HELPFUL HOUSEHOLD HINTS
ODDS & ENDS|
What do you do with those leftover 35-millimeter film canisters? 1. Store quarters for newspapers and the laundromat. 2. Put in some baking soda, punch holes and deodorize your fridge. 3. Add a few small pebbles or some catnip and make a cat toy. Punch holes for the catnip. 4. Store small screws and nails. 5. Store paper clips, rubber bands and thumb tacks. 6. Make a sewing kit with a couple of needles, pins and a small spool of thread. 7. To store the canisters, glue the lids to the underside of a shelf with Liquid Nails.  · For sweaters that require blocking and air-drying, take a framed window screen and outline the unwashed sweater in chalk on the screen. After washing the sweater, block it to the outline and set the screen on bricks or across the backs of two chairs. Air freely circulates underneath for quick drying. · To freshen a sweater that's been stored through the summer, place it in the dryer with a fabric softener sheet, set the dryer on "air fluff" (no-heat setting), and let the sweater tumble for about 15 minutes. · You can easily fix a snag in a sweater using a wire needle threader. Push it through the sweater from the wrong side, catch the loose thread in the tip of the threader and pull it back through the fabric. Stuff old socks with used fabric softener sheets and place them inside your shoes when you store them. The shoes will smell fresher and also keep their shape better. If throw rugs slip and slide on your kitchen linoleum, try applying some non-skid bathtub appliques to the underside. · Shower curtains will slide easily if you apply a coat of petroleum jelly to the rod. · Plug up the overflow opening with a towel or cloth when you're using a plunger in a sink or tub. It improves suction. · For a quick toilet clean-up, drop a few denture cleaning tablets into the bowl. Let them foam awhile, brush, then flush. · Chips and worn spots on porcelain or enamel sinks and tubs can be repaired using aerosol epoxy paint. The area to be painted must be prepared properly first to provide good adhesion of the paint. Clean and roughen the area with a fine grade of emery cloth or aluminum oxide sandpaper. Carefully wipe away all traces of sanding dust, then apply the paint in several light coats. · A dab of shampoo on a damp cloth quickly wipes away a bathtub ring. This is an easy way to keep the tub clean between scrubbings. Keep a pint jar with a half-cup of water in the bathroom. Drop all scraps of bath and face soap into it. When the jar is full, run the contents through a food processor for thirty seconds, then pour the liquid soap you've made into a pump dispenser.
  
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