• Use dryer fabric sheets as dust rags. They pick up dust much better than cloth does.
• If your little Picasso has used the wall for his crayon artwork, just dip a damp rag in baking soda to clean it off. You’ll have to work at it, but it works.
• Use dryer fabric sheets as dust rags. They pick up dust much better than cloth does.
• Next time you get a splinter, place Scotch tape over it and gently pull. The adhesive should take the splinter right out.
• To make your carpets smell fresh, sprinkle some baking soda over them, let it sit for about an hour, and then vacuum.
• Before you clean your toilet, pour a can of Coke into it and let it sit for a couple of hours. The acid in the Coke will get rid of most of the stains!
• When you need to fill some nail holes in your wall, gently rub a bar of white soap against the hole until it’s filled in. The soap works as a quick Spackle.
• Stick cupcake papers in your car’s cup holders to keep them clean.
• Clean your blender by filling it about halfway with warm water. Add a drop of dish soap and then run it. Rinse and dry—all clean!
• Put an open box of baking soda in your refrigerator to absorb unwanted odors. Change it out every three months.
• To keep your drains clog-free, squirt some liquid dish detergent down your drain, let it sit for 30 minutes, and then run hot water for several seconds. Do this once a week.
• Try a mixture of Mountain Dew and water in a vase to keep roses fresh.
• After painting a room, place a couple of bowls of vinegar in the room to help absorb the smell.
• When you boil corn on the cob, add just a pinch of sugar to the water. This will help bring out the corn’s natural sweetness.
• Place an apple in a bag of potatoes to keep them from sprouting buds.
• Use a clean ketchup or mustard squeeze bottle for your pancake batter. After a little practice you’ll have perfect pancakes every time!
• For fun fried eggs, crack the eggs into a cookie cutter.
• To keep brown sugar from clumping, toss in some marshmallows.
• To keep cake from sticking to your knife, place the knife under warm water before you slice.
• If you need just a small amount of lemon juice for a recipe, don’t cut the lemon in half—it’ll dry out too soon. Instead, poke a small hole in the lemon and squeeze out just what you need.
• To keep radishes, carrots, and celery crisp, place them in a bowl of ice water
• Store cottage cheese or sour cream upside down in the refrigerator. (Make sure the lid is on tight!) This forms a vacuum that inhibits bacteria growth.
• To rid your soup of excess fat, toss some ice cubes into the pot as it cooks. The grease will cling to the ice cubes. Retrieve the cubes and throw them out before you serve the soup.
• To ripen your fruit faster, place it in a paper bag with an apple.
• Freeze extra pancakes or waffles in a plastic bag. When you want to serve them again, just pop them in the toaster.
- Book your flight at least a month out. Insiders say that you’ll find the best fares 45 days before your departure. That can save you serious money.
2 Check out every online discounter you can find. Everybody knows about Priceline and Expedia, but have you looked on Orbitz, HotWire, or CheapOair?
3 While you’re at it, check out your airline’s website. Sometimes they’ll surprise you by giving discounts if you deal directly with them.
4 Sign up for travel alerts. When a fare goes up or down, you’ll get a text alert. Check out BestFares.com, FareCompare.com, or Airfarewatchdog.com for details.
