Household Hints
Years ago a Kentucky grandmother gave the new bride the following receipt, for washing clothes. It appears below just as it was written, and despite the spelling, has a bit of philosophy.
1 Bilt fire in backyard to heat kettle
of rain water.
2 Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if
wind is pert.
3 Shave one hole cake of lie soap in
bilin water.
4 Sort thing, make three piles. 1 pile
white, 1 pile colored, 1 pile work
britches and rags.
5 To make starch, stir flour in cood
water to smooth, then thin down with
bilin water.
6 Take whites things,rub dirty spots on
board, scrub hard, and then bile. Rub
colored dont bile, just rinch and
starch.
7 Take things out of kettle with
broomstick handle, then rinch, and
starch.
8 Hang old rags on fence.
9 Spread tea towels on grass.
10 Pore rinch water in flower bed.
11 Scrub porch with hot soapy water.
12 Turn tubs upside down.
13 Go put on house dress, smooth hair
with hair combs. Brew cup of tea, sit
and rock a spell and count your
blessings.
Hang this above your automatic washer,
and when things look black, read
again....
Did you know that potatoes will take
food stains off your fingers after your
food preparations? Just slice and rub a
raw potato on the stain and rinse in
clear-cool water.
Even your washer needs to be washed once
in awhile. Run the machine on hot water,
normal cycle, and add a bottle of
vinegar to clean the soap film and scum
that's built up inside.
Don't throw away ink stained clothing.A
little ordinary hairspray will get it
out. Just spray on the aerosol and rub
the spot with a coarse, dry cloth.
Afterwards, launder the garment as you
normally would.
To soften brown sugar simply add a slice
of soft bread to package, will be
completely soft in few hours.
To keep the corners of your windowsills
free of dust and moisture, rub a white
candle into each corner of the sill.
To remove grease from wallpaper, apply
baby powder to a clean powder puff, rub,
and spot disappears.
Store tomatoes with stems pointed down
and they will stay fresher longer.
Add a rib of celery to your bread bag
and it will keep the bread fresher
longer.
A shot of vodka added to a vase will
keep your cut flowers fresher much
longer.
To freshen up stale potpourri, spray
with a little vodka, it will revive it
immediately.
Store plastic wrap in refrigerator - it
will prevent it from sticking.
Cottage cheese will remain fresher
longer if you store it upside down in
the refrigerator. This slows the effects
of oxidation.
To keep milk past it's expiration date
add salt. A pinch of salt in a gallon
will do it. The salt slows the rate of
bacteria growth.
Brown sugar will not harden if stored in
the freezer.
If you freeze wild rice it will last 3-4
months compared to a week in the
refrigerator.
A good trick when you go away on
vacation is to place a baggie with a few
ice cubes in the freezer. If a power
failure occurs while you are gone and
the food thaws and then refreezes you
will know about it when you get
home. Ice cream container sealed in a
plastic bag will stop ice crystals from
forming when it is in the freezer.
When making doughnuts, adding a piece of
raw potato will prevent the doughnuts
from burning, and putting a little
vinegar in the grease helps keep the
doughnuts from absorbing too much
grease.
Potato chip bag open again and they're
all stale and yucky?? Pop them in the
microwave for 30 to 60 seconds, let
stand for two minutes and they'll be
crispy again. To keep those pesky insects away from
your plants, combine one bulb of garlic,
1 small onion and 1 Tbs. cayenne pepper
in the blender. Mix with 1 quart water
and let stand for one hour. Then add 1
TBS Ivory liquid and mist your
plants!!
Club soda--removes stains, cleans
sinks.
Poison Ivy all over the place.....how do
you get rid if it???? Mix 3 pounds of
salt with a gallon of soapy water; spray
the solution on the plants leaves and
stems.
Regarding tomato paste, it seems a whole
can of tomato paste is many times too
much for some recipes. Suggestion: take
a piece of waxed paper, putting it on a
cookie sheet and putting teaspoonfuls of
the leftover paste on the paper --
another sheet on top and freeze this.
When frozen just peel them off and put
them in a baggie and when you need a
tsp. or tbs. of paste you have it
without opening a whole can and there is
no waste. OR-- put small amounts in an
ice tray and then just pop them out when
I need them.
Quick Whipping -- A teaspoonful of cold
water added to the white of an egg
causes it to whip more quickly while
increasing the quantity.
Moldy Fruit -- What should you do with
fruit with mold? Throw it away rather
than simply cutting off the mold since
mold on fruit goes much deeper than what
appears on the fruit.
Broccoli Stalks -- Don't discard the
tough ends of broccoli stalks. Use them
for making soups.
Measuring Honey -- Measuring honey with
a spoon is easy but getting it all off
the spoon is another matter--so first
rub the spoon with margarine.
Dropping Cookie Dough -- To get cookie
dough to drop without sticking dip the
spoon in milk first.
Leftover Pie Dough -- Extra pie dough?
Cover it with some parmesan and gruyere
cheese and you'll bake a delicious
appetizer--at the very same meal with
your pie as dessert.
Easy Shelling -- Pecans are easy to
shell if they are first soaked in
boiling water for 10 minutes or so. Or
microwave 2 cups of pecans or Brazil
nuts in 1 cup of water for 5 to 6
minutes on HIGH.
Storing Cake -- If you store half of an
apple in the container in which you are
storing the cake, the cake will retain
its freshness.
Cheesy Apple Pie -- Don't just serve
cheese with apple pie, bake it right in.
Spread grated sharp Cheddar on the
bottom of the crust before adding the
apple filling.
Sticking Cake Layers -- Cake layers
sticking to the bottom of the pans? Put
them back in a warm oven for a short
time. The layers will then come out
without a problem. Or, try lining the
bottom of your pans with waxed
paper.
Outdoor cooking -- Fast Starter -- Stuff
a crumbled sheet of newspaper under your
coals, then roll another sheet of news
paper into a cone and poke it through
the coals to the paper to form a
chimney. Ignite the paper. It will carry
the fire into your charcoal.
Make cleaning easier -- To make cookout
cleanups easier, take a preventive step
and spray the cooking grill with
nonstick spray before placing the grid
over the coals. Food won't stick nearly
as much as it does on an untreated
grid.
Juicy News -- Always use tongs when
turning meat on the grill. This way,
you'll avoid piercing the meat, which
causes it to lose its natural juices.
Get rid of rodents! The perfume of
peppermint will drive rats and mice
away.
Gardening tips -- The Worm Turns --
Plant dill around your tomato bed. It's
a great way to keep tomato horn worms
from getting the better of your
plants.
When to Pick -- The best time to harvest
fruits and vegetables for maximum flavor is in the morning.
Erasers can be used on your floors too.
They'll remove black heel marks & on
hardwood floors too.
COKE...
To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl. Let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.
To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a crumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap
aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.
To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away
the corrosion.
To loosen a rusted bolt: Apply a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.
To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan; wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake.
Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.
To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of Coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run
through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains.
It will also clean road haze from your windshield.
Pam cooking spray will dry finger nail polish
Mayonnaise will KILL LICE, it will also condition your hair
Elmer's Glue-paint on your face, allow it to dry, peel off and see the dead skin and blackheads if any
Shiny Hair-use brewed Lipton Tea
Sunburn -empty a large jar of Nestea into your bath water
Minor burn-Colgate or Crest toothpaste
Burn your tongue? put sugar on it!
Arthritis? WD-40 Spray and rub in, kill insect stings too
Bee stings - meat tenderizer
Chigger bite - preparation H
Puffy eyes - preparation H
Paper cut - crazy glue or chap stick (glue is used instead of sutures at most hospitals)
Use a Maxi-Pad in your cap as a sweat band! (Of course I think I would staple this or pin it in .. you wouldn't want this to drop on the ground)
Stinky feet - Jell-O!!
Athletes feet - cornstarch
Fungus on toenails or fingernails vapor rub
Peanut butter - will get scratches out of CD's! Wipe off with a coffee filter paper
Sticking bicycle chain - Pam no-stick cooking spray
Pam will also remove paint, and grease from your hands! Keep a can in your garage for your hubby
Peanut butter will remove ink from the face of dolls
When the doll clothes are hard to put on, sprinkle with corn starch and watch them slide on
Heavy dandruff - pour on the vinegar!
Tie Dye T-shirt - mix a solution of kool aid in a container, tie a rubber band around a section of the T-shirt and soak
Preserving a newspaper clipping -- large bottle of club soda& 1/2 cup of milk of magnesia, soak for 20 min & let dry, will last for many years!
To keep goggles and glasses from fogging, coat with Colgate toothpaste
Stay-Free Maxi Pads- clean window, floors, just stick to the palm of your hands and work! Can also be used a knee pad.
Pampers as an absorbent! Remove stains from the carpet with club soda, & a pamper to absorb.
Wine stains, pour on the Morton salt and watch it absorb into the salt.
To remove wax - Take a paper towel and iron it over the wax stain, it will absorb into the towel.
Remove labels off glassware etc. rub with peanut butter!
Baked on food - fill container with water, get a bounce paper softener & the static from the bounce towel will cause baked on food to
adhere to it. soak overnight. Also; you can use 2 Efferdent tablets, soak overnight!
Crayon on the wall -- colgate toothpaste and brush it!
Dirty grout - Listerine
Stains on clothes - Colgate
Grass stains - Karo Syrup
Grease Stains- Coca Cola, it will also remove grease stains from the driveway overnight.
Sweat Stains - Efferdent, or vinegar
2. Kill weeds. Spray full strength on
growth until plants have starved.
3. Increase soil acidity. In hard water:
one gallon of tap water for watering
rhododendrums, gardenias, or azaleas.
4. Deter ants. Spray vinegar around
doors, appliances, and along other areas
where ants are known.
5. Polish car chrome. Apply full
strength.
6. Remove skunk odor from a dog. Rub fur
with full strength vinegar; rinse.
7. Keep cats away. Sprinkle vinegar on
areas you don't want the cat walking,
sleeping, or scratching on.
8. Keep dogs from scratching his ears.
Use a clean, soft cloth dipped in
diluted vinegar.
9. Keep chickens from pecking each other.
Put a little in their drinking
water.
10. Tenderize meat. Soak in vinegar over
night.
11. Freshen vegetables. Soak wilted
vegetables in 2 cups of water and a
tablespoon of vinegar.
12. Boil better eggs. Add 2 tablespoons
to the water before boiling eggs. Keeps
them from cracking.
13. Soothe a bee or jellyfish sting. Dot
the irritation with vinegar and relieve
itching.
14. Relieve sunburn. Lightly rub white
vinegar; you may have to reapply.
15. Condition hair. Add a tablespoon of
vinegar to dissolve sticky residue left
by shampoo.
16. Relieve dry and itchy skin. Add 2
tablespoons to bath water.
17. Fight dandruff. After shampooing,
rinse with vinegar and 2 cups of warm
water.
18. Soothe a sore throat. Put a teaspoon
of vinegar in a glass of water. Gargle,
then swallow.
19. Treat sinus infections and chest
colds. Add 1/4 cup or more vinegar to
the vaporizer.
20. Feel good. A teaspoon of apple cider
vinegar in a glass of water, with a bit
of honey added for flavor, will take the
edge off your appetite and give you an
overall healthy feeling.
21. Deodorize the kitchen drain. Pour a
cup down the drain once a week. Let
stand 30 minutes and then flush with
cold water.
22. Eliminate onion odor. Rub on your
fingers before and after slicing. 23. Clean and disinfect wood cutting
boards. Wipe with full strength vinegar.
24. Remove fruit stains from hands.
Rub with vinegar.
25. Cut grease and odor on dishes. Add a
tablespoon of vinegar to hot soapy
water.
26. Clean a teapot. Boil a mixture of
water and vinegar in the teapot. Wipe
away the grime.
27. Freshen a lunchbox. Soak a piece of
bread in vinegar and let it sit in the
lunchbox over night.
28. Clean the refrigerator. Wash with a
solution of equal parts water and
vinegar.
29. Unclog a drain. Pour a handful of
baking soda down the drain and add 1/2
cup of vinegar. Rinse with hot water.
30. Clean and deodorize the garbage
disposal. Make vinegar ice cubes and
feed them down the disposal. After
grinding, run cold water through.
31. Clean and deodorize jars. Rinse
mayonnaise, peanut butter, and mustard
jars with vinegar when empty.
32. Clean the dishwasher. Run a cup of
vinegar through the whole cycle once a
month to reduce soap build up on the
inner mechanisms and on glassware.
33. Clean stainless steel. Wipe with a
vinegar dampened cloth.
34. Clean china and fine glassware. Add a
cup of vinegar to a sink of warm water.
Gently dip the glass or china in the
solution and let dry.
35. Get stains out of pots. Fill pot with
a solution of 3 tablespoons of vinegar
to a pint of water. Boil until stain
loosens and can be washed away.
36. Clean the microwave. Boil a solution
of 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water
in the microwave. Will loosen splattered
on food and deodorize.
37. Dissolve rust from bolts and other
metals. Soak in full strength
vinegar.
38. Get rid of cooking smells. Let simmer
a small pot of vinegar and water
solution.
39. Unclog steam iron. Pour equal amounts
of vinegar and water into the iron's
water chamber. Turn to steam and leave
the iron on for 5 minutes in an upright
position. Then unplug and allow to cool.
Any loose particles should come out when
you empty the water.
40. Clean a scorched iron plate. Heat
equal parts vinegar and salt in a small
pan. Rub solution on the cooled iron
surface to remove dark or burned
stains.
41. Get rid of lint in clothes. Add 1/2
cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.
42. Keep colors from running. Immerse
clothes in full strength vinegar before
washing.
43. Freshen up the washing machine.
Periodically, pour a cup of vinegar in
the machine and let in run through a
regular cycle (no clothes added). Will
dissolve soap residue.
44. Brighten fabric colors. Add a 1/2 cup
vinegar to the rinse cycle.
45. Take grease off suede. Dip a
toothbrush in vinegar and gently brush
over grease spot.
46. Remove tough stains. Gently rub on
fruit, jam, mustard, coffee, tea. Then
wash as usual.
47. Get smoke smell out of clothes. Add a
cup of vinegar to a bath tub of hot
water. Hang clothes above the steam.
48. Remove decals. Brush with a couple
coats of vinegar. Allow to soak in. Wash
off.
49. Clean eyeglasses. Wipe each lens with
a drop of vinegar.
50. Freshen cut flowers. Add 2
tablespoons vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar
for each quart of water.
1. Kill grass on walks and driveways.
Stain Remover
1 cup of Hydrogen Peroxide
1 teaspoon of ammonia
Need to use it within 30 min. of mixing.
Dab the mixture on the stain. Take a
white paper towel (only WHITE..no design
or color on it) and place the paper
towel over the stain and weigh it down
with something.
Leave for 2 to 3 hours. The stain will
be gone.
If you want a quick fix for flagging energy levels there's no better snack than a banana.
Containing three natural sugars -- sucrose, fructose and glucose -- combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.
Research has proved that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.
But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions making it a must to add to your daily diet.
Anemia:
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt,
making it the perfect food for helping to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power:
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
Constipation:
High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain trypotophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.
Hangovers:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to take a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn:
Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
Morning Sickness:
Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites:
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Nerves:
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Overweight:
Pressure at home and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods such as bananas every two hours to keep levels steady.
PMS:
Forget the pills eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Ulcers:
The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronic ulcer cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
Temperature Control:
Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):
Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, trypotophan.
Smoking:
Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking, as the high levels of Vitamin C, A1, B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water-balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, there by reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
Strokes:
According to research in 'The New England Journal of Medicine' eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!
Warts:
Those keen on natural alternatives swear that, if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!
So you see a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-know phrase so that we say, "A Banana a day keeps the doctor away!"
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