Cheaper, Better, Faster (6 page)

Shellac

Clean paintbrushes of shellac and shellac-base products with rubbing alcohol.

Shower and bathtub

Use a garden watering can to pour clean rinse water on tub or shower walls. The water will go where you'd like it to go because you'll have more control than if you were using the showerhead.

Shower curtain watermarks

Having trouble getting those filmy water spots off your shower curtain? Fill your washing machine with warm water, liquid detergent as you would for any load, and 1 capful of liquid fabric softener at the beginning of the wash cycle. Add fabric softener again in the rinse cycle. Your shower curtain will come out sparkling with not a water spot in sight.

Shower doors—soap scum

Apply a dab of ordinary cooking oil to a damp sponge and use it to remove soap scum from your shower doors. Rinse the doors well. Cooking oil will also prevent soap scum buildup.

Shower doors—tracks

To clean the shower door tracks, fill them with white vinegar and allow them to soak a few hours. Scrub them with an old toothbrush. Flush
the tracks with hot water to rinse away the gunk.

Showerhead
clog

A showerhead really mired in sediment that can't be completely removed with vinegar needs a heavy-duty treatment. Dissolve a denture-cleaning tablet in a plastic bag full of water. Tie the bag over the showerhead so it is immersed in the liquid. Secure the bag with a rubber band or twist tie. After several hours remove the bag and turn on the shower to clear all traces of sediment.

Silk flowers

Want to freshen up silk flowers? Pour
½
cup of raw white rice into a paper bag. Add your silk flowers. Close the bag and shake for a couple of minutes. Carefully remove the flowers, making sure the rice stays in the bag. Your flowers will come out dust-free and looking like new.

Silver polishing

Polishing silver while wearing rubber gloves promotes tarnish. Instead, choose plastic or cotton gloves.

Silver tarnish

Place a piece of aluminum foil, shiny side up, on the bottom of a glass bowl or pan. Fill the container with boiling water and a few teaspoons of baking soda. Drop silver pieces into this bath, making sure they touch the foil, and the tarnish will disappear.

Silverware

To remove stubborn stains from your good silverware, rub the utensils with a clean cloth that has been dipped in wet salt.

Sink stains

To remove mineral deposits caused by a dripping faucet, place a slice of lemon on the area and leave it there overnight. The next day, remove the lemon and wipe the area clean.

Sink-stopper leaks

To stop water from leaking out of the kitchen sink while you're doing dishes, put a piece of plastic wrap between the drain and the drain stopper. This is also a handy trick to remember if you're soaking something overnight.

Sponges—freshen and
disinfect

Easily freshen and disinfect your sponges by putting them in the dishwasher along with all the dirty dishes. Clip them to the top shelf to keep them from falling to the bottom and getting scorched on the heating element.

Sponges—sudsy scrubbers

Cut a slit in the side of a sponge and place soap slivers inside to make a sudsy scrubber.

Stainless steel sinks

(1) Rub stainless steel sinks with olive oil on a soft cloth to remove unsightly streaks; (2) Remove streaks or heat stains from stainless steel by rubbing with club soda; (3) Pour some baking soda on a sponge to scour a stainless steel sink; it is nonabrasive; (4) Remove hard-water spots from a stainless steel sink with a sponge dipped in a mixture of 3 teaspoons of laundry detergent and 1 cup of warm water.

Steel wool pads—no rust

After using an SOS or similar brand scouring pad, just set it back in the box with the unused pads. It won't rust. This way it will last until it is used up and not thrown away too soon because it is rusted out.

Sticker and label removal—decals

To remove stubborn decals or residual adhesive, soak a rag in mineral spirits or laundry stain pretreatment and lay it over the area. After 10 minutes or so, scrape away decal or adhesive with a plastic windshield scraper or an old credit card. Wash as usual.

Sticker and label removal—plastic and mirrors

Sticky labels on glass or plastic containers or mirrors come off easily with rubbing alcohol or cooking oil. If neither is handy, use your laundry prewash treatment, or, as a last resort, nail polish remover may work. But be careful; nail polish remover might remove more than the offending label.

Sticker
and label removal—wood

If your kids decide to decorate your fine-wood furniture with stick-on labels, remove them with lemon oil (the labels, not the kids). Using a paper towel or cloth, dab oil on the labels and allow it to soak in for only a few minutes. The oil will penetrate into the glue and act as a solvent to soften it. Rub the labels off with a nylon-net scrubbing pad, being sure to rub in the direction of the wood grain.

Tar or sap from
shoes

Petroleum jelly easily removes tar and sap from the soles of shoes.

Teakettle

To remove hard-water and lime buildup in a teakettle, pour in 2 cups of vinegar and bring to a boil. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, then rinse well.

Tea stains in china cups

To remove stains from china teacups, pour an equal amount of salt and white vinegar in the cups and let stand. Rub off stains with a soft cloth and rinse with clear water.

Toilet—baking soda

Using a plunger, plunge the water in the toilet until the bowl is nearly empty. Sprinkle baking soda onto the sides of the toilet bowl, then drizzle with vinegar and scour with a toilet brush. This both cleans
and deodorizes. Flush to rinse and refill bowl.

Toilet—denture cleaner

If your toilet bowl has stubborn stains, drop one or two denture-cleaning tablets into the bowl and allow them to sit overnight. Brush and flush.

Toilet—sandpaper

If you have stains in your toilet that will not budge with any other method, here's the severe, last-ditch, toilet-stain-removal secret. Pick up some wet/dry sandpaper with a grit of between 400 and 600 at the hardware or automotive supply store. This is very fine sandpaper that, when used with water, will not scratch the porcelain but should remove the offending stain. Remove as much water as possible from the bowl, and go to work on the stains.

Toothbrush holder

To remove gunk from the toothbrush holder, roll up a paper towel, wet it with cleanser, then slide it right through the holes.

Trash can

Sprinkle baking soda in the bottom of the trash receptacle before putting in the plastic bag.

Upholstery

In a pinch, use shaving cream as an upholstery cleaner to spot-clean small areas. It's very effective.

Vacuum
bag reuse

In a pinch, you can reuse a vacuum cleaner bag. Take a full bag outdoors, cut the bottom seam, and empty contents in the trash. Carefully, reroll and staple closed, then cover the area with strong tape to restrict any dust from escaping and clogging your machine.

Vases—
icky buildup

To remove mineral and hard-water deposits from vases,
scrub them with a wet cloth that has been dipped into salt. Follow with warm water and soap.

Vases—
narrow and hard to clean

Narrow-necked, hard-to-clean vases and other glassware will sparkle when you clean them with denture-cleaning tablets. Put one or two tablets into the container and fill with water. Wait a few hours and then rinse.

Wallpaper

First, blot the wallpaper with talcum powder to absorb the stain. Then wash the wallpaper with warm, soapy water. Add white vinegar to the water to clean grease stains.

Wastebaskets

Use a plastic wastebasket as a bucket for mopping the floor, and you'll get two jobs done at once.

Wicker furniture

Dust wicker furniture with a stiff, clean paintbrush.

Window frames

Use silver polish cream to shine aluminum window frames.

Window screens

First, run a dry sponge over the screen to remove any loose dust. Then, with the screen propped at a slight angle against a tree or wall, pour a solution of sudsy ammonia and water (1 cup to 1 gallon) across the top. When it starts to dribble down, rub with a scrub brush, using an up-and-down motion. When you finish, turn the screen over and repeat on the other side. Use the garden hose to rinse it, and place it in the sun to dry.

Windowsills

Clean spotted windowsills with a cloth damp with rubbing alcohol.

Window washing—on cloudy
days

Never wash windows on a bright, sunny day. Choose an overcast day instead. The windows will dry more slowly and have fewer streaks.

Window washing—with alternate strokes

Use vertical strokes when washing outside and horizontal strokes when washing inside. This way you'll know which side the streaks are on.

Window washing—with newspaper

Rather than use paper towels to clean mirrors and windows, use newspaper. It cleans much better than paper towels with less streaking, and the ink never comes off on the glass. (It may come off on your hands, but they can be washed.)

Wood—scratches

Use brown shoe polish for covering scratches on wood cabinets, shelves, furniture, trim, or anything wood. It blends in well even if it is a darker shade. Apply and wipe off with a dry rag.

Wood—white ring treatment

Rub with a mixture of mayonnaise and white toothpaste. Wipe the area dry, then treat the entire surface with furniture polish.

Wood
cabinets—cleaning

Dirty wooden cabinets can be cleaned with a mixture of 10 parts water and 1 part ammonia or Murphy's Oil Soap, either of which will strip old polish or wax and accumulated dirt. Then spray or rub with wax.

Wood cabinets—restoring

To improve the look of wooden surfaces that have become dark or cloudy with age, make your own fantastic furniture restorative by combining 1 part each boiled linseed oil, turpentine, and vinegar. Shake well. Apply with a soft cloth and
wipe completely dry. With a second clean cloth, wipe again. Incidentally, don't boil linseed oil. Buy it already boiled at a hardware or paint store and use as is. Caution: Work in a well-ventilated room and wear rubber gloves.
Never
store rags that have been soaked in linseed oil or turpentine.

Wood paneling

Clean wood paneling with 1 ounce of olive oil mixed with 2 ounces of white vinegar and 1 quart of warm water. Emulsify in a blender. Wipe paneling with a soft cloth dampened in the solution, then follow with a dry cloth to remove yellowing from the surface.

Woodwork—cleaning

Apply a thin layer of paste wax to doorjambs, windowsills, and other woodwork that collects fingerprints and smudges. Cleaning will become a breeze.

Woodwork—stains

To clean painted woodwork stained by grease and smoke, dissolve old-fashioned, dry laundry starch in water according to package directions. Paint it on, and when dry, rub with a soft brush and clean cloth. This removes the stains without harming the finish.

Bargains—consignment stores

Consignment shops are everywhere these days and are a wonderful source for previously owned clothing. These shops are many cuts above a thrift store and offer wonderful merchandise for a fraction of the original retail price. Look for specialty consignment stores just for kids. And don't be just a buyer but also a seller. Typically you will share 50/50 with the store's owner when your items sell. Call ahead to learn of the store's policies regarding the condition of acceptable garments and other guidelines.

Bargains—debit merchandise

Make friends with the managers of your favorite stores, and you might be able to tap into a gold mine. Ask if their “debits,” or used merchandise, are for sale. These are the items that have been returned for one reason or another but can't be put back on the floor or returned to the manufacturer. Typically these items are sold for pennies on the dollar.

Bargains—unclaimed dry cleaner or repair
shop goods

Ask your dry cleaner or neighborhood repair shops to let you know when they have unclaimed goods for sale. This is a great way to find terrific clothing bargains.

Boots—stretch them

If you have boots that are too snug, try this: Place a strong plastic bag (test first to make sure it is watertight) in each boot, and put enough water in the bags to fill the foot areas. Tie the bags closed, and place the boots into the freezer. As the water freezes it will expand and stretch the boots at the same time. This technique works well for shoes too.

Boots—stuff them

Instead of using expensive boot stuffers to keep your boots from flopping over, use one of those long, dense-foam pool toys called “noodles” that kids play with when they are in the swimming pool. They're cheap, help your boots retain their shape, and are cleaner than rolled-up newspapers.

Buttons
—on jeans

If the metal button on your jeans comes apart and falls off, it is impossible to sew it back on. Instead, use some super glue to affix the knob and back stud through the fabric. Let it set for a few days, and then wash and dry. Your jeans should be perfectly wearable again.

Buttons—on new clothes

Buttons on new clothes often fall off after just one wearing and washing. Before you wear a new item, cover the thread on each button with clear nail polish or a drop of superglue. Just be careful not to get any on the fabric.

Buttons—rescue

A button hanging by a few threads can be rescued by wrapping a narrow strip of clear tape around the threads
on the back of the garment to hold them until they can be reinforced.

Buttons—sewing in some slack

Place a toothpick between the button and fabric as you sew. When the button is secured, remove the toothpick. This gives the button a little slack and will make it easier to operate.

Buttons
—sewing in spares

Sew extra buttons into the seams of jackets and pants. If you need a spare, you'll always know where it is.

Buttons—sewing in to stay

When attaching a four-hole button, stitch through two holes, then knot the thread before you sew through the other two holes. If the thread breaks on one side, the button won't come off.

Buttons—sewing with floss

Dental floss makes a sturdy thread for securing buttons on heavy fabric. You'll never lose a button from your winter coat again.

Buttons—sewing with nail polish

Before sewing, place clear fingernail polish on the center of a button, on the side toward the fabric. Once the button has been securely attached to the garment, place another dab on the top center. This will help keep that button from going anywhere for a long, long time.

Closets—a place for
slacks

Install towel racks on the backs of closet doors for hanging slacks.

Closets—dust protectors

Convert extra pillowcases (king-size are extra long) into garment bags to protect the clothes hanging in your closet, especially those that are out of season. Just cut a hole into the end of the pillowcase and insert the hangers.

Closets—increase the space

Hang a length of chain from a strong hanger. Each link can hold one hanger, which takes up much less space and effectively doubles or triples your closet space.

Dry
cleaning—don't leave in car

When taking clothes to the dry cleaner, be careful not to leave them in the car or its trunk for any length of time, especially if they're stained. This is particularly important in hot weather when the heat in the car may bake in the stain, making it difficult, if not impossible, to remove.

Dye your darks for longer wear

Use Rit Dye to revitalize navy and black cotton T-shirts and turtlenecks—even stretch pants—when they start to fade. You'll be able to get a few more seasons out of items you might have considered too far gone.

Earring back
temporary replacement

If you lose the back piece of a pierced earring, cut the eraser off a pencil and insert it on the post for a temporary fix.

Gloves—double
up

To keep your hands warm and dry while playing or working in wet, cold weather, wear thin latex gloves under your gardening gloves or woolen mittens.

Hanger marks—removal

If you have pointed hanger marks in the shoulders of a knit top, put on the top and relax the hanger bumps with your handheld blow dryer. It's amazing how quickly the hanger bumps disappear.

Hangers—don't store
clothes on wood

Don't store clothing on wooden hangers. Over time, the acid in the wood can react with the fabric. Pad wooden
hangers with unbleached muslin or cotton.

Hangers—slipping pants

Put a piece of adhesive-backed weather stripping on the bar of a hanger to keep slacks from slipping off.

Hangers—slipping straps

Fasten unused shoulder pads to the ends of hangers to cushion fragile clothing and keep thin straps from slipping off.

Hemlines—remove with vinegar

When you lengthen a garment and want to get rid of the original hemline, dampen a washcloth with white vinegar, place it on the crease line, and just iron the crease away. The vinegar odor will dissipate quickly. This works well on new clothing. With older clothing, results will vary, but for best results, let down the old hem and clean the garment according to the care label before ironing.

Hemlines—remove with vinegar and foil

To remove the permanent press line from a hem that has been let down, dampen the crease with white vinegar and press with a piece of aluminum foil between the material and a clothes iron.

Hemming

When hemming a skirt or pants, knot the thread every 3 or 4 inches. A small break in the thread won't mean an entire rehemming job.

Hosiery—avoid snags

Fine hosiery, pantyhose, and tights will be easier to put on and less prone to snags and tears if you slip on a pair of latex or vinyl gloves before starting the process.

Hosiery—increase longevity

According to the Morton Salt Company, your pantyhose and other hosiery will last longer and snag and run less if you
perform this little longevity trick before you wear them the first time: Mix 2 cups salt with 1 gallon water, and immerse pantyhose in the solution. Soak for 3 hours. Rinse in cold water, and drip-dry. Apparently one of the properties of ordinary table salt is that it toughens fibers. That's true for pantyhose—and broom bristles!

Hosiery—manage holes

To keep small holes in pantyhose or other hosiery from turning into nasty runs, rub a glue stick over the hole. It's less sticky and works better than nail polish.

Hosiery—wear pantyhose times two

Instead of throwing away a pair of pantyhose with a run in one leg, match it with another pair in the same shade that has a run in one leg. Simply cut off the “injured” legs about 6 inches below the crotch. Wear both pairs of one-legged pantyhose at the same time. Yes, you'll be wearing two panty tops, but that will simply create the equivalent of industrial-strength, control-top pantyhose, for which most of us would pay a premium. To make use of this technique more often, always buy the same brand, style, and color of pantyhose to avoid the embarrassment of LDCS (legs of different colors syndrome).

Jeans—make them soft

To soften new jeans, place them in a sink filled with cold water and 1 cup of liquid fabric softener. Let the jeans soak overnight, then wash as usual.

Jewelry—bracelet assist

Here's an easy way to put on a bracelet without assistance. Place the bracelet across the top of your wrist and secure one end to the inside of your wrist with clear tape. Now that the bracelet isn't sliding around, it should be easy to secure the other end and close the clasp.

Jewelry—tarnish-free silver

To keep silver jewelry tarnish-free and shiny, slip the pieces into a small resealable plastic bag. Before sealing the bag, squeeze out as much air as possible.

Jewelry chains—prevent knots

Prevent chains from tangling and knotting in your jewelry box this way: Cut a drinking straw to half the length of the chain, slip the chain through it, then fasten the catch.

Jewelry chains—remove
knots

Lay the chain on a flat surface and, with a straight pin in each hand, gently work out the knot. If the knot is really tight, apply a single drop of baby oil or cooking oil to the offending area and repeat the procedure.

Kids—big tees
for kids

Buy a three-pack of all-cotton, white T-shirts to use as pajamas or beach cover-ups for small children. Select a size large enough so the bottom edge is just below those cute little knees.

Kids—jeans knee patches

When your kids' jeans require a knee patch, simply remove a back pocket, open the inside leg seam with a seam ripper, and sew the pocket over the hole. Close the seam. Since the pocket has been washed as many times as the jeans, the material always matches perfectly.

Kids—patches on new pants

When kids' pants are new, apply iron-on patches to the inside knees.

Kids—remake boy clothes for girls

Revamp little boys' clothes for your little girl by sewing lace around the hems, necklines, and sleeves. Use fabric paint to draw little hearts and flowers around the necks of solid-colored shirts and onesies.

Kids—shoelaces that stay put

When first lacing up kids' new shoes, tie knots in the laces after the first two sets of holes have been threaded to prevent the laces from coming completely unthreaded through active play.

Kids—sleepers and tube socks

Instead of throwing out children's sleepers that are either too small or have worn-through feet, cut off the part just below the elastic at the ankle. Next, get an adult-size tube sock and cut off all but about 3 inches of the leg part (more or less depending on your child's size). Turn the sleeper and the tube socks inside out and sew a sock to each leg of the sleeper at the elastic (right sides together). Turn right-side out.

Kids—sweat shorts

Save children's sweatpants, even if they have holes in the knees. When summer rolls around, cut them off and hem them by machine to make comfortable, cheap shorts for the kids.

Kids—telling right from
left shoes

Put a sticker inside your children's right shoes or sneakers. They will begin to learn right from left and also get their shoes on the correct feet all by themselves.

Kids—trade clothes

An alternative to making your children always wear their siblings' hand-me-downs, trade with neighbors or friends who have children of the same sizes. The kids get a new look, and the price is right.

Kids—tube socks save time and money

Buy tube socks for your kids rather than the traditional type of sock. Tube socks last longer since the heel is not always wearing in the same spot. Get in the habit of always buying the same brand, same style, all-white tube socks, and
you won't have to spend half your life matching socks into pairs.

Kids—upgrades optional

When buying kids' clothes and shoes, set a budget figure, and if the child wants to upgrade to a trendier brand or style, require her or him to pay the difference.

Label scratching solution

If back-of-the-neck labels cause irritation, don't cut them out. That just produces a scratchy raw edge or a lump, and removes important care information you'll need in the future. Instead cover them with iron-on bonding tape.

Odor—cigarette smoke

To remove cigarette odors from a blouse, skirt, or pair of pants, place a fabric-softener sheet on the hanger with the garment and cover with a plastic bag. The cigarette odor will be gone by morning.

Odor—mothballs

Remove mothball odor from clothing by placing garments in the dryer with a couple of fabric softener sheets. Run on the “air only” setting for fifteen minutes.

Odor—preventing in shoes, boots

To keep shoes and boots from developing an unpleasant odor, make your own odor eaters. Pour a few teaspoons baking soda onto a small piece of cotton fabric. Tie the ends of the fabric together and secure them with a rubber band to make a sachet. Set one sachet in each shoe overnight. The sachets can be used again and again.

Odor—removing in shoes, boots