting a mint gently glide into the tiny lid crevice.

You haven’t been using ketchup cups to their full potential.

Instead of grabbing multiple cups of ketchup, simply pull apart at the edges for twice the space.

Chinese takeout containers are actually made to fold out into plates.

The containers actually are meant to unfold into a makeshift plate, which you can easily reassemble into a box for storing leftovers.

Greek yogurt containers are meant to be folded in half.

Chances are you’ve been scooping the toppings with your spoon onto the yogurt.

But, have you realized, the topping holder folds over, so you can pour the toppings DIRECTLY ON TOP?

You’ve probably been placing toilet seat covers in the wrong direction.

The flap is meant to be placed toward the front. This prevents the agony of sitting down on a toilet seat, only to realize you’ve dragged the cover down into the bowl.

Soda tabs double as straw holders.

Turn the tab around so that it acts as holder that can stop the straw from raising out of the can as the soda fizzes.

You probably don’t realize it, but your pots come with built-in spoon rests.

(I thought these holes were to hang pots up by) 

soft drink lids can double as coasters.

None of these hints are going to drastically change the world but they sure are interesting to know.

Take care everyone!
Sharon 

08-19-2008 Household Hints

I received this list in an email. If anyone has tried any of these things let me know what you found out.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little 'stringy things' off of it. That's how the primates do it.


• Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.


• Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!


• Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.


• Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking. I've done this for years and it really works. I usually do it when I don't defrost the ground beef and I toss it in the skillet to brown.


• To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.


• For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.


• Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic. I have heard that this works the same for all spices.


• Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummm! Let's be honest here, who has left over Snickers???


• Reheat Pizza Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.


• Easy Deviled Eggs Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.


• Expanding Frosting When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.


• Reheating refrigerated bread To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.


• Newspaper weeds away Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and for- get about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.


• Broken Glass Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.


• No More Mosquitoes Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.


• Squirrel Away! To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.


• Flexible vacuum To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.


• Reducing Static Cling Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and .... ta da! ... static is gone. Fabric softener works good too. Another trick I've used is spraying a little hairspray on the offending garment and it works too.


• Measuring Cups Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.


• Foggy Windshield? Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car . When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth! I don't know about this one. Seems like it's just another item to cram into a too small glove box.


• Reopening envelope If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.


• Conditioner Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.


• Goodbye Fruit Flies To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2 with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever! Tried this without any luck. Left it out for a couple of days when I saw some fruit flies in the kitchen and this solution did not attract even 1 fruit fly.


• Get Rid of Ants Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!