Adapting Recipes to the Crock Pot
A great energy saver
A quick way to whip cream
Angel food cookies
Bacon
Baked fish
Broiled meat drippings
Browned butter
Caked or clogged salt
Canning peaches
Carrot marinade
Clean and deodorize your cutting board
Clean cucumbers
Convert conventional recipes to the crockpot
Cooking dried beans
Cream that will not whip
Different meatballs
Don't lose those vitamins
Double boiler hint
Easy croutons
Easy topping
Eggs
Excess fat on soups or stews
Fake sour cream
Flour Puff
Fluffy rice
Fresh garlic
Frozen bread
Golden-brown chicken
Grating cheese
Gravy
Green Onion
Guacamole-keep it from turning brown
How to chop garlic
Hurry-up hamburgers
Ice cream
Instant white sauce
Jar labels
Keep the color in beets

Leftover squash
Leftover waffles
Measuring sticky liquids
No spattering or sticking
Non-Sticking bacon
No-smell cabbage
No-spill cupcakes
Nutritious rice
Nuts
Onions
Pancake syrup
Perfect noodles
Pie Dough
Potatoes
Preventing boil-overs
Removing ham rind
Removing the corn silk
Rock-hard brown sugar
Salt
Scalded milk
Shrink less links
Slicing cake or torte
Sluggish catsup
Softening butter
Soggy potato chips, cereal and crackers
Special looking pies
Tasty carrots
Tasty cheese sandwiches
Tasty hot dogs
Tenderizing meat
Thawing frozen meat
Tomatoes
Unmoldlng gelatin
Unpleasant cooking odors
Vegetables
Yeast

Adapting Recipes to the Crock Pot Recipe

• Recipes that lend themselves to Crock-Pot cooking are limitless. Almost any recipe requiring baking or simmering will work beautifully. Here are a few simple guidelines that will help you prepare your favorites in the crock-Pot: --allow sufficient time on "Low" setting.

• Remember--liquids don't boil away as in conventional cooking. Usually you'll have more liquid at the end of cooking instead of less. Try reducing the amount of liquid in the recipe by about one-half. The exception would be soup recipes or recipes with long grain converted rice which will need the same amount of liquid or 1/4 cup liquid per 1/4 cup raw rice.

• Many preparatory steps are not necessary. Vegetables do not need to be browned or sauteed. In most cases, all ingredients can be added to the Crock-Pot in the beginning and allowed to cook all day. Exception: milk, sour cream, or cream should be added during the last hour of cooking.

• The Crock-Pot cooks so gently that a few extra hours on Low need not worry you. Any recipe may be cooked on High for the first two hours to reduce cooking time, then turn to Low.

• If recipe says 15 to 30 minutes
  Cook in Crock-Pot 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 hours on HIgh or 4 to 8 hours on Low*
  If recipe says 30 to 40 minutes
  Cook in Crock-Pot 3 to 4 hours on High or 6 to 10 hours on Low*
  If recipe says 50 min to 3 hours
  Cook in Crock-Pot 4 to 6 hours on High or 8 to 18 hours on Low*

• *Most uncooked meat and vegetable combinations will require at least 8 hours on Low.

A great energy saver

• When you're near the end of the baking time, turn the oven off and keep the door closed. The heat will stay the same long enough to finish baking your cake or pie and you'll save all that energy.

A quick way to whip cream  

• A pinch of salt added to the cream before whipping strengthens the fat cells and makes them more elastic. This helps the cream stiffen much more quickly.

Angel food cookies

• Stale angel food cake can be cut into 1/2" slices and shaped with cookie cutters to make delicious "cookies". Just toast in the oven for a few minutes.

Bacon

• Before opening a package of bacon, roll it. This helps separate the slices for easy removal of individual slices.

Baked fish

• To keep fish from sticking to the pan, bake on a bed of chopped onion, celery and parsley. This also adds a nice flavor to the fish.

Broiled meat drippings

• Place a piece of bread under the rack on which you are broiling meat. Not only will this absorb the dripping fat, but it will reduce the chance of the fat catching on fire 

Browned butter

• Browning brings out the flavor of the butter, so only half as much is needed for seasoning vegetables if it is browned before it is added 

Caked or clogged salt

• Tightly wrap a piece of aluminum foil around the salt shaker. This will keep the dampness out of the salt. To prevent clogging, keep 5 to 10 grains of rice inside your shaker. 

Canning peaches

• Don't bother to remove skins when canning or freezing peaches. They will taste better and be more nutritious with the skin on.

Carrot marinade

• Marinate carrot sticks in dill pickle juice

Clean and deodorize your cutting board

• Bleach it clean with lemon juice. Take away strong odors like onion with baking soda. Just rub it in.

Clean cukes

• A ball of nylon net cleans and smooch's cucumbers when making pickles.

Converting Conventional Recipes to the Crockpot

• If the conventional recipe calls for 30 minutes on medium heat:
  Cook in the crockpot for four to six hours at low heat
  Cook in the crockpot for 1 1/2 to two hours at high heat

• If the Conventional recipe calls for 45 minutes on medium heat:
  Cook in the crockpot for six to ten hours at low heat
  Cook in the crockpot for three to four hours at high heat

• If the Conventional recipe calls for 60 minutes on medium heat:
  Cook in the crockpot for eight to ten hours at low heat
  Cook in the crockpot for four to six hours at high heat

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Cooking dried beans

• When cooking dried beans, add salt after cooking; if salt is added at the start, it will slow the cooking process. 

Cream that will not whip

• Chill cream, bowl and beater well. Set bowl of cream into a bowl of ice water while you're whipping. Add the white of an egg. Chill and then whip. If the cream still does not stiffen, gradually whip in 3 or 4 drops of lemon juice. Cream whipped ahead of time will not separate if you add a touch of unflavored gelatin (14 teaspoon per cup of cream). To eliminate a lot of mess when whipping cream with an electric beater, try this: Cut 2 holes in the middle of a piece of waxed paper, then slip the stems of the beaters through the holes and attach the beaters to the machine. Simply place paper and beaters over the bowl and whip away. 

Different meatballs

• Try using crushed cornflakes or corn bread Instead of breadcrumbs in a meatball recipe. Or use onion-flavored potato chips.

Don't lose those vitamins

• Put vegetables in water after the water boils - not before - to be sure to preserve all the vegetables' vitamins.

Double boiler hint

• Toss a few marbles in the bottom of a double boiler. When the water boils down, the noise will let you know!

Easy croutons

• Make delicious croutons for soup or salad by saving toast, cutting into cubes, and sautéing in garlic butter

Easy topping

• A good topping for gingerbread, coffeecake, etc., can easily be made by freezing the syrup from canned fruit and adding 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 2 cups of syrup. Heat until bubbly, and thicken with 2 tablespoons of flour.

Eggs

• If you shake the egg and you hear it rattle, you can be sure it's stale. A really fresh egg will float and a stale egg will sink.
• If you are making deviled eggs and want to slice it perfectly, dip the knife in water first. The slice will be smooth with no yolk sticking to the knife.
• The white of an egg is easiest to beat when it's at room temperature. So leave it out of the refrigerator about a half hour before using it.
• When making deviled eggs- if you turn the carton upside down in the refrigerator, the night before, the yolk will be in the middle of the egg after it is boiled.  This makes for a nicer looking deviled egg.
• To make light and fluffy scrambled eggs, add a little water while beating the eggs.
• Add vinegar to the water while boiling; eggs. Vinegar helps to seal the egg, since it acts on the calcium in the shell.
• Storing Eggs: ( 1.) Place your eggs those tight-sealing egg containers and they will last longer in the refrigerator. You really shouldn't keep eggs longer than 11 days. ( 2.)  Cover them with oil on the top in a sealed container in the refrigerator. ( 3. )For long term storage: If there's a special on eggs at your local supermarket, you can take advantage of it. Just crack all the eggs open and put them in the freezer unit. To use one egg at a time, put single eggs in the ice tray. When frozen, put the egg cubes in a sealed plastic bag. You can take out the cubes one at a time for daily use. If you use eggs in twos or threes, freeze them that way in a plastic sack.
• To make quick-diced eggs, take your potato masher and go to work on a boiled egg.
• If you wrap each egg in aluminum foil before boiling it, the shell won't crack when it's boiling.
• To make those eggs go further when making scrambled eggs for a crowd, add a pinch of baking powder and 2 teaspoons of water per egg.
• A great trick for peeling eggs the easy way. When they are finished boiling, turn off the heat and just let them sit in the pan with the lid on for about five minutes. Steam will build up under the shell and they will just fall away.
• Or, quickly rinse hot hard-boiled eggs in cold water, and the shells will be easier to remove.
• When you have saved a lot of egg yolks from previous recipes, use them in place of whole eggs for baking or thickening. Just add 2 yolks for every whole egg.
• Fresh or hard-boiled? Spin the egg. If it wobbles, it is raw - if it spins easily, it's hard boiled.
• Add a few drops of vinegar to the water when poaching an egg to keep it from running all over the pan.
• Add one tablespoon of water per egg white to increase the quantity of beaten egg white when making meringue.
• Try adding eggshells to coffee after it has perked, for a better flavor.
• Fresh eggs are rough and chalky in appearance. Old eggs are smooth and shiny.
• Pierce the end of an egg with a pin, and it will not break when placed in boiling water.
• Beaten egg whites will be more stable if you add 1 teaspoon cream of tartar to each cup of egg whites (7 or 8 eggs).
• A small funnel is handy for separating egg whites from yolks. Open the egg over the funnel and the white will run through and the yolk will remain.
• For baking, it's best to use medium to large eggs. Extra large may cause cakes to fall when cooled.
• Brown and white shells are the same quality.
• Egg whites can be kept up to 1 year. Add them to a plastic container as you "collect them" for use in meringues, angel food cake. . .1 cup equals 7 or 8 egg whites. You can also refreeze defrosted egg whites.
• For fluffier omelets, add a pinch of cornstarch before beating.

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Excess fat on soups or stews

• Remove fat from stews or soups by refrigerating and eliminating fat as it rises and hardens on the surface. .Or add lettuce leaves to the pot - the fat will cling to them. Discard lettuce before serving

Fake sour cream

• To cut down on calories, run cottage cheese through the blender. It can be flavored with chives, extracts, etc., and used in place of mayonnaise.

Flour Puff

• Keep a powder puff in your flour container to easily dust your roiling pin or pastry board.

Fluffy rice

• Rice will be fluffier and whiter if you add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to each quart of water.

Fresh garlic

• Peel garlic and store in a covered jar of vegetable oil. The garlic will stay fresh and the oil will be nicely flavored for salad dressings

Frozen bread

• Put frozen bread loaves in a clean brown paper bag and place for 5 minutes in a 325º oven to thaw completely.

Golden-brown chicken

• For golden-brown fried chicken, roll it in powdered milk instead of flour.

Grating cheese

• Chill the cheese before grating and it will take much less time.

Gravy

• For pale gravy, color with a few drops of Kitchen Bouquet. Or to avoid the problem in the first place, brown the flour well before adding the liquid. This helps prevent lumpy gravy.
• To make gravy smooth, keep a jar with a mixture of equal parts of flour and cornstarch. Put 3 or 4 tablespoons of this mixture in another jar and add some water. Shake and in a few minutes you will have a smooth paste for gravy.
• To remedy greasy gravy, add a small amount of baking soda.
• For quick thickener for gravy, add some instant potatoes to your gravy and it will thicken beautifully.

Green Onions 

• Take a large jar ( I use mayo jar.), trim the green tops to fit and put the DRY onions in the jar with a paper towel wadded up on top and close jar and store in fridge. I have kept these onions this way for a MONTH.

Guacamole-keep it from turning brown.

• After making your guacamole, put it into a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on top of it. Even if you put it into a bowl with a lid, make sure and put the plastic wrap on top of the guacamole first. This works, because putting the plastic right on top of the guacamole keeps out the air which causes the browning in the first place.
• Put the pit in the center of the mixture. Cover and store. It does NOT discolor.

How to chop garlic

• Chop in a small amount of salt to prevent pieces from sticking to the knife or chopping board. Then pulverize with the tip of the knife.

Hurry-up hamburgers

• Poke a hole in the middle of the patties while shaping them. The burgers will cook faster and the holes will disappear when done.

Ice cream

• Buy bulk quantities of ice cream and pack in small margarine containers. These provide individual servings

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Instant white sauce

• Blend together 1 cup soft butter and 1 cup flour. Spread in an ice cube tray, chill well, cut into 16 cubes before storing in a plastic bag in the freezer. For medium-thick sauce, drop 1 cube into 1 cup of milk and heat slowly, stirring as it thickens

Jar labels

• Attach canning labels to the lids Instead of the sides of jelly jars, to prevent the chore of removing the labels when the contents are gone

Keep the color in beets

• If you find that your beets tend to lose color when you boil them, add a little lemon juice.

Leftover squash

• Squash that is left over can be improved by adding some maple syrup before reheated.

Leftover waffles

• Freeze waffles that are left; they can be reheated in the toaster.

Measuring sticky liquids

• Before measuring honey or syrup, oil the cup with cooking oil and rinse in hot water.

No spattering or sticking

• To keep frying food from spattering, invert a metal colander over the pan, allowing steam to escape.
• Always heat the frying pan before adding oil or butter. This will keep things from sticking to the pan.
• Boil vinegar in a brand new frying pan to keep things from sticking to it.

Non-Sticking bacon

• Roll a package of bacon into a tube before opening. This will loosen the slices and keep them from sticking together

No-smell cabbage

• Two things to do to keep cabbage smell from filling the kitchen: don't overcook it (keep it crisp) and put half a lemon in the water when you boil it.

No-spill cupcakes

• An ice cream scoop can be used to fill cupcake papers without spilling.

Nutritious rice

• Cook rice in liquid saved from cooking vegetables to add flavor and nutrition. A nutty taste can be achieved by adding wheat germ to the rice.

Nuts

• To quickly crack open a large amount of nuts, put in a bag and gently hammer until they are cracked open. Then remove nutmeats with a pick.
• If nuts are stale, place them in the oven at 250º F. and leave them there for 5 or 10 minutes. The heat will revive them.

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Onions

• To avoid tears when peeling onions, peel them under cold water or refrigerate before chopping.
• For sandwiches to go in lunch boxes, sprinkle with dried onion. They will have turned into crisp pieces by lunchtime.
• Peel and quarter onions. Place one layer deep in a pan and freeze. Quickly pack in bags or containers while frozen. Use as needed, chopping onions while frozen, with a sharp knife.

Pancake syrup

• To make an inexpensive syrup for pancakes, save small amounts of leftover jams and jellies in a jar. Or, fruit-flavored syrup can be made by adding 2 cups sugar to 1 cup of any kind of fruit juice and cooking until it boils.

Perfect noodles

• When cooking noodles, bring required amount of water to a boil, add noodles, turn heat off and allow to stand for 20 minutes. This prevents over boiling and the chore of stirring. Noodles won't stick to the pan with this method.

Pie Dough

• Using a metal pan or plate is best for baking pie dough. It is the best conductor of heat and helps to crisp and bake it more efficiently than ceramic or glass alternatives.
• When baking an unfilled crust, placing a foil pan with beans in it will keep the crust from rising in the center.

Potatoes

• Overcooked potatoes can become soggy when the milk is added. Sprinkle with dry powdered milk for the fluffiest mashed potatoes ever.
• Use a couple of tablespoons of cream cheese in place of butter for your potatoes; try using sour cream instead of milk when mashing.
• To hurry up baked potatoes, boil in salted water for 10 minutes, then place in a very hot oven. Or, cut potatoes in half and place them face down on a baking sheet in the oven to make the baking time shorter.
• When making potato pancakes, add a little sour cream to keep potatoes from discoloring.

Preventing boil-overs

• Add a lump of butter or a few teaspoons of cooking oil to the water. Rice, noodles or spaghetti will not boil over or stick together

Removing ham rind

• Before placing' ham in the roasting pan, slit rind lengthwise on the underside. The rind will peel away as the ham cooks, and can be easily removed.

Removing the corn silk

• Dampen a paper towel or terry cloth and brush downward on the cob of corn. Every strand should come off.

Rock-hard brown sugar

• Add a slice of soft bread to the package of brown sugar, close the bag tightly, and in a few hours the sugar will be soft again. If you need it in a hurry, simply grate the amount called for with a hand grater.
• Or, put brown sugar and a cup of water (do not add to the sugar, set it alongside of it) in a covered pan. Place in the oven (low heat) for a while.
• Or, buy liquid brown sugar.

Salt

• If stew is too salty, add raw cut potatoes and discard once they have cooked and absorbed the salt. Another remedy is to add a teaspoon each of cider vinegar and sugar. Or, simply add sugar.
• If soup or stew is too sweet, add salt. For a main dish or vegetable, add a teaspoon of cider vinegar.

Scalded milk

• Add a bit of sugar (without stirring) to milk to prevent it from scorching.
• Rinse the pan in cold water before scalding milk, and it will be much easier to clean.

Shrink less links

• Boil sausage links for about 8 minutes before frying and they will shrink less and not break at all. Or, you can roll them lightly in flour before frying.

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Slicing cake or torte

• Use dental floss to slice evenly and cleanly through a cake or torte - simply stretch a length of the floss taut and press down through the cake.

Sluggish catsup

• Push a drinking straw to the bottom of the bottle and remove. This admits enough air to start the catsup flowing.

Softening butter

• Soften butter quickly by grating it. Or heat a small pan and place it upside-down over the butter dish for several minutes.
• Or place in the microwave for a few seconds.

Soggy potato chips, cereal and crackers

• If potato chips lose their freshness, place under the broiler for a few moments. Care must be taken not to brown them. You can crisp soggy cereal and crackers by putting them on a cookie sheet and heating for a few minutes in the oven.

Special looking pies

• Give a unique look to your pies by using pinking shears to cut the dough. Make a pinked lattice crust

Tasty carrots

• Adding sugar and horseradish to cooked carrots improves their flavor

Tasty cheese sandwiches

• Toast cheese sandwiches in a frying pan lightly greased with bacon fat for a delightful new flavor

Tasty hot dogs

• Boil hot dogs in sweet pickle juice and a little water for a different taste.

Tenderizing meat

• Boiled meat: Add a tablespoon of vinegar to the cooking water.
• Tough meat or game: Make a marinade of equal parts cooking vinegar and heated bouillon. Marinate for 2 hours.
• Steak: Simply rub in a mixture of cooking vinegar and oil. Allow to stand for 2 hours.
• Chicken: To stew an old hen, soak It in vinegar for several hours before cooking. It will taste like a spring chicken.

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Thawing frozen meat

• Seal the meat in a plastic bag and place in a bowl of very warm water. Or, put in a bag and let cold water run over it for an hour or so.

Tomatoes

• Keep tomatoes in storage with stems pointed downward and they will retain their freshness longer.
• Sunlight doesn't ripen tomatoes. It's the warmth that makes them ripen. So find a warm spot near the stove or dishwasher where they can get a little heat.
• Save the juice from canned tomatoes in ice cube trays. When frozen, store in plastic bags in freezer for cooking use or for tomato drinks.
• To improve the flavor of inexpensive tomato juice, pour a 46-ounce can of it into a refrigerator jar and add one chopped green onion and a cut-up stalk of celery.

Unmoldlng gelatin

• Rinse the mold pan in cold water and coat with salad oil. The oil will give the gelatin a nice luster and it will easily fall out of the mold.

Unpleasant cooking odors

• While cooking vegetables that give off unpleasant odors, simmer a small pan of vinegar on top of the stove. Or, add vinegar to the cooking water. To remove the odor of fish from cooking and serving implements, rinse in vinegar water.

Vegetables

• If fresh vegetables are wilted or blemished, pick off the brown edges. Sprinkle with cool water, wrap in towel and refrigerate for an hour or so.
• Perk up soggy lettuce by adding lemon juice to a bowl of water and soak for an hour or so.
• Lettuce and celery will crisp up fast if you place it in a pan of cold water and add a few sliced potatoes.
• If Vegetables are overdone, put the pot in a pan of cold water. Let stand for 15 minutes to 1/2 hour without scraping pan.
• By lining the crisper section of your refrigerator with newspaper and wrapping vegetables with it, moisture will be absorbed and your vegetables will stay fresh longer.
• Store leftover corn, green beans, peas, carrots, celery, potatoes, and onions in a container in the freezer. Add to other ingredients when making stew.
• To keep the flavor in vegetables, add a small amount of sugar to the water after cooking carrots, peas, beets and corn.
• Onions, broccoli and Brussels sprouts will cook faster if you make and x-shaped cut at the base of the vegetable.

 Yeast

• One package of active dry yeast is equal to 1 tablespoon of bulk yeast and is interchangeable with one 0.6 ounce cake of compressed yeast. Active dry yeast is less perishable than the compressed cakes. Compressed yeast; must be refrigerated. If compressed yeast does not crumble between the fingers it is not good. Active dry yeast is perishable and is the cause of most bread making failure. Active dry yeast should be bought from a vendor with a good turnover and the expiration date should be strictly observed. The best place to keep unopened or well sealed packets of active dry yeast is in the FREEZER.  

• One cake of compressed yeast or 1 package of dry yeast is sufficient to raise as much as 8 cups of flour. However to decrease the rising time one may use as much as 1 tablespoon of active dry yeast to 3 cups of flour. If using added yeast the bread will rise quicker.  

• One point worth noting, is that if you are making a bread recipe calling for refrigerating the dough for any period, do not use a rapid rise yeast as it will breakdown when refrigerated. Regular yeast only should be used for refrigerated doughs.

•  1 package of yeast contains 1/4 ounce (7 g) or about 2 1/4 teaspoon.

• When recipe calls for 1/2 cake of compressed yeast use 1/2 packet of dry yeast

Bread

• A rib of celery in your bread bag will keep the bread fresh for a longer time. 

• Wrap in a plastic bag and store In refrigerator In a coffee can with a snap-on lid. 

Cakes

• Putting half an apple in the cake box will keep cake moist.

Celery and lettuce

• Store in refrigerator in paper bags instead of plastic. Leave the outside leaves and stalks on until ready to use.

Cheese

• Wrap cheese in a vinegar-dampened cloth to keep it from drying out.

Cocoa

• Store cocoa in a glass jar in a dry and cool place.

Cookies

• Place crushed tissue paper on the bottom of your cookie jar.

Cottage cheese

• Store carton upside-down. It will keep twice as long.

Garlic

• Garlic cloves can be kept in the freezer. When ready to use, peel and chop before thawing.

• Or, garlic cloves will never dry out if you store them in a bottle of cooking oil. After the garlic is used up, you can use the garlic­flavored oil for salad dressing.

Honey

• Put honey in small plastic freezer containers to prevent sugaring. It also thaws out in a short time.

Ice Cream

• Ice cream that has been opened and returned to the freezer sometimes forms a waxlike film on the top. To prevent this, after part of the ice cream has been removed press a piece of waxed paper against the surface and reseal the carton.

Lemons

• Store whole lemons in a tightly sealed jar of water in the refrigerator. They will yield much more juice than when first purchased.

Limes

• Store limes, wrapped in tissue paper, on lower shelf of the refrigerator.

Marshmallows

• They will not dry out If stored in the freezer. Simply cut with scissors when ready to use.

Milk

• Milk at room temperature may spoil cold milk, so don't pour milk back into the carton.

Olive oil

• You can lengthen the life of olive oil by adding a cube of sugar to the bottle.

Onions

• Wrap individually In foil to keep them from becoming soft or sprouting.

• Once an onion has been cut in half, rub the leftover side with butter and It will keep fresh longer.

Parsley

• Keep fresh and crisp by storing in a wide-mouth jar with a tight lid. Parsley may also be frozen.

Smoked meats

• Wrap ham or bacon in a vinegar-soaked cloth, then In waxed paper to preserve freshness.

Soda crackers

• Wrap tightly and store in the refrigerator.

Strawberries

• Keep in a colander in the refrigerator. Wash just before serving.

Vegetables with tops

• Remove the tops on carrots, beets, etc. before storing.

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Appliances
Blender
Breadboards
Burnt and scorched pans
Can opener
Cast.lron skillets
Clogged drains
Copper pots
Dishes
Dishwasher
Enamelware or casserole dishes
Fingerprints off the kitchen door and walls
Formica tops

Garbage disposal
Glassware
Grater
Meat grinder
Oven
Plastic cups, dishes and containers
Refrigerator
Sponges
Teakettle
Thermos bottle
Tin pie pans
Wooden Cutting Boards

Alcoholic beverages
Blood
Candle wax
Chewing gum
Chocolate and cocoa
Coffee
Crayon
Deodorants
Dye
Egg
Fruit and fruit juices
Grass
Grease, oil, tar

Ink-ball.polnt pen
Lipstick
Makeup on Towels
Meat Juices
Mildew
Milk, cream, ice cream
Nail polish
Paint
Perspiration
Rust
Scorch
Soft drinks
Tea
Wax

Alcoholic beverages

• Pre-soak or sponge fresh stains immediately with cold water, then with cold water and glycerin. Rinse with vinegar for a few seconds if stain remains. These stains may turn brown with age. If wine stain remains, rub with concentrated detergent; wait 15 minutes; rinse. Repeat if necessary. Wash with detergent in hottest water safe for fabric.

Blood

• Pre-soak in warm water at least 30 minutes. If stain remains, soak in lukewarm ammonia water (3 Tablespoons per gallon). Rinse. If stain remains, work in detergent, and wash, using bleach safe for fabric.

Candle wax

• Use a dull knife to scrape oft as much as possible. Place fabric between two blotters or facial tissues and press with warm iron. Remove color stain with non-flammable dry cleaning solvent. Wash with detergent in the hottest water safe for fabric. 

Chewing gum

• Rub area with ice, then scrape off with dull blade. Sponge with dry cleaning solvent; allow to air dry. Wash in detergent and hottest water safe for fabric. 

Chocolate and cocoa

• Pre-soak stain in cold or warm water. Wash in hot water with detergent. Remove any grease stains with dry cleaning solvent. If color remains, sponge with hydrogen peroxide, wash again. 

Coffee

• Sponge or soak with cold water as soon as possible. Wash, using detergent and bleach safe for fabric. Remove cream grease stains with non-flammable dry cleaning solvent. Wash again. 

Crayon

• Scrape with dull blade. Wash in hottest water safe for fabric, with detergent and 1-2 cups of baking soda. NOTE: If full load is crayon stained, take to cleaners or coin-op dry cleaning machines. 

Deodorants

• Sponge area with white vinegar. If stain remains, soak with denatured alcohol. Wash with detergent in hottest water safe for fabric. 

Dye

• If dye transfers from a non-colorfast item during washing, immediately bleach discolored items. Repeat as necessary BEFORE drying. On whites use color remover. CAUTION: Do not use color remover in washer, or around washer and dryer as it may damage the finish. 

Egg

• Scrape with dull blade. Pre-soak in cold or warm water for at least 30 minutes. Remove grease with dry cleaning solvent. Wash in hottest water safe for fabric, with detergent. 

Fruit and fruit juices

• Sponge with cold water. Pre-soak in cold or warm water for at least 30 minutes. Wash with detergent and bleach safe for fabric. 

Grass

• Pre-soak in cold water for at least 30 minutes. Rinse. Pre-treat with detergent. Wash, using detergent, hot water, and bleach safe for fabric. On acetate and colored fabrics, use 1 part of alcohol to 2 parts water. 

Grease, oil, tar

• Method 1: Use powder or chalk absorbents to remove as much grease as possible. Pre-treat with detergent or non­flammable dry cleaning solvent, or liquid shampoo. Wash in hottest water safe for fabric, using plenty of detergent.
• Method 2: Rub spot with lard and sponge with a non-flammable dry cleaning solvent. Wash in hottest water and detergent safe for fabric. 

Ink-ball.polnt pen

• Pour denatured alcohol through stain. Rub in petroleum jelly. Sponge with non­flammable dry cleaning solvent. Soak in detergent solution. Wash with detergent and bleach safe for fabric. 

Lipstick

• Loosen stain with a non-flammable dry cleaning solvent. Rub detergent in until stain outline is gone. Wash in hottest water and detergent safe for fabric. 

Makeup on Towels

• Pretreat with prewash stain remover or liquid laundry detergent. Launder in the hottest water safe for the fabric to help dissolve waxes and oils.

Meat Juices

• Scrape with dull blade. Pre-soak in cold or warm water for 30 minutes. Wash with detergent and bleach safe for fabric. 

Mildew

• Pre-treat as soon as possible with detergent. Wash. If any stain remains, sponge with lemon juice and salt. Dry in sun. Wash, using hottest water, detergent and bleach safe for fabric. NOTE: Mildew is very hard to remove; treat promptly. 

Milk, cream, ice cream

• Pre-soak in cold or warm water for 30 minutes. Wash. Sponge any grease spots with non-flammable dry cleaning solvent. Wash again. 

Nail polish

• Sponge with polish remover or banana oil. Wash. If stain remains, sponge with denatured alcohol to which a few drops of ammonia have been added. Wash again. Do - not use polish remover on acetate or triacetate fabrics. 

Paint

• Oil base: Sponge stains with turpentine, cleaning fluid or paint remover. Pre-treat and wash in hot water. For old stains, sponge with banana oil and then with non-flammable dry cleaning solvent. Wash again.
• Water base: Scrape off paint with dull blade. Wash with detergent in water as hot as is safe for fabric. 

Perspiration

• Sponge fresh stain with ammonia; old stain with vinegar. Pre-soak in cold or warm water. Rinse. Wash in hottest water safe for fabric. If fabric is yellowed, use bleach. If stain still remains, dampen and sprinkle with meat tenderizer, or pepsin. Let stand 1 hour. Brush off and wash. For persistent odor, sponge with colorless mouthwash. 

Rust

• Soak in lemon juice and salt or axolic acid solution (3 tablespoons oxalic acid to 1 pint warm water). A commercial rust remover may be used. CAUTION: HANDLE POISONOUS RUST REMOVERS CAREFULL Y. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. NEVER USE OXALIC ACID OR ANY RUST REMOVER AROUND WASHER OR DRYER AS IT CAN DAMAGE THE FINISH. SUCH CHEMICALS MA Y ALSO REMOVE PERMANENT PRESS FABRIC FINISHES. 

Scorch

• Wash with detergent and bleach safe for fabric. On heavier scorching, cover stain with cloth dampened with hydrogen peroxide. Cover this with dry cloth and press with hot iron. Rinse well. CAUTION: Severe scorching cannot be removed because of fabric damage. 

Soft drinks

• Sponge immediately with cold water and alcohol. Heat and detergent may set stain. 

Tea

• Sponge or soak with cold water as soon as possible. Wash using detergent and bleach safe for fabric.

Candle Wax on the Tablecloth 

• Remove hardened wax with a dull knife. Place stain facedown on paper towels. Tackle from the back with cleaning fluid or dry-cleaning solvent. Still there? Treat with a solution of 1 tablespoon mild white hand dish-washing liquid and 1 teaspoon household ammonia in 1 cup water. Then wash according to care label in the hottest water safe for the fabric.

Ballpoint ink marks
Basement floors
Blood on the rug
Candle drippings
Carpet Shampoo Recipe
Cleaning rugs
Dog stains
Dusting floors
Fix those loose linoleum edges
Flattened shag carpets
Floor polisher
Garage floors
Glue
Heel marks
Liven up your carpet

Quick shine
Repairing a burn
Repairing braided rugs
Rug care
Spilled grease
Spilled nail polish
Spills on the rug
Spot remover for outdoor carpeting
Stop squeaking floors
Tar spots
Unmarred floors
Varnished floors
What to do with new carpet
Wood floor care

Ballpoint ink marks

• Saturate the spots with hair spray. Allow to dry. Brush lightly with a solution of water and vinegar.

Basement floors

• Sprinkle sand on oily spots, let it absorb the oil, and sweep up.

Blood on the rug

• When you get blood on your rug, rub off as much as you can at first, then take a cloth soaked in cold water and wet the spot, wiping it up as you go. If a little bit remains, pour some ammonia onto the cool, wet cloth and lightly wipe that over the spot, too. Rinse it right away with cold water.
• Use silver polish to remove from vinyl tile or linoleum.

Candle drippings:

• For spilled wax on carpet, use a brown paper bag as a blotter and run a hot iron over it, which will absorb the wax.

Carpet Shampoo Recipe

• 1/2 cup Liquid Tide
  1/4 cup Clorox-2
  1/4 cup Vinegar (WHITE)  (if you have a bad odor use 1/2 cup)
  Add this to 1 - gallon of hot water in machine. If you need to pre-treat some areas you can mix this in a spray bottle and spray the area before you start.
• I also use CHEAP shaving cream for pre-treating stains. Just spray the foam on the stain and tap it in the carpet with an old toothbrush. Then let the shaving cream dry. I usually do this the night before since I have to rent a machine. That way I can just shampoo and get the machine back in a timely manner.
• To clean stains on a carpet: mix equal parts of vinegar, lemon juice and salt.

Cleaning rugs

• If the rug Is only slightly dirty, you can clean it with cornmeal. Use a stiff brush to work the cornmeal into the pile of the rug. Take it all out with the vacuum. 

Dog stains

• Blot up excess moisture with paper towel. Pour club soda on the spot and continue blotting. Lay a towel over the spot and set a heavy object on top in order to absorb all the moisture. 

Dusting floors

• Stretch a nylon stocking over the dust mop. After using, discard the stocking and you will have a clean mop.

Fix those loose linoleum edges

• Take a knife with some tile adhesive and work it under the loose part. Put a heavy weight, such as a big stack of books, over the whole area and keep it weighed down for the amount of time it says on the can of adhesive.

Flattened shag carpets

• Raise flattened spots in your carpeting where heavy furniture has stood by using a steam iron. Hold the iron over the spot and build up a good steam. Then brush up the carpet. 

Floor polisher

• When cleaning the felt pads of your floor polisher, place the pads between layers of newspaper and press with an iron to absorb built-up wax.

Garage floors

• In an area where a large amount of oil has spilled, lay several thicknesses of newspaper. Saturate the paper with water; press flat against the floor. When dry, remove the newspaper and the spots will have disappeared.

Glue

• Glue can be loosened by saturating the spot with a cloth soaked in vinegar. 

Heel marks

• Just take a pencil eraser and wipe them off.

Liven up your carpet

• Give your carpet a new lease on life. Sprinkle some salt on it right before you vacuum. The rug will be much brighter when you have finished vacuuming. 

Quick shine

• Put a piece of waxed paper under your dust mop. Dirt will stick to the mop and the wax will shine your floors.

Repairing a burn

• Remove some fuzz from the carpet, either by shaving or pulling out with a tweezer. Roll into the shape of the burn. Apply a good cement glue to the baking of the rug and press the fuzz down into the burned spot. Cover with a piece of cleansing tissue and place a heavy book on top. This will cause the glue to dry very slowly and you will get the best results.

Repairing braided rugs

• Braided rugs often rip apart. Instead of sewing them, use clear fabric glue to repair. It's that fast and easy.

Rug care

• When washing and drying foam-baked throw rugs, never wash in hot water, and use the "air only" dryer setting to dry. Heat will ruin foam. 

Spilled grease

• Rub floor with ice cubes to solidify grease. Scrape up excess and wash with soapy water.

Spilled nail polish

• Allow to almost dry, then peel off of waxed floors or tile.

Spills on the rug

• When spills happen, go to the bathroom and grab a can of shaving cream. Squirt It on the spot then rinse off with water. 

Spot remover for outdoor carpeting

• Spray spots liberally with a pre-wash commercial spray. Let it set several minutes, then hose down and watch the spots disappear.

Stop squeaking floors

• Just dust some talcum powder between the cracks and it should do the job. If you have really serious squeaking, it could be that you need to wedge in some slivers of wood to the underneath side.

Tar spots

• Use paste wax to remove tar from floors. Works on shoes, too.

Unmarred floors

• Put thick old socks over the legs of heavy furniture when moving across floors.

Varnished floors

• Use cold tea to clean woodwork and varnished floors.

What to do with new carpet

• Wait about three months before attempting to clean your new carpet. It needs that amount of time to spring up and keep its normal nap.

Wood floor care

• Never use water or water.based cleaners on wood floors. Over a period of time, warping and swelling will develop.

Aluminum window frames
Clean window sills
Cleaning screens
Cold weather window cleaning
Drying windows
Grease spots

loosening window panes
Numbered windows
Puttying windows
Window cleaning
Window shade tears

Aluminum window frames

• Use cream silver polish to clean aluminum window frames.

Clean window sills

• To remove spots on window sills, rub the surface with rubbing alcohol.

Cleaning screens

• For a thorough job, brush on both sides with kerosene. Wipe with a clean cloth. This method will also prevent rust from forming. Be s/Jre to dust the screens with a small paintbrush before you begin.

• For small jobs, rub a brush-type hair roller lightly over the screen and see how easily it picks up all the lint and dust.

Cold weather window cleaning

• Add 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol to the above mixture on cold days to prevent ice from forming on your windows.

Drying windows

• Dry the inside panes with up-and-down strokes, and the outside with back-and-forth motions to see which side has smudges.

Grease spots

• Any cola drink will remove grease spots from windows.

loosening window panes

• Dig through old putty with a very hot instrument to loosen a window pane.

Numbered windows

• When cleaning, painting or changing windows, number each with a ballpoint pen and put the corresponding number inside the proper window frame.

Puttying windows

• Mix some putty to match the woodwork before puttying windows.

Window cleaning

• Newspaper is much cheaper to use for drying freshly-washed windows then paper toweling.
• Dry the inside panes with up-and-down strokes, and the outside with back-and-forth motions to see which side has smudges.

Window shade tears

• Repair with colorless nail polish. This works wonders on small tears.

Chrome cleaning
Cigarette burns
Fantastic polish
Glass table tops
Grease stains
Leather upholstery
Marble table-top stains
Metal furniture
Plastic table tops

Polishing carved furniture
Removing paper that is stuck to a wood surface
Scratches
Solutions to remove white water rings & spots
To remove polish build-up
Vinyl upholstery
Wicker

Chrome cleaning

• For sparkling clean chrome without streaks, use a cloth dampened in ammonia.

Cigarette burns

• For small minor burns, try rubbing mayonnaise into the burn. Let set for a while before wiping off with a soft cloth.

• Burns can be repaired with a wax stick (available in all colors at paint and hardware stores). Gently scrape away the charred finish. Heat a knife blade and melt the shellac stick against the heated blade. Smooth over damaged area with your finger. But always consider the value of the furniture. It might be better to have a professional make the repair.

• Or, make a paste of rottenstone (available at hardware stores) and salad oil. Rub into the burned spot only, following the grain of the wood. Wipe clean with a cloth that has been dampened in oil. Wipe dry and apply your favorite furniture polish.

Fantastic polish

• Use 1/3 cup each linseed oil, turpentine and vinegar. Mix together and shake well. Apply with a soft cloth and wipe completely dry. Wipe again with another soft cloth. Do not dry or boil your own linseed oil - it is not the same. Buy it at a hardware store or paint store.

Glass table tops

• Rub in a little lemon juice. Dry with paper towels and shine with newspaper for a sparkling table.

• Toothpaste will remove small scratches from glass. 

Grease stains

Leather upholstery

• Prevent leather from cracking by polishing regularly with a cream made of 1 part vinegar and 2 parts linseed oil. Clean with a damp cloth and saddle soap.

Marble table-top stains

• Sprinkle salt on a fresh-cut lemon. Rub very lightly over stain. Do not rub hard or you will ruin the polished surface. Wash off with soap and water.

• Scour with a water and baking soda paste. Let stand for a few minutes before rinsing with warm water.

Metal furniture

• To remove rust, a good scrubbing with turpentine should accomplish this job.

Plastic table tops

• You will find that a coat of Turtle Wax is a quick pick-up for dulled plastic table tops and counters.
• Or, rub in toothpaste and buff.

Polishing carved furniture

• Dip an old soft toothbrush into furniture polish and brush lightly.

 

Removing candle wax from wooden finishes

• Soften the wax with a hair dryer. Remove wax-with paper toweling and wash down with a solution of vinegar and water.

Removing paper that is stuck to a wood surface

• Do not scrape with a knife. Pour any salad oil, a few drops at a time, on the paper. Let set for a while and rub with a soft cloth. Repeat the procedure until the paper is completely gone.
• Old decals can be removed easily by painting them with several coats of white vinegar. Give the vinegar time to soak in, then gently scrape off.

Scratches

• Make sure you always rub with the grain of the wood when repairing a scratch.
• Walnut: Remove the meat from fresh unsalted walnut or pecan nut. Break it in half and rub the scratch with the broken side of the nut.
• Mahogany: You can either rub the scratch with a dark brown crayon or buff with brown paste wax.
• Red Mahogany: Apply ordinary iodine with a number 0 artist's brush.
• Maple: Combine equal amounts of iodine and denatured alcohol. Apply with a Q-tip, then dry, wax and buff.
• Ebony: Use black shoe polish, black eyebrow pencil or black crayon.
• Teakwood: Rub very gently with 0000 steel wool. Rub in equal amounts of linseed oil and turpentine.
• Light-finished furniture: Scratches can be hidden by using tan shoe polish. However only on shiny finishes.
• For all minor scratches: Cover each scratch with equal amounts of white petroleum jelly. Allow it to remain on for 24 hours. Rub into wood. Remove excess and polish as usual.
• For larger scratches: Fill by rubbing with a wax stick (available in all colors at your hardware or paint store) or a crayon that matches the finish of the wood.

Soiled upholstery

• Rub soiled cotton upholstery fabric with an art gum eraser or squares (purchased at stationery store).

Three solutions to remove white water rings and spots

• Dampen a soft cloth with water and puf a dab of toothpaste on it. For stubborn stains, add baking soda to the toothpaste.

• Make a paste of butter or mayonnaise and cigarette ashes. Apply to spot and buff away.

• Apply a paste of salad oil and salt. Let stand briefly. Wipe and polish.

To remove polish build-up

• Mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/2 cup water. Rub with a soft cloth that has been moistened with solution, but not wrung out. Dry immediately with another soft cloth.

Vinyl upholstery

• Never oil vinyl as this will make it hard. It is almost impossible to soften again. For proper cleaning, sprinkle baking soda or vinegar on a rough, damp cloth, then wash with a mild dish washing soap. 

Wicker

• Wicker needs moisture, so use a humidifier in the winter.
• To prevent drying out, apply lemon oil occasionally.
• Never let wicker freeze. This will cause cracking and splitting.
• Wash with a solution of warm salt water to keep from turning yellow.

Bedroom Ironing
Clean machine
Clean work clothes
Creaseless garments
Faster Ironing
Freshen feather pillows
Final rinse
Hand-washed sweaters
Ironing board cover
Ironing embroidery
Ironing tip

Lint remover
Lintless corduroy
Remove creases from hems
Soiled collars
Spot removal
Too sudsy
Washer advice
Whiter fabric
Whitest socks

Bedroom Ironing

• A good place to iron is in the bedroom. Closets are nearby to hang clothes up immediately, and the bed makes a good surface on which to fold clothes and separate items into piles. 

Clean machine

• Fill your washer with warm water and add a gallon of distilled vinegar. Run the machine through the entire cycle to unclog and clean soap scum from hoses. 

Clean work clothes

• To your wash water, add '12 cup of household ammonia.

Creaseless garments

• Take an empty cardboard paper towel roll and cut through it lengthwise. Slip it over a wire hanger to prevent a crease from forming in the garment to be hung on the hanger. 

Faster Ironing

• Place a strip of heavy-duty aluminum foil over the entire length of the ironing board and cover with pad. As you iron, heat will reflect through to the underside of the garment 

Freshen feather pillows

• Put feather pillows in the dryer and tumble, then air outside. 

Final rinse

• Add a cup of white vinegar to the final rinse when washing clothes to make sure the alkalines in the soap are dissolved. 

Hand-washed sweaters

• Add a capful of hair cream rinse to the final rinse water when washing sweaters. 

Ironing board cover

• When washing your ironing board cover, attach it to the board while it is still damp. When it dries, the surface will be completely smooth.

• Starch your ironing board cover. This helps the cover stay clean longer. 

Ironing embroidery

• Lay the embroidery piece upside-down on a Turkish towel before ironing. All the little spaces between the embroidery will be smooth when you are finished. 

Ironing tip

• When pressing pants, iron the top part on the wrong side. Iron the legs on the right side. This gives the pockets and waistband a smooth look. 

Lint remover

• Add a yard of nylon netting to your dryer with the wet clothes - it will catch most of the lint. 

Lintless corduroy

• While corduroy is still damp, brush with clothes brush to remove aIl lint. 

Remove creases from hems

• Sponge material with a white vinegar solution and press flat to remove creases in hems. 

Soiled collars

• Use a small paintbrush and brush hair shampoo into soiled shirt collars before laundering. Shampoo is made to dissolve body oils. 

Spot removal

• Two parts water and one part rubbing alcohol are the basic ingredients in any commercial spot remover. 

Too sudsy

• When your washer overflows with too many suds, sprinkle salt in the water - the suds will disappear. 

Washer advice

• Button all buttons on clothing and turn inside out before putting into the washer. Fewer buttons will fall off and garments will fade less if turned inside out. 

Whiter fabric

• Linen or cotton can be whitened by boiling in a mixture of 1 part cream of tartar and 3 parts water. 

Whitest socks

• Boil socks in water to which a lemon slice has been added.

Bar soap
Bathroom fixtures
Bathroom tile
Bathroom Tub Stained Strip Whitener
Cleaning Fiberglass Shower
Cleaning shower doors
Dripping faucet
Easy bathroom cleaning
Medicine cabinet
Metal shower head
Plastic shower head
Porcelain cleaners
Removing film and scum

Rust stains
Rusty tile
Shower curtains
Shower mat tip
Sink cleaners
Steam-free mirror
Steamy bathrooms
Sweet-smelling bathroom
Yellowed bathtub

Bar soap

• Put the small bars in a glass jar and add a little bit of water to the jar. When the jar is full with soap, put it in a blender and liquefy until desired consistency. (You may have to add additional water). You can then put it in your bathroom in a soap dispenser and/or kitchen for hand washing. I even use it as a shower/bath liquid soap.

Bathroom fixtures

• Dip a cloth in kerosene or rubbing alcohol to remove scum from your bathroom fixtures.

Bathroom tile

• Rub ordinary car wax into your ceramic bathroom tiling to clean and refinish. Let it stand 10 minutes and buff or polish.

• Use a typewriter eraser to clean spaces between bathroom tiles.

Bathroom Tub Stained Strip Whitener

"This will whiten the stained strips on the bottom of the bathtub."

• Mix 1/2   cup  turpentine and 2 tablespoons  salt , then scrub the stained strips with this mixture. Rinse thoroughly.

Cleaning Fiberglass Shower

• Clean your fiberglass shower and tub by heating vinegar until hot (but not too hot to work with) and pouring it into a spray bottle. Spray the surface liberally, wait 10 to 15 minutes and scrub with a scrubbing sponge dipped in more hot vinegar and a little borax. Rinse well and dry. Heating the vinegar gives it more kick.

Cleaning shower doors

•  Rub glass shower doors with a white vinegar-dampened sponge to remove soap residue.

Dripping faucet

•  If the drip occurs during the night and you can't sleep, simply wrap a cloth around the opening of the faucet.

Easy bathroom cleaning

• Clean your bathroom after a steamy bath or shower. The walls, fixtures, etc., will be much easier to clean because the steam will have loosened the dirt.

Medicine cabinet

• It's a good idea to go through your medicine cabinet several times a year and throwaway medicines that are old or outdated. They could be dangerous.

Metal shower head

• To clean mineral deposits from a clogged shower head, boil it with half a cup of white vinegar and one quart of water for awhile.

Plastic shower head

• Soak a plastic shower head in a hot vinegar and water mixture to unclog it.

Porcelain cleaners

•  Lighter fluid will remove most dark, stubborn stains from sink and bathtub.

Removing film and scum

• Use a piece of very fine steel wool to remove film from the shower stall.

Rust stains

• Spread a paste of hydrogen peroxide and cream of tartar over the area, and add a few drops of ammonia. Let it stand for 2 or 3 hours.

Rusty tile

• Rust stains on tile can be removed with kerosene.

Shower curtains

• Before hanging shower curtains, soak them in a salt water solution to prevent mildew.

• To remove mildew on shower curtains, wash them in hot soapy water, rub with lemon juice, and let them dry In the sun.

Shower mat tip

•  Dip a stiff brush In a kerosene and warm Water solution to clean the bath mat.

Sink cleaners

• Light stains can often be removed by simply rubbing with a cut lemon.

• For dark stains, and especially rust, rub with a paste of borax and lemon juice.

Steam-free mirror

• If your medicine cabinet has two sliding mirrors, slide one side open before taking a bath or shower. After the bath, you'll have one clean mirror instead of two that are steamed and foggy.

Steamy bathrooms

• If you run about an inch of cold water before adding hot water to your bath, there will be absolutely no steam in your bathroom.

Sweet-smelling bathroom

• Place a fabric softener sheet in the wastepaper basket. Or, add a touch of fragrance by dabbing your favorite perfume on a light bulb. When the light is on, the heat releases the aroma.

Yellowed bathtub

• Restore whiteness to a yellowed bathtub by rubbing with a salt and turpentine solution.

All purpose Cleaner
Lacy Curtains
Leaky Vase
Rule to remember

All Purpose Cleaner

• Vinegar mixed with salt cleans: Copper, bronze, brass, dishes. pots, pans, skillets, glasses, windows. Rinse well.

Lacy Curtains

• To prevent lacy curtains from getting snagged on the rod, place a plastic sandwich bag over the end.

Leaky vase

• Fix a leaky vase by coating the inside with paraffin and letting harden.

Rule to remember

• Remember left is loose and right is tight (lefty loosey, righty tighty)

Baking soda for teeth
Broken lipstick
Cleaning combs and brushes
Cuticle treatment
Deodorant
Hair conditioner
Hair shiner

Homemade dry shampoo
Nail polish
Natural facial
Sunburn relief
Tired eyes
Your own manicure

Baking soda for teeth

• Baking soda instead of toothpaste does as good a job. It also works on dentures. 

Broken lipstick

• Hold a match under the broken ends until they melt enough to adhere to each other. Cool in the refrigerator. 

Cleaning combs and brushes

• A solution of baking soda and hot water cleans hair brushes and combs. 

Cuticle treatment

• Apply a mixture of equal parts of castor oil and white iodine to your cuticles every night. 

Deodorant

• To make your own pump-spray deodorant, just add 4 tablespoons of alum to 1 quart of water. Mix it up and put into a spray bottle. If you want a scent, add your favorite cologne. 

Hair conditioner

• Mayonnaise gives dry hair a good conditioning. Apply 1/2 cup mayonnaise to dry, unwashed hair. Cover with plastic bag and wait for 15 minutes. Rinse a few times before shampooing thoroughly. 

Hair shiner

• These hair rinses will remove soap film and shine hair: For blondes, rinse water containing a few tablespoons of lemon juice. For brunettes and redheads, a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in the rinse water. 

Homemade dry shampoo

• Mix together 1 tablespoon salt and- 1/2 cup cornmeal for your own homemade dry shampoo. Transfer to a larger-holed shaker, sprinkle it on oily hair lightly and brush out dirt and grime.

• Baby powder or cornstarch can also be used as dry shampoos. 

Nail polish

• Don't throwaway that gummy nail polish. Place the bottle in boiling water to bring it back to its original consistency. 395. Instead of storing the nail polish bottle right-side-up, put it on its side. Stir it up with the brush when you need some.

• Before you put on polish, put vinegar on your nails. It will clean them completely and help nail polish stick longer. 

Natural facial

• A good and inexpensive facial to try: mash half an avocado, spread thickly on face, and remove with warm water 20 minutes later. 

Sunburn relief

• A wonderful relief for sunburn pain is the application of mint-flavored milk of magnesia to the skin.

• Dab on some apple cider vinegar. The pinkness and pain will disappear.

• For a superbad burn, put on a paste of water and baking soda. 

Tired eyes

• Place fresh cold cucumber slices on your eyelids to rid them of redness and puffiness.

Your own manicure

• Soak your hands in warm water with lemon juice added. Take them out after about 8 minutes. Rub some lemon peel over the nails while you gently push back the cuticle. Then buff with a soft cloth.

Buttons
Dropped needles and pins
Patterns
Recycled elastic

Sewing machine oil
Sewing on nylon
Sharp machine needles
Threading needles

Buttons

• Coat the center of buttons with clear nail polish and they'll stay on longer.

• On a four-hole button, sew through two holes at a time, knotting the thread and tying off for each set of holes.

• Use dental floss or elastic thread to sew buttons on children's clothing. The buttons will take a lot of wear before falling off.

Dropped needles and pins

• Instead of groping around your floor for fallen needles and pins, keep a magnet in your sewing kit. Simply sweep it across your rug to pick up those strays.

Heavy seams

• Rub seams with a bar of soap to allow a sewing machine needle to easily pass through.

Patterns

• Instead of trying to fit used patterns back into their envelopes, store them in plastic bags.

• Keep patterns from tearing and wrinkle­free by spraying with spray starch.

Recycled elastic

• Remove elastic waistband from used pantyhose for use in other sewing projects.

Sewing machine oil

• Stitch through a blotter after oiling your sewing machine to prevent extra oil from damaging your garments. 

Sewing on nylon

• When repairing seams on nylon jackets or lingerie, make the job a lot simpler by placing a piece of paper underneath the section you are going to sew. Stitch through the fabric and paper. When finished, tear the paper off. 

Sharp machine needles

• Sharpen sewing machine needles by stitching through sandpaper.

Threading needles

• Apply some  hair spray to your finger and to the end of the thread, stiffening it enough to be easily threaded.

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