Household Hints
Got a sticky lock? Tea stains in your coffee cups? Sticky cabinets? No worries—our Household Hints will help you tackle those problems and more.
Sneak a Smart Snack
Making an effort to snack healthier isn't too difficult, even with your busy lifestyle. Keep fresh fruit, low-fat string cheese, and yogurt in the fridge to just "grab and go." Or make up some Citrus Kissed Snack Mix and keep in a sealed bag in your pantry. Snacks like these are simple and delicious, and will fit nicely into your "on-the-go" lifestyle.
Warm Up Without Heat
Warming your home doesn't have to involve turning up the thermostat. This winter, try some décor updates to make your home feel warmer: Bring out throws or blankets in warm tones and rearrange your furniture to encourage closeness.
Kick Off Those Shoe Marks
With everyone coming over for the Big Game, you're likely to get some scuff marks on your floors. For a quick and easy cleanup solution, try baking soda with warm water on a damp sponge. All you need to do is scrub!
Shed Some Light
Setting the mood for a party is easy if you have the right lighting, but lighting doesn't have to be an expensive or hard undertaking. Simply drop tea lights in extra martini or wine glasses (one tea light per glass) and tie the stem with a ribbon, and ta-da! Instant holiday ambiance.
Bring Autumn Inside
With a few simple changes, you can bring the look and feel of fall inside your home. If your living room is done in neutral colors, consider adding throw pillows or an area rug in autumn hues of rich red, rusty orange, or gold. Cozy up the couch with a throw blanket, and warm and brighten your space with a few seasonally scented candles.
Cut the Clutter
Don't have an hour to clean? Try a 15-minute marathon. A quick de-clutter can do wonders for your peace of mind. Set the timer for 15 minutes and start straightening the room you're in. If you finish that room, move to the next. When the timer goes off, you're done.
Keep from Cracking
Try adding some salt to the water when boiling eggs to keep the shells from cracking.
Cutting Board Safety
To keep your cutting board from sliding around on the counter when you're cutting, simply put rubber feet on the bottom of the board on each corner.
Sensible Sorting
Presorting dirty laundry as it goes into the hamper can save time later. Simply set up multiple baskets or hampers, and have all members of your household put their dirty laundry in the appropriate darks, lights, or whites bin.
Clean to the Music
Create a "cleanup CD." Each week, play the CD and have the family help you get all of the cleaning done while it's playing. When the music's over, you'll have a clean house!
Chore Days
Designating specific days for chores makes it easier to get things done and to remember what's been done, when. For instance, do laundry on Saturdays, mop on Mondays, clean the bathrooms on Tuesdays, etc. And when you tackle one thing daily instead of doing everything on the weekends, you'll have more time to spend doing the things you enjoy!
Egg-stra Eggs
Overzealous Easter-egg coloring leave you with more hard-boiled eggs than you'll ever know what to do with? You don't have to eat them plain—get creative. Chop them up and use them in egg salad, tuna salad, potato salad, deviled eggs, and as toppings on salads.
Think Spring
Fresh flowers are a creative way to keep your home bright and cheery all winter. Place vases away from heat vents and store in the fridge overnight to extend the life of your blooms. The refreshing smell will help you think of spring, even when it's blustery outside.
Cleaning for a Party
Start cleaning your house for a party by tackling the most important rooms first—main gathering area, bathroom, and kitchen probably top the list. Then you can move on to cleaning other parts of the house.
Loosen Your Locks
Every once in a while, put some powdered graphite in your door locks. It helps the key glide in smoothly and saves you the frustration of getting your key stuck in the door.
Defunkify Your Disposal
Toss a fresh citrus peel—such as orange, lemon, or lime—in the garbage disposal and grind it up. The natural fruit scent leaves the sink—and the rest of your kitchen—smelling fresh.
Keep Cool in a Hot Car
If you've parked your car in the sun, you could come back to a scorching seat and steering wheel. Steer clear of the sizzle by keeping a towel or two in your car. Drape the towels over the seat and steering wheel before you leave the car and remove them when you return for a comfortable ride home.
Get a Grip
Next time you get stuck with an impossible-to-open jar, put on a pair of rubber or vinyl dishwashing gloves. The extra traction gives you a better grip on the lid, making it easier to pop the top.
Goodbye Grout Gunk
Tired of scrubbing grout? Say goodbye to stubborn residue by mixing a paste-like combination of baking soda and bleach. Scrub the paste onto gnarly grout or caulk, let dry for a few minutes, and rinse clean. Voila! Grout that's good as new.
Cutting Edge
Got a drawer full of dull knives? One of the main reasons knives lose their edge is from banging around in a drawer. Use file folders to make protective sheaths for your knives, and they'll stay sharper longer.
Temperature Check
Check the temperature in your refrigerator every three months for accuracy. Simply place an external thermometer in the fridge to gauge it.
Allergy Relief
Trees and flowers don't just bring beautiful blossoms this time of year, they also bring pollen. Wash your bedding every week in hot water and shower and wash your hair before going to bed, since pollen can accumulate in hair.
Erase Unwanted Marks
To remove heel marks from hardwood floors or surfaces, try taking a pencil eraser and rubbing them off.
Keep Copper Shiny
Decorative copper pots are a lovely addition to any kitchen, but they get naturally tarnished and green with age. Mix salt and lemon juice into a paste and rub it onto your copper items; they'll be back to their original shine in no time.
Remove Sticky Tags
To peel off a price tag without the residue, turn a hair dryer on low and aim it at the tag. Gently peel it off and no mess will be left.
Keep It Clean
To remove coffee or tea stains from your good china, dip a damp cloth in baking soda and rub the stain.
Stop the Stickiness
If you have sticky cabinets or refrigerator doors, try rubbing alcohol or baby oil to clean up the mess.
Zap Your Sponges Clean
Researchers have found that microwaving sponges can kill harmful bacteria and germs, such as E. coli and salmonella. Just make sure the sponges are wet, then microwave for two minutes on full power. Be careful when you remove them—they'll be hot!
Keep Jack Fresh
Nothing's worse than a decayed carved pumpkin on Halloween. To keep your pumpkin looking fresh, keep it moist. Place it out of direct sunlight, and coat the carved-out parts of the pumpkin in petroleum jelly.
Conquer Kitchen Clutter
Fumbling around trying to find recipe supplies? Designate a "recipe drawer" in your kitchen. Stash recipe cards, pencils, pens, and coupons in the drawer so they are always together in one place.
Microwave Cleanup
Food splatters in the microwave quickly become cooked-on, hard-to-remove messes. For quick cleanup without a lot of elbow grease, place a 1/2 cup of water inside the microwave and heat on high for 2 minutes. The steam will help soften the messes for an easier cleanup.
Kitchen Sponges
A quick way to clean a sponge is to toss it into the dishwasher and then let it dry in your dish rack.
Pots and Pans Duty
To help remove stubborn food stains stuck to your pots and pans, sprinkle with a mixture made of equal parts baking soda and white vinegar. Let soak for a few hours, then clean.
Candle Cleanup
To remove the last of the wax from votive candleholders, place them in the freezer for 15 minutes. The wax will shrink and pop right out!
Beautify Your Barbecue
Before you fire up the grill, spray some PAM® Grilling on the rack and on your grilling tools. This keeps the food from sticking to the grill, saving you a step when you're cleaning up afterward.
Kitchen Floss
Keep unflavored dental floss in the kitchen for a variety of cooking shortcuts. Use the floss to cut designs in cake, remove stubborn cookies from a cookie sheet, and cut soft cheeses into slices.
