TABASCO SAUCE
"If you have a toothache, just put about 5 or 6 drops of Tabasco sauce on your aching tooth with a cotton swab. It numbs your tooth better than Orajel."
"Gently scrub your silver with a few drops of Tabasco on a soft toothbrush and some warm water. Just make sure to rinse well afterward"
MAYONNAISE
"Mayo is good for getting water stain marks off of your kitchen table and other wood furniture. Just put mayo on the water stains and wipe it with a rag."
"If you have a CD with a scratch on it, just rub themayo on the scratch. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, and then wipe off going from the center of the CD to the outside rim."
COOKING SPRAY
"Spray Pam on a soft cloth and wipe on inside of shower doors to clean them."
"Have ants in the kitchen? Non-stick spray such as Pam kills them instantly without having to use chemicals around food prep areas. Of course you have to wipe up the ants and oil, but it's not terribly messy."
"I have used cooking oil spray to grease a hinge on my bathroom door. Just make sure not to overdo it, or it will drip."
POTATOES
"Have a broken light bulb still in the light? Unplug the light from the wall (very important), and cut a potato in half. Press it on to the broken bulb and twist off."
"So you've been out at the beach, and you arefried lobster red. Don't panic -- just take a potato and grate it (leaving peel and everything on it) and put it where you are burnt. Wait 30 minutes and remove the potato. Take a cool shower. Not only is the heat gone, but the next day so will be the pain and most of the red -- if not all."
"If your child has a fever, take a potato and cut it in half. Take each half and put it on the bottom of their feet, keeping the in place by putting socks on over the potatoes. Keep the potatoes on for a few hours. When you take them out your child's fever will either be a lot lower or gone. There is something in the potatoes that helps draw the fever out."
BREAD
"For home-made cookies that are too crispy, put them in a sealed container with slices of bread covering them. The moisture from the bread will absorb into the cookies, making them soft!"
"To make dried out brown sugar like new, put one slice of bread into the box or bag of dry sugar for a few hours. The moisture from the bread goes into the sugar, and the bread dries out. No need to put in a airtight container. Just stick the bread on top of the sugar, and close the box or bag as usual."
"Have a boil or large pimple? Soak a small piece of bread in milk, attach the piece of bread over the boil using tape or another fastener, and the milk will dry out the boil, decreasing its size. Best if done overnight. Toothpaste can also be used to dry out pimples."
"A piece of white bread will stop a cut from bleeding"
But what helps bread stay fresh? "To keep bread longer place a carrot in the bag. It will freshen bread like it was just baked."
APPLES
"An apple's ethylene gas will also help pears and avocados to ripen and bromeliad plants to bloom if they're placed together in a loosely-closed paper bag."
"If your brown sugar becomes hard, just place it in a sealed container with a few slices of apples for a few days and it will become soft again. Then you can remove the apple slices."
WALNUTS
"Rub the meat of a walnut on any dark wood furniture scratches. Mom always knows best!"
SUGAR
"For a face scrub, use Dove soap & little bit of white sugar. Gently rub into your face in circular motion. Lovely results."
"To trap ants, mix 1 cup sugar, 1 cup borax and 3 cups water, and pour into 4 glass jars with perforated screw-on lids (use a hammer and nails). Place these jars in areas where ants are present, but kids and pets can't get to them."
COLA
"Cola is good for washing road grime off of your windshield. It cuts through the grease and dirt. Just pour a can of cola over your windshield and rinse off with water."
"To get rid of those pesky little aphids on house plants put some Coke in a spray bottle and spray the leaves and buds on the plant. Let dry and stay there for several weeks. Take the plant outside and spray off with fresh water or leave out in the rain. The little buggers will choke on the Coke."
"If you have a tooth ache or abscess, try using warm (not cold) cola and hold it in your mouth for a few minutes until it has stopped foaming and spit it out. Works wonders until you can get to the dentist ."
"One 12 oz can of Coca-Cola ( not Pepsi ) in the wash will get rid of diesel smell in clothes."
"Put some cola in your coffee pot let it soak. Add some ice cubes, swirl them around the coffee pot and most stains will rinse right out.
SELTZER / CLUB SODA
"Seltzer water gets stains out of carpet along with pet accidents. If your puppy or kitten has an accident, just pour some bubbly water on it and it comes out along with the stain. No sticky or smelly mess!"
"2 cups of club soda on a red ant pile will suffocate the mound."
"Cheap soda pop can be used to clean brass. Wash brass to remove any grease or oils then place items in a stainless steel or glass container and cover with soda pop. (Strawberry cream seems to work the best.) Just let the brass soak over night in the pop the next day drain and wash again and dry ."
BEER
"For stains on carpet, a light beer (any kind of yellow beer will do) will pick it up. The smell leaves something to be desired, but if you steam clean the spot afterwards the smell goes with it."
"Soak your hair in beer, and go lay out in the sun. It pulls out some great highlights. Make sure to shampoo afterwards, or you'll smell like a brewery!"
SALT
"I spilled red wine on cream carpet, I immediately covered it with a box of salt. The next morning, I vacuumed it up. No stain was visible." (Note - this also works for Kool-Aid stains.)
"Salt takes the smell of onions from your hands. Wet your hands, put a little salt in the palm of your hand, rub them together good and then rinse. Onion smell will be gone."
"Add either 2 handfuls of table salt or 1 cup of white vinegar to wash water to set colors of new clothes, sheets, & blankets. It will keep colors from fading quickly."
"Sprinkle salt on your carpet/pet bed area (and in your vacuum) to kill fleas. Just so happened that daughter came home for the holidays with her cat that had fleas. That tip came in handy."
"The next time that you spill oil in the kitchen, or drop an egg on the floor, pour a pile of salt on it. The salt will obsorb the oily mess and all you have to do is sweep or wipe it up."
"If youdrop a raw egg on the floor, just sprinkle table salt on it and wipe it up with a paper towel."
VINEGAR
"White vinegar is good for cleaning the winter salt off of shoes and boots. Just dip a cotton ball in vinegar and wipe the shoes or boots."
"Vinegar keeps clothes from fading. One cup per laundry load."
"Baking soda & vinegar are my staple plumbing tools. Sprinkle baking soda in drains, then pour vinegar and voila! Your troubles literally bubble down the drain."
"Got pesky nats and fruit flies? Apple cider vinegar and a drop of dish soap in a small glass. Gnats and flies are attracted to the smell of the vinegar and soap kills them."
"Have a greasy stove top? Pour about 1/4 or less of white vinegar and using paper towels wipe the entire top of the stove (but not the gas jets). The odor dissipates immediately and the paper towel odor disappears as soon as it dries."
"White vinegar is good for nails with fungus. After cleaning the nail, wet the nail with a vinegar-soaked cotton ball andlet it dry. Repeat every day or after a shower."
"Vinegar does an awesome job of getting rid of getting rid of the nasty smell if your children vomit on the rug or other fabric. Just use a rag dampened with vinegar as you clean up. I learned this tip from a pediatrician."
"For athlete's foot relief, pour a cup of apple cider vinegar over foot morning and night for two days. Do not soak in it, just pour it over area. Stops itch immediately."
"If you ever have to paint galvanized metal, wash it first with white vinegar. It works almost as well as muriatic acid and is much safer to have around the house."
"White vinegar is useful as a fabric softener. Use one cup in the final rinse and trappeddetergent will be released. The laundry will be soft and fluffy, and no, there is not any vinegar odor in the fabrics."
"Use vinegar on sneakers after whitening them with chlorine to completely neutralize the clorine. It prevents yellowing and kills lingering foot odor. Vinager neutralizes the ammonia that can burn your skin in leather or canvas sneakers. Rinse with water after applying vinegar."
PEPPER
"I carry a tiny (airline size) container of ground pepper in my purse at all times. It instantly stops bleeding from small cuts with no burning or discomfort at all."
"Ever have cramps that have you doubled over? Cut a square of white cotton, place a tablespoon of black pepper in the center, tie the square into a "tea bag" & place in boiling water. After 2 minutes take out of water and drink the "pepper tea" as hot as you can as fast as you can (it tastes horrid).Within minutes the cramps will go away! I got this from my grandmother (she would have been 105 this year!) who got it from HER mom (and I am a grandmother). Swear it works!"
"If you have a radiator leak, add pepper to the water in the radiator. The tiny grains of pepper will block the leak. It's only a temporary fix but it's a very good temporary fix."
PEANUT BUTTER
"Peanut Butter is great for removing crayon off of wallpaper. It won't fade the color."
"30-some years ago, I remember going to a 50's style dance and putting an incredible amount of vaseline in my hair to keep it slicked back. Well, the next day trying desparately to get the vaseline out, we called a beauty shop and they recommended PEANUT BUTTER. And by golly it worked."
"Peanut Butter is great for removing crayon off of wallpaper. It won't fade the color."
"If you place a small amount of peanut butter on a boil that won't come to a head (or any white-head for that matter) and cover with a bandaid overnight, it should be raised by morning."
"Peanut butter is great for taking rings and age spots off of wooden furniture. Just smear on area, let stand a bit and then wipe off. Do not use fat free; only the real thing will do."
" Peanut butter (creamy) is an excellent product for removing tar from the areas on your car. Just apply to a soft cloth and rub to dissolve the tar. Remove any leftover residue with soap and water."
"Does pitch from pine trees ever get on your car? It's so hard to get off -- unless you rub peanut butter over it. Usea paper towel, rub in a circular motion and to get the peanut butter off your paint finish, just wash the area with warm sudsy water."
"Peanut butter makes a great quick fix for the hiccups. Eating 1/2 to 1 tablespoon should do the trick. Used it for years and it works every time!"
"Polish stainless steel with peanut butter. Smear a thin layer of peanut butter on the stainless steel. Let dry thoroughly and then buff out with a cloth, exactly like you would use paste wax topolish a car."
"Try rubbing peanut butter on leather furniture to get out pen marks, grease and dirt stains. Works great on leather car seats as well."
"Peanut butter removes the scratches out of Plexiglas. I had a boat and used it to rub minor scratches out of the windshield and it works great."
"Peanut butter is great for removing gum from shoes, shirts, and even from your hair."
ONIONS
"If you're having trouble with mosquito bites, put a piece of raw onion on them for about 2 minutes. It stops the itch, and takes the redness away."
"To take the smell out when painting a room inside the house, cutan onion in half and leave half each end of the room. The onion completely soaks up the paint odor and leaves the room without the smell of onion!"
"Remove scorch stains from linen by rubbing the cut side of an onion over the mark and soaking in cold water."
BANANA
"Kill fleas by putting a banana peel on a white paper plate and leaving it under your furniture for a few days. When you retrieve it, there'll be several dead fleas on it."
"Drop a banana peel alongside each of your roses in the garden, and you will never again have aphids."
HONEY
"Clean minor wounds and scratches with Peroxide, place a little bit of honey on the wound, bandage with a bandaid or gauze, then leave it for 3 or 4 days and the wound should be healed. Honey prevents the wound from sticking to the bandage as you remove it."
"Honey, when sterilized can be used to dress a wound the is resistent to antibiotics. Honey will not overstimulate your liver.Honey is the oldest known sweetener and will never spoil."
LEMON
"Use lemons to stop excessive perspiration under the arms. Cut a thin slice and place it under each arm for about 30 min. It will dramatically reduce the "pit drench" when coupled with a good anti-perspirant. This works well for about 1 week and then must be repeated"
"To remove rust stains from fabric, saturate the stain with fresh lemon juice, then cover with a layer of table salt. Rub the salt into the juice, making a thick paste. Wait for the juice to drycompletely, then brush or wash the salt off. The rust will be gone."
"You can also remove onion or fish (or whatever) smell from your hands by just squirting with lemon juice, "washing" and rinsing."
"Cats HATE the smell of citrus, so lightly rubbing your wood furniture with orange or lemon rinds or oils will help deter cats. It doesn't do much for dogs, though."
KETCHUP
"Ketchup is a really good moisturizer. All you have to do is wash your hands with soap and water (make sure no soap suds are left), dry hands, take some ketchup and rub around your hands. Make sure there's no excess ketchup, then wash gently."
"Use ketchup as a gold & silver tarnish remover. Mix ketchup (enough to completely cover the item) with baking soda until it is slightly firm. Place your pure (not plated) item into the mixure & let it sit completely coveredfor 30 minutes (or longer depending on tarnish level), then rub with a dry face cloth (or scrub with a toothbrush if heavily tarnished). Rinse mixture with water and dry."
ICE
"When you move a piece of furniture and the area is all matted down, put a few ice cubes on the spot and allow them to melt. Then vacuum and voila! The spot looks as good as the area around it."
"Use several teaspoons of salt and some crushed ice to clean coffee pots. Just add the 2 into the dry pot and swirl for several minutes."
"Ice is magic! I have used it on my clothes, in restaurants and all over my house. I'm not sure why it works on oily staIns, but it almost always does. I have not found a spot that won't disapear or fade greatly when covered or rubbed with ice."
"Ice is magic! I have used it on my clothes, in restaurants and all over my house. I'm not sure why it works on oilystaIns, but it almost always does. I have not found a spot that won't disapear or fade greatly when covered or rubbed with ice."
"Ever sit on someone else's nasty chewing gum? Regular ice will do the trick! Just rub ice on it and you'll havean easier time taking off that disgusting chewing gum."
OIL
"Using a mixture of olive oil and salt on your face really does give you healthy skin. I always heard that eating olive oil was good for your skin, but I never thought of putting it on your face. I had been struggling with acne for months now and came upon this a week ago. My face is now looking great; I couldn't be happier!"
"My grandson had gotten into oil based paint, and I needed something to clean him up. I didn't want to use turpentine or mineral spirits on hisdelicate skin, so I grabbed the cooking oil. Put it on a wash cloth, and it it cleaned the paint of his skin with no problem. I have also used it to soak enamel paint brushes in until I could clean them. Can then clean them up with soap and water."
"Use olive oil to make scars fade away. It may take a while but it has always worked for me."
"Oilremoves stickiness, and is good for removing price stickers. Rub a tiny bit of oil, use a paper towel to rub itclean off."
"For a water mark in wood, use a thin layer of vegetable oil over the stain, sprinkle salt, and rub until the stain is gone."
