Twenty Quick Fixes

If just a few of these "Time and Money-Saving Tips" help make your life easier, it will be worth it! 

Some of these tips are "Frustration-Saving Tips" as well!

Stripped Screw Hole ~ My husband stuffs a piece of steel wool into the enlarged hole for a tighter fit.

Loose Screw ~ Dab the head with shellac just before tightening.

Can't Find Philips-head Screwdriver ~ For a small job, try the tip of your potato peeler. Keeping a small Philips screwdriver near your kitchen may solve the problem.

No Ruler in Sight ~ Measure the exact width of your hand with your thumb and pinky spread.  Then carry your ruler with you wherever you go for quick measuring.

Sanding Hard-to-reach Places ~ Use emory boards

Door Sticks in Humid Weather ~ Slide a bar of soap along the doorjamb to create a nonstick barrier

Drawers Don't Open and Close Smoothly ~ Rub a bar of soap on the drawer where it slides to make it glide more easily.

Kitchen Sink Won't Drain ~ To break up grease clogs, pour 1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup vinegar down the drain, then flush with boiling water.  Try this before calling a plumber or using other measures.

A Lightbulb Breaks Off in the Socket ~ Unplug the fixture or turn off power at the main service panel.  Spread open needlenose pliers inside the broken base and turn counterclockwise to unscrew.  If that doesn't work, cut a raw potato in half, press it into the broken lightbulb,and turn counterclockwise to remove the broken bulb.

Small Tears in Screen ~ To prevent bugs from coming in, plug tiny rips with clear nail polish.

The Toilet Won't Stop Running ~ If adjusting the float or flapper doesn't work, use the shutoff valve at the base of the toilet to fill the tank as needed until you get replacement parts.

Overflowing Washing Machine from Too Many Suds ~ If too much soap was accidentally put into the machine, eliminate the suds by adding a capful of fabric softener or Murphy's Oil Soap.

Wobbly Table ~ Slice a piece of cork to fit the leg and glue to the bottom of the short leg.

Stuck Window ~ Position a block of wood at various places on the window sash and lightly tap with a hammer.  Fasten felt or fleece on the wood with glue stick to protect the paint.

Rattling Window ~ Windows won't rattle when a few corn pads from the drug store are glued to the frame so there's a better fit.

Can't Find Flashlight in Dark ~ Paint handles with luminous paint so you will be able to find them easily in the dark.

In Case of Emergencies ~ Be knowledgeable about the location and use of your home's shutoff valve on your gas, water, oil and main electricity supplies.  Then practice turning them off in preparation for any possible emergency.  Lubricate all uncooperative valves, or replace them with easier-to-operate ball units.

Gunk on the Bottom of an Iron ~ With an old cloth on the ironing board, iron a fabric softener sheet to remove the gunk.

Not-So-Fragrant Rooms ~ As I was ironing a fabric softener to remove gunk from the bottom of my iron, the fragrance increased.  Although that was a few weeks ago, my sewing room still smells great, so use this tip for more fragrance at a much lower cost than Plug-ins!

Make Your Own Seed Strips when ready to plant, by spreading seeds out in a straight row on a table, spaced the way you want them planted in your garden.  Carefully lower cellophane tape over them, pressing very lightly - just enough to pick up the seeds and not have the tape stick to the table.  Now you have seed strips to plant, with the seed facing up.  Check the seed packet for how much soil to use in covering the seeds.

Tips and Tidbits

The five tips marked with an * are rephrased ideas from the Handyman Magazine.

Removing Scuff Marks on Linoleum ~ I look for the easiest and most efficient solution, here are four products that may work for you:

1) Rubbing alcohol on a terry cloth or soft rag 

2) A Melaleuca product called Sol-U-Mel would get it off.  I love that product for many things.  It's rather expensive, but you put a tiny bit on a cloth and it goes a long way.  I keep it in a tiny container in almost every room of my home. 

3) A Mr. Clean Magic Eraser should work.  Just don't rub too hard or it may remove the shiny finish.

4) Lestoil, a strong cleaning solution I found at our hardwood store gets scuffs off of hard surfaces, though it smells very strong.

Furniture Dings and Scratches * ~ Try one or more of the following to cover dings and scratches: iodine thinned to the right shade with denatured alcohol, eyebrow pencil, shoe polish, eye shadow, water colors or markers.  Try it first on a least visible scratch, or create a scratch under the piece of furniture to test the color match.

Bleach Marks on Carpet ~ Try blending and brushing eye shadow on spots with a cosmetic brush or a Q-tip.  It would need to be reapplied after vacuuming several times.

Remodeling Dust * ~ During home repairs cover vents with Glad Press 'n Seal to prevent dust from spreading there.  Do the same around cabinets to keep the dust out.

Homemade Soft Gel Pack * ~ Make your own ice cold gel pack by pouring one part rubbing alcohol and three parts of water into a Ziplock freezer bag and freezing.  Just to be sure, you may want to place it in another freezer bag to prevent leaking.  Works great!

Quiet Cabinet Doors * ~ If you have noisy cabinet doors that slam shut, slice and glue a thin slice of cork to the inside corners of cabinets.


Hammering Nails * ~ To prevent hammering your thumb, hold a nail between the teeth of a comb to get it started.

Recycling Christmas Cards ~ If you haven't already gotten rid of your Christmas cards, you can recycle them by donating them to the St. Jude's Ranch for Children.  Just cut or tear off the fronts and send only the fronts to:
St. Jude's Ranch for Children, 100 St. Jude's St., PO Box 60100, Boulder City, NV  89006

You can check out their site at  www.stjudesranch.org/give/Recycled_Cards.php  

Thanks to Tanya Bennett in Virginia who sent this information from Women's Day Magazine.

Free 411 Information Services ~ There's no need to pay for information phone calls. Dial 1-800-FREE-41.  Although this is free, you do have to listen to their ads.  Residential listings and toll free numbers are available.
        Google has another free telephone information service.  Simply dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-4664-411) from your phone and you’re connected!  Program this number into your phone's memory.  This is a great tip for cell phones too.  Then when you are in a hurry you can memory-dial that number.  You will be asked what city and state, as well as the name of the person or business, and the phone number will be automatically dialed for you!   This is especially handy when a phone book isn't nearby.  A time saver as well!   http://www.google.com/goog411/index.html

Child's Wardrobe Planned Out ~  Instead of putting pants in one drawer and shirts in another, try rolling up your child's clothing into outfits.  Put pants on the outside and roll shirts, underwear, and socks all together.  If a dress, jumper or blouse is part of the wardrobe, you could decide to clip the additional clothing items to the hanger with a spring clothespin.  This method will show you exactly how many outfits each child has.  It will also make mornings go more smoothly!  You could have children, age 2 or 3 and up, help in choosing the clothing combinations.

Ear Infections ~ Many times ear infections that are resistant to antibiotics can be cleared up by slightly warming a vinegar and water mixture and flushing the ear two or three times with the mixture twice a day with an ear flush bulb.

Caution about New Fabric Smell in Clothing ~ Many people notice a new fabric smell on just-purchased clothes. That "new" smell is a potent mixture of chemicals such as formaldehyde and urea resins. The chemicals are used to 'finish' fabric for a range of purposes, including stain resistance, wrinkle-proofing, and even disinfecting. Most contain volatile organic compounds that are often sensitizers and suspected carcinogens.  To get rid of those chemicals, place clothes in the washer with enough water to cover. Sprinkle one cup of baking soda into the washer and soak clothes overnight. When convenient during the soaking, agitate the machine for a few minutes. Launder as usual.  Some imported clothing companies are now dousing their clothes with long-lasting disinfectants. If the clothing you are about to purchase smells more pungent than usual, put it back on the rack.  Source:  Care2.com    Real Money, July/Aug 2005

Static Cling ~ Pin a safety pin to the seam of your slip if wearing a skirt or to the seam of your slacks to prevent static cling.  Or tuck a fabric softener sheet in your purse for times like this.  A few wipes over the inside of the clothing will eliminate static cling. If wearing dark colors, wiping it over the outside may leave marks.

A More Comfortable Bed ~ Adding a foam egg crate mattress pad (or a similar type) just under the fabric mattress pad will give you a better night's sleep and help muscles and joints not to ache as much.  It's a good investment for your family.

Foggy Windshields ~ Keep a chalkboard eraser in your glove compartment for when the windows fog up.  Just wipe the inside of your windshield until the defroster kicks in.  This works better than a cloth.

Stuck in Snow? ~ Keep kitty litter in your car to give your tires traction if stuck in the snow.

Slippery Sidewalks ~ Throw kitty litter on the sidewalk, driveway and patio to prevent slipping.

Painting Drips ~ Carefully fasten a heavy rubber band over the top and around the bottom of an opened paint can before painting.  As you paint, wipe the paintbrush full of paint over the rubberband, to prevent drips. 

Vanilla in Paint ~ Just a teaspoon of vanilla will eliminate the smell of paint and will not alter the color of the paint.

Free or Cheap Dates ~ Cook a nice meal together, take a long walk, go star gazing, go to the library together, play games.

Candle Warmers ~ If you use candle warmers or wax melts, the fragrance eventually disappears.  However, there's no need to toss out the hot wax.  Add some oil fragrance to lengthen the use, or carefully pour the hot wax into small glass jars with a wick from a craft store, and you have a new candle!  Candles burn longer if put in the freezer for a few hours prior to lighting them.

Tips for Modesty ~ Not too low!  Not too high!  Not too tight!   Someone suggested this book by Shanti Feldman as being helpful in dressing modestly:

For Women Only: What You Need to Know about the Inner lives of Men 

Help for Cracked Fingers ~ Zim's Crack Creme can heal cracks and prevent new ones.  You may need to ask the pharmacist for it, but it is not too expensive (under $7) to solve a difficult problem, especially during the cold winter months.

Kaleidoscope Fun ~ http://www.protozone.net/ASHOCK/AJwall.html.  Preschoolers who can operate a mouse, as well as adults will really enjoy this.