Quick Household Tips & Resources

Here’s a mix of tips, resources and projects from Tipnut, other bloggers and from Tipnut readers…

• You can clean a curling iron by mixing 1/4 cup warm water and 1 TBS liquid fabric softener. Wash with a clean cloth, the hairspray and gunk should wipe right off. Use a q-tip for hard to get at spots.
• You can clean a coffee grinder out by grinding up a handful of uncooked white rice.
• Freshen a thermos by first filling it with 1/4 cup vinegar or baking soda, then top with hot water. Soak for an hour then wash out.
• PaperBack Swap: If owning your own copy of a book is your thing and the library just doesn’t do it for you, here’s an online service that can help cut costs on book buying.
• 20 Extraordinary Uses for Old Pantyhose: When your pantyhose have runs and tears in them, don’t throw them away. Someone somewhere will have a use for them. Here are twenty useful ways to recycle them.
• Tips For Better Handwriting: It will take time to re-train muscles and learn new habits. Finger-writing isn’t fatal, but it is slow and often painful (if you have to write much). The first thing you must have (beg, buy, borrow or steal it) is patience and gentleness with yourself. The second requirement is determination.
• DIY – How to Turn a Wine Bottle Into a Vase or Votive: How pretty!
• How To Clean Leather: Leather can be tricky to clean, which is why it’s never a bad idea to take it to a professional. But can you safely clean it yourself? Absolutely. Here’s what you need to know.
• Identity Theft Tips Resource Page: The list includes things like a financial record sheet to track account numbers for credit cards and bank accounts so you have them handy in case of theft, a call sheet listing the phone numbers of different agencies to call if you fear your information has been compromised in some way, different computer firewalls, anti-virus programs and password keepers to use when online, as well as plenty of government reports and pages to read and educated yourself to protect against identity theft.
• If you purchase a new bike for your child, place their picture inside the handle bar before placing the grips on. If the bike is stolen and later recovered, remove the grip and there is your proof who owns the bike. (Tip sent in by Ann, thank you!)
• Do you want to get rid of gum out of your hair? Just rub some peanut butter through your hair for 5 minutes and roll the the gum through your fingers while doing it and it’ll roll it self out. Use a comb afterwards to get rid of the rest of the gum. Use more peanut butter if needed. Wash hair well after. (Tip sent in by Nathalie, thanks!)
• Sour smelling lunchboxes and bags can be cleaned out by opening the lunchbox and sprinkling a heavy layer of baking soda on both sides. Lay open overnight and then wash in hot water with dish soap. You can also pour some vinegar in the lunchbox and close it overnight. (Tip sent in by Tracey, thanks!)

*Some of the above were previously published on Tipnut and moved here, comments have also been moved & all bookmarks will forward here.

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