You Can't Make This Stuff Up!

[Lee Stewart]

For almost effortless oven cleaning, fill a bowl with ammonia and set it in an unheated oven overnight; remove the bowl the next day. The ammonia’s fumes will have loosened the gunk so you can wipe it off with a wet sponge or paper towel.

[Lee Stewart]

For pesky stickers that won’t budge, soak a paper towel in vinegar. Place it over the sticker for five to ten minutes. The vinegar will weaken the adhesive.

Vinegar treats athlete’s foot. Because vinegar is a potent disinfectant, soaking your feet twice daily for ten minutes in one part vinegar and four parts water may help treat this fungal infection.

[Lee Stewart]

Add two tablespoons of baking soda to the usual amount of dishwashing liquid you use. It will give your detergent a powerful boost and easily clean greasy dishes.

[Lee Stewart]

To clean up marks, glue, or paint from a table, try this teacher’s trick: Spray a dollop of shaving cream on the surface and spread with a dry sponge. Leave for five to 15 minutes. Wipe off with a damp sponge. Essentially condensed soap, shaving cream will leave the table squeaky clean.

[Lee Stewart]

Petroleum jelly prevents rust. Apply a thin layer to the surface in question (e.g., outdoor machinery, nuts and bolts, and chrome on bikes). The petroleum jelly will protect the metal from moisture and air, both of which encourage rust.

[Lee Stewart]

Television and PC screens are electrically charged, which causes them to attract dust. Since the sheets are designed to reduce static cling, they’ll remove dust and prevent it from resettling for several days. Polish glass screens with the sheets after they’ve been in the dryer, for a softer texture.

[Lee Stewart]

If you spot cockroaches or other crawly creatures in your kitchen, mix equal parts baking soda and sugar, then sprinkle in the corners of the room. Insects are attracted to the sweet mixture but die when they can’t properly digest the baking soda.

[Lee Stewart]

Forget pouring the cooking water from boiled foods down the drain. As long as it’s not salted, your plants will be more than happy to drink it once it has cooled. Both hard-boiled eggs and steamed vegetables leave valuable minerals behind, making the water a source of nutrients for your garden.

[Lee Stewart]

Lemon peels deodorizer garbage disposals. Put this fruit’s fresh scent to use by running the peels down your garbage disposal. The rinds help neutralize unwanted odors and clear any grease buildup.

[Lee Stewart]