- Egg Cartons - Make ice trays out of them. Use them as starter pots for seedlings.
- Banana Peels - These can be used to polish silver. Just puree them in a food processor.
- Bottle Caps - Make games pieces (not recommended for young children). Nail to a piece of wood with open side up and use them to scrape the scales off of fish.
- Sardine Can Keys - Attach them to the bottom of toothpaste tubes and roll the tube up from the bottom, thus giving you an extra week's worth of toothpaste.
- Cigarette Butts - Soak the leftover tobacco in water overnight, then use the water on your plants to kill mealy-bugs.
- Corn-Cob - let these dry and use them as a scrubber for dirty jobs.
- Coffee Grounds - Dry the grounds in a warm oven or outside in the hot sun, then sprinkle in the litter box or put a canful in the refrigerator to absorb odors.
- Roll-on deodorant bottles - Refill these with bath oil, liquid starch, suntan lotion, water for moistening stamps and envelopes, or paint for the kids.
- Old Combs - Use these to hold small nails to avoid smashing your fingers.
- Eggshells - Remove stains from china and glassware by soaking them in a vinegar and egg-shell bath.
- Hair - Makes good fertilizer, with 16 times the nitrogen in cow manure.
- Old Light Bulbs - Dip in metallic paint, twist a thin piece of wire around the metal grooves, and you have a Christmas tree ornament.
- Styrofoam Meat trays - Wash thoroughly, draw the outline of your foot on one, cut it out with a razor blade, and slip it into winter boots for insulation. Use these trays also to make ink stamps, a good project for kids. Just draw out a shape, use an exacto-knife to cut the outline, don't cut all the way through, then use a round stick the size of a pencil and push the outer part of the lines down. Press the stamp on an ink block and stamp on paper.
- Old Records - Heat in a 350 degree fah. oven or plunge into very hot water to mold into snack bowls or bookends.
- Plastic Milk Jugs - Cut out the bottoms and use the jugs as heat retaining caps for garden plants in the spring and fall.
(HELPFUL TIPS INDEX)
HOMEOWNERS TOOLKIT: Contents
- Butt Chisel; Putty Knife; Adjustable Wrench 12"; Slip-joint Pliers; Needle Nose Pliers; Block Plane; Four-in-one Rasp; Hacksaw; Cross-cut Saw; Retractable Steel Ruler; Drain Auger; C-clamp; Nail Set; Carpenters Hammer; Drill and Drill Bits; #1,#2,and #3 Phillips Screw Driver; #1,#2,and #3 Flat Tip Screw Driver; Combination Square; Level; Utility Knife; Toilet Plunger; Screws and Nails assorted
- Other Supplies: Machine Oil; Penetrating Oil; Pencils; Assorted Nuts and Bolts; Hollow Wall Fasteners; Adhesives; Sandpaper and Steel Wool; Sharpening Stone; Wire Brush; Paint brushes; Dust-pan and Brush; Lint-free Rags; Clip-on Light; Extension Cord 50'; Scissors; Tool-box; Step-ladder; Single-edge Razor Blades with Holder.
(HELPFUL TIPS INDEX)
TRICKS FOR PAINTERS:
- To reduce fumes from a new paint job, put a large chopped onion in a pail of water in the middle of the room for several hours.
- Before you start painting, rub petroleum jelly or rich hand lotion into all exposed skin for protection and easier cleanup.
- To protect window panes, doorknobs, hardware, glass doors, and switch plates, rub them with soap. Paint splatters will settle on the soap and can be washed away during cleanup.
- Scrunch aluminum foil around doorknobs, thermostats, faucets, and other protrusions before you paint around them. It covers them and stays in place. (Save the aluminum foil for cleaning chrome; just moisten it and rub.)
(HELPFUL TIPS INDEX)
THE POWER OF VINEGAR, LEMONS AND SALT
- Dishwasher - To keep the drain line clean and sweet smelling, add 1/2 cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle. Fresh lemon juice will remove soap film from the interior.
- Garbage Disposal - If the rubber shield smells after much use, soak it in a pan of white vinegar. Toss used lemons into your garbage disposal to help keep it clean and fresh smelling.
- Stove - Filmy dirt and grease on the stove top will come clean with white vinegar. To prevent grease buildup, dampen a rag with a solution of white vinegar and water and wipe out the interior of the oven. Oven spills will stop smoking if you sprinkle them with salt. Wipe with a damp cloth after the oven cools. If something in the oven catches on fire, salt or baking soda will help smoother the flames. A mixture of salt and cinnamon makes a good oven freshener. Sprinkle spills while the oven is still warm to take away the burned smell.
- Refrigerator - Half a lemon placed on a shelf will absorb odors. Salt and baking soda in water will clean and sweeten the inside of your refrigerator.
- Metals - "Chrome"- Clean off soap and stains with a mixture of 1 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons white vinegar. To shine chrome and remove spots, rub with a piece of lemon rind, then wash and dry with a soft cloth. "Chrome and Stainless Steel" - Shine with a cloth sprinkled generously with flour. Rub well, then dust off gently with another cloth. "Stainless Steel" -
Remove white hard-water stains by rubbing with white vinegar. "Brass, Copper, and Bronze" - Make a thick paste of salt, white vinegar, and flour. Rub it on the metal, then wash, rinse, and wipe dry. "Copper and Brass" - Rub with lemon juice or, for heavy corrosion, a paste of lemon juice and salt. Wash, rinse, and wipe dry. "Copper" - Dip sorrel leaves in hot water and rub the metal to a rich shine. Silver - To ease polishing, rub with salt before washing and polishing. Silverware - To remove stains, place silverware in a pan and cover with sour milk. Let stand overnight. In the morning, rinse with cold water, then hot water. Aluminum Utensils - When discolored, boil in lemon juice or sliced lemon and water to renew the shine. Or clean with a cloth dipped in lemon juice, then rinse with warm water. Aluminum Pans - Remove dark stains by filling the pan with water, adding 1 tablespoon white vinegar for each quart of water, and boil for 10 minutes. Sooty Pans - Before using a pan for outdoor cooking, coat the bottom with soap. The soot that accumulates during cooking will wash off easily with the soap. Greasy Pans - Sprinkle with salt, then wipe with a paper towel. Pans With Burned-On Food - Fill with cold water, add 2 to 3 tablespoons salt, and let stand overnight. In the morning, bring the water slowly to a boil, and your pan will be clean.
Dishes and Glassware - To remove chalky deposits, put dishes and glassware in the dishwasher. Place a cup filled with white vinegar on the bottom rack. Run the dishwasher for 5 minutes, stop the machine, and empty the cup (now full of water). Refill with vinegar. Complete the cycle using dishwasher detergent. To remove cloudy mineral deposits from drinking glasses, put a tablespoon of lemon juice in each glass and fill with hot water. Let stand for several hours, then wash.
(HELPFUL TIPS INDEX)
THE FAMILY MEDICINE CHEST
FOR CUTS AND ABRASIONS
- Anti-bacterial Soap
- Adhesive Bandages of Various Sizes
- Roll of Adhesive Tape
- Sterile Dressings (especially 4X4 inch gauze pads)
- Roll of 4 inch gauze (to hold dressings)
- Pair of Blunt-end Scissors
BURNS (Minor)
- Burn Ointment or Spray
SKIN PROBLEMS
- Hydro-cortisone Cream or Calamine Lotion (itches and rashes)
- Petroleum Jelly
- Anti-fungal Powder or Spray for Athlete's Foot
- Sunscreen and Sunburn Spray
- Insect Repellent
POISON (Swallowed) - Use only after consulting a physician or poison control center.
- Syrup of Ipecac (to induce vomiting)
- Activated Charcoal (to absorb poison that should not be regurgitated)
- Epsom Salts (to speed excretion of poison)
PAIN RELIEF
- Aspirin or Other Over-The-Counter Pain Reliever (acetaminophen for children and pregnant women)
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS
- Surgical Tweezers for Removing Splinters
- Cotton Balls
- Elastic Bandages for Sprains
- Ice Bag to Reduce Swelling
- Hot-Water Bottle and Heating Pad for Aches and Pains
- Thermometer
- Sodium Bicarbonate for Bee, Ant, and Wasp Stings
(HELPFUL TIPS INDEX)
EMERGENCY CAR KIT
- Battery Powered Radio
- Flashlight With Extra Batteries and Replacement Bulb
- Blanket
- Booster Cables
- Fire Extinguisher (five pound A-B-C type)
- First Aid Kit and Manual
- Bottled Water and Non-perishable High-Energy Foods Such as Military Type (MRE) Meals Ready To Eat
- Maps
- Shovel
- Flares
- Tire Repair Kit and Pump
- Tire Chains (seasonal)
- Small Tool Kit (assorted size wrenches, pliers, hammer, adjustable wrench, screw drivers, fuse replacements, etc.)
- Troubleshooting Manual For Your Vehicle
- 5 Gallon Fuel Can (plastic type)
- 1 Quart Oil
- 1 Quart Transmission Fluid (automatic transmissions)
- 1 Pint Power Steering Fluid
- Old Rag
- Emergency Fan Belt Kit
(HELPFUL TIPS INDEX)
WHAT AIRLINES WON'T TELL YOU
----Never accept the first fare quoted. Half the time, some other airline's flight within hours of the one you booked has a special, less expensive deal ----
----Do a little calculating. Some supersaver fares are low enough that even if you can't stay as long as their requirements (usually 7 days) you will save by buying a round trip ticket ----
----Use do-it-yourself searches with a CRT. Plug into the Official Airlines Guide data base and retrieve all the information needed on alternative flights and fares ----
----Best seat in the plane: After first class, the choices center on your priorities. For comfort and a smooth ride, pick a seat over the wings. For silence, sit as far forward as possible, but avoid the gallery and rest rooms. For leg room, try the first row or seats beside the emergency exits ----
----Airport X-rays and Film: Studies show that one pass through a normal low-dose airport x-ray machine causes no visible change in photo images. But two passes cause fogging, and six passes make pictures uneven and/or overexposed. Best defense: Carry film in a transparent plastic bag and give it to the X-ray operator for hand inspection ----
----Save on air fare by buying return tickets in the currency of the country you'er visiting ----
(HELPFUL TIPS INDEX)
Helpful Links
Angelfire - Easiest Free Home Pages
Gifts by C. Walker Enterprises
El Paso Rookie (my police page)
Korea Tour Web Page
Home Schooling Web Page
Job Search Web Page
America's Job Bank
Texas Employment Commision
(HELPFUL TIPS INDEX)
This site is constantly updated ---- Stop by every now and then to check out my progress... Last updated 01/08/2001 (All rights reserved)
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