Tuesday 7 January 2014

101 Household Tips for Every Room in your Home

I found that this articles is so aaammaaazzzzziinngg...great household tips indeed!~

101 Household Tips for Every Room in your Home




I love to discover tips which make housework easier! From time-saving tricks to finding new and ingenious uses for old things, the Internet provides a wealth of information and advice.

In this post I've collected 101 visual tips from all over the web to help you save time and money in every room of your home.

The simplest way to slice a bunch of cherry tomatoes is to sandwich them between two plastic lids and run a long knife through all of them at once!

Keep brown sugar soft by storing with a couple of marshmallows

Far cheaper than having coloured keys specially cut!

Install a regular coat rack low down the wall to store shoes safely off the floor

Repurpose a cereal canister as a trash can for the car
Via BHG.com

Deodorize sponges in the microwave. Soak in water spiked with white vinegar or lemon juice and put on fill power for one minute. Use tongs to remove as it will be hot!
Via Shine

Use a magnetic strip to store bobby pins on inside of a cupboard.

...Or store them in an empty Tic-Tac dispenser!

Clean cat litter trays quickly by lining with a garbage bag.

Use a Post-It note when drilling to catch the dust

Organize jewellery on a corkboard for easy viewing when deciding how to accessorize an outfit

Repurpose an old picture frame as a serving tray

Boil orange peel and cloves to get rid of unpleasant smells in the kitchen.

"File" clothes vertically in drawers so you can see your clothes at a glance.

Fill an old box with skewers to make an all-purpose knife block

Hang onions in cut-up tights or old stockings to make them last for months!

Create a thrifty watering can by puncturing holes in the top of a used milk bottle.

Use a paper plate to prevent splatters when using an electric whisk.

Store cupcake and muffin cases in a mason jar

Remove pet hair from furniture and carpets with a squeegee.

Cover paint trays with aluminium foil to make cleaning up afterwards a breeze.

Place a layer of waxed paper on top of kitchen cupboards to prevent grease and dust from settling. Switch out every few months to keep them clean.

Flip a toaster on its side to make grill cheese

Easily draw out a splinter for easy removal by applying a paste of baking soda and water.
Via Wikihow

Create a thrifty organiser for wrapping paper using cup hooks and painted dowel rods. This technique is also ideal for storing rolls of foil, kitchen roll and greaseproof paper on the inside of pantry doors.

Water straight from the tap becomes cloudy when frozen. To make ice cubes crystal clear, allow a kettle of boiled water to cool slightly and use this to fill your ice cube trays. 

Use a large muffin tin to cook stuffed peppers in the oven - it will help keep them upright.

Hang a bundle of chalk in the closet to keep everything fresh and dry. The chalk absorbs excess moisture - a thrifty alternative to an electric dehumidifier!

To prevent potatoes budding, add an apple in the bag.

Add half a teaspoon of baking soda to the water when hard-boiling eggs to make the shells incredibly easy to peel off.

Tie a sprig of eucalyptus to your shower head. The steam will help infuse your bathroom with an invigorating fragrance.

Use bread tags to label power cords.

Use non-stick cooking spray in votive holders to prevent wax from sticking to the sides.

WD40 can be used to remove crayon marks from any surface!

Use a tension rod and shower hooks to store saucepans inside a cupboard.

Make a simple laundry bag using an old pillowcase and an embroidery hoop.

Use a lint roller to clean the bottom of your handbag

To get rid of the musty smell on old towels, wash using 1 cup of white vinegar on a hot cycle, then repeat with 1/2 cup of bicarbonate of soda

Use a fork to press garlic when there isn't a garlic crusher available.

When hanging a picture frame, put a dab of toothpaste on the frame where you need the nails to be. Then simply press against the wall to leave marks (which can later be wiped) as guides for hammering in.

Put a dry towel in with a wet load to reduce the drying time (this really works, I've been doing it for years!)
Via eHow

To tell if eggs are fresh, immerse them in a bowl of water. Fresh eggs will lie on the bottom, while stale eggs will float to the surface. 

Use hairspray on the end of your sewing thread to help it slide through the eye of your needle.

Sprinkle salt in the spaces between patio slabs and at the bottom of walls to get rid of pesky weeds(but be careful NOT to get salt near plants you want to keep as salt will kill them!)

Re-purpose an old CD spindle to make a pretty small cake/biscuit holder.

Clean patio stones with a solution of 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 water in a spray bottle. Leave for 10 minutes and rinse off (soiled areas may require a little scrubbing). Also helps get rid of weeds too!

To clean a wooden chopping board, sprinkle on a handful of Kosher salt and rub with half a lemon. Rinse with clean water and dry to ensure it is clean and germ-free.

Use scrap paper to help hang an arrangement of picture frames easily. Cut templates for each frame,marking nail locations on the paper, then tack to the wall until you find the ideal arrangement. Then simply nail through the marks on the paper!

Use ice-cubes to lift out indentations made by furniture on your carpets.

Prevent soil from escaping through the holes in the base of flowerpots by lining with large muffin cases.

Place a length of masking tape along the edge of a spirit level and mark the location of nail holes for your picture frame. Then simply transfer the level to the wall to ensure you hang your pictures straight.

Use a toothpick to prevent tape ends from sticking back to the roll

To easily peel potatoes, boil with the skins on them immerse in cold water for 5 seconds. Then twist the potatoes between your hands and the skin will peel right off!

To decorate a chocolate beautifully, lay a piece of lace over the cake and sprinkle icing sugar over the top.

Use toilet paper rolls to easily organise power cords

To stop the annoying sound of a dripping tap, tie a piece of string around the faucet which is long enough to reach down to the sink.
Via Re-Nest

To sharpen scissors, simply cut through sandpaper.

A very simple solution to get rid of furniture scratches!
Via Obrienkr18 (Uploaded to Pinterest)

Use rubber bands to help open a jar easily: place one around the jar lid and another around the middle of the glass. The rubber provides friction to prevent your hands from slipping.

To prevent your eyes watering while chopping onions, wipe the chopping board with white vinegar (which won't affect the taste of the onions)

Use ketchup to remove the tarnish from copper pans. Slather the pan with ketchup and leave for 30 minutes for the acid to break down the tarnish, then rinse clean and buff with a soft cloth.

Re-purpose an unwanted Slinky to create a pretty bird feeder
Via Re-Nest

Store bed sheets inside their pillowcases for easy storage and access

Place a few drops of essential oil on the cardboard tube of a toilet roll to make your bathroom smell wonderful

Drop a couple of denture cleaning tablets into the toilet bowl at night to clean off stubborn stains.

Use baby powder to easily remove sand from your skin

Take a bunch of bananas apart to prevent them from ripening too quickly
Image via Keepon

Store cut lettuce in mason jars and refrigerate to make it last much longer

Organise scarves by tying around trouser hangers to store in your wardrobe
Via Squidoo

Use cupcake cases to cover drinks glasses in the summer and prevent flies from dropping in

Line salad drawers with newspaper to absorb bad odours in the fridge
Via Babble

Use binder clips to keep stacked bottles in place in the fridge

Another way to clean a chopping board is to cover liberally with Kosher salt and leave overnight. Scrape off with a cloth in the morning to find the salt has absorbed all moisture to leave your board clean and dry.

Use egg boxes to store delicate Christmas tree decorations

Cut the top off a screw-top bottle and use to seal open bags.

This has to be the simplest way to open those annoying blister packs!
Via Babble

Tape a laundry bag to the inside of your tumble dryer door for easy drying of sports shoes

Use a cut potato to easily remove a broken lightbulb

Use a magazine holder to store rolls in the kitchen

Use chalk to remove grease stains from clothes. Simply rub white chalk on the affected area and wash as normal - the chalk will absorb the grease and be washed away in the cycle.

They look pretty too - a great tip for parties!

Slot the stick of an ice lolly through a cupcake case to prevent drips on little fingers.

Store laundry dispensers in the drawer of your washing machine so you won't forget where it is
Via Glamumous

Trouser hangers make great frugal cooking book holders!

Use an empty toilet roll to store hair accessories for easy access

Place a wooden spoon over a pan to stop the water from boiling over

Another great use for used drinks cans!

Just don't press down too hard or you will squash the bread!

Pin document wallets inside your pantry door to store recipes and takeaway leaflets

Towel hangers on the inside of a pantry door make great storage for awkward saucepan lids!
Via Squidoo

A genius tip to help prevent paint spillage!

Use a rubber band to rescue a stripped screw

Store matches in a mason jar and add a disc of sandpaper to the lid on which to strike them.

A ball of aluminium foil makes a great glassware scrubber!

Wrap rubber bands around the ends of a coat hanger to prevent dresses from slipping off.

Yet another use for drinks can ringpulls! Use to create a hanging loop for picture frames by screwing into the back.
Via Babble

For even more storage in the kitchen, cut up a shoe holder to hang inside a cupboard door.

Lost the back to your favourite earring? Use a pencil eraser instead!

Use a tension rod to store spray bottles in your undersink cabinet