Did You Know… 50 Insanely Clever Random Hacks

One thing that just makes me giddy all over is when I am randomly bouncing around from site to site and suddenly I discover something new. Something that makes me think “Why did I not discover this sooner?” Some of these new ideas (new to me at least) have made life just a little easier.







 

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Today I came across another new idea and it got me to thinking… “I wonder if my readers know about these little tips and tricks to make life easier?” So I decided to share these little secrets that I have come across and hopefully a few of you will be able to benefit from one or a few. Of course I’m sure most of you have heard of some of these. Or who knows, maybe all of you have heard of all of these tips and I’m the only one sitting in the dark here.

Either way here are a bunch of completely random links that may or may not come in handy to you.

When pouring food into a plastic bag, use a glass to keep the bag upright for easy pouring. – source not found

You can flip a toaster on its side and grill cheese in it. – Source

NOTE: Due to some concerns I must add
that the toaster used in the photo is not a modern toaster. Attempting this in your toaster is not safe. Please click over to original post for full instructions. I am not responsible
for any damage that this my cause.

Related post:

10 Fun Food Hacks

Reynolds Aluminum Foil
has lock in taps to hold the roll in place – source not found

If you need to line a pan with foil
flip the pan over first. Form the foil to the bottom of the pan then remove it. Your foil should now fit perfectly inside your pan. – Source

The color on the bread tab indicates how fresh the bread is – Source

You can divide and store ground meat in a Ziploc Bag. Just break off
how much you need and keep the rest in the freezer for later. So much
easier than dividing and  individually wrapping each pound or half
pound. – source not found

Related post:

8 Mouthwatering Burger Recipes

If you place a wooden spoon over a pot of boiling water, it won’t boil
over. I have not tried this one yet so please let me know if it works. –
Source

Use bungee cords
and grommets to keep your tablecloths from blowing away in the wind. – Source

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10 DIY Summer Party Ideas

Tips & Tricks for an Amazing Summer

You can buy Beadboard Wallpaper!?! – Source

Mozzarella is super easy to make. Yet another one that I have not tried yet. – Source

You can freeze cupcake batter for later use. –Source

Related post:

8 Best Cake Recipes Ever

7 Super Simple Birthday Cakes That Look Amazing

Use toilet paper rolls to keep your wrapping paper in check. – Source

You can Paint Upholstery. – source no longer available

You can make your own laundry soap. This is my own recipe that I have been using for a year now and I love it – Source

You can dye plastic buttons. –Source

You can run a paper bag through your printer. – Source

You can print directly onto fabric. – source no longer available

Easily separate an egg yolk from an egg white. Squeeze the bottle then place the opening of the bottle over the yolk. release the bottle and it will suck up the yolk. – Source

A dry erase marker can be used on most desk tops. – source no longer available

Related post:

Your Ultimate Guide to Removing Permanent Marker from Anything

You can mail anything that will take a stamp and weighs less than 13 ounces without a box? – Source

Save money and make your own vanilla extract. – Source

If you break your blender jar you can replace it with a mason jar. – source no longer available

You can cook pumpkin in a crock pot and then freeze it for later use. – Source

Medicine cabinets are NOT for medicine – Source

A cereal keeper makes the perfect trashcan for your car. – Source

Related post:

7 Car Organizing and Cleaning Hacks

hTrash Can Hacks – 7 Ways To Make Your Trash Can Not So Trashy

  • Keep bananas longer: Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.. I didn’t know that!
  • How to store cheese: Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!
  • Pick the right pepper: 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.
  • Cooking beef: Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.
  • Egg hack: To 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.
  • Using garlic in a recipe: Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste of garlic, and at the end of the recipe if you want a stronger taste of garlic.
  • 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: Plant your plants in the ground, work the nutrients in your soil. Then wet newspapers, put layers around the plants overlapping as you go, cover with mulch, and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.

Related post:

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  • 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.
  • Static Problems: Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip to eliminate static cling. It works; 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.
  • Measuring Sticky liquids: 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.
  • De-fog your windshield: 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!
  • Re-opening envelopes: 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. Voila! It unseals easily.
  • Out of shaving cream: 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 an d gone forever!
  • 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!

Related post:

Keep Pests Out Of Your Home – Natural Pest Repellents

  • Wash your dryer filter: Did you know that cleaning your lint trap with a dryer sheet can ruin it? Dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that’s what burns out the heating unit. You can’t SEE the film, but it’s there. It’s what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free, and smell good. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box? Apparently that stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down with it! You can test it by running the lint trap under water. If the water goes through you are good. If not then you need to clean it. The best way to keep your dryer working for a long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months.
  • Drop a small object on the carpet and can’t find it.  Place panty hose over the end of the vacuum hose and start vacuuming. The panty hose will trap anything to large to fit through the tiny hose and keep it from getting sucked into the vacuum.
  • Wearing a skirt or dress on a windy day. Cut open a few sections on the bottom seam. slip in some heavy washers or flat weights (anything small heavy and flat will work) then sew the seam back up.
  • Need to cut some corn off the cob. Use your bundt pan. Place the ear on the opening in the center of the pan, and as you slide the knife down the ear, all the kernels will collect in the main part of the pan
  • Mosquito problem: Stuffing a dryer sheet in you back pocket will repel mosquitoes.

Related post:

Enjoy a Mosquito Free Summer – 24 Hacks



Related posts:

 

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242 thoughts on “Did You Know… 50 Insanely Clever Random Hacks

  1. WOW! Great tips! I had only heard of a few of them. Thanks for sharing. Here's one more… Rub the inside of a banana peel on mosquito bites to stop the itching.

  2. Wowzers! I had no idea. Well, I do make my own vanilla but that's about it. Very interesting! Thanks so much!

  3. Wow, I enjoyed this. I've seen some of them, some are new, but I have a lot of things I want to try all over again. Thanks for the reminder!!

  4. Hey Jamie! I never would have thought about spray painting upholstery! OMgosh! Awesome finds 🙂 Thanks so much for visiting my blog yesterday!

  5. Wow- that is a lot of great information. Thanks for sharing. Saw you on TT&J.

  6. Enjoyed your post! Knew many of these but the toaster on the side and the neat way of dividing meat before freezing were great tips I will be using from now on!

    bee blessed
    mary

  7. I just shared this on my blog with a link up to your blog. Thank you for the great post.

    Melissa

  8. Thanks for these valuable tips. I am going to share a few on my blog and will send people here to get the rest.

  9. The only one I've tried is the wooden spoon to keep a pot from boiling over… totally works!

    1. I learned the wooden spoon trick from my mom who was a home ec teacher. It works every time as long as you don't overfill a pan. Love all the tips!

    2. You can also you the top from tuna or a soup can and place it in the pot before the water. It won't overrun.

  10. Loved all the ideas!
    BUT….FYI-
    If you follow the source link on the marshmallows help sore throats it takes you to a page where it says Marshmallow ROOT helps sore throats! That is totally different than marshmallows. It's an herb!

  11. i have tried the wooden spoon over a boiling pot and it does work – thanks for all the other tips – good to know – angela

  12. Awesome tips! I have to save this away to refer back to! Thanks for including my chair! I tried the dry erase thing and it didn't wipe off of my desk too well – fyi. 🙂 There are so many more I want to try!

    1. I was a classroom teacher for years, and my students taught me this trick: If the marks (made with dry erase or permanent marker) don't wipe off, go back over the marks with a dry erase marker and then wipe off. I've "erased" Sharpie marks from desks and white boards this way!

    2. We've used the dry erase markers on the desks in our reading class a lot. If they don't wipe off the first time try using a "magic eraser". They will take off sharpie as well. The custodians in our school use those all the time. Thanks for all the great tip & tricks 🙂

    3. What kind of paint did you use for the chair? I tried to paint a chair once and it made it uncomfortable to sit on.

  13. @Hyphen Interiors I've tried it on a few surfaces. Some it works great on and others not so well. I would suggest trying it in a small area before you go scribbling all over the place. Also using a color closer to the color of your desk (but still visible) would work better.

  14. Love all the info. Rubbing alcohol should remove the rest of the ink and not harm the desk. Good luck. 😉

    1. hairspray (aerosol not pump works best) on most dry erase markers and regular ball point pens other than that i have found that goo gone takes out almost anything crayon, stickers, glues, and even silly putty

    2. Also if someone uses a permanent marker on a dry erase board – take the dry erase marker and go over the perm marker and it will come right off!

  15. @Hyphen Interiorsto hyphen, take a white eraser and erase the marks with it. I got out permanent with a white eraser.

  16. @diamond in the rough REALLY!! I have permanent marker on the entertainment center thanks to my 3 year old. I'll have to try that!! Thanks for letting me know.

  17. Another good use for dry erase markers – write reminders and notes on your bathroom mirror; I have been doing this for years b/c I am so forgetful. If after cleaning with windex you still see writing, wipe your mirror with a clorox wipe.

  18. Wow! These are terrific tips:-) I'm glad I found this blog.

    God bless,
    Susan
    author of The Princess and the Pee

  19. Please remove the toaster "tip." It was a joke originally posted on Reddit. It may work but there's also a good chance it will start a fire because, since heat rises upward but the slots are now on the side, it can't vent the smoke/heat. The oil from the cheese will also slide off, directly hitting the exposed, hot wire coils on the side of the toaster, which could cause an oil fire.

    1. It wasn't a joke.
      The original post, with warnings, etc, is here.
      grilledcheesesocial.com/2011/09/brave-little-toaster.html

      Her toaster image got posted to Reddit, but not by the original poster, and wasn't linked back to her site. So therefore no one could read what she said about it.

      Jill

  20. AND the bread labels are in alphabetical order by color to help remember! Blue, Green, Red, White, Yellow

    1. And those little plastic tags are GR8 for marking wires in home theatre systems, etc.! One side is always blank, so just mark it with a permanent marker with, for example, TV, DVR, etc., to be able to tell which cord goes to/from what! They're wonderful and stay in place! (And SO much better than the masking tape I used to use.)

    2. love this tip-and thanks for pointing out the alphabetical order tip since I had written them down knowing I would never remember them-lol

  21. I tried the wooden spoon on a pot of pasta… it didn't work! 🙁 My water still boiled over. But other than that, I love all the great ideas. Thanks so much!

    1. My pot boiled right over. Better tip is to turn down the heat 🙂

      Also tried the banana thing. I pulled off half of the bunch and left the rest attached just to see. I saw no difference between the separated bananas and the bunched ones. It just took up more counter space.

    2. Same for me with the wooden spoon!!
      Bananas, too….
      But I LOVE the news about Reynolds Wrap!!!

    3. I have put a metal spoon in the boiling pot and it has worked most of the time…just don't overfill with water.

    4. Sometimes the spoon trick works other times it doesn't. I haven't figured out what makes the difference yet.

  22. Also, If you buy celery and it goes limp in the fridge- chop about 1/2 inch off the end and plop them in a glass of water near a window. They will perk up and have a better crunch in just an hour!

    1. Storing celery in aluminum foil actually makes it last almost 3 weeks. I've tried this, and it works.

    2. Store carrots and celery submerged in water in the frig – stays fresh and crunchy

  23. my favorite helpful hint: To remove anything stuck in a pan or pot after cooking. Fill with water, a drop of dish soap and put a dryer sheet in. Let soak and stuck on food comes right off. Great for Eggs, Cheese…anything that sticks!

  24. @JamieThank you for putting the warning! I just want people to be safe – I didn't write the original post, but this did circulate the internet a while back.

  25. Am I so glad I found this site! GREAT ideas. I would have never came up with those myself. Keep posting

  26. I had seen the toaster trick a few weeks ago and decided to try it for my kiddos one day. FAIL! It made a huge cheesy mess everywhere and the bread never toasted, just got soggy. :/ I was digging cheese out of the bottom of my toaster for days! And I only used one slice of regular Kraft american cheese. Just a heads up! If you try it I hope you have better luck than I did! 🙂

  27. I tried the wooden spoon over boiling water because I came across it on Pinterest. It didn't work. The water boiled over just like if there had been no spoon. You can save your time on that one!

    1. The wooden spoon trick DOES work. I've even used bamboo skewers in a pinch. You have to understand you still cannot over-fill your pot. It's meant to catch the froth the starch causes that often boils over and burns to your pot/stove. If you use too much water in too small a pot and add pasta it will overflow. Good luck!

  28. @Nicole I use that trick all the time and it works great for me as well as several others who have commented. Not sure why it didn't work for you.

    1. The wooden spoon DOES work. In fact, I've even used the bamboo skewers in a pinch and they work as well! If people are using too small a pot with too much water in it, of COURSE it is still going to overflow. Even the Hoover Dam has it's limits! The spoon trick is for the frothing that occurs and tends to spill over the edges. Good luck!

  29. We have made this laundry soap several time. My daughter used it in a science project against tide and Era. It didn't do as well as the tide (almost not quite) but did equal Era. Use can also add essential oils if you want scent. I do not due to skin allergies.. FYI did you know distilled vinegar is a great softner in everything but towels? When clothes are completely dry the scent is gone.

  30. We use the laundry soap. My son has severe eczema and the soap has never given him an issue, unlike all the store bought soaps. Plus it smells great and is so much cheaper even buying all the ingredients in the beginning. My 3 year old daughter helps stir and loves it.

  31. Also, instead of dryer sheets we use 1 c vinegar, 1/2 c baking soda and 1/2 c water. You can add oils to it to give it a smell but you can't tell the smell after its dried. We have some micro fiber rags we pour the solution on and put that in the dryer

  32. What a fantastic collection – are you on Pinterest – if not you need to be (actually it's how I found this page)and you have a ready made Tips board right here!! If you'd like an invite let me know your email and I'd be really happy to send you one!
    Cheers
    Allison
    PS @Nicole – I also use the wooden spoon trick all the time – pasta can be touch and go, and of course you don't have the pot overly full, however, I have put a wooden spoon over pots that have been boiling over and it has stopped it! I wonder why it works for some and not for others.

  33. @Allison Yes I am on Pinterest. There is a link to my boards on the left side of my blog under the 'follow me' section.

    1. Yes it does! The center should turn a light color (maybe yellow) as it dries, that's the "poison" coming out. We used to live on a farm and I can't tell you how many boxes of baking soda I've used just on myself!

    2. I agree- definitely works! When I was little, I was stung on the finger by numerous wasps (I was swinging on an old clothes-line post and didn't realize there was a nest inside). My great-grandma pulled a box of baking soda out of her purse (seriously!!! Haha, makes me love her more!)and dumped it on my finger. It stopped the pain immediately and took out the poison. Definitely an old remedy that works!

  34. Wow – blown away here! What an amazing collection of ideas. I knew about some of them but, there are many that I am so excited to see. Thank you for taking the time to compile this and share 🙂 Only thing I would add to #5 (scrambled eggs) is that I use 0% Fage Greek yogurt or cottage cheese.

    Thank you so much for all this wonderful information!

  35. Toaster Ideas- There are some bags sold in England that allow you to toast whole sandwiches in one side of your toaster. They are about $3.00 with shipping and they last forever. I think I just searched "firebox" and "toaster sandwiches" . It was awesome!

  36. The wooden spoon idea kind of works. It will spill over a little, but the spill is nothing like if the wooden spoon weren't there.

  37. Love the wooden spoon trick! Just used it tonight on mac and cheese! Great when trying to do 100 things at once not to have to worry about a spilling burning mess on the stovetop!!

  38. Love all the tips – some I had never heard of! There have been a few other commetns about vinegar. We use 1/2 cup in the bottom of the dishwasher with every load- no hard water spots. I also use it diluted as a rinse after cleaning carpets to get all the residue of the carpet shampoo rinsed off.

  39. Cure for warts – Peel a banana (throw away the banana or eat it, doesn't matter) and scrape the inside of the peeling. Put a little of this on the wart and cover with a band-aide. Do this 2 – 3 times a day for 1 – 2 weeks. Doesn't work on everybody but it works with most people.

    1. Fresh garlic, minced works great on warts! My son had two on his feet, took him to doc to freeze off and they came back. Was told about garlic, to cover wart area (save rest in fridge for next day) and cover with bandaid. Next day, clean area file away dead skin with nail file, repeat garlic w/bandaid. Wart gone in less than a week and will not return.

    2. put duct tape on the wart. Leave on until it falls off and replace it. Takes 3 weeks and the wart will be gone

  40. If something is trying to boil over if you add just a little bit of butter it stops the foam. Works great with potatoes!

    1. It really does! I removed thick black sharpie writing from yellow plastic… Completely! They also remove all trace of gel food coloring and Kool-Aid stains from my WHITE formica countertops. Another great use is to clean up your dirty, worn-out Crocs. They look like new! Oh, wait! One more… I have used them to remove red and blue paint scraped along the sides and side mirrors of my off-white mini-van. Awesome product!

  41. To stop your pasta from boiling over just rub olive oil inside the top rim of the pot with a paper towel. I've used this trick for many, many years and it always works!

  42. I never read all the comments I apologize if anyone already said this but it you have a really stuck on mess in a pot or roaster, put a bounce sheet in hot water to soak over night it will come right off in the morning

    1. I tried that with a nonstick pan that I burnt something in and it ruined my pan. 😕

  43. i currently am making my own laundry detergent and i LOVE it it smells great just with the borax fels naptha and washing soda but if i want something different i buy glade oil plug in refills and put a few drops of that oil in to scent it! i think this stuff works better at getting stains out than tide too!!

    1. How does this compare/change for use in the newer HE (high efficiency) machines.. just a much smaller amount used? or is there a different ratio that someone is aware of? I'd like to try making this since laundry soap is SO expensive!

    2. I've been told that homemade soap is low lather, so it's fine for HE machines. In fact, I've read that the lather is created as a nice visual; it's not any cleaner.

    3. My sister and I have both been using homemade soap in our front loader HEs for a couple of years now. It's low suds all on its own so you don't have to worry about it. We use 1/2cup per load. I use the recipe here thefamilyhomestead.com/laundrysoap.htm

    4. I have a HE machine and the soap is fine. I do find that the whites don't whiten as well though. In an effort to remedy this, I have tried vinegar and baking soda and neither has helped. So, we occasionally do a load with commercial soap to help keep the whites white.

  44. Great ideas, tips and tricks. I have one I use that my Mom taught me. When slicing onions, to keep your eyes from watering put an unlit match and hold it in the corners of my mouth. With the tip that's wood in and the end to be lit sticking out of mouth of course. 🙂

    1. A frozen spoon in your mouth works as well! I always keep a few in the freezer incase i need them

    2. I was told that you only have to keep your mouth closed to keep the oil from the onion burning your eyes. That is all I do, and it works for me! And I'm a chatterbox, so it's really hard for me not to talk!

  45. these are great tips, I make my own detergent and it's cheap-o. another couple of tips, if you get permanent marker on anything, use cheap hairspray (not the aerosole can, the pump), let it soak a few secs and wipe away, when i was in the girl scouts we used our deoderant for mosquito bites, and when cutting up green peppers I save the seeds dry them out and then save them in an old jar to use in the garden, saves a lot of money, also to get burned items off the bottom of pans, I just fill it 1/4 way with water, turn it on to boil and then scrape out or wipe out with a sponge – it's a deglazing tip that chefs use – but if you want to keep things from burning to the bottom, I keep a pitcher of water on the stove and when I've emptied my pan I fill it with water and leave it to set on the hot stove – everything wipes out easy-peasy.

  46. Great tips! Here's another one! you can make (more) yogurt by adding a small cup of yogurt, preferably plain, to a few litres of warm (not boiling) milk (plain powdered milk with fw additives is good) – like baby formula temperature. keep it warm like that for about 12 hours and voila! the bacteria multiplies and makes yogurt. if its too much yogurt then strain it through a muslin and you get healthy labneh cheese.

  47. Loved all the great tips! Here's one: If you ever spill candle wax on the carpet place a paper towel folded in half, over it. Heat up the iron and iron the paper towel over the wax. The wax will heat up and the paper towel will absorb the wax. The carpet will be saved!

  48. My best tip to mix the oil in natural peanut butter, is to roll the peanut butter jar on the counter until mixed, then immediately place in the refrigerator.

  49. OH MY GOSH!!! thanks so much for using my idea!!! and thanks for reminding people to test a small section before going at it… we also use baby wipes or bleach wipes or magic eraser to take off the left over scribbles 🙂 so excited to see my idea somewhere else 🙂

  50. I love the idea about stopping the static in clothes with the safety pin!!! I am gonna try this one!! So excited about this site and I am totally addicted!!!

  51. Another hint if you use a permanent marker on a white board. To clean it rub your white board markers over it, it will wipe right off with a paper towel.

  52. Another static hint. After using hand lotion on your hands, rub your legs, over pantyhose if you are wearing them and your dress or pants will not cling.

  53. love the tips. here are 2 of mine, after cutting onions and your hands smell of onions, turn on the faucet letting the water run onto your knife blade(stainless steal) and then onto your hands. and, after cooking and you have a baking dish that has a lot of baked on food, you can fill the dish with hot water and a USED fabric softener sheet, let set for at least 30 mins or over night, works great, no more scrubbing.

  54. These are such excellent tips! thank you so much! Ill be checking back for your second list 🙂 I've got another trick for ya. 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! Thanks again!

    1. After rubbing lotion into my hands, I run my hands through my hair for static control. Rub lotion on nylons (after you have put them on) to help with dress clinging

  55. To save energy when cooking pasta, boil water then add pasta and stir once. Return to a rolling boil and add lid. Do not peek. Follow cooking instructions on pasta package as to how long to cook pasta. Works great every time :v9

  56. Grease stains on your clothes? Put a little Dawn dish soap on the spots and wash as usual. Even works on stains that have already gone undetected through the dryer 🙂

    1. Along those same lines~Shampoo on any "ring around the collar" stains. Works beautifully!

  57. Caucasians can use hair care designed for African-American's too! I use the detangler for my daughter (4 squirts on the ends only; it will make your hair greasy if you pump it on the scalp!)and she never complains about me pulling! I also use the pump hair spray…it is cheap and works very well if you like stiff hair spray. My hair has never held curl very well at all until I started using this hair spray! I use it before I put in my hot rollers, and again when I have it styled like I want it. Forgive me, I'm a Texan and I still like big hair, even if it's out of style!

  58. I will be trying many of these! I have my students use dry erase markers on their desks all the time! It's so easy plus it gets the desks cleaned and I don't have to go around doing it myself 🙂

  59. Great ideas, thank you for sharing! I found this on Pinterest. We have a toaster oven, and always toast our leftover pizza – it keeps the crust crunchy, and warms it up perfectly. I wonder if you can do the same with your pop-up toaster on the side?
    Also, another quick cleaning tip – clean your porcelain tub quickly with toilet cleaner. 😀 Just don't bathe in it until you've showered once or twice.

  60. Many many great ideas, and here is another tip I learned from an aunt. 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. The entire amount comes out, there is no mess and the turkey is totaly clean inside. Have been doing this for years. Never have any problems and it is so easy for clean up. Also, I always chop up all of the ingredients I plan to use and place into sandwich bags. Then when I am ready to stuff the turkey I mix the ingredients together and stuff the turkey. We have never experienced any problems, as stuffing and turkey are both cold when placed into the oven and heat up at the same time.

  61. I too have used an iron and brown paper sack for getting up candle wax off of carpet. Just lay the sack flat and iron over the wax spill on the carpet, the sack soaks up the wax off the carpet! Thought I had ruined the carpet at the church where my brother was married until my sister shared this tip!

    1. Does that work for removing colored candle wax that was spilled onto a white shirt? I'd love to have my shirt back!!

  62. I saw that toaster thing a few weeks ago, and figured it had to be fake, since toasters have the metal things that clamp the bread when you push the lever down…it would just clamp onto the cheese.

  63. I just learned the aluminum foil trick the other day! can't believe I went so long not knowing that!

  64. FYI – The bread tag colors vary from one bakery to the next, so the chart you have here is pretty much useless for most people.

  65. This is really great I've only heard of about 1/2 of these ideas The hot water when measuring peanut butter etc will also work if you swish the raw egg in the cup add to the mix then measure the peanut butter etc

  66. WD40 is a beautiful thing. I keep it under the kitchen sink and use it frequently to remove permanent marker from hard surface material as well as melting away the sticky residue from labels on jars – And to @Hyphen Interiors… It would likely work awesome at removing any dry erase marker left behind on your desk experiment 😉

  67. I used to make my own laundry soap – my mom and mom in law thought I was insane, but it was great soap!! I wish Fels Naptha was easier to find, though, since it is an incredible stain remover. ~Sherry in Texas

    1. I recently saw Fels Naptha in Walmart here in FL. I've also seen it at ACE Hardware but it is cheaper at Walmart.

  68. Open a bananna from the "bottom". It is how monkey's do it and so much easier. No more dirtying a knife!

    1. the reason you open it from the bottom is so that you dont get the strings that way 😉

  69. Toothpaste also removes permanent marker.
    And witch hazel is an amazing cure for fever blisters/cold sores.

  70. silly one, but it works. Stick a spoon, or a butter knife in the freezer, then when you need to stop swelling, a huge zit, puffy eyes, child's bitten lip, etc, pull it out and put it on the site. Swelling gone in a flash. Also, a cold raw egg from the frig will draw out fevers, just rub the egg all over the face and neck. Don't know why, but the egg will bring down the fever faster than anything.

  71. I just learned to lay cooked corn on its side to cut it, then it doesn't fly all over the room.

    I use a dryer sheet in my static-y hair.

    get a pan with a tablespoon of oil in it HOT before scrambling eggs and it won't stick.

  72. I hold a banana firmly with two hands and open it by breaking it in half. you have to hold firmly and snap it fast. WAY easier than pealing froim either end

  73. You can remove permanent marker by coloring over it with dry erase marker. The dry erase marker disolves the permanent marker, then you can just wipe it off.

  74. Another tip for shaving your legs – baby oil! Eliminates the need for shaving cream and the need to moisturize post-shave, I'm all about combining steps when possible!

    1. Oil tends to clog the razor. I use regular body wash or shampoo. Especially when on vacation! The little bottles at the hotel are great.

  75. IF YOU TRY THE TOASTER GRILLED CHEESE IT MIGHT SHOOT OUT AND LAND ON THE FLOOR! Wouldn't it?! I mean the toast always pops up so the grilled cheese would shoot out sideways..

    Other than that those ideas are great!! Our family will definitely have to try some of those!

  76. You can use Air Freshner to clean a dry erase board that just won't erase (because the ink is very dried on) . Spary the board and wipe, it also helps "recondition" old dry erase boards. 🙂 It works.. I do it.

  77. I tried the spoon over the pot of boiling water and it didn't work. Maybe I had too much water in a too small pot and was doomed from the start.

  78. A small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil or canola oil in your pot will also prevent boiling over … quite well.

  79. My mother has done the wooden spoon on a pot for over 60 years. She swears by it. Great list!

  80. Bad news… The wooden spoon/boiling water tip was an epic fail lol. I smiled ear to ear waiting to prove my defeat over the boiling water. As it reached the top and the spoon I waited for something magical to happen and instead it went everywhere. I'll have to try the olive oil trick next time :o)

  81. The wooden spoon trick works for me every time … even when the water is already boiling over. 🙂

  82. you can spray the inside rim of the pot with Pam and that works too. I've had ok luck with the spoon thing for years. Happened upon it by accident when I just layed it there. Just can't push it to extremes or it will eventually boil over. But try the pam.

  83. The wooden spoon trick works like magic–my grandmother taught me! Also, putting a knife in a pitcher before pouring in boiling water for tea will prevent the pitcher from cracking.

  84. To get felt pen or texta off a painted wall use deoderant (Like impulse) wipes it off right away, I have also used it to get marker off wood and laminate.

  85. These are awesome!! Thank you so much!!! copied all 3 "Did you knows?" and made a book. Will give tham to my Mother, daughter, and BFF>

  86. seperating the bananas makes them go rotten faster! iv tested it both ways and the ones left intact with each other last way longer. iv read this elsewhere.. not sure how this rumor got started.

  87. Do NOT use the toaster idea- it immediately started smoking and it smelled electrical- not like grease dripping!!
    I really like using conditioner to shave my legs with- they stay soft- no lotioning needed. Thanks for all the tips- can't wait to push the ends in on my foil!!!

  88. I tried making the cheese several times, I do fine til the pulling part, then I never get it right. Although still makes a good ricotta cheese.

  89. An even better way to get fruit flies is put a little bit of beer in a small cup. The the flies get all excited about the beer but then they get drunk, pass out and drown. It's super gross, but super effective!

  90. I like your ideas and will try them. To get sweat, restaurant, moldy smells, oil smells, etc. out of your clothes: Rinse your clothes in cold water first and also put in 1/2 cup to 1 cup white vinegar in the wash. It is safe for all clothes. Once rinsed, start your clothes on a regular wash cycle with your laundry soap. You will notice your clothes are cleaner. If it still smells after you wash it, do another cold water rinse cycle only with another 1/2 cup vinegar. Sometimes it takes 2x if it is that bad. Great for towels left in overnight or forgotten. Just rinse in cold water with vinegar. I have been doing this for over 20 years! Now I just do a quick cold water rinse for EVERY load with vinegar. My clothes never smell and its amazing how dirty the water is.

  91. Here's another good one that I actually came up with myself, though I'm sure I'm not the first one to try it. Instead of cleaning tv screens and computer monitors with soapy water and a wash rag which always leaves God awful streaksI use baby wipes, they are gentle enough not to damage the screen but tough enough not to leave streaks and they don't leave lint like a wash rag does!

    1. "Wet Ones" Hand and Facial Wipes leave bad streaks … just use enviro cloth and then wipe dry

  92. To add to the gift wrap roll and vacuum cleaner to retrieve things in a vent or under the fridge, etc.
    If you don't want the item to go into the vacuum, use nylons to catch and trap the item before it enters the vacuum.
    Just place the foot of the nylons loosely over the end of the hose and maybe tape or rubber band into place so it won't get sucked inside.

  93. A lot of great tips but the one I will comment on is about using dryer sheets to keep mosquitoes away does not work!!! At least not in Southeast Texas. On several occasions I tried it and the first time used only 1 sheet., the next few times I tried maybe 3 or 4 sheets in my pockets in my jeans and under the straps of my bra. LOL But never worked!!!!

  94. A comment on bread ties telling you what day of the week bread was baked on – To help remember what color/what day – the colors are in alphabetical order. Blue (Monday), Green (Tuesday), Red (Thursday), White (Friday), Yellow (Saturday).

  95. I love all the tips…
    I don't know if the wooden spoon works, I haven't tried it.
    What does work is take a small pat of butter or a little oil and just go around the inside of the pan or pot. Make a ring, and the water or what ever you are cooking won't go past that ring. It works great…

    1. The wooden spoon does work however the spoon gets a dark burnt spot where it's touching the pot. The bubbles navigate to where the spoon is resting.

  96. A tip I have used often over the years is when an Adult/Child coughs repeatedly while trying to sleep, rub Vicks Vapor Rub on the bottom of their feet. Cough will stop and they will sleep quietly.

  97. The freshest bread in the grocery store is always on the lowest shelf and to the far left…check the dates, you'll see that I'm right!

  98. wow, I am so thankful you posted the one about not cleaning the lint trap on the dryer with the fabric softener sheet. I have always done that and never thought about a film accumulating on the screen. I am going to wash my lint trap right now!

  99. Loved your blog. I learned a lot. Here's one I use, you can clean stainless steel appliances with WD 40 on a paper towel.

  100. This is such a cool list! Be careful about the painting upholstery one, though. Look closely at the pic, they are not the same chair! idk if that actually works, but the picture is not evidence. Otherwise, I learned a lot!

    1. Actually it is the same chair! You can click on the source link under the photo to take you to the site. There are photos posted of the entire painting process. I am not sure what made you think the chair were different but I have looked over the post several times and I do believe they are the same chair.

    2. when you go to the source & look closely you can see it is the actual chair. The rails on the bottom are much more visible when painted white and has new studs, but it is the same chair.

  101. On above tip 23 skip the sewing and cutting on your dresses, and do what the women of my family do. On a windy day simply put the heavy washers on a couple of safety pins, and pin that to the inside of the dress, and then you can still get through airport security hehehe ;o)

  102. I love this kind of useful tricks! In addition to the film left behind from dryer sheets, if you've ever wondered why your bath towels and tea towels are no longer absorbent, it's because of that nasty built up reside on the fabric from the dryer sheet!

    1. I never thought of that but it totally makes sense. Thanks for the info.

  103. Bread ties being color coded is false 🙁 My dad works at the grocery store and says its an old one, but a false one.

  104. Putting a cup of water in the microwave when you reheat noodles also works very well but I will warn you that you need to leave the microwave door open afterwards to dry out. I used to do it all the time and shut it immediately until I realized there was a VERY funky smell coming from in there. Airing it out and scrubbing the nooks did the trick.

  105. If you freeze pumpkin, be aware that it will retain water and not have the same texture as fresh.

    The deviled egg thing, you can also use cake decorating bags (or a reusable cake decorating bag), though I've never had any mess or trouble simply spooning the mixture into the egg halves (sorry, but I don't see the point to dumping more plastic into the environment for something as simple as deviled eggs).

    Do stores still use the colored plastic clips? I haven't seen those in years. All I ever see are twisty ties. lol

    Some interesting (and unique) tips.

  106. I can't wait to try more of these!
    However, I did try the wooden spoon across the pot, but I still ended up with a mess on my stove top. I've tried a couple of times with the same result each time.

  107. Regarding ants: I've always sprinkled baby powder on their "parade". This is safe for pets & kids also. After a day or two, just sweep or vacuum the powder up. Ants never returned throough the same entry point either! I read somewhere that the powder sticks to the oils on their skin & hairs, then hardens & they die. I think this is from one of my gardening magazines. I Used this as my children were growing up. It seems to work faster than the liquid poison, besides being safer to keep around!

  108. we use the laundry soap listed above. since we switched from the branded stuff we've noticed a difference in our clothes. not only are they clean our towels, socks and other "fuzzy" things feel softer and our whites and colors are much brighter. it is useable in high efficiency washers also, just put it directly in the drum not the dispensor.

  109. The envelope trick doesn't work…. put one in yesterday and 24 hours later, still very stuck 🙁

  110. My mom always told me to stir my spaghetti sauce with a wooden spoon and the sauce wouldn't stick to the bottom of the pot.

  111. I have been using the laundry soap for 3 years and love it. I do not use the bar of soap, but use oxiclean in place of. (I have used the bar and it doesn't seem to work as well)I keep mine as a powder and mix a triple batch in a 5 gallon bucket. It costs $35ish and lasts 6 months.$70/year on laundry detg. is pretty amazing!

  112. Great tips! Another tip… use nail polish remover to remove permanent marker. Be careful to only use it on things that would be safe from the remover. I am a teacher and I write with a pwrmanent marker when I dont want things easily removed by little hands. I use this trick on plastic, desks, laminated items and more!

  113. instead of buying make up removal use a dab of unscented lotion & all your makeup comes right off! Just another trick 🙂

  114. I can attest to the wooden spoon trick. Saw it here via pinterest and had to try it. Awesome. As a busy work o of the home mom, I can boil pasta AND pay attention to my kids without obsessing on whether the water is boiling over.

  115. Hi, The wooden spoon over the pot works. I don't know why but I have used it a few times and the water I was boiling never spilled over.
    Thanks
    Syndi

  116. I like your tips on here- they are fun!! Here are a couple to add….if you are a bride about to get married and you for some reason get oil on your never before revealed white dress from walking through the front door (like my sister did), get white chalk and rub it over the seemingly ruined area…your dress will be good to go. I think this also works for the tan rub off on the dress and other small mishaps.

    Aluminum foil with a bit of water added to it works wonders for removing rust from metal. After you add the water to the foil you just need to rub the affected area(s). I tried this on my sons bike and it worked surprisingly well!!

    Hope these tips help someone.

  117. Don't know if you got this tip already, but here goes. When making Rice Krispie treats, run your spoon or spatula under water before pressing down the hot melted marshmallow mixture. It keeps the spoon from sticking.

  118. The wooden spoon on the boiling water thing totally works! And for the mozzarella, I don't know if I'd call it "super easy" but it's definitely do-able. You just need the right tools, a little patience, and a "practice makes perfect" attitude.

  119. I tried the wooden spoon trick a few days ago and it didn't work for me. 🙁 But it was a tiny spoon so that might have something to do with it?

  120. You are right about the Mozz cheese! I made some a couple weeks ago and it was so yummy and perfect! It was also my first time making cheese. Check out my blog! CreatePursuits.blogspot.com!

  121. Hi…first off I LOVE your tips…but I am a little concerned about cayenne pepper to keep squirrels off of your plants. When I was trying to get the neighborhood cats to stop using my flower box as their litter box I found a "tip" that said to use cayenne pepper…but I mentioned it in passing to a friend of mine who worked in cat rescue for the SPCA and she said NEVER to do it because they saw cats who had gotten cayenne in their eyes and the cats would claw their own eyes trying to get the cayenne pepper out.

  122. I have tried the wooden spoon over the boiling pot, did not work for me. However I make my own laundry soap and with your receipe I also add 1 bar of ivory for added smell, its amazing and soooo much cheaper. I would love to know if there is a trick to whipping your icing. I tried this and I had no luck at all. Thanks for all the neat ideas. who knew?

  123. Maybe the wooden spoon/boiling water trick only works if the spoon is not new. Wooden utensils darken with age and use and absorbs the cooking oil into the wood. Maybe it's only the older well-seasoned wooden spoons that work.

  124. Wonderful and helpful list! Thanks for putting this together!

    Keatonthefoodie.blogspot.com

  125. The wooden spoon trick does not work ): i've tried it a few times and my water still boils over if there is enough water in it.

  126. To remove the onion smell from your hands after cutting it up (and stop your eyes from watering) wash your hands with celery salt & water. Use it just like you would hand soap. My grandmother taught me this trick and I've used it for 30+ years! I know it sounds crazy but once you've tried you'll be convinced!

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  132. about your post about the blender, use the mason jars to make your single serving smoothies without the added expense of a single serving blender.

  133. Here's a baking tip: put a piece of bread in your cookie jar of homemade cookies. Cookies will absorb moisture from bread and keep cookies soft.

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  136. the wooden spoon one does work, my great-grandma started doing this when she was young and that fact has been passed down in my family since. Granted it's become more of a habit in my family then a helpful fact.

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  138. Wrap the teabag string around your cup handle to stop the tag falling in when you pour the water.

  139. Wooden spoon (or metal one for that matter) is not a good idea over a gas flame since the wood can catch fire or a metal spoon become dangerously hot.

  140. Great ideas! Thanks for sharing! Just FYI, the wooden spoon over the pot does NOT work to keep it from boiling over. 🙂

  141. Dryer sheets do not repel mosquitoes and actually attracts them. Tested this with different brands of dryer sheets and many people.

  142. The wooden spoon tip works for me every time. I haven't had a pot boil over on me since I started doing that. I wonder if having a gas or electric stove makes a difference; could be why it didn't work for some people.

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