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If you can't sleep because a cricket's come calling, here's a sure cure. Put a wet washcloth in your kitchen or bathroom sink at night, and you'll find your noisy "neighbor" hiding there in the morning.

When you are done at the beach sprinkle your sandy bodies with baby powder. Wipe off with a towel and the wet sand falls right off.

Spread a sheet at the beach. It is lager than a towel and easier to shake the sand free.

Patent leather handbags and shoes can be quickly brightened with a polish of milk. Apply with a soft cloth and rub into a shiny new-like finish.

Place some nonslip strips, normally used in bathtubs, on painted porch steps to give your family and visitors nonslip safety in wet weather.

Prepare your snow shovel for winter with a coat of floor wax. The wax helps prevent the scoop from rusting and also makes the snow slide off without sticking.

It's easy to read a rain gauge if you put a few drops of food coloring in the tube. Even if the colored water dries up, there is enough residue do help read the next rainfall.

Use the caps from plastic liter soda bottles as coasters for your porch furniture. The caps fit nicely and can be replaced whenever you finish another bottle of pop. The caps help protect both furniture and the porch.

This cleanup trick works while you sleep! Lay a barbecue grill rack on the lawn overnight–the dew will combine with the enzymes in the grass to loosen any burned on grease. Try it with messy oven racks too!

Next time a plastic bread wrapper melts onto the toaster or the coffeepot, try this. Rub some petroleum jelly on the spot, reheat the appliance and use a paper towel to rub off the plastic and the printing.

Newspaper repels moths, which is quite helpful when storing woolen rugs.

If you are stung by a bee, apply a slice of onion to the spot and hold it there for a minute or two. It does the trick!

To make your own cleaning solution for windows that's easy and less expensive than commercial solutions, add 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol to one quart of water. Either use it in a pail or pour it into an empty spray bottle.

To keep shower doors shiny and clear, use a soft cloth moistened with baby oil. It prevents scum build up from dirt and soap. And hard water spots won't appear for several months.

"Dry clean" your dog during the winter months by rubbing baking soda into it's fur. Brush out with an old hairbrush.

When hanging a picture, heat the nail with a flame before driving it into the wall. You won't crack or chip the plaster.

Corners cut from used envelopes make great bookmarks. They just slip over the page you wish to mark.

To reduce cat hair around your house, gently run a damp paper towel over your cat. It collects both hair and dirt.

To remove candle wax from carpeting, place a brown paper bag over the wax and gently run a warm iron over the bag.

If you find the tops are sticking to your tubes of glue, try rubbing a little petroleum jelly around the rim. It works on paint can lids.

More Very Helpful Info

1. Flies or bees bothering you? Spray them with hairspray and they will
take a quick dive.

2. Sealed envelope - Put in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife
under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed.

3. Use Empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords in. It keeps them
neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.

4. For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put Dawn
dishwashing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won't refreeze.

5. Crayon marks on walls? This worked wonderfully! A damp rag, dipped in
baking soda. Comes off with little effort (elbow grease that is!).

6. Remove permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt
BLUE!) use..rubbing alcohol on paper towel.

7. Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S Pads, I immediately take a pair of
scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw away
rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this would be much
more economical. And now a box of S.O.S pads last me indefinitely! In
fact, I have noticed that the scissors get sharpened this way!

8. Opening brand new jars can be a feat in itself. Well, I have found a
way to make it the easiest thing to do. Instead of banging a jar of jam,
pickles, etc.,with a knife until it loosens up, I simply reach into the
drawer and pull out the handy nutcracker. It adjusts to the size of the jar
and I give it a good twist and off pops the lid!

9. Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry! Just pour a little peroxide on
a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works every time!

10. Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for
inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight
vinegar will get outside windows really clean.
Don't wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will
probably streak.

11. Spray a bit of perfume on the lightbulb in any room to create a lovely
light scent in each room when the light is turned on.

12. Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will
smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels
and linen.

13. Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3
hours prior to burning.

14. To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add
the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt
and leave your artificial flowers looking like new. Works like a charm!

15. Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent
ice cream drips.

16. Use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the hot griddle
and you'll get perfectly shaped pancakes every time.

17. To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the
potatoes.

18. To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water
before hard-boiling.

19. Run your hands under cold water before pressing Rice Krispies treats in
the pan and the marshmallow won't stick to your fingers.

20. To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to
room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter
before squeezing.

21. To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add drop or two
of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil
on stovetop.

22. Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in
tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.

23. When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the
dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the
cake.

24. If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a
peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant "fix me up."

25. Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it
will keep for weeks.

26. Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking.

27. Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it.

28. When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the
corn's natural sweetness. (Works for carrots, too.)

29. To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool,
salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh, but if it rises to the surface,
throw it away.

30. Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your
forehead. The throbbing will go away.

31. Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future
use in casseroles and sauces.

32. If you have a problem opening jars: Try using latex dishwashing gloves.
They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.

33. Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub raw
potato on the stains and rinse with water.

34. To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area
and you will experience instant relief.

35. Ants, ants, ants everywhere ... Well, they are said to never cross a
chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever
ants *tend to march. Boric acid powder also works if you spread a thin
line in the crevices that are not visible within the cabinets. See for
yourself.

36. Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better
still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.

37. When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to
tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, then
pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.

38. Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer.

Clean a toilet.
Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush.
The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous China.

Clean a vase.
To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or a cruet or coffee
pot, fill with water and drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets.

Polish jewelry.
Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry
for two minutes.

Clean a thermos bottle.
Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka Seltzer tablets, and let soak
for an hour (or longer, if necessary.)

Unclog a drain.
Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer tablets down the drain
followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes, then run the
hot water.

Drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain
almost immediately-without the unpleasant side effects
caused by traditional pain relievers.

Did you know that Colgate toothpaste makes an
excellent salve for burns.

Before you head to he drugstore for a high-priced inhaler filled with mysterious chemicals, try chewing on a couple of curiously strong Altoids peppermints. They'll clear up your stuffed nose.

Achy muscles from a bout of the flu? Mix 1 Tablespoon of
horseradish in 1/2 cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit
for 30 minutes, then apply it as a massage oil,
for instant relief for aching muscles.

Sore Throat?? Just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 Tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria.

Cure urinary tract infections with alka-seltzer. Just dissolve two
tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the
symptoms. Alka-seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract
infections almost instantly-even though the product
was never been advertised for this use.

Eliminate puffiness under your eyes.....All you need is a dab of preparation H, carefully rubbed into the skin, avoiding the eyes.
The hemorrhoid ointment acts as a vasoconstrictor, relieving the swelling instantly.

Honey remedy for Skin Blemishes......Cover the blemish with a dab
of honey and place a Band-Aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria,
keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Works overnight.

Listerine therapy for toenail fungus....Get rid of unsightly toenail
fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.

Easy eyeglass protection....To prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of Maybelline Crystal Clear nail polish to the threads of the screws before tightening them.

Coca-Cola cure for rust...Forget those expensive rust removers. Just saturate an abrasive sponge with Coca Cola and scrub the rust stain. The phosphoric acid in the coke is what gets the job done.

Cleaning liquid that doubles as bug killer....If menacing bees, wasps,
hornets, or yellow jackets get in your home and you can't find the
insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409. Insects drop to the ground instantly.

Smart splinter remover.....just pour a drop of Elmers Glue-all over the splinter, let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The splinter sticks to the dried glue.

Hunt's tomato paste boil cure....Cover the boil with Hunt's tomato paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes soothe the pain and bring the boil to a head.

Balm for broken blisters.....To disinfect a broken blister, dab on a few drops of Listerine....a powerful antiseptic.

Heinz vinegar to heal bruises...Soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply it to the bruise for 1 hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.

Kills fleas instantly. Dawn dishwashing liquid does the trick. Add a
few drops to your dog's bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly.
Rinse well to avoid skin irritations. Good-bye fleas.

Rainy day cure for dog odor....Next time your dog comes in from the rain, simply wipe down the animal with Bounce or any dryer sheet, instantly making your dog smell springtime fresh.

Eliminate ear mites....All it takes is a few drops of Wesson corn oil in your cat's ear. Massage it in, then clean with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat's skin, smothers the mites, and accelerates healing.

Vaseline cure for hairballs.....To prevent troublesome hairballs, apply a dollop of Vaseline petroleum jelly to your cat's nose. The cat will lick off the jelly, lubricating any hair in its stomach so it can pass easily through the digestive system.

Quaker Oats for fast pain relief....It's not for breakfast anymore! Mix 2 cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for 1 minute, cool slightly, and apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief from arthritis pain.