Vinegar, salt and baking soda are excellent for everything from cooking to personal body cleansing. My mom used these three items for so many things around the house. I remember that she added vinegar to water and showed me how to clean windows with crumpled newspaper. I was never very good at it, but as an adult have found that this method works very well with cheap paper towels.
I asked for vinegar tips and received one I was not familiar with, from someone in my networking circle. Many thanks Simone. See On the Job - Make the Most of Networking Events.
Put some vinegar in bowls when you are having company and the vinegar will get rid of cigarette smoke.
Simone Kelly-Brown
President/CEO Gots To Have It Marketing, Inc.
http://www.gotstohaveit.com/
I had not heard of this, but think it is a great idea. If you are have a party I suggest buying 6 or so clear bowls from a dollar store and putting colored stones in the bowls, then fill the bowls with vinegar. This is colorful and practical.
Try these household hints:
Uses for Salt
- Keep salt near the stove in case of a grease fire.
- Before washing a very greasy pan pour salt in pan and wipe with a paper towel.
- Clean coffee stains from aluminum coffee pots and porcelain coffee cups by rubbing a little salt on stain.
- Pour salt on fabric with a new grease spot on the salt and it will soak up some of the grease. Then scrub new salt gently into fabric and rinse before laundering.
- Soak new pantyhose in a salt bath, they are less likely to run.
- When little ones are ill, they often throw up. Sprinkle salt and let it sit for 5 minutes. It will help to absorb the mess and the odor.
- Salt can be used as an emergency tooth paste and gargle solution. Do not swallow--follow up with cold water rinse. Do not do this if you suffer from high blood pressure.
- Pour salt followed by scalding hot water down your kitchen drains every week to keep drains fresh and unclogged.
- When making potato salad with hard cooked eggs, boil the eggs in salted water and you won't have a problem peeling them.
- Clean your copper molds or pans with paste of vinegar and salt.
Uses for Vinegar
- One tablespoon of vinegar added to your pastry dough makes it flakier.
- When making cabbage add a little vinegar to the water. This will cut down on the heavy cabbage odor.
- Vinegar was kept on the kitchen table along with the salt and black pepper and used the way lemon juice is used. My dad sprinkled a little on fried fish or any kind of cooked greens. He also swore by a little apple cider vinegar added to cold water to drink when he was working in his garden in back of his barber shop.
- Add a little vinegar to your rinse water to remove water spots make your water glasses sparkle.
- Adding vinegar to your final rinse water when washing your hair, will help to remove any remaining oils.
- Clean your thermos coffee cup or bottle by using a ratio of 3/4 warm water to 1/4 vinegar, cover and shake to clean. If necessary, add dried beans or rice and shake again to coax dried matter from thermos. Allow thermos to dry.
Uses for Baking Soda
- Add a cup baking soda to your bath to calm you down and sooth and smooth your nerves and skin.
- If you run out of toothpaste, moisten your tooth brush and put baking powder on it to clean your teeth and freshen your breath.
- Baking soda works as a quick substitute deodorant.
- Baking soda will quickly put out a small fire.
- When you have cleaned your kitchen, use a cloth placed in warm water and several tablespoons of baking powder to make everything smell fresher.
- Keep open boxes of baking powder in the fridge and in the bottom of the trash can (you can still place the plastic bag in the can).
- Put baking soda in a salt shaker and keep near your shoes. Before putting the shoes away, freshen them up by sprinkling baking soda in them. This is especially effective for sneakers and running shoes.
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