Hoppers Handy Hints

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I appreciate little helpful tips and shortcuts as much as anyone.
And I absolutely relish saving money when I can.

Here are some of my favorite hints, but if you have a favorite,
I would appreciate you sending it to Hopper's Home.
I will be certain to give you credit for the donation!

Thanks so much!

- Hopper

Frozen locks - If the door or trunk lock freezes, heat the key with a match: then quickly put the key into the cylinder and turn. To prevent burned fingers, wear gloves.

Hiccups - To stop hiccups, hold your breath as long as you can and then exhale slowly.
-Slow, deep breathing may also solve the problem.
-Or, try slowly sipping a glass of warm water. If this doesn't work, tip your head forward, and drink the water out of the opposite side of the glass.
-You could also nibble on a teaspoon or so of granulated sugar.
-Some people favor putting a paper bag over their nose and mouth, and inhaling from it and exhaling into it repeatedly.
-My favorite is to rub the top palate of the back of your throat with a clean cotton swab.

Children Matching Shoes - Have your child watch as you put his shoes togeather, and make a mark on the inside edge of each one. Then tell the child that when the marks are next to each other, the shoes will always be on the right feet.

Dusting - To dust hard to reach corners, slip an old sock over a yardstick, and secure it with a rubber band.

The Missing Toy - Put all odd pieces of toys into one box, then there will only be one place to look for missing parts.

Spots On Wallpaper - The most important thing to remember is that the sooner the spot is removed, the easier it comes off.
-Blot a new grease spot with a clean paper towel. Then, holding a fresh piece of absorbent paper on the spot, press with a warm (not hot) iron. Change the paper when it becomes greasy.
-Remove crayon marks on wallpaper by sponging them with a dry cleaning solvent. If the die remains on the wall, mix 1 teaspoon of liquid bleach in 1 cup water and apply to the colored stain. (Be sure to test this in an inconspicuous spot to determine whether it will damage the pattern or the paper.)
-Silver polish , applied with a clean cloth, will remove crayon marks on vinyl wall covering.
-Concentrated dishwashing detergent also works well.
-Use chlorine bleach to remove ink spots on washable wallpaper. (Test in an inconspicuous spot for color fastness.)

Stains on clothes - Carry a zipper baggie with several baby wipes in them. If you spill or smudge something on your clothes, take a baby wipe, and gently pat and lift. DO NOT RUB. This will remove many stains.

Lipstick on Teeth - After applying your lipstick, put your finger (make sure its clean!) in your mouth, and form a closed "O" around it. Slowly pull your finger out, dragging it against the entire "O". The lipstick from around the inside of your lips will be blotted.

Removing Wax from Candlesticks - Place the candlesticks in the freezer, and the wax will simply peel off.

Hamster Get Loose? - Take an old lidded shoe box, and cut a hole in the lid, just big enough for the hamster. Put a paper towel over the hole, and sprinkle the towel with food.

Dandruff - gently massage a tablespoon or two of salt into your scalp, then brush. Shampoo hair as usual.

Smelly Shoes - fill old stockings with cedar shavings. Stuff them into the offending shoes. Not only will your shoes smell better, your whole closet will!

Damp Closets - wrap 12 pieces of chalk together with yarn, and hang them from a peg in the closet.

Revive old Tape measure - Take an old cloth tape measure, and place it between two pieces of waxed paper. Cover it with a paper towel, then press with a hot iron.

Hangover - after a night of drinking, the body is dehydrated, which causes you to feel listless, and sometimes even nauseated. Drink a pint of water every half hour until the nausea subsides.

Keeping Cake fresh - If your going to cut just a couple of slices of cake, and store the rest, slice a section strait out of the middle, then press the two remaining halves together. The cake will stay moist.

Fight Over Last Piece of Cake - Have the first person cut the piece in half, and the second person choose his piece. The slice of cake is certain to be cut even!



TIPS FROM FRIENDS
the following are tips that friends have sent me.



Gracie says:
- Use toothpaste on silver
- for grout, tiles and marble mix lemon juice and baking soda, and scrub.



Shaggy says:
- Use a coarse bristled brush on baseboards to get all the dust out of the scrollwork.





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