This page was spawned from the Home Remedies page; when that page started generating email on home remedies for purposes other than health.  Nothing you see on this page is being offered in the way of professional advise.  You try these hints at your own risk!  I am NOT responsible for the results of any hints listed here!  This page includes contributions from people I have talked with or who have browsed this page and emailed me.  We have some very creative people and I am simply sharing their information.  THANK YOU to everyone that offers additional hints or remedies for us all to try!              Please look around the rest of my site while you're here.  There's lots to explore and look at so you can leave with a nice WarM FuZZy Feeling for having been here.                                               HOME PAGE | About WarM FuZZieS | Angels | Domestic Violence | DV - Your Rights | Friendship | Home Remedies | Inspirational Stories | Kiss-A-Thon | Kudos | Links | On Bibles | On Writing | Original Warm Fuzzy Tale | Poetry | Scuba | Send WarM FuZZieS | Useless Trivia

Enter recipient's e-mail:

Please use your back button to return to top of page.

Battery Corrosion	Bicycle Chain	Blood	Body Paint	Bread
Brown Sugar	Cake	Candles	Carpet	CD Scratches
Celery	Cooking	Cords	Crafts	Crayon
Dishwashing	Doll Clothes	Drain, Unclog	Drapes	Drying, Speed Up
Eggs	Fingerpaint	Fleas	Flowers - Artifical	Flowers - Fresh
Gelatin	Glass	Glasses Fogging	Grease	Grout
Gum	Ice	Ice Cream Drips	Ink	Ironing Brd Cover
Jars	Jewelry	Labels, remove	Laundry	Lemons
Lime Remover	Mirrors	Mopping	Nail Polish	Nailing Plaster
Oven Cleaning	Paint	Pancakes	Pans, Clean	Pest Control
Pet Hair, Removal	Plastic, Stained	Potatoes	Preserve Newspaper	Rust
Salt, too much	Scissors	Shoes	Shower Curtain	Silver, Tarnish
Smell	Soap Scum	Sponges	Squeaks	Stainless Steel
Stale	Stove Cleaning	Tar	Tye-die T-shirts	Toilet, Cleaning
Wall, Patching	Water	Wax Removal	Weather Stripping	Wicks
Windows	Windshield	Wine Stains

---

BATTERY CORROSION - To clean corrosion from car battery terminals:  Pour a can of carbonated Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

---

BICYCLE CHAIN STICKING - Use Pam no-stick cooking spray.

---

BLOOD - Blood stains on clothes?  Not to worry!  Just pour a little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood.  Works every time!

---

BODY PAINT - Use Crisco mixed with food coloring.  Heat the Crisco in the microwave, pour into an empty 35mm film container and mix with the food color of your choice.  Allow to cool.

---

BREAD - When you go to buy bread in the grocery store, have you ever wondered which is the freshest?  Did you "squeeze" for softness to determine freshness?  Did you know that bread is delivered fresh to the stores five days a week?  Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  Each day has a different colored twist tie.   They are: M - Blue, Tu - Green, Th - Red, F - White, S - Yellow.  So if today were Thursday, you would want a red twist tie, not white which is Friday's (almost a week old)!  The colors go alphabetically by color; Blue - Green - Red - White - Yellow, Monday through Saturday.

---

BROWN SUGAR - Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it back up.

---

CAKE - When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead - no white mess on the outside of the cake. Sprinkle sugar in the pan and get a "crunchier" crust with no white mess!

---

CANDLES - Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning.

---

CARPET -                                                                                                                             Spots spilled on carpet, use club soda.  You can buy a small bottle of generic or store brand club soda for about 50 cents.  Don't throw away flat club soda; even flat, it still works on spots spilled on the carpet.

---

CD SCRATCHES - Peanut butter will get the scratches out of CDs.  Wipe off with a coffee filter paper.   (Again you use this hint at your own risk.)

---

CELERY - Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator - it will keep for weeks.

---

COOKING - Save celery leaves.  Spread them out on paper towels or a paper plate and let them dry.  Crumble them into soups, salads and stuffing's.  They will add an extra zippy flavor for free. To bake a moist ham:  Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake.  Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.

---

CORDS - Use empty toilet paper rolls or paper towel rolls to store appliance cords.  It keeps them neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.

---

CRAFTS - Save the plastic meat trays from the market for crafts.  The trays can hold glue, watercolors, water, etc. and can be thrown away afterwards.

---

CRAYON -                                                                                                                                         To get crayon off the wall, use Colgate on a toothbrush and brush it.                                This worked wonderfully!  A damp rag, dipped in baking soda.  It comes off with little effort (elbow grease that is!). Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt BLUE!) rubbing alcohol on paper towel.

---

DISHWASHING - Buy the cheapest liquid dish washing detergent that you can find, add a few tablespoons of vinegar to the dish water first.  The vinegar cuts the grease and leaves the dishes sparkling clean. To remove dried on foods mix detergent, water, and baking soda.  Scrub on pots and pans.  Let sit at least 15 minutes, wash as usual. To remove baked on foods fill the container with water, put in a Bounce static remover and softener sheet.  Soak overnight.  The static from the Bounce sheet will cause the baked on food to adhere to it. To remove baked on foods fill the container with water, add two Efferdent tablets and soak overnight. Use Kool-Aid to clean dishwasher pipes.  Just put in detergent section and run a cycle.

---

DOLL CLOTHES - To help little fingers with hard to put on doll clothes, sprinkle clothes with cornstarch.

---

DRAIN, Unclog - To unclog a drain clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka-Seltzer tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar.  Wait a few minutes, then run the hot water.

---

DRAPES - To help new or just cleaned drapes stay fresh and crisp looking, spray them with a few coats of unscented hair spray before hanging them up.  Allow the hair spray to dry between applications.

---

DRYING, SPEED UP - To speed drying time of big bulky items and jeans, add a dry towel to the wet items you're placing in the dryer.  The towel will help absorb some of the excess moisture.

---

EGGS - To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling. Brush beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish. To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh - if it rises to the surface, throw it away.

---

FINGER PAINT - Use Kool-Aid in Dannon plain yogurt as a fingerpaint.  Your kids will love it and it won't hurt them if them eat it.

---

FLEAS - Sprinkle 20 Mule Borax on your carpet, let stand for 2-4 hours, vacuum.

---

FLOWERS - Artificial - To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers.  Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new!  Works like a charm!

---

FLOWERS - Fresh -                                                                                                                    When you leave the house put any cut flowers into the refrigerator, making the flowers last much longer. Keep cut flowers fresher longer by mixing up a homemade formula:  Mix 1 pint warm water, 1 pint lemonade or a lemon-lime soft drink.  Pour enough into the vase to cover the lower three to four inches of the stem.  Here's how this formula works: the sugar in the mixture supplies energy to the flowers and the citric acid in the lemon helps preserve them. Keep cut flowers fresher longer by adding a little Clorox to the water. Keep cut flowers fresher longer by adding two Bayer aspirin to the water. Keep cut flowers fresher longer by using 7-Up instead of water.

---

GELATIN - Don't throw those single serving gelatin plastic cups away.  Save them to make your own single servings of jello or pudding.  Place the cups in a muffin holder, fill the cups and place in the refrigerator.  It only takes a few minutes and no mess.

---

GLASS - To keep lint and dust off glass top tables, wash them in a solution of warm water and fabric softener.  Add one tablespoon of liquid fabric softener to one quart of warm water.  The fabric softener will clean the glass inexpensively and will help keep lint from gathering on the glass.  Also great for computer screens and TV's. Also see Mirrors and Windows for additional suggestions.

---

GLASSES FOGGING - To keep goggles or glasses from fogging, coat with Colgate toothpaste and wipe clean.             To stop glasses from fogging, rub on a little Joy dishwashing detergent.

---

GREASE - Keep a bottle of vinegar within easy reach.  When your stove, counter tops, walls or anything else becomes spattered with grease, spray and wipe with a clean dry rag.  Vinegar cuts the grease and leaves a nice shine. To remove grease from clothes:  Empty a can of Coke into a load of greasy work clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular wash cycle.  The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. Mix baking soda, water and lemon juice if desired to clean stubborn residue on stovetops and in ovens. Let sit 15 minutes and then scrub. To remove long-encrusted grease from brass and other metal items (utensils, pots & pans), rub with plain lemon juice or soak in a solution of lemon juice and water.   Add baking soda for scrubbing. Pam no-stick cooking spray will remove grease from your hands. Coca-cola will remove grease stains from the driveway overnight.

---

GROUT - To clean dirty grout use Listerine.

---

GUM -                                                                                                                                   To remove gum from hair or fabric (this works better than peanut butter or mayo), use hairspray.  Any kind will do, but something like FinalNet works best.   Saturate the gum with the hairspray and using your a brush or your fingernail, work out the gum.  The hairspray will take its stickiness away and it will come out easily.

---

ICE - Make giant ice cubes in muffin tins or plastic margarine bowls.  These are perfect for using in picnic coolers or punch bowls.  They look pretty and keep your drinks or food cold longer. For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put Dawn dishwashing liquid in it.  Pour it all over the steps.  They won't refreeze.

---

ICE CREAM DRIPS - Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.

---

INK - Peanut butter will remove ink from the face of dolls.                                                                       Hair spray will remove ink pen from a lot of fabrics.

---

IRONING BOARD COVER, Repairs - You can economically repair any tears on your ironing board cover by attaching iron-on patches.  You don't even have to know how to sew!

---

JARS - If you have a problem opening jars: Try using latex dishwashing gloves.  They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy. Instead of banging a jar of jam, pickles, etc., with a knife until it loosens up, I simply reach into the drawer and pull out the handy nutcracker.  It adjusts to the size of the jar and I simply give it a good twist and off pops the lid!

---

JEWELRY - To clean and polish jewelry drop two Alka-Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes.

---

LABELS, remove - To remove labels from glassware use peanut butter.                                                                         To remove labels from glassware use WD-40.

---

LAUNDRY/STAINS - Add 1/2 cup baking soda to liquid detergent for cleaner, whiter, fresher-smelling clothes.            Dab club soda on stains to remove them immediately, before the stain has time to set in. Use Colgate toothpaste to get stains out of clothes. To get grass stains out of clothes, rub in Karo syrup, let soak and wash.

---

LEMONS -                                                                                                                                   Lemons moonlight as a nontoxic bleach and disinfectant, antiseptic, stain-lifter, and odor-eater. Lemon juice prevents cut fruit from turning brown. To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing.

---

LIME REMOVER - Instead of buying expensive lime removers for the toilet and other bathroom fixtures try hydrogen peroxide first, it can do the job for a fraction of the price.

---

MIRRORS - Use air-freshener to clean mirrors: It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine. For bathroom mirrors that repel steam, use shaving cream to clean the mirrors.

---

MOPPING - Don't throw away odd socks or socks with holes in them, use them to make a mop.  Tie several socks (10-12 works best) to a mop or broom handle and use just like you would a regular mop.  White cotton socks work best for this project and by the time the "sock mop" wears out, you'll probably have plenty more socks to make a new one.

---

NAIL POLISH -                                                                                                                         Pam Cooking spray will dry fingernail polish.

---

NAILING PLASTER - Before hammering a small nail in plaster to hang a picture put a small piece of invisible scotch tape on the spot where your going the nail.  The plaster won't chip and you can't see the tape.

---

OVEN/Stove, Cleaning - To clean up spills in the oven, sprinkle table salt immediately on the spill.   When oven has cooled, brush away the burnt-on food with a damp sponge.  The salt will make the spill much easier to clean up, saving time and money, since you won't have to buy oven cleaner as often! Don't want to spend a lot time on oven cleaning?  Place ammonia (about 1 cup) in an aluminum pie pan and place it in the oven overnight.  In the morning, simply remove the pan and wipe the oven clean with a damp sponge.  If you do this often about once a month) you won't have to spend money on harmful chemicals to do the job.

---

PAINT - Kool-Aid can be used as a dye in paint.                                                                                             Pam no-stick cooking spray will remove paint from your hands.

---

PANCAKES - Use a meat baster to “squeeze” your pancake batter onto the hot griddle perfect shaped pancakes every time.

---

PANS, CLEAN - To easily remove burnt-on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove top - the skillet will be much easier to clean.

---

PEST CONTROL -                                                                                                 To keep ants out, sprinkle a line of turmeric powder around the area, and the ants will not enter.                                                                                                             Ants, ants, ants everywhere ... Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march - see for yourself. For getting rid of ants mix 1/2 cup sugar to 1 cup 20 Mule Borax (which is a laundry booster and household cleaner).  Sprinkle the mixture around the perimeter of your house and the ants will not return. Special endorsement for this hint:  "This one really works!  I was a bit skeptical when my mom told me, but I tried it.  She got the remedy from her grandmother who got it from her ..... well you know how these things are passed down.  I had a HORRIBLE ant problem this summer.  I tried all of the expensive store bought ant "killers."  Nothing worked.  The ants were so bad I was afraid they would carry away my little baby!  LOL! Really though, the ants were terrible, you could not set anything down on the countertop without the ants just swarming.  Anyway, my mom told me about this remedy so, I bought a box of the Borax at Wal-mart for a whopping $2.69, made the mix and used it that night.  I swear, the next morning, the ants were gone, and I have not seen another ant in the house since.  I periodically re-apply the mix after the rain... but I have not seen another ant since.  This is a wonderful remedy, I hope you share this with everyone."  --- GayleRN A basil plant, or sun-dried lemon peels are supposed to repel insects. Sprigs of lavender are supposed to act as natural moth repellents. A bit of Joy dishwashing liquid, placed in a small bowl on a table, will keep the bugs away during a picnic. Flies or bees bothering you?  Spray them with hairspray and they will take a quick dive.

---

PET HAIR, Removal - Get rid of pet hair on upholstery effortlessly by wiping the furniture with a slightly dampened sponge.                                            Use dryer sheets to pick up pet hair and lint.

---

PLASTIC, STAIN - Spray your Tupperware or plastic with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces - no more stains.

---

POTATOES - To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.                                  Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.

---

PRESERVE NEWSPAPER -                                                                                                     To preserve a newspaper clipping, use a large bottle of club soda and 1/2 cup of Milk of Magnesia.  Soak for 20 minutes and let dry.  Will last for many years.

---

RUST - To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers:  Rub the bumper with a crumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola. To loosen a rusted bolt:  Apply a cloth soaked in a carbonated soda to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

---

SALT, too much - If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it’s still cooking, drop in a peeled potato - it absorbs the excess salt for an instant “fix me up”.

---

SCISSORS - Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S Pads, I immediately take a pair of scissors and cut each pad into halves.  After years of having to throw away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this would be much more economical.  And now a box of S.O.S pads last me indefinitely! In fact, I have noticed that the scissors get sharpened this way!

---

SHOES - To get those black marks off of your shoes, use finger nail polish remover on a cotton ball.  Rub the black marks and they come right off.

---

SHOWER CURTAIN, Wash - Toss a few old bath towels in the washing machine when you wash your shower curtains.  The towels will rub back and forth against the curtain, which helps remove all traces of dirt and soap scum.  Hang shower curtains back up right out of the washing machine.  They will dry quickly and the wrinkles will fall right out.  Most have at least some plastic on them that can melt in the dryer.

---

SILVER, Tarnish - Get rid of tarnish on silver the easy way.  Place a piece of aluminum foil (shiny side up) on the bottom of a glass bowl or pan.  Fill the container with a solution made of 2 cups boiling water and 3 teaspoons of baking soda, and you've made an inexpensive "bath" to soak your silver in.  Your silver will shine like new in no time! Silver can be cleaned with either toothpaste or a paste made out of water and baking soda.  This removes the tarnish and leaves the surface clean and sparkly.

---

SMELL - We know baking soda works in the refrigerator to soak up odors, but do you realize it works in the trashcan, clothes hamper, bathroom, closets, the car, or anywhere else you might need a little help with odor control.  Very inexpensive. Spray a bit of perfume on the lightbulb in any room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on. Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come.  You can also do this with towels and linen.

---

SOAP SCUM - To get nasty soap scum and dirt off your tub or shower, put a little baby oil in a spray bottle and mix with water (1 part baby oil to 4 parts water).  Spray mixture on a section and wipe off with a sponge. When you're done, spray with a disinfectant cleaner to make sure all germs are killed. Use club soda to remove soap scum from taps.  Just rub the soda on the tap and then wash.  (Stains may remain if you have hard water.) A little bit of shampoo on a rag takes away soap scum better than anything else one writer had ever tried. Wipe shower walls and fixtures with an old towel after bathing.  Takes less than 60 seconds.  Prevents mineral and soap scum buildup in the first place and surfaces stay clean and shiny.  Spray surfaces 2-3 times a week with antibacterial cleaner and wipe down.

---

SPONGES -                                                                                                                               Instead of throwing away a sponge that has a stale odor, simply toss it in the dishwasher and wash it with the next load of dishes.  It will come out clean and fresh smelling and will kill any bacteria in the sponge, so it's a good idea to toss your sponges into the dishwasher often. Sponges that have a stale odor can be made fresh again by adding a bit of lemon juice and then putting in the microwave for 30 seconds.

---

SQUEAKS - Use cooking oil in a pinch to oil squeaky doors, chairs, etc.                                                                                                                                                                           Use vaseline to grease squeaky doors, chairs, etc.

---

STAINLESS STEEL - When cleaning stainless steel counter tops, ranges or sinks, use club soda.   You can buy a small bottle of generic or store brand club soda for about 50 cents and it cleans like a charm and dries to a gleam without streaks or spots.  Don't throw away flat club soda; even flat, it still works to clean stainless steel.

---

STALE - Stale crackers and chips can be re-newed by placing in the microwave for a few seconds.

---

TAR - To remove tar spots on cars, make a paste of baking soda and water.  Scrub on gently with a soft cloth or sponge and remove spots.

---

T-DYE T-SHIRTS - Mix a solution of kool-aid in a container, tie a rubber-band around a section of a t-shirt and soak.

---

TOILET, Cleaning -                                                                                                             To clean a toilet bowl:  Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl.   Let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then brush and flush clean.  The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous China. Kool-Aid will clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush, and flush.  The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous china

---

WALL, Patching - When you need to touch up a scratch or other type of blemish on a painted wall use a drop of paint on a cotton swab to fix the problem.  You won't waste a bunch of paint and you won't have to waste time cleaning a paint brush. In a pinch before painting, you can patch small nail holes with a thick white toothpaste.  Anything larger should be patched using chaulk before repainting.

---

WATER - Storing emergency water for drinking.  Save the bottles used for chlorine for the pool. The few drops left in the bottom of the bottle will keep the water fresh for 6 months.  The little bit of chlorine in the water won't cause any problems.

---

WAX REMOVAL - To remove wax, iron a paper towel over the wax stain.  The heat will cause the wax to absorb into the towel.                                     To remove old wax from a glass candle holder, put it in the freezer for a few hours.  Then take the candle holder out and turn it upside down.  The wax will fall out.

---

WEATHER STRIPPING - Good weather sealing around doors and windows not only saves money on heating and cooling, but also cuts down dusting dramatically.

---

WICKS - Need a wick for your oil lamp?  Unroll a cottonball and roll two pieces into a long wick.  Then twist tightly together.

---

WINDOWS - How about a low cost window cleaner: Add just a drop of Dawn dish liquid to 3 cups of water. To clean windows lint-free, try used dryer sheets. Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows.  This way you can tell which side has the streaks.  Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a sunny day.  They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.

---

WINDSHIELD - Replace the car windshield washing formula in your car with half vinegar and half water.  This cuts the road grime and leaves the windshield crytal clear. A potato cut in half can be used on a grimy car windshield to remove the road grime. To clean road haze from your windshield:  Add a can of Coke and detergent to a bucket of water.

---

WINE STAINS - For a wine stain, pour on Morton's salt and watch it absorb into the salt.

---

Thank you to the following people for contributing home hints or ideas to this page (People who have left ideas with email handles but no real names are still appreciated, but have not been included in this list):

      Tom Boismier, Joy Brown, Stoney Crest, Christine Etheridge, GayleRN, Wilma Fisher, Helen Helverson, William Keidel, Traci McKinstry, Debby Miles, Bertha Pena, Angie Reynolds, CJ Ybos

If you have a Handy Home Hint you'd like to share, or if you'd like to share your experience with one of these hints, or even if you are just looking for a new friend, I'd love to hear from you!  Click on the icon to send me a note. :)

HOME PAGE | About WarM FuZZieS | Angels | Domestic Violence | DV - Your Rights | Friendship | Home Remedies | Inspirational Stories | Kiss-A-Thon | Kudos | Links | On Bibles | On Writing | Original Warm Fuzzy Tale | Poetry | Scuba | Send WarM FuZZieS | Useless Trivia

My domain has been optimized for 800 x 600 monitor resolution.  No HTML Editors were used in the creation of these pages.  The FuZZieS on this site and other images made by me are COPYRIGHTED and may not be duplicated, copied, uploaded to another server or linked to without written permission of this site owner.  All other images are understood to be public domain.  If you see anything that should not be used, please let me know and proper credit will be given or it will be removed.
© 1997-Present WarM FuZZieS. All rights reserved.