HANDY PERSON HINTS
WINDOW CLEANER
(may use any of the following "recipes")
1. 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/2 gallon water
2. 4-6 tablespoons non-sudsy ammonia to 1 gallon water
3. 1/2 cup of ammonia, 1/2 cup isopropyl rubbing alcohol and 1/2 cup water
MOVING AND PACKING
Packing coffee pots, cookbooks or anything with loose parts? Use Sams Choice Saran Wrap and wrap very tightly around the item several times and all parts will stay in place. The saran wrap clings to itself so you don't have to use tape. Sam's Choice works best. It can be purchased at any Sam's or Wal-Mart Store.
CLOSING UP THE HOUSE FOR SUMMER VACATION 
TIME
A check
list below will help.
1. Leave air-conditioner on about 78 degrees.
2. Turn hot water heater off at circuit breaker box.
3. Unplug all appliances,coffe maker 
including T-V, microwave, computers 
etc.
4. Turn circuit breakers off to: electric stove, microwave, washer and dryer, computers etc.
5. Turn the water off at the main valve coming into the house, that way if a pipe would break, the only water that would leak would be what is in the pipe.
6. Drain most of the water out of the toilet 
tank, but leave enough water in the tank to cover any rubber parts, otherwise they will dry up and not function when you return and you will have to replace them.
7. Remove the top on the toilet tank and cover with saran wrap to eliminate any moisture from seeping into the air, which makes the air-conditioning work to remove that moisture.
8. Lift the toilet seat and cover the bowl with saran wrap also.
9. Use 3-inch wide tape, packing tape is best, to tape over the drain openings in the shower, and close all sink stoppers to eliminate moisture from escaping into the air.
10. Sprinkle diazanon around the perimeter of the outside of the house to help prevent unwanted pests 
entering the house.
11. If gone for any length of time, empty refrigerator, clean thoroughly with warm soapy water and baking soda and unplug or turn breaker off, but be sure to leave both the freezer and refrigerator doors wide open for air to circulate.
DRYING TENNIS SHOES QUIETLY
Toss a pair of wet sneakers in the clothes dryer and you're in for an ear pounding while the shoes tumble around. Avoid the noise by tying the laces together and hanging them over the outside of the door as you close it. The shoes will hang quietly on the inside of the dryer door.
SLIPPERY CUTTING BOARD STOPPER
Use hot-melt glue to make nonskid feet for a cutting board. Just apply a drop to each corner. When the glue dries, it forms a slip-resistant pad.
WALLPAPER SEAMS
If a wallpaper seam comes unglued, fix it without making a mess. Apply a small amount of wallpaper paste to the edge of a piece of waxed paper. Insert the waxed paper behind the unglued seam, and apply pressure with a wallpaper knife. Remove the waxed paper and excess paste, then use a seam roller to seal the union.
NO-DRIP VARNISHING
A nylon stocking can make short work of varnishing round furniture parts, such as chair legs and spindles. While wearing rubber gloves, dip a length of stocking into the varnish, then wring it out. Next, wrap the stocking behind the spindle or leg, and with one end in each hand, pull the stocking back and forth.
PAINT ROLLER CLEANUP
Metal tennis-ball cans make great tools for helping you clean oil-based paints from a paint roller. When you're finished painting, insert the roller cover into the can, fill it with mineral spirits, snap on the lid, and shake. Repeat this until the roller cover is clean.
RED-WINE OR GRAPE JUICE REMOVER
If red wine or grape juice happens to spill on your carpet or rug, blot the area with a dry cloth first, then cover the stain with table salt. Wait a few minutes until salt absorbs the stain, then simply vacuum away.
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