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Wednesday, April 8, 2009

New Uses for Everyday Things...

I received an E-mail from Real Simple (LOVE this magazine) containing "101 New Uses for Everyday Things."  Here are my favorites in each catagory.  

LEMON
  • Remove tough food stains from plastic and light-colored wooden cutting boards.  Slice a lemon in half, squeeze the juice onto the soiled surface, rub, and let sit for 20 minutes.  Rinse with water.
  • Relieve a sore throat.  Cut a lemon in half.  Skewer 1/2 over a medium flame (stove) and roast until the peel turns golden brown.  Let cool slightly, then mix the juice with 1 teaspoon of honey.  Swallow the mixture.
  • Whiten fingernails.  Rub a wedge on the surface of your nails.
  • Brighten laundry whites.  And 1/2 cup lemon juice to the wash cyctle of a normal-sized load.
NEWSPAPER
  • Deodorize food containers.  Stuff a balled-up piece of newspaper into a lunch box/thermos, seal it, and let sit overnight.
  • Ripen tomatoes.  Wrap them individually and leave them out at room temperature.
  • Dry shoes.  Place crumpled paper in them overnight.
  • Keep the refrigerator veggie drawer dry/free of smells.  Line the bottom with newspaper.
OLIVE OIL
  • Shave.  Olive oil can provide a closer shave when used in place of shaving cream.
  • Moisturize cuticles.  Apply a small amount of olive oil to the nail beds.
  • Treat dry skin.  Rub a thin layer over the skin after a shower or a waxing.
  • Dust wooden furniture.  Apply a bit of oil to a cloth and wipe.
DRYER SHEETS
  • Freshen smelly shoes.  Insert a dryer sheet into the offending pair and let sit overnight.
  • Clean pet hair from the floor/furniture.  Rub a dryer sheet over the spot where Fluffy left her fur.
  • Loosen-caked-on food from a pan.  Place a fresh sheet in the bottom of a dirty pan, fill with lukewarm tap water, and let sit in the sink overnight.  The pan will be easier to clean in the morning.
  • Tackle suitcase/gym-bag odors.  Place a dryer sheet in your suitcase/gym bag so your clean clothes won't take on the odors of the dirty ones.
Tomorrow I will post "New Uses for"... Coffee Filters, Vinegar, Baking Soda, and Salt!  You Live, You Learn.

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