Household tips--- things we have heard or learned the hard way to make life easy
By whiteheron
@whiteheron (4222)
United States
June 1, 2008 10:07pm CST
We all have household hints to share
These two hints came from my apartment complex's newsletter...
How to get coffee out of fabric--
Rinse it with cold water.
Work in a drop or two of dish washing liquid
or hand soap and rise well.
If this does not work,
treat the stain with a mixture of 1 part white
vinager to 3 parts water.
Rinse again and then launder.
How to keep rust rings from forming in cabinets or vanities
Paint clear nail polish on the bottom rim of the items such as shaving creme, hair spray, scouring power and disinfectant sprays.
Share your household tips here for the myLot community.
Thanks.
3 people like this
11 responses
@k1tten (2318)
• United States
2 Jun 08
For an all natural disinfectant use one part vinager, one part water. Vinager also works with mold and mildew.
I read some where that if you take baking soda and wash your hands with it you can rid yourself of the smell of onions and bleach.
I've found a nice flea shampoo too. Dawn dish liquid. It's used to clean animals when oil spills happen so it's safe for pets too. The dish liquid helps smother and strip the fleas of their hard exoskeleton.
4 people like this
@whiteheron (4222)
• United States
2 Jun 08
Thanks for talking about vinager... I use it on shower curtains to rid them of mildew. It works well.
I did not know about the baking soda and the onion smell... good to know... Thanks for sharing it.
That Dawn is one wonderful dish liquid, also good at getting greese off clothing and even good at helping me get acrylic paint off my brushes and hands. Thanks for sharing about Dawn too.
3 people like this
@Jakesnake1978 (1380)
• United States
2 Jun 08
I see that vinegar is the best solution to getting rid of stains. I also see that you can use baking soda to wash your hands to get rid of smell of onions and bleach. I never did that before. Maybe I should try that someday. If you have a pet, you should consider getting yourself a flea shampoo. Right?
1 person likes this
@ecofriendly (35)
• France
2 Jun 08
Hi everybody. Nice to see conversations on eco matters.
Education is needed....
I have posted a blog with a whole list of eco-friendly cleaning receipes..
http://eco-friendlycleaningproducts.blogspot.com/ ...
Only a blog for eco-matters... I have included a link for my company, eco-friendly building materials here in Europe and our Waterless car-wash service, and a link for this site. I think it is great.
There are no catches to this blog, just use the receipes....
Thanks alot mylot......
@whiteheron (4222)
• United States
2 Jun 08
Thanks for that tip... I appreciate you for posting it.
1 person likes this
@grasshopper5257 (438)
• Canada
2 Jun 08
If you get pitch on your hands (or anywhere) use margarine to get rid of it! Just take some margarine and rub over the pitch and it will dissolve it. It works great!
@whiteheron (4222)
• United States
17 Jun 08
wondering if butter would work too. Thanks for posting.
@grasshopper5257 (438)
• Canada
18 Jun 08
I would think that butter would work the same as margarine! It would be worth a try!
@sun2day (1062)
• Virgin Islands (U.S.)
2 Jun 08
I have one for you. Do NOT EVER MIX ANMONIA AND CLOROX and use it in an in close space such as your bathroom as a cleaner it will knock you out.
I did that one time mistakenly, and the result was scary. I was dizzy, could hardly breathe. I got out of there quickly to get some air and I drank milk. It took me a long time to compose myself. I have heard a few persons with the same stories.
@whiteheron (4222)
• United States
2 Jun 08
I am thankful that you lived to tell the story as what you did was mix chlorine and Ammonia and that turns into a rather nasty gas which can be fatal for some people especially if they do not get into fresh air soon enough. Thanks for sharing your experience so that others can avoid it.
1 person likes this
@dcacash (7)
• Australia
2 Jun 08
A great way to get your stainless steel sink to look brand new. After cleaning and drying the sink, put some lemon oil or pledge on a paper towel and coat the entire surface of the sink. It will look brand new! Of course, once it is used again, the lemon oil will vanish and your sink will look the way it did before. But it is great if you are having company, and want a shiny sink.
For crayon on walls, use WD-40, it removes it immediately, but if you use it on a flat pain it will leave a greasy lnie that can easily be washed off with soap and water.
2 people like this
@whiteheron (4222)
• United States
2 Jun 08
Thanks for those tips... I appreciate your posting of them.
1 person likes this
@jewelenterprises (1996)
• Australia
3 Jun 08
non poisonous rat/mouse killer
Mix a cup of rolled dried oats with a couple of tablespoons of flour, place in a bowl in pantry or under the house (wherever the pests are). Rats and mice eat this but the flour makes them thirsty so they go out to find water, the water causes the oats to expand which ruptures their stomach causing them to die instantly.
1 person likes this
@jewelenterprises (1996)
• Australia
3 Jun 08
Oh, another one I just remembered too... protecting your plants from slugs and snails without the use of poison. Crushed egg shells scattered around the base of the plants. Slugs and snails will not cross it because the shells cut them to shreds if they try.
Great idea if you happen to have pets and don't want them getting poisoned by snail baits.
1 person likes this
@whiteheron (4222)
• United States
5 Jul 08
Thanks for sharing these... I must admit I hope that I will never have to use them.
@Jakesnake1978 (1380)
• United States
2 Jun 08
I always do my household work a lot. In order for me to cut down on trash, I recycle lots of stuff. I shred papers that I do not want at all. I bring shopping bags back to the grocery store. I dust around to get rid of dust by using Endust spray after cleaning furniture. I have an ionic breeze that silently purifies the air. I should get myself something that cleans the carpet inside and out.
@mikeysmom (2088)
• United States
2 Jun 08
blood can be really hard to get out of clothes but all you need to do is get an ice cube and rub over the stain over and over and then soak the garment in ice water. it works every time for me.
2 people like this
@whiteheron (4222)
• United States
2 Jun 08
Thanks for that tip about the ice... I have used hydrogen peroixide but that tends to leave a very clean patch with a ring-like stain around it.
1 person likes this
@taface412 (3175)
• United States
3 Jun 08
My grandmother gave me this tip....
Throw some bakig soda in with the washload. To prevent it from caking up what I do is put it in while the water is filling and put detergent in and let ir run with no clothes in it to make sure it is dissolved for a second or so and then add the clothes. Not only does it make your clothes smell fresher I noticed that there were fewer wrinkles after the dryer.
I know they probably make this alreayd in laudry detergent, but this way i can still use my favorite and get the same results.
Oh and another plus is my whites turn out whiter.
1 person likes this
@whiteheron (4222)
• United States
5 Jul 08
Thanks for sharing this one... I must admit that I have been throwing it in with my liquid detergent and have been worrying about caking... It seems to work well as in the end the water melts it in the wash and the result appears to be the same.
