Tipnut's General Household Reference: Advice / Tips / Help
The art of homemaking has been one interest held in common by women past and present. We all want clean, efficiently run homes to shelter and nurture our families in.
Though most of us no longer steps out in the morning to sweep the front stoop and sidewalk, or pulls out the flour bin once the children are off to school to get the bread dough started, something within each of us desires to keep our homes and surroundings running smoothly.
Some of us live in magnificent surroundings, others more humble. Regardless of the property and value of contents, it's actually cleanliness and order that sweetens the environs. At one time a home in disarray and packed with too much stuff was considered a reflection of a disordered soul.
This website as a whole has catalogued a huge assortment of helpful information and notes of interest to today's homemaker. This particular category archives those that pertain to general housekeeping issues and neat-to-know information. There are some interesting takes from the past century, but most apply to contemporary times and issues...many quite creative and useful.
Topics
In This Archive
- Frugal Living
- General
- Kitchen Tips
- Organization
My top pick for wireless headphones, I use these to listen to music & catch up on podcasts while cleaning the house...they are comfy & so very affordable too!
It took me a long while, but I finally found it! This is the cookbook holder that beats all the rest. Protects pages, easy to wipe clean and folds down for tight storage.
Household Notes
Traditional Housewarming Gifts (& What They Symbolize)
Old Wives’ Tales For Homemakers
Conquering Silverfish: Simple Pest Maintenance You Can Do
Squeak! There’s A Mouse In The House! Here’s What To Do…
Fight & Control Pesky Houseflies With These Helpful Tips
77 Practical Uses For Baking Soda Around The House
12 Quick Tips For The Home: Tipnut’s Mailbag
Homemade Ant Killers: Recipes & Tips
Snap! Get Rid Of Wasps Easy As 1-2-3: Effective DIY Traps
A Nice Mix Of Handy Hints From Nearly A Century Ago
Oldies But Goodies: 25 Vintage Household Tips
ABC’s Of Decorating: Fundamentals & Rules
Brighten Rugs With Ammonia & More Tips From The Past
Dozens Of Helpful Notes & Advice From The 1950’s
17 Quick Notes & Tips For Efficient Housekeeping
Hiding Valuables – Sneakier Uses For Everyday Things
How To Train A Dog To Potty In One Spot: Yes It’s Possible!
Sweet Smelling Natural Moth Repellents: DIY Bugs-Be-Gone
Kitchen Tips
25 KitchenAid Stand Mixer Troubleshooting Helpers
The Nifty Wooden Spoon & A Little TLC Will Go A Long Way
Ready At A Moment’s Notice: Double Boiler In A Pinch
7 Ways To Loosen A Jar Lid That’s Stuck Tight
Important First Step: Safely Sterilizing Jars For Preserves
Kitchen Tip Quickies: 50+ Neat-To-Know Helpers & Hacks
How To Properly Measure Food Ingredients
Common Kitchen Questions & Their Answers
Cool Hack: Crush Garlic With A Rock & More
60+ Cookbook Notes From The 1930’s to 1960’s
Everything You Want To Know About Herbs & Spices
20 Money-Savers That Help Trim The Kitchen Budget
More Kitchen Tip Quickies: {From Readers & Bloggers}
18 Smart Ideas That Help Simplify & Organize Your Kitchen
Charming Vintage Kitchen Prayers, Poems & Stories
Thoughts On Keeping Recipes Sorted, Organized & Accessible
Fragrant Home: 15 Simmering Pot Recipes
Top 10 In This Category
- 10 Homemade Laundry Soap Detergent Recipes
- 16 Thrifty Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Recipes
- Homemade Ant Killers: Recipes & Tips
- Snap! Get Rid Of Wasps Easy As 1-2-3: Effective DIY Traps
- 20 Things You Can Use Twice Before Tossing
- Making A Coupon Organizer System To Save Money
- 25 KitchenAid Stand Mixer Troubleshooting Helpers
- Cost Cutters: How To Stretch Fabric Softeners & Dryer Sheets
- Squeak! There’s A Mouse In The House! Here’s What To Do…
- How To Train A Dog To Potty In One Spot: Yes It’s Possible!
When your bed sheets wear out, they can be folded in half and used to make pillow cases. Cut them to desired width, stitch two sides together and use the original hems.
Keep sparkle on the metal trim of handbags, metal compacts, brass buttons, silver earrings, belt buckles and any other metal objects that are difficult to spray with clear nail polish or a tarnish preventive.
Cut open old socks then sew together to make car wash cloths.
Test a stain remover first on a section under the hem of the garment to find out if it will affect the color of the fabric before using it.
Wear white cotton gloves sprayed with furniture polish to do your dusting.
Paint the steps of your stepladder and sprinkle clean sand on the paint before it dries, it will give the steps a non-skid surface.
When papering or painting a room, make a notation of the amount of material needed to do the job, and place the notation under the main light switch in that room. It won't get lost and it will save yourself a lot of extra work when the room is being painted again.
Save those slivers of toilet soap that are usually thrown away, save them until you have a handful. Soak them in water until they are soft then squeeze them together forming a large bar shaped mass. Let harden and you have an extra bar of bath soap in colors too.
When cleaning windows use one teaspoon vinegar, one teaspoon ammonia and fill small spray bottles with water, use newspapers to wipe windows, makes them shine.
For books that got damp or are musty, sprinkle baking soda on the pages and allow time to air out. If there's mildew on the paper you can rub the baking soda into the spots and lay out to bleach in the sun.
Use a clean paint brush to dust pleated lamp shades.
When wheel grease gets on children's clothes, rub lard on it to remove grease stains.
Remove stains in vases by filling with tea leaves and vinegar, shake or swoosh until stain disappears.
Coating the top of keys with different colors of nail polish will help to identify them quickly.
Make mittens from old towels and use to dust blinds.
Frugal Living
Household Budget Worksheets & Forms Found On The ‘Net
20 Tried & True Ways To Be A Savvy Grocery Shopper
Making Your Own Cotton Flannel Feminine Pads
11 Handy Ways To Reuse Newspaper Around The House
Tips For Stretching & Using Those Last Bits of Food
20 Things You Can Use Twice Before Tossing
Cashing Out Your Junk: Garage Sale Tips For Success
Making A Coupon Organizer System To Save Money
Sharpen Your Frugal Senses: Keep A Wish List
Once A Month Cooking: Helpful Notes & Resources
Stop Running To The Market To Cut Back On Spending
10 Homemade Laundry Soap Detergent Recipes
Cost Cutters: How To Stretch Fabric Softeners & Dryer Sheets
16 Thrifty Homemade Dishwasher Detergent Recipes
Organization
DIY Holiday Storage Solutions: {Projects & Tips}
How To Fold Towels, Sheets & More: {Handy Reference}
Inspiration & Help: Ultimate Sewing & Craft Rooms
Nifty Meal Planners To Make (or Print)
Beware Of Junk Bunkers: For Packrats Only
Handy Storage Gear Items To Make For The Home
12 Simple Ways To Smooth Out Your Mornings
Get Back On Track: Mastering A Messy Home
Household Inbox System For Bills & Home Management
Putting Old Biscuit Tins To Good Use
Household Notebook Inspiration, Resources & Ideas
Apothecaries:
1 scruple = 20 grains
1 dram = 3 scruples
1 ounce = 8 drams
1 pound = 12 ounces
Dry Measure:
2 pints = 1 quart
4 quarts = 1 gallon
2 gallons = 1 peck
4 pecks = 1 bushel
Liquid Measure
4 gills = 1 pint
2 pints = 1 quart
4 quarts = 1 gallon
63 gallons = 1 hogshead
2 hogsheads = 1 pipe or butt
2 pipes = 1 tun
How To Fold A Pocket Handkerchief:
Nothing is quite so essential to giving a man that well-turned-out appearance as a crisply four-folded white handkerchief tucked into his breast pocket.The same fancy fold comes in handy many times in women's dress as well, to add a touch of white or other color.
Here's how it's done:
Fold handkerchief diagonally forming a triangle with the base toward you. First corner is at left, as shown.
Bring top part of corner No. 2 down and lay it beside No. 1.
Bring corner No. 3 over and lay it beside No. 2.
Bring corner No. 2a (the one remaining) down and lay it beside No. 3.
Fold the extra part left after the last fold to the underneath. It may be necessary to fold twice to conceal it behind the part that shows. Then fold the extra length under. Again it may be necessary to fold twice.
Tuck the handkerchief with points up neatly into pocket. Source: The WorkBasket, 1955
Makeshift Measurers: It seems I find myself forever in need of a measuring stick...
I finally learned to measure the length of my index finger (3 inches), hand (7 inches), and elbow to middle fingertip (16 inches).
Also helpful is the measurement of your shoe and your outstretched arms, fingertip to fingertip.
The Judge kept a belt with every 2 inches marked off on the inside. (Still my favorite way to measure.)
A quarter is 1 inch in diameter.
A penny is 3/4 inch.
Source: Mrs. Dunwoody's Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping: Timeless Wisdom & Practical Advice / Miriam Lukken
Square Measure:
1 square foot = 144 inches
1 square yard = 9 square feet
1 square rod = 30 1/4 square yards = 272 1/4 square feet
1 acre = 160 square rods = 43,560 square feet
1 square mile = 640 acres = 102,400 square rods
1 square rod = 625 square links
1 square chain = 16 square rods
1 acre = 10 square chains
Children In The Home (from 1950's source)
Always greet the members of your family when you enter and always bid them goodbye when you leave.
Always rise to a standing position when visitors enter, and greet them after your elders.
Never address a visitor until he has started the conversation unless he is a person of your own age or younger.
Never interrupt a conversation. Wait until the party talking has finished.
Always rise when your visitor or your elders stand.
Never let your mother or your father bring you a chair or get one for themselves. Wait on them instead of being waited on.
If you leave or cross the room you should say "Excuse me."
If a visitor should say, "I am glad to have seen you," you should say, "Thank you."
Never run up and down the stairs or across the room.
Talk in a low, even voice. It denotes refinement.
Always give way to the younger child. It is your duty to look after them instead of fretting them.
Never retire without bidding the members of your family good night.
Follow these suggestions and you will assist in making the members of your family happy as well as in benefiting them in many other ways.
No calendar on hand? Here's an easy way to determine which months have 31 days & which have 30:
Count the months on your knuckles & the grooves between your knuckles. Leave out your thumb knuckle.
Every month that lands on a knuckle is 31 days, every month that lands on a groove between them is 30 days (or 28 for February).
Starting with your forefinger's knuckle:
1st knuckle: Jan (31 days)
Groove: Feb (28 or 30 days)
2nd: March (31 days)
Groove: April (30 days)
3rd: May (31 days)
Groove: June (30 days)
4th: July (31 days)
Returning to first knuckle (the forefinger, remember--skip the thumb)
1st Knuckle: August (31 days)
Groove: September (30 days)
2nd: October (31 days)
Groove: November (30 days)
3rd: December (31 days)
Instead of moving right to left by starting with your forefinger, you could also start with your pinkie's knuckle and move left to right. Still works out the same.
Cheat Sheet: Grammar In Rhyme
Three little words you often see,
Are articles - a, an, and the.
A Noun's the name of any thing,
As school, or garden, hoop, or swing,
Adjectives tell the kind of Noun,
As great, small, pretty, white, or brown.
Instead of Nouns the Pronouns stand-
Her head, his face, your arm, my hand.
Verbs tell of something to be done-
To read, count, sing, laugh, jump, or run.
How things are done, the adverbs tell,
As slowly, quickly, ill, or well.
Conjunctions join the words together-
As men and women, wind or weather.
The Preposition stands before
A Noun, as in, or through a door.
The Interjection shows surprise,
As oh! how pretty-ah! how wise.
The whole are called Nine Parts of Speech,
Which reading, writing, speaking, teach.
Source: Dr. Chase's Recipes, 1863