13 Time-Tested Household Tips and Tricks that Still Work Today
While raising seven children, I learned all sorts of wonderful tips and tricks from wise grandmothers who lived during very difficult financial times. They became experts in making the most of their time and money. By reusing things around the house and implementing a few of those same time-saving tips, I was amazed at how much more efficient our family could be and how even the smallest change could actually make housecleaning enjoyable and recipes tastier. How many of these wise and helpful household tips did you already know about?
1) If you need a last minute salad dressing, mix apple jelly and mayonnaise for a great addition to your greens without having to run to the store.
2) When cooking rice, adding just a tablespoon of lemon juice to the water at the same time you add the rice will keep it white as snow.
3) To keep your green houseplants looking glossy and clean, wipe the leaves with a soft cloth that’s been slightly dampened with milk.
4) To keep a bowl from slipping when using the mixer, cut a circle from a swatch of rubberized non-slip shelving (found at any of today’s dollar stores), to fit onto the bowl turntable of the mixer. It will keep the bowl from tipping and will help your ingredients mix more quickly.
5) To remove fresh grease spots from rugs and carpets, rub the spot with a heavy dose of dry baking soda and leave on overnight. In the morning, just vacuum it up. The baking soda will soak up the grease while you sleep.
6) To remove spilled or hardened candle wax from rugs or doilies, lay a paper towel over the wax, cover it with an old cotton rag, and iron it with a warm iron. It will melt the wax while the paper blots it up.
7) You can separate egg whites from egg yolks quickly by breaking your egg into a small funnel. The egg yolks won’t fall through the hole but the egg whites will.
8) To restore the crispness to your lace doily, cover it with wax paper (wax side down) with a soft cloth on top. Use a medium warm iron on the cloth and the wax will slightly coat your doily to give it form again.
9) To remove old wax and burned match particles from votive cups, line the bottom and sides of an old cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Turn the votives up-side-down and place in a warm oven at 150 – 200 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes. Then wash them with warm soapy water.
10) To place curtain tiebacks to an even height on both sides without measuring, pull the shade or blinds down to the spot the tiebacks will be mounted. Then use it as a marker.
11) To paint your steps, paint every other one so you can stand on the unpainted ones. Once the paint has dried, you can then stand on the dried steps to finish the job of painting the remaining ones.
12) To clean your kitchen grater, use a vegetable brush instead of snagging your dishcloth. It gets in the grooves better, too.
13) For a healthy addition to your cole slaw, include a few almond slivers and a little coconut to offer a new and zesty flavor while also making it even more nutritious.
