The Homemaker’s Guide to Easy Home Solutions

Whether you’re a homemaker or a full-time working mom, you don’t have the time to spend taking care of an entire household. Here are some shortcuts to taking care some of life’s common problems around the house. They’re so easy; you’ll wonder why you never thought of them before!

Lipstick stains on shirts is a problem most women have come into contact too. While it may seem impossible to get the makeup stain out, all you need is a little petroleum jelly. Put a dab of it on the stain and let it set for five minutes. Make sure the fabric is washable (i.e. cotton or rayon) and then throw the garment in the wash in your washer’s normal setting. Your shirt should come out looking like it did before the stain. Why it works: Petroleum jelly contains glycerin, which can gently break down oil-based stains without compromising the fabric.

If you wooden tables, then you’re familiar with those ugly water stains that come about after a cold beverage has been placed atop its surface. To make the unsightly rings disappear, rub Ã?½ teaspoon of mayonnaise directly onto the stains and let the condiment rub sit overnight. The following day, wipe the mayonnaise away with a clean, damp wipe. Why it works: Mayo absorbs the water from the marks, thus making them easily vanish.

Sweaters are great for cold weather but getting them to keep their shapes can be tricky. If you’ve somehow shrunken your sweater, you may be able to make it grow. Place the garment in a sink filled with lukewarm water. Pour in a Ã?½ cup of hair conditioner (any will do). Let the sweater soak for 10 minutes. Fish it out and lay it flat on a towel to dry. As you shape it on the towel, give the sweater a few tugs all the way around. Why it works: The oils that hair conditioner contains soften the sweater’s knit fibers which help them to stretch back to its original shape.

Cleaning drapes can be a chore in a half. To clean them less often and keep them extra, lightly spray them with starch. Why it works: Starch works to harden fabric, which helps repel grease and dust from clinging to your drapes.

Cleaning the fireplace is a dirty job any way you look at it, but you don’t have to breathe in the sooty material every time you do the chore. Break open used tea bags over the fireplace when you’re ready to clean. Why it works: The damp tea leaves clump the flaky ash particles together which keep them from rising up into your nose, causing you to cough.