50 Random Tips & Tricks

Quite often I come across something while browsing online that just amazes me. Things that force me to wonder “Why didn’t I know about this sooner!!!” It could be anything from a brilliant life hack, to a cleaning tip, or just something completely random. Today I wanted to gather a few of these amazing ideas into one place and share them with you.







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1. Quit wasting money on green onions! Next time you buy fresh green
onions don’t toss the white ends. Instead stick them in water and place
in a sunny window. Whenever you have a recipe that calls for green
onions just snip off what you need. original source has been removed

2. You can refill your Swiffer Wet Jet. Just soak the cap in hot water to soften it. Once softened the cap should easily pop off. Use nail clippers to clip off the locking tabs. Fill the container with your desired cleaner or make your own cleaning solution.

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3. No more searching around behind your desk or night stand for your phone charger (Or your camera charger, computer charger, or any other charger that you have). Just pop the wire off of a binder clip, slide your cord in and pop it back on. source

4. Don’t throw out the water you boil your eggs in. This water contains tons of calcium that your plants will love. Just let the water cool and dump it on your plants. source

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5. Cleaning your oven doesn’t have to be a pain. Just mix baking soda and water, rub it on your oven door, wait a few minutes and voila!! All that gunk will wipe right off. source

6. Magic erasers are actually just melamine foam which can be purchased on amazon (here) for a lot less than the store bought stuff. original source has been removed

7. Tired of scraping ice off your windows each morning? Mix three parts vinegar to one part water in a spray bottle and spray on your window before bed. original source has been removed

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8. Apply car wax to your stove top for easy cleaning. original source has been removed

9. Got a runny nose? Be sure to attach an empty Kleenex box to the one you are using so you have a place to stuff those used Kleenexes. Keep a set next to the couch, one on your night stand and one in the car. This will save you many trips to the trash can. original source has been removed

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10. You can actually WEAR milk!! Milk (yes, real milk from cows) can be turned into a fiber which in turn can be made into beautiful clothing. source

11. You can freeze green onions! Snip off the top (the green part) of your onions before they go bad. Let them dry completely, then chop them up. Using a funnel put your chopped onions in an empty water bottle. Stick in the freezer and use as needed. original source has been removed

12. Use a binder clip to hold the end of your toothpaste container in place after you squeeze it. source

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13. Adding a few drops of bleach to your water before adding your bouquet of flowers will actually prevent mildew and your bouquet will last longer. source

14. Keep your boots off the floor by hanging them with pant hangers!! You can prevent the hangers from leaving marks on your boots by placing a thick piece of fabric or newspaper around the top of the boots before hanging them. original source has been removed

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15. Taking a trip? Forget about packing those huge containers of toothpaste, antibiotic ointment, shampoo, and conditioner. Just insert a small amount into a straw, cut to size and melt the ends together. This could also work for condiments such as ketchup and mustard, couch medicine, even small pills.

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16. Fold over the bottom few inches of your dish washing gloves to catch water and keep it from running down your arms.

17. Make a key chain out of wood strips. Paint each piece with the colors in your home so when you are out shopping you will know what decor will look good in your house and what will clash. You can even write the brand and name of the paint on back so if you ever need to touch up a wall you’ll know exactly what color you need. Make these fun by using wooden stars, hearts, or any other shape you can find.

18. Use old Altoids containers to organize small office supplies. source not found

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19. Revive old paint brushes by soaking them in hot vinegar for 30 minutes. Afterwards, wash them in hot, soapy water, brushing off paint as needed, then rinse and let dry. source

20. Use tension rods to organize cutting boards and sheet pans. No more lifting a heavy stack of pans to get what you need out of the bottom. source

21. Use a curtain rod to hang up your pots and pans? source not found

22. Avoid tangled necklaces while traveling by threading your chain through a plastic drinking straw. source

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23.Garden planters are a great way to organize kids toys. You could also hang a few in the pantry to hold apples, oranges, onions, and garlic. In the shed to hold small garden tools or seed packets. In your closet to hold scarves, belts, and lingerie. Would even be great above the bath for kids bath toys, loofahs, shampoo and conditioner. So many possibilities!!! source not found

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24. Lose a screw in your glasses? Just slip in an stud earring and secure it with the back. source

25. Do your dish clothes smell sour? Pour one tbsp. of non-bleach liquid dish soap and three cups of white vinegar into a clean sink or bucket. Soak the sour-smelling dishcloth in the liquids for about an hour. Rinse the dishcloth thoroughly. Wring the excess liquid from the dishcloth. The cloth doesn’t need to be completely dry, as long as it’s no longer dripping wet. Place the dishcloth in your washing machine. Wash and dry the dishcloth as normal. original source has been removed

26. Clean your vacuum roller: Use a seam ripper to cut lint and hair that gets caught in your vacuum roller.

27. Having a party? Need extra trash cans? Stick a garbage bag inside a collapsible laundry bin. Once the party is over, collapse the bin and store. These take up little space and come in very handy. Perfect for all the wrapping paper and packaging that adds up around Christmas time.

28. Aluminum foil as a scrubber: Save your used aluminum foil and reuse it to scrub off all that baked on gunk from your glass baking pans. I use this trick all the time. Just be careful of sharp edges. Gloves would be recommended.

29. Mosquito bite? Rub the inside of a banana peel on it to stop the itch.

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30. Use a white eraser to erase permanent marker. I tried this on our entertainment center after my daughter scribbled all over it. I used a white eraser that was attached to a mechanical pencil and it didn’t work. Then I tried it with one of those big chunky white erasers and it worked perfectly. I guess it depends on the eraser you use.

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31. Tired of getting dead weeds and grass stuck to the bottom of your picnic blanket? Sew a shower curtain to the bottom. This will also prevent soggy bottoms and mud stains. If you don’t want to sew anything onto your blanket you can just lay the blanket on top of the shower curtain.

32. Clean your ceiling fan: Slip a pillow case over one of your ceiling fan blades and slowly pull it back. All the dust will fall in the pillow case keeping it off of the floor and you.

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33. Save those mesh bags: The mesh bags that your apples, oranges and other random fruits and vegetables come in are perfect for scrubbing dishes with. Using this trick with the tin foil stated above could save you a ton of money on sponges and dish scrubbers.

34. Protect your cake frosting: Ever try to transport a cake only to get to your destination and find the frosting smeared? Stick a few pieces uncooked pasta in the top and around the sides before wrapping it. The pasta will keep the wrapping away from the sides and leave only tiny, barely noticeable holes in your cake.

35. Save your brown sugar: I keep seeing all these tips and tricks for keeping brown sugar soft. Here is what I do. Place brown sugar inside a Ziploc bag. Get out as much air as possible and seal the bag. Store this in your pantry. That’s it!! I’ve been doing this for ten years now and have never had to deal with hard brown sugar.

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36. Magnet for easy clean up: Keep a magnet next to your sewing machine. use it to clean up pins that get scattered all over your desk or dropped on the floor. I am always dropping things. This has been a life saver for me.

37. Save those wrapping paper rolls: We all have those tight spaces in our kitchen that no vacuum or broom can get to. Under the fridge and stove, and between the cabinets and alliances. Instead of waiting till the next time you move your fridge to clean underneath, try this. Stick one end of a cardboard wrapping paper roll onto the end of your vacuum hose then flatten the other end. The flattened end can fit under your appliances allowing you to vacuum without moving them.

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38. Don’t have a funnel! Use an envelope: Cut one end of the envelope off making a large triangle then snip off a piece from the corner. Open your envelope and voila…you have a funnel.

39. Save money on artwork: Instead of buying expensive canvases cover shoe box lids in fancy fabric. You could also paint your own fabric or transfer photos onto plain white fabric before applying it to your box lids.

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40. Save your glass jars: Pickle jars, baby food jars, pasta sauce jars. These are great for organizing just about everything. Craft supplies, game pieces, hair clips, office supplies, Pantry items such as beans and rice. Not only does glass look nicer than most of the containers these things originally come in but storing things in clear containers allow you to see what you have so you don’t end up buying double.

41. Add screws or nails to the bottom of furniture legs before painting: This will keep the furniture off the the ground and you wont have paper or plastic (or whatever surface you paint on) stuck to your furniture when the paint dries.

42. Crayon marks on the wall? WD-40 removes crayon marks from just about any surface.

43. Use dish soap for an ice pack. Fill a small ziploc bag with plain dish soap. It won’t freeze solid allowing you to contour it to your body. Double up the bag to protect for leaks.

44. Tired of taking apart your blender to clean it after every use? Add a little dish soap, fill it with water and turn it on for a few seconds. Empty out your soapy water and rinse. Voila, all clean!

45. De-seeding a pomegranate – Fill a large bowl with water. Cut the pomegranate in half. Holding half the pomegranate. Put the half pomegranate under the water in the bowl. Rub your fingers through it to get the seeds out. All the inedible pulp will float to the top while the seeds will sink making it easy to separate.

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46. Cleaning cast iron – Scrub your cast iron with coarse salt and a soft sponge. The salt is a natural abrasive and will absorb oil and lift away bits of food while preserving the pan’s seasoning. Rinse away salt and wipe dry.

47. Old carpet stains – Mix ammonia and hot water in a spray bottle. Liberally spay satin. set white rag over stain and iron with a hot iron. The stain will disappear like magic. Click here for more info.

48. Cooking turkey dressing – If you like to cook your dressing inside the turkey, first line the turkey’s cavities with a generous piece of cheese cloth. Load the stuffing in and close the cheese cloth over. Roast as usual for stuffed turkey. When you get ready to remove the stuffing to a serving dish all you need to do is pull it out of the turkey and put it into the dish.

49. Grease stains on your clothes Put a little Dawn dish soap on the spots. Let the dish soap dry then wash as usual. Even works on stains that have already gone undetected through the dryer.

50. For static-y hair during the fall and winter – run a dryer sheet (used or
unused)through and over your hair. Not to mention it keeps it smelling good.

51. Stick a laundry bag in your dishwasher: Small items like baby bottle nipples, pacifiers, corn holders and medicine measuring cups can get lost in the dishwasher. Throw them inside a laundry bag and place it on the top rack of the dishwasher.

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This is an updated post from DIYHSH. Originally published January 2012. Be sure to check out the comments section and read all of the amazing tips and tricks shared by DIYHSH readers.

130 thoughts on “50 Random Tips & Tricks

  1. This is great – I love all of these tips and will pin a few of them! Thanks for sharing. Happy New Year!

  2. That is a bunch of things I did not know! I use a marshmallow in my brown sugar bag and it keeps it nice and soft!! I hate hard brown sugar. 🙂

    1. You can also place a peice of bread (i hate the heal so i use that) in there as well… works great even if the B.Sugar is already hard… just put a slice a bread in and in a while, all soft again ^_^

    2. This isn't about brown sugar, but if I've baked cookies and they've dried out or I've overcooked them a bit ( this RARELY happens..wink* wink*) I stick them in a container with a piece of bread overnight and VOILA…they are perfectly soft and moist the next morning!

    3. I use a piece of bread to soften HARD brown sugar and to soften cookies that have gotten too hard…works every time, like a charm.

    4. I never knew that about bread in the cookie container, but I had heard about bread in the brown sugar. A good side note to add is that even after the bread becomes hard like a rock, it's still fantastic for keeping the sugar soft. It's just important to avoid the bread when measuring the sugar for baking.

    5. I live overseas and can't get brown sugar so I make my own. Just add 1 Tbsp molasses to 1 cup white sugar. With most recipes I can just add the molasses to the bowl as I add the white sugar so I don't have any "extra" brown sugar to have to keep soft. Works great in almost every recipe I have tried it in.

  3. Great information….I found a lot of tips to use.Specially I like Blender cleaning method,so easy….

  4. I must be a dim wit because I do not understand what you are trying to say with number 45. What am I supposed to do with the bowl of water and half of the pomegranet?

    1. You are just basically peeling the pomegranate under water. It makes less mess, doesn't stain your hands, and makes it easier to get all the white part off your seeds. I have been doing it for years.

  5. Think what she didn't finish was put the half pomegranate under the water in the bowl… Then rub with fingers to get the seeds out… All the inedible pulp will float, making it easy to separate… And no pomegranate juice accidents…

  6. @Tami No you are not a dim wit. I guess I forgot to finish it. It's fixed now. Thank you Issphx for clearing things up.

  7. Wow. Thank you for all of the great tips. Love the tips for taking trips. Makes it so much easier to pack. I'm not real sure about the milk fabric though. Although, from trying to get dried milk out of cups, I'm sure it would make very sturdy fabric…Might have to look into that.

  8. Great tips! I always keep my brown sugar in the fridge. It has never gone hard. Also, the dryer sheet thing for static-y hair never works for me. I just have super super static-y hair I guess.

    1. I get super static in my hair, edpecially during the winter months. I too found that running a bounce sheet thru my hair did not work, so one day I came across a spay can of static remover "static guard". I have been using for years now and works amazing. Spray on brushes and directly on hair (spray does not smell good but odor dissapears within minutes, it will not linger in your hair).

  9. Someone emailed me this list a while back on the many, many uses of WD-40
    WD-40 USES:
    1. Protects silver from tarnishing.
    2. Removes road tar and grime from cars.
    3. Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
    4. Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making them slippery.
    5. Keeps flies off cows. (I love this one!)
    6. Restores and cleans chalkboards.
    7. Removes lipstick stains.
    8. Loosens stubborn zippers.
    9. Untangles jewelry chains.
    10. Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
    11. Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
    12. Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
    13. Removes tomato stains from clothing.
    14. Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
    15. Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
    16. Keeps scissors working smoothly.
    17. Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes.
    18. It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
    19. Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly! Use WD-40!
    20. Gives a children's playground gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
    21. Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on riding mowers…
    22. Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
    23. Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to open..
    24. Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
    25. Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as vinyl bumpers.
    26. Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
    27. Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans
    28. Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for easy handling.
    29. Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running smoothly.
    30. Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
    31. Removes splattered grease on stove.
    32. Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
    33. Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
    34. Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
    35. Removes all traces of duct tape.
    36. Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve arthritis pain.
    37. Florida 's favorite use is: 'cleans and removes love bugs from grills and bumpers.'
    38. The favorite use in the state of New York , WD-40 protects the Statue of Liberty from the elements.
    39. WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a little on live bait or lures and you will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not allowed in some states.
    40. Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and stops the itch.
    41. WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and wipe with a clean rag.
    42. Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick spots with WD-40 and rewash. Presto! The lipstick is gone!
    43. If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the moisture and allow the car to start.

    P.S. The basic ingredient is Fish Oil

    1. Not sure if I missed this one in this list, but use it to clean your SS appliances, i.e. fridge, stove, microwave. It leaves a shine with no streaks and helps prevent finger prints for the next week.

    2. WD-40 will remove permanent marker from skin. Learned this from a mom with a 'bearded' son. Proved it to myself after missing the cap and putting a good streak on my hand.

    3. As I know, WD 40 also prevents slugs from crawling up the flower pots. Spray a thin line around the pot and that's all … hope it doesn't rain too much afterwards …

  10. I found you on Pinterest and have seen your post "pinned" on there multiple times. I love stumbling on new blogs like this! I'll keep reading!! Thanks for the tips! Thanks! -Shannon

  11. Very cool! Thank you for sharing! I like the altoids containers for storage. I started a series called "Terrific Tip Tuesdays" on my blog to share the random little things I do around my house that might be helpful to others. It's amazing how much we can learn!

  12. Added fix for permanent marker is to write over it with a dry erase marker. I accidently used a Sharpie on a white board and the teacher gave me a dry erase marker…came right off. Have used this to get Sharpie off tables when found…worked again, even though it had been on the table for a while.

    1. I've heard hairspray also works well! Just wash with a little water afterwards and there's no sticky residue.

    2. Rubbing alcohol works great for removing permanent marker from hard surfaces. My grandma taught me that one and it works great! (walls, rubbermaid boxes-that you've labeled, floors)

  13. Brilliantly useful list – I'm going to print it out and pin it up in my kitchen – can't wait to try the eggy plans on my plants!

  14. I loved reading all of these! Some are really good ideas that i will have to try… expecially the staticy hair one my hair is so thin and always staticy.. so i tried it and wala! It works(:

  15. I absolutely ADORE these.. Very awesome idea's. THANKS SO MUCH for linking via Pin'Inspirational Thursday today.. This ROCKS and its one of my fav's of the day.. Thanks again.. Wishing you an amazing evening.. xoxo.. Marilyn…

  16. If you accidentally use a sharpie or permanent marker on a dry erase board, trace over it with a dry erase marker and it will get rid of the permanent marks. Not sure what other surface this would work on, but I've done it many times!

  17. these are just flat out fun.. many of which i knew and then all thoes I didn't know.. Love it and just fun people here.. Love it.

  18. Love these! May I please add a few?
    For #37: use the wrapping paper roll for your clothes dryer vent. You can pretty much get all the way to bottom of vent.

    I've also used your "do-dads" (binder clips) for re-closing chip bags in a pinch….or even regular paper clips.

    #29: Mosquito bites: My brother-in-law told me this years ago and I've used it ever since. I'm not certain why it works but it does. Take Secret stick deodorant and rub on mosquito bites and it will keep them from itching or a welt mark from getting any worse.

  19. I put my brown sugar and extra butter (i dont use it very often) in the freezer and they both dethaw very quickly…the brown sugar dethaws and is very soft in about 5-7 min.

  20. Thank you so much for sharing, I LOVE this stuff and will be viewing your post from October. Your newest follower via Get Your Brag On!

  21. Here's another idea to get permanent marker off dry erase board (it would most likely work on other surfaces that dry erase marker will erase on). Write (or color) directly on top of the permanent marker mark, then erase with cloth, paper towel, or chalkboard eraser. It's amazing that this works, and I wish I knew why it did!

  22. Such a lot of great ideas! (You have to check out my blog today, very similar in so many ways…I feel like we're twins separated at birth!)

  23. Another neat WD-40 trick I learned in college. if someone ever spray-paints your car (our whole parking lot one year) WD-40 will take it off without hurting your car's paint!

  24. I just found your blog for the first time and I love it!!! I have problem solver for you for next time. Ive never seen this anywhere and came across it by accident, but maybe others know? If you get a burned bottom on your pots and pans, you know like burned milk kind etc and cant get it off, just cover the spot with dishwasher soap (not the individual kind, the liquid bottle kind) and let sit overnight. loosen the burned spot and it will come off like magic!!

  25. Too cool!

    Thanks so much for sharing at Pin'Inspiration Thursday last week. Hope to see you back again this week 🙂

  26. I love your site and all the neat ideas. Just one thing, I wonder if any other senior citizen has as much problem reading the font you use? I really, really have to strain to read it.
    Thanks

    1. Thank you for the info. I hope the new font is easier to read. If I have trouble reading something I find it helpful to enlarge the page by holding the ctrl key and scrolling down on the mouse wheel.

  27. Just stumbled across this site and am LOVING the suggestions. I've heard of a few, but several are new. Looking forward to the future installments! I have to agree with "Anonymous" who posted above me about the font. It's a cool font, but very hard to read. By the time I finished reading your post, my face was about an inch from my computer screen (and I'm only 34!). Thanks again for the tips 🙂

  28. If you ever leave cookies just a minute or two too long in the oven they are ruined. Maybe not burned but they come out hard as a rock. If you're like me you enjoy soft cookies….quick fix to this….put the hard cookies in a ziploc bag with a marshmallow or a piece of bread (for those of you who don't keep marshmallows on hand) and in a few hours you'll have soft cookies. It has worked for me everytime.

  29. Another great idea for ice packs is to put Karo syrup into zip lock bags and freeze. They stay flexible and make great ice packs!!

  30. One more use for WD40- When I went snorkeling this summer in Cabo I was stung by a jellyfish, and the guy running the excursion sprayed WD40 on it. I thought it was strange, but it definitely helped with the stinging. I had never heard of that before, so if you're going in the ocean, pack some WD40 in your beach bag just in case 😉

  31. For my Brown Sugar if it has gone hard, to soften it back up place a damp paper towel in the bag and let sit. The brown sugar will soften again. I do this all the time, and it works great.

  32. For number 34- protecting cake frosting- make sure that you don't put the spaghetti in the night before, otherwise the spaghetti absorbs water from the cake and will bend and won't work. I love all of these! I've Already shared many of them with friends! Great post!

  33. For our brown sugar to keep soft we put a piece of bread in with it…works like a charm! Great post

  34. You can also mix equal parts rubbing alcohol and water for an ice pack. It will freeze to a slush.

  35. In addition to your solution to brown sugar becoming hard: you can also just put a slice of bread in the packaging (a bit easier than repacking in a baggie & pushing out the air). Take out the piece of bread the next day- the bread will be stale, but the brown sugar- good as new!

  36. Thanks for all the useful tips! I recently began driving in a winter climate and wanted to read more about tip #7 – winterizing your car, but the link for the source only took to me to the picture, not the webpage.

  37. To add to the pomegranate seeding tip, I do mine in the salad spinner so I can just lift out the inner colander type bowl and the water drains away (first splash out the floating pulpy bits before you take it out of the water).

  38. To remove water stains from wooden furniture, take a plain white cotton t-shirt and place it over the stain. Then using an iron on the low or medium setting, place this on top of the shirt and move around the area. I was scared the heat would ruin the wood so I just set the iron on the shirt for about 5 seconds at a time, over a period of about 5-10 minutes and the stain was completely gone! Honestly it was like it had never been there at all. I guess it also works on old water spots too but just takes more time since the water has been trapped in the wood so long. This little tip saved me a lot of trouble so I thought i would share. 🙂

  39. I've gotten oil stains on some of my favorite clothes. After washing multiple times and still seeing that stain I figured I would try baby powder. With shaking the powder out I noticed the stain was gone! I also use this trick with extra oily roots. Apparently it's a trick old ladies use to keep their hair fresh!

  40. I love your list of ideas! I tried clicking on the link for #7 (about winter tips) and it does not appear to be active. Could you repost the link? Thanks again for sharing so many wonderful ideas!

  41. I use rice tied in a sock as both a heat pad and a ice pack.. I keep in the freezer and if I need it for a heat pack I put in the microwave for 30 sec. Take out move around then 30 more sec. Works great . Ice pack is great for bobos on heads and knees as rice forms to area. I have also used them to place in containers that have a oder like onion or fish smell.. I just place in container and take out later that day, also wicket away moisture so no mildew .works great on coolers

  42. another way to keep your pots from boiling over is putting about a tablespoon of butter or margarine in the water before it starts to boil. Gives your food a little bit of flavor and gets rid of all that white foam so you can still see your food if needed. I love this trick! it works fantastically! my grandma gave it to me:)

  43. I love all of these tips! I'm in the process of trying to get my house organized in some fashion, so I will be back to this post! I'm off now to read the rest of your blog.

  44. Great tips- especially ones about the kitchen! Oh, and btw, on #25, you put "Do your dish clothes small sour?"- don't you mean "smell"?

    Keep up this stuff, its interesting!

  45. Could you please make the Reply font a larger size. The current siws maked it extremely hard to read. I have to be right up on the screen to read the comments.
    Thanks. I love the site but can't read it very well.

    1. Sorry you are having difficulty reading. You can make the font larger on any web page by pressing down the ctrl button and moving the mouse wheel up and down.

  46. Hairspray works well for getting pen out of clothes and Sharpie off of skin; just spray it on, rub, and rinse!

  47. Wow!! So many awesome tricks! I LOVE the plant holders to store things. I'm always trying to find ways to store smaller items for my kids and such a great way to keep things off of the floor!

  48. For grease stains on clothes (butter, motor oil, etc) you can also use lestoil or murphy's oil soap even if its already been put into the dryer before you've seen the stain. Just dab enough on the stain to cover it, rub it around real quick and throw it right into the washing machine. Works like a charm!!

  49. Regarding cleaning cast iron with salt: This will rust the cast iron, especially if yu use water to rinse it. I use baking soda instead. It's an abraisive as well but is neutral. I don't rinse it with water, instead I scrpe the soda out and use oil. This will keep the cast iron well seasoned.

  50. I keep cheese mold free with this method:

    Take a knife and carefully slit the wrapper in a couple of places. You aren't trying to get the wrapper off, just to gain some access points. Use the wrapper to hold the cheese when slicing it, just folding back the wrapper to get to the cheese. This keeps your fingers off the cheese and greatly reduces mold growth. I just stick the cheese–wrapper and all –into a zip-loc bag to store in the refridgerator.

  51. The tip for cleaning your blender is not a good idea because it does not wash the seal between the glass part of the blender and the blade. this is the most important thing to wash because it can collect milk and fruit products and form mold over time.

    1. I agree. I was doing this and one day decided to take it apart to clean it and the gasket had black mold on it. Gross! I'll never do it again.

  52. Make sure to wear gloves when using a "magic eraser" if you have acrylic nails! The formaldehyde in the foam will melt your nails!

  53. If you are having a hard time with your brown sugar getting hard, add a slice of bread into the bag of brown sugar and within a day or so the brown sugar is as good as new.

    1. I put mine in the microwave for seconds up to 10 to soften. I keep brown and powder sugar in the fridge too.

  54. For brown sugar that has already turned hard and crusty: add a piece of bread to the bag and reseal. It will soften it right up!

  55. I saw the binder clip/tube of toothpaste tip on Pinterest. had to pop by and say thanks for sharing it. What a great treat to find so many other tips when I arrived. Thanks a bunch!!!

  56. I love all your tips and especially appreciate the links that you provide to the source. Outstanding job, thank you!

  57. My favorite tip is to get garlic or onion smell off of your hands, wash them with a stainless steel piece of silverware. I use the knife that comes with your flat ware set…nothing sharp. Run water and rub your hands over the knife as if it was bar soap…..instantly the smell is gone. No soap needed. Just water and a stainless steel butter knive.:)

    1. also if you write over permanent marker with dry erase marker it usually removes it – and rubbing alcohol removes the gooey adhesive left over from peeling stickers (like price stickers)on items

  58. Freezing brown sugar keeps it from getting hard! My mom puts a slice of apple in her bag and stores it in the pantry, which works but the mushy apple after a week is kind of gross. Freezing doesn't require an apple!

  59. To make an ice pack for yourself, you can also put water and a little rubbing alcohol in a bag and the alcohol will keep the water from freezing.

  60. you can save old wrapping paper rolls and cut a straight line end to end and use as a cover for your current paper filled rolls to keep the edges from ripping and tearing in storage

  61. Shampoo also works really well for grease stains. I had grease stains in my yoga pants and sweater that I tried washing multiple times with no luck. Rubbed on a bit of shampoo and no more stains!

  62. To take out old stains on a whiteboard, use toothpaste. I have tried fingernail polish remover, alcohol, everything until I heard to use toothpaste. The grittyness isn't too harsh for the board and the stain came out instantly!

  63. I'm commenting in response to your #35 (the brown sugar one)…I had an empty oatmeal container so I clean it out and poured all of my brown sugar in that. It's air tight and keeps it nice and moist, no clumping or drying out!

  64. Another tip for brown sugar- Put a piece of bread in a tupperware container with the brown sugar. The bread gets hard and dried out but the brown sugar stays fresh!!

  65. Brown sugar – been doing this forever -store in an old washed coffee container and add a slice of bread, always keeps sugar soft … for some reason the bread never molds, only gets hard, I replace the bread every 6 months or so…it's crazy…

  66. I have a couple that I'd like to share:

    1. If you have salt that clumps in humid weather, add some uncooked rice to the shaker. It will keep the salt from sticking together. 🙂 Thanks Mom!!

    2. If you lose the back to an earring, a pencil eraser works great! Snip eraser off of the pencil and push onto the earring. Works like a charm!

  67. #35. That's exactly what I do (hubby taught me, too 🙂 The idea is to keep air out.

    #37. Genius! Growing up our vacuum had a flat attachment. I always lament not having one for my vacuum. Now I do!

    Thanks for the tips. They have been "pinned"

  68. Speaking of dryer sheets- you can also avoid getting zapped by static electricity in the winter by keeping a fresh dryer sheet in your coat pocket. (I have one in my wool peacoat and it works really well!)

  69. you can re-use pants hangers as clips to keep bags closed. you just have to break off the clippy part from thr hanger and viola instant chip clip! 🙂

  70. Tried to freeze the dish soap. It was hard as a rock. I might try it again but will add alcohal to the dish soap.

  71. I wanted to try the curtain rod holder for my pots and pans. Where did you find the S-hooks? I can't find any like that at Home Depot or Lowes. Thanks!

    1. I was looking at that, too…I wonder if small shower curtain hooks would work…maybe just "turning" the one half.

    2. I found s hooks at walmart in the row with those hooks you can put on the wall and remove but it was further down the row. I found the zip ties there too for computer chords. Finally.

  72. Did you know that you can hang ziplock bags filled 3/4ths of the way with water by doorways and on patio and it prevents flies. Their reflection is the bag scares them so they stay away. Really works… I swear by it!

  73. Don't know about using the white eraser to erase permanent marker, but if you write on top of the permanent marker with a dry erase marker, you will then be able to just wipe it away – dry erase marker and permanent marker! This has been a lifesaver in the classroom when a student accidentally wrote on the whiteboard with permanent marker.

  74. I saw one of your pins on penterest and I have to say that you have some really great idea's. I have never read through every single thing on a pin or all the comments until this. Verey interesting. Another tip. Hand dryer sheets around your yard or camp site and they will keep masquitio's away from you.

  75. Spill wax on your carpet from a candle… no problem.. let it dry than put paper towel over it and iron the paper towel, the wax will stick to the paper towel and come free from the carpet!

  76. Re: Tip #40 – Removing crayon marks from the wall using WD-40. Would you REALLY rather have oil smudges on the wall rather than crayon marks? Rub the crayon marks with undiluted Wisk laundry detergent, It's worked for over 40 years!

  77. If your brown sugar gets hard just place a piece of apple in it and it will soften right up.

  78. I'm not sure if any one has brought this to your attention yet or not, but Mayo works great for removing water stains from wood too! Just lather a little on, and remove it after a few minutes. Works every time! Good thing too, because my husband REFUSES to use a coaster, no matter how much it frustrates me…. Silly guy. lol

  79. Another way to get rid of permanent marker is coloring over it with a dry erase marker, then wiping it away. No effort at all.

    Ever left the coffee pot on too long and burnt coffee in it? Don't scrub it, simply pour some salt in it, add some crushed ice, and swish ot around until all the coffee stains are gone. Makes stainless pots look brand new.

  80. {Kathy} Just found your blog. It's addictive! The tissue box idea is getting used TODAY!

  81. campho phenique will also treat bug bites (and mouth sores… honestly this stuff is a miracle, it's one of the only things my family uses), and they go away within 24 hours- At least mine do. It says it is for minor scrapes and burns, but like I said my family has been using it on mouth sores, cold sores, bit cheeks and tongues, and the like, for as long as I can remember. It tastes awful, but they go away (sometimes it takes longer than 24 hours and you need multiple applications, but it also numbs the sore, so you don't bite it again or anything)

  82. Here's a great tip for brown sugar I've tried this and it works for most part. When sugar gets rock hard pop it in microvawe for a min than check on it to see if its soft. Repeat if needed also can cover it with moist ppr towel while microwavin, just incase u feel hesitant. It does work very well

  83. Easier solution for a sour/stinky dish cloth: get it fairly wet, not dripping. Put it in the microwave for about 40 seconds. Kills the smell AND the bacteria.

  84. When I am done with the dishes I rinse me sponge out with cold water, wring it out really well place it in a zip lock labeled dishes n put it in the freezer!! No stinkies! EVER! Thats a huge pet peeve of mine.

  85. also for permanent marker, you can remove it by spraying it with White Rain hairspray, it dissolved the ink and you can wipe it away

  86. I didn't read all of the comments, cause there are a ton. But for #3, you don't have to tie your cord around the silver part, they are removable from the black part. Just squeeze. Put your cord in the middle, reconnect the silver part with the black part- just like new!

  87. Sorry if this has already been mentioned but there are so many comments I didn’t have the time to read through them all! Baking soda is great for cleaning ovens as you say but also for general cleaning. We use it on stains and freshen up carpets with it. Put it in your laundry for a whiter wash, get rid of smells in old storage jars, and even unclog drains. It’s magic!

  88. Brown sugar. You can buy a terra cotta "ornament" to keep your sugar soft. I used a piece of a clean broken terra cotta flower pot and it worked just as we'll as the store bought one. Hard sugar softens back up and soft sugar stays soft.

  89. Here is a tip for staying organized – when folding a set of sheets stack the set inside 1 of the pillowcases. It keeps it all together an dour linen closet stays organized.

  90. To remove burned on food (even simple syrup) from glass top stoves put baking soda on it, add white vinegar. It is the same as a first grade volcano experiment, minus the play dough. LOL

  91. Hi. Just asking. I moved into a very small room near my office. I just want to know how I can fit all my household belongings there, small foam, small drawer, pots and pans etc. to at least make it a little bit spacious and I don't feel like I'm suffocating with all my things and furniture inside. I don't have a tv, ref or any appliances. there are no built in shelves there or whatnot. just a small rectangular room. Any tips would be appreciated. Thank you.

  92. BROWN SUGAR can also be revived by sticking a piece of bread in the container. Leave over-night and voila! No more hard brown sugar! Great use for those end-pieces of bread too!

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