Thursday, August 26, 2010

Household Tips - Day 4

Happy Thursday!  How the heck are ya?  Things are good here - just ready for another wonderful weekend.  Yeah, I know, it's only Thursday, but still... I can dream right?! :o)  Anyway... today we are going to learn about some of the many uses of Salt! :o)  I hope you find some of these useful and again, if you have any other tips to pass along, please feel free to do so! 

SALT

1.  Prevent fruits from browning - Drop your apples, pears, etc. in lightly salted water to help them keep their color.

2.  Remove Odors from hands - Rub your fingers with a salt and vinegar combo to remove bad odors like garlic and onion.

3.  Exfoliating Massage - After bathing and while you are still wet - give yourself a massage with dry salt.  It freshens skin and boosts circulation.

4.  Deter Ants - Sprinkle salt at doorways, window sills and anywhere else ants sneak into your house.  Ants don't like to walk on salt.  

5.  Kill Poison Ivy - Mix three pounds of salt with a gallon of soapy water (use a gentle dish soap) and apply to leaves and stems with a sprayer, avoiding any plant life that you want to keep.  

6.  Tame a wild barbecue - Toss a bit of salt on flames from food dripping in barbecue grills to reduce the flames and calm the smoke without cooling the coals (like water does).

7.  Shell nuts more easily - Soak pecans and walnuts in salt water for several hours before shelling to make it easier to remove the meat.   


8.  Repair Walls - To fill nail holes, fix chips or other small dings in white sheet-rock or plaster walls, mix 2 tablespoons salt and 2 tablespoons cornstarch, then add enough water (about 5 teaspoons) to make a thick paste.  Use the paste to fill the holes.

9.  Clean a glass coffee pot - Add salt and ice cubes to a coffee pot, swirl around vigorously, and rinse.  The salt will scour the bottom and the ice will help to agitate it for a better scrub.  (This is one of my absolute favs!)


10.  Basic Soft Scrub - Make a paste with lots of salt, baking soda and dish soap. Safe to use on appliances, enamel, porcelain, etc.  (This is my next one to try)

Well I hope that you are getting some good use out of these tips.  Some of them I have used for years and others I am just learning myself.  

Have a great day my friends and thanks for stopping by to say hello!  Stay tuned for tomorrow - where I will give you some ideas to pamper yourself with!  Tomorrow is Friday and the weekend - WOOT! WOOT!! :o)

Lots of love and hugs,

7 comments:

  1. Very useful tips, my friend! Something we all need to know I think.
    Thanks for sharing with us.

    Hope you have a great day!
    Love and hugs,
    B xx

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  2. We used to the salt treatment to the coffee pots when I worked at a restaurant. I wonder if I can get the boys I work with to do it to the nasty one in the kitchen. LOL!!! XOXO

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  3. Awesome tips - especially about cleaning the coffee pot - who knew? :) I am doing great so far today - it's been a loooong week because my husband and I started the P90X workout system and I've been getting up VERY early and I've been so sore all week! I know it will get better though...

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  4. The keeping your fruit from turning brown is priceless...love it;)

    hugs
    Steven Anthony
    Man Dish~Metro Style
    &
    Life in the Fish Bowl

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  5. I am loving all of these! I'm especially excited to try the fruit one because I hate it when fruit turns colors.

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Sweet Love From My Friends