Housework Tips to Make Your Life Easier

Daily conversations can be shocked full of surprises. You are talking to your girlfriend and she happens to mention something she discovered that worked for her and made her life easier. These little tidbits of information just come and go. Well I’ve decided to write them down for myself and for you. Life, after all should be made just a little bit easier, don’t you think? Here are some household tips that will make your life a lot easier.

Tips For When You Are Cooking:

Do your eggs stick to your spatula? When you are measuring do the contents stay on the spoons? Does cheese stick in your grater? Well…..grab your can of vegetable spray and spray your spatula, your measuring spoons, your grater or any other utensil BEFORE using it with Vegetable Spray and things will not stick to your utensils.

Do you drop eggshells into the bowl when cracking eggs? We all do sometimes, it’s just something that is bound to happen. You stick your finger in and try to fish that stubborn piece out and the slippery little thing just keeps getting away. Well, believe it or not the best way to catch a broken piece of eggshell is with another larger piece of eggshell. You read that right….fish that eggshell piece out with a larger section of eggshell and it will attach itself like magic.

Is there a favorite soup that you really would love to eat but hate all the salt in it? Well, here is a little tip for you. Drop a peeled potato into the soup while you are heating up the soup. Remove the potato and throw it away. The soup will taste great.

Is your homemade soup or stew too greasy? Put a lettuce leaf on top of the soup or stew, remove and throw away the leaf, your soup or stew will be less greasy.

I learned this trick when I started baking with Bisquick. When you are baking cake, instead of using flour to dust the pans, use a little of the actual cake mix to dust the pans, this way you will not have flour on the outside of the cake after baking.

My grandmother told me this one when I was a little girl. When you are cooking on the stove and spill something. Sprinkle salt on the spilled liquid. Wait for your stove top to cool then just sweep the salt sprinkled mound into the waste can and the spill is all cleaned up. Works like a charm.

Do you have a very narrow bottle or vase that you cannot reach inside to clean? This is a sure fire tip that works. Place a small handful of uncooked rice, a small amount of dish liquid and water into the bottle or vase. Put your finger or thumb over the opening of the bottle or vase and shake for a while. Dump out the mix into a sink with a garbage disposal to dispose of it. Rinse your bottle or vase out; it should now be clean.

Cleaning Tips:

Clean your showerhead every 6 months – Fill a Ziploc Baggie half full of white vinegar. Place the Baggie over the showerhead and secure by tying or using a rubberband. Leave on for an hour. Remove baggie, and lightly brush. Your showerhead should look brand new and be totally unclogged.

Hard Water Stains – to remove these, soak a paper towel with white vinegar and lay on surface. Let sit for at least 15 minutes, and then brush with an old toothbrush until the stains are gone. Soak longer if needed.

Baby Wipes are not just for babies – I use them in the bathroom for quick clean ups. Put some into a Ziploc baggie and seal, throw into your purse or car glove compartment for handy clean ups.

Really stuck on food on dishes or pot? Fill with water and place a dryer sheet on top of the water, leave overnight. The dish or pot will wipe clean in the morning. Rinse well.

Misc. Tips:

During hot weather months keep frozen foods cold by keeping a cooler in your trunk. I use an insulated cooler, and the frozen foods are insulated and keep everything inside the cooler cold. If you have a regular cooler you will need to have an ice pack to put inside to keep the food cold. No one likes melted ice cream, so a cooler is a great item to take with you on shopping trips.

I do not know why this works, but if you want a really good smelling bathroom take your favorite perfume spray and spray the inside of the toilet paper roll, then replace the toilet paper roll and tada, the bathroom will smell really nice.

Do you grease muffin pans, cake pans? Well, start saving the wrappers from your margarine/butter. Instead of throwing them away, put them into a clean Ziploc baggie and seal. Place the baggie with saved wraps into the refrigerator until you need to grease a pan.

If you have to fry foods and hate the fried odor that can linger for days, leave a small cup of bleach on a kitchen counter (make sure it is far away from small hands). The bleach will absorb the fried odor as you make your food. Be sure to dispose of the bleach properly and keep out of reach of children and pets.

To clean the inside of your microwave, fill a microwave safe bowl with ½ cup of soapy water, heat on high for 2 minutes, carefully remove bowl and wipe clean with a damp cloth. To keep the microwave sweet smelling between uses, fill a small bowl with baking soda and place inside the microwave. Remember to take out the baking soda when using the microwave.

I do not chop onions anymore, I buy the kind already done for me in jars…however if you still chop and your eyes get watery and sting….here is a tip for you. It may look really funny and you will feel silly doing it. BUT, if you place a slice of bread in your mouth while chopping, you will not have any eye irritation. Try it!

OK, I’m all tipped out for now. Hope these tips will help make your life a little bit easier.