CLEANING TIPS

1. Flies or bees bothering you? Spray them with hairspray and they
   will take a quick dive.

2. Sealed envelope - Put in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a
   knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed.

3. Use Empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords in. It keeps
   them neat and you can  write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.

4. For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put
   Dawn dishwashing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won't
   refreeze.

5. Crayon marks on walls? This worked wonderfully! A damp rag, dipped
   in baking soda. Comes of with little effort (elbow grease that is!).

6. Remove permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store
   receipt BLUE!) use rubbing alcohol on paper towel.

7. Whenever I purchase a box of SOS Pads, I immediately take a pair
   of scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to
   throw away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this
   would be much more economical. And now a box of SOS pads last me
   indefinitely! In fact, I have noticed that the scissors get sharpened this way!

8. Opening brand new jars can be a feat in itself. Well, I have found
   a way to make it the easiest thing to do. Instead of banging a jar of
   jam, pickles, etc.,with a knife until it loosens up, I simply reach into
   the drawer and pull out the handy nutcracker. It adjusts to the size of
   the jar and I give it a good twist and off pops the lid!

9. Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry! Just pour a little peroxide
   on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works every time!

10. Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal
    for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks.
    Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on
    A sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak.

11. Spray a bit of perfume on the lightbulb in any room to create a lovely
    light scent in each room when the light is turned on.

12. Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will
    smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels
    and linen.

13. Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least
    3 hours prior to burning.

14. To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add
    the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and
    dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm!
 
15. Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a surgar cone to
    prevent ice cream drips.

16. Use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the hot
    griddle and you'll get perfectly shaped pancakes every time.

17. To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

18. To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water
    before hard-boiling.

19. Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies treats
    in the pan and the marshmallow won't stick to your fingers.

20. To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room
    temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter
    before squeezing.

21. To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add drop
    or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring
    to a boil on stovetop.

22. Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring
    in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.

23. When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit
    of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the
    outside of the cake.

24. If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a
    peeled potato and  it will absorb the excess salt for an instant "fix me up."

25. Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it
    will keep for weeks.

26. Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking.

27. Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it.

28. When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out
    the corn's natural sweetness. (Works for carrots, too.)

29. To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool,
    salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh, but if it rises to the surface,
    throw it away.

30. Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your
    forehead. The throbbing will go away.

31. Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future
    use in casseroles and sauces.

32. If you have a problem opening jars: Try using latex dishwashing gloves.
    They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.

33. Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub raw
    potato on the stains and rinse with water.

34. To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area
    and you will experience instant relief.

35. Ants, ants, ants everywhere ... Well, they are said to never cross a chalk
    line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend
    to march. Borax acid powder also works if you spread a thin line in the
    crevices that are not visible within the cabinets. See for yourself!

36. Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still,
    leaves a lovely  smell to the shine.

37. When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting
    to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter,
    then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.

38. Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer. Clean a toilet. Drop in two
    Alka Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush. The citric acid
    and effervescent action clean vitreous China.

39. Clean a vase. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or a cruet
    or coffee pot,  fill with water and drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets.

40. Polish jewelry. Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse
    the jewelry for two minutes.

41. Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka
    Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary.)

42. Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer
    tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a
    few minutes, then run the hot water.