Avoid eating ordinary table salts, they have a chemical added to make it white. Table salt also has an acidic effect on the body and causes many maladies including high blood pressure and heart dis-ease. Substitute with sea salt which is alkaline and contains many essential minerals. Soak stained fabrics in salt water before washing. Sprinkle salt on your shelves to keep ants away. Put a few grains of rice in your salt shaker for easier pouring. Add salt to green salads to prevent wilting. Clean your greens in salt water for easier removal of dirt. Test the freshness of eggs in a cup of salt water; fresh eggs sink; bad ones float. Add a little salt to your boiling water when cooking eggs; a cracked egg will stay in its shell this way. A tiny pinch of salt with egg whites makes them beat up fluffier. Soak wrinkled apples in a mildly salted water solution to perk them up. Rub salt on your pancake griddle and your flapjacks won't stick. Soak toothbrushes in salt water before you first use them; they will last longer. Use salt to clean your discolored coffee pot. Soak nuts in salt brine overnight and they will crack out of their shells whole. Just tap the end of the shell with a hammer to break it open easily. Boil clothespins in salt water before using them and they will last longer. Clean brass, copper and pewter with paste made of salt and vinegar thickened with flour. Add a little salt to the water your cut flowers will stand in for a longer life. Pour a mound of salt on an ink spot on your carpet; let the salt soak up the stain. Clean your iron by rubbing some salt on a damp cloth on the ironing surface. Adding a little salt to the water when cooking foods to make the food cook faster. Use a mixture of salt and lemon juice to clean piano keys. To fill plaster holes in your walls, use equal parts of salt and starch, with just enough water to make a stiff putty. Rinse a sore eye with a little salt water. Mildly salted water makes an effective mouthwash. Use it hot for a sore throat gargle. Dry salt sprinkled on your toothbrush makes a good tooth polisher. Use salt to kill weeds in your lawn. Eliminate excess suds with a sprinkle of salt. A dash of salt enhances the taste of tea. Salt improves the taste of cooking apples. Soak your clothesline in salt water to prevent your clothes from freezing to the line. Rub wicker furniture with salt water to prevent yellowing. Freshen sponges by soaking them in salt water. Add raw potatoes to stews and soups that are too salty. Soak enamel pans in salt water overnight and boil salt water in them the next day to remove burned-on stains. Gelatin sets more quickly when a dash of salt is added. Fruits put in mildly salted water after peeling will not discolor. Fabric colors hold fast in a salty water wash. Use equal parts of salt and soda for brushing your teeth. Sprinkle salt in your oven before scrubbing clean. Soaked discolored glass in a salt and vinegar solution to remove stains. Clean greasy pans with a paper towel and salt. Salty water boils faster. Add a pinch of salt to whipping cream to make it whip more quickly. Sprinkle salt in milk-scorched pans to remove odor. A dash of salt improves the taste of coffee. Salt and baking soda will sweeten the odor of your refrigerator. Cover wine-stained fabric with salt; let sit, then rinse in cool water. Remove offensive odors from stove with salt and cinnamon. A pinch of salt improves the flavor of cocoa. To remove grease stains in clothing, mix one part salt to four parts rubbing alcohol. Salt and lemon juice removes mildew. Sprinkle salt between sidewalk bricks where you don't want grass or weeds to grow. Polish your old kerosene lamp with salt for a brighter look. Remove odors from sink drainpipes with a strong, hot solution of salt water. If a pie bubbles over in your oven, put a handful of salt on top of the spilled juice. The mess won't smell and will bake into a dry, light crust which will wipe off easily when the oven has cooled. |
teeth will be whiter without expensive pastes. Use it instead of mouthwash. Soak your toothbrush in a cup of peroxide to help kill germs. Clean your counters and table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Place a little on your dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters. After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria. To fight athlete's foot fungus, spray a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water between and under the toes every night and let dry. Soak infected skin wounds in 3% peroxide for five to ten minutes several times a day. Even gangrene can be through peroxide soaks. Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system like bleach or most other disinfectants. Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture whenever you have a cold or plugged sinuses. It will bubble and help to kill the bacteria. Hold for a few minutes then blow your nose into a tissue. If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right away, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for ten minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly. If you like a natural look to your hair, spray the 50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You will not have the peroxide burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages, but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, reddish, or dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually so it's not a drastic change. Put half a bottle of peroxide in your bath water to help rid boils, fungus or other skin infections. 12. You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary. 13. Use peroxide to clean glass and mirrors. |
ball or plug in applicators created for this use. Place in areas you want to freshen. Be aware that most aerosol and plug in air fresheners contain toxic ingredients. Ant Repellent: Place a few drops of pennyroyal essential oil on a cotton ball. Place wherever ants have been seen. Carpet Deoderizer: 1 cup baking soda 20 drops of any non-resinous essential oil Mix together, sprinkle of carpets, leave for 10 minutes, then vacuum. Check for color fastness and do not use on wet carpets. Clogged Drains: 1 cup salt 1 cup baking soda 1/4 ounce lemon essential oil Pour all into the drain, followed by a kettle of boiling water. Clothes Dryer : Most everyone knows that to prolong the use of your clothes dryer, you should clean the lint filter after each load. However, what most don't know is that the dryer sheets used to prevent static cling cause an invisible film over the filter mesh which prevents proper air flow. One result is a burnt out heating unit, which can be very pricey. Worse yet, clogged filters can make the dryer overheat and catch on fire. At least every six months, wash the filter with hot soapy water, lightly scrubbing with a toothbrush. A clean filter can double the life of your dryer and also helps reduce your electric bill. Disinfectant: 50/50 Rubbing alcohol and water Envelope Reopening: If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily. Eyeglass Screws: To prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of clear nail polish to the threads of the screws before tightening them. Fabric Softener: 1/2 cup white vinegar 20 drops lavender essential oil Add to the final rinse cycle while washing. Floor Cleaner: Mop floors using a mixture 50/50 water and vinegar. For added strength, include a drop of natural dish soap. Lemon juice can be added, leaving a fresh smell. Fruit Flies: To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass and add a half inch off Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid. Mix well. You will find flies drawn to the cup and gone forever! Flies: Fill a sandwich bag about one third with water. Add 3-5 pennies and hang in areas where flies are a problem. Furniture Polish for Wood: 2 tsp white vinegar 1T olive oil 3 drops lemon essential oil 1 1/2 cups water Warm this mixture and apply to wood in small amounts, then rub with a soft cloth. Garbage Disposal Make ice cubes with a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water. Place the ice cubes in the disposal to eliminate food smells. Add a lemon for a fresh scent. Hard Floor Cleaner: 1 cup white vinegar 1 gallon warm water 10 drops or more of your favorite citrus essential oils Be sure to check the manufacturer's instructions to see if you can use pure essential oils first! Laundry: Add baking soda or vinegar to each load to help brighten clothes. Measuring Cups: Before pouring sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don't dry the cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes out. Mice: If you need to keep mice and other rodents away. Use pure peppermint oil (not extract). Place a few drops on cotton balls and place in areas where they come in. You can also place a quart of water and a few drops of peppermint oil in a spray bottle and spray around baseboards and corners. The oil can be purchased at health food stores or online. It's cheaper than an exterminator and safer than traps and poisons. It will not hurt pets and has a refreshing aroma. Mineral Deposit Remover: Fill distiller or tea pot with hot water. For every gallon of water, add 1 cup of white vinegar. Boil for about 20 minutes. Cool and rinse. Rust Remover: Saturate an abrasive sponge with Coca Cola and scrub the rust stain. The phosphoric acid in the coke is what gets the job done. I hope this makes you wonder what it does to your intestinal track! Scouring Powder: Use either baking soda or bon ami to scrub dirty surfaces. Shaving Lotion: Use hair conditioner or build up a lather with soap to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair. Spray Cleaner: 6 ounces distilled water 2 ounces denatured alcohol 1/4 tsp lemon, lime or grapefruit essential oil 10 drops tea tree oil The oils have strong anti bacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. Static Cling: Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Toilet Bowl Spray Cleaner: 2 T. white vinegar (dissolves mineral buildup) 1/2 tsp orange essential oil 1/2 tsp grapefruit essential oil 1 cup distilled water The oils loosen grime and give a fresh, clean scent. Vacuum: To get something out of a heat register, under the fridge or other tight places, add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to the end of your vacuum nozzle. It can be bent or flattened to get between narrow openings. Weeds: After planting and working nutrients in the soil, wet newspapers and place in layers around the plants, overlapping as you go. Cover with mulch and forget about weeds. They will get through some gardening plastic but they will not get through wet newspapers. Window Cleaner: Make windows sparkle by cleaning with 1/4 xcup of white vinegar per quart of water. Windshield Fog: Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth! |
| Household and Health Tips |
| Theresa and Ditoh's Adventures ! T.A.D.A! |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
vinegar, down the drain. Let sit for at least 5 minutes, then rinse with hot water. 2. Deodorize the garbage disposal: Make ice cubes out of vinegar. Run the disposal with a few vinegar ice cubes and cold water. 3. Clean countertops: Wipe down surfaces with a rag dipped in vinegar. 4. Clean the fridge: Use a mixture of half water, half vinegar to wipe down the interior shelves and walls. 5. Remove soap build-up and odors from the dishwasher: Once a month, pour 1 cup of vinegar into an empty dishwasher and run the machine through its entire cycle. 6. Bust oven grease: If you've got grease spots on the oven door, pour some vinegar directly on the stains, let it sit for 15 minutes, and wipe away with a sponge. 7. To make old glassware sparkle: To get rid of the cloudy effect, wrap a vinegar-soaked towel around the glass and let it sit. Remove and rinse with hot water.
vinegar and let it boil. Allow it to cool, and rinse with water.
vinegar and salt (or in lieu of salt, baking soda) and scrub gently before rinsing. 10. Treat Tupperware stains (and stinkiness): Wipe the containers with a vinegar-saturated cloth. 11. Remove stains on aluminum pots: Boil 1 cup vinegar and 1 cup water. 12. Deter ant infestations: Spray outside doorways and windowsills, and anywhere you see a trail of critters. 13. Clean can openers: Scrub the wheel of your can opener with vinegar using an old toothbrush. 14. Remove stickers or labels: Cover the sticker with a vinegar- soaked cloth. Let it sit overnight-it should slide right off by morning. 15. Shine porcelain sinks: A bit of vinegar and a good scrub should leave them sparkling. 16. Clean grout: Pour on some vinegar, let it hang out for a few minutes, and buff with an old toothbrush. 17. Clean the shower door: Spray them down with vinegar pre- shower, or post (after you've squeegeed the glass) to remove hard water deposits. 18. Clean a grimy showerhead: To get rid of scum, fill a Ziploc with ½ a cup of baking soda and 1 cup vinegar and tie it around the showerhead. Let it sit for an hour, until the bubbling has stopped. Remove the bag and run the shower. 19. Make a toilet sparkle: Pour in a cup or two of vinegar and let it sit there overnight before scrubbing with a toilet brush. 20. Polish linoleum floors: Add 1 cup of vinegar for every gallon of water you use to wash the floor. 21. Clean paintbrushes: Soak paintbrushes for an hour before simmering them on the stove to remove hardened paint. Drain and rinse. 22. Clean grills: Spray vinegar on a ball of tin foil, then use it to give the grate a firm scrub. 23. Disinfect wood cutting boards: Wipe down wood boards with a wash of vinegar. 24. Clean the microwave: Fill a microwave-safe bowl with 2 cups water and ½ cup vinegar. Heat it on full power for 3-4 minutes until it comes to a boil. Keep the door closed for a few minutes longer to let the steam fill the microwave, loosening the grime. Remove the bowl (carefully!) and wipe down interior walls with a sponge. 25. Polish patent leather accessories: Give them a rub with a vinegar- soaked cloth. Buff with a dry cloth. |