10 Tried and True Household Tips

We all know that some of the old fashioned information that our mothers and grandmothers handed down to us work as well today as they did in an earlier time. They are much less expensive and do the job well. Here are just a few and I’m sure you will remember many more.

1. Keep Cut Flowers Alive

   Give them sugar for food and a spoon of lemon juice, which will allow the plant to absorb water more easily. A drop of bleach will prevent bacteria.

2. Remove Melted Wax out of Candle Holders

   Place the candle holders in the freezer for a few hours, the wax should shrink right out.

3. Pick Berries

   Don’t pick into a deep bucket. The weight of the top berries will damage the berries on the bottom, instead, fill small containers. Of course if you are going to make jam or jelly it won’t make much difference.

4. Store Tomatoes

   Read more in Homemaking

   « Seven Types of Vinegar and Their Uses

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   Tomatoes should always be kept at room temperature. Lay them in a large ceramic bowl on the kitchen counter. Place underipe tomatoes in a brown paper bag for a few days to ripen. Tomatoes will last longer if they don’t touch each other.

5. Remove Red Stains

   Wet the stain with lukewarm water, then add a layer of table salt. Rub and let set for a few minutes. Pull fabric taunt across a heat-proof bowl, and secure with a rubber band. Place in sink and pour boiling water through the stain from a hieght of three feet.

6. Ironing and Wrinkles

   No matter how much you iron a table cloth you will often have some wrinkles left. So lay it out on the table flat, with a pad, or towel underneath, and lightly spray with water. while you sleep gravity will pull the cloth smooth.

7. Make your Glass and Mirrors Sparkle

   Mix 1/3 rubbing alcohol to 3/4 part water in a spray bottle. Spray lightly and rub dry with clean, soft, lint less, cloth.

8. Steady a Wobbly Chair

   Cut a slice of cork or rubber and slip it under the chair leg. If the chair will be moved you can glue it on.

9. Store Candles

   Light can cause colors to fade, and heat can cause them to warp, so keep them in a cool, dark, place.

10. Refresh Soil

    Even if you don’t change the soil in your potting plants every year, the soil should be replenished. Remove two to four inches of soil with a fork; avoid bruising fragile plants feeding roots, and refill with a fresh soil mixed with slow fertilizer and top grit.