Constantly bombarded with new treatments and products, many homeowners may be unaware of many great household tips that can make life a little easier – and maybe even save some money.
To assist 92127 Magazine readers, we have compiled some of our favorites to share:
Stale food:
Are your cookies or donuts going stale? Here’s a surefire way to put the softness back into your favorite snack. Take one slice of bread and lay on top of the snack, seal in plastic storage container for 24 hours. The next day, your cookies will be soft, fresh and good as new. The bread will be hard as rock.
Gardening challenges:
Are your roses lacking a little luster and zest? It could be they need some coffee! Roses love acid and coffee grounds are filled with acid and help the flowers thrive. So don’t toss those brewed coffee grounds; stir them into the top soil of your rose bushes once per week for stronger, healthier flowers.
Snails and slugs:
It can be a real challenge in 92127 to keep those pesky snails and slugs off your plants and out of your flower beds. Instead of reaching for harmful and toxic chemicals, fight back with a more gentle solution. Take your favorite liquid laundry detergent and pour a small stream around the border of your flower beds or plants. It will ward off the snails and slugs, and the smell is not unpleasant for you.
Candle wax removal:
How many times has the candle wax melted all over your favorite dish or candle holder? This simple solution is right in your kitchen. Place the entire dish, candle holder or whatever has candle wax in/or on it – into your freezer. Wait three hours and remove. Take a butter knife or your fingernail and “pop” off the wax. Even bottom pieces that are down to the end of the wick and cemented into your holder will pop off with ease.
Odor relief:
Stinky car? Small closed room? Whiffy diaper pail? Take one cup of ground coffee (not brewed) and place on a paper plate in the stinky, confined areas for up to 12 hours. The coffee absorbs the smell and the area smells fresh and clean.
Chewing gum on carpeting:
Rub ice cubes on the soiled spot until the gum changes consistency and is hard and frozen. Once this happens, gum will crumble up for easy removal and not stain left behind.
Mice and rodent issues:
Remember if the issue is external, county or city vector control may be able to assist. But if you want to keep them out of your garage, lanai or patio area a great solution is moth balls, which will drive mice and rats away. Place a small amount in plastic cups or tie them in an old sock and place near openings of exposed areas.
Food fixes:
Need a quick substitution for a recipe? Such as when you reach for buttermilk and don’t have buttermilk? A tablespoon of white vinegar to one cup of whole milk replicates the flavor of buttermilk and your recipe will come out as if you used the real thing.
Special thanks to Susanne Munsell of Indian Wells, CA for expertise and assistance in preparing this list. Readers of 92127 Magazine are encouraged to submit their own additional household tips for use in future issues. Simply email your tips to info@92127Magazine.com
