Cotton Swab Day!

Make the most of your cotton swab! It is a pretty versatile item that can be used in so many different ways… Check out some of its alternative uses!

Cleaning washing machine screen

You can use a cotton swab to remove particles from the screen. Its small size can fit into the gaps and displace the dirt collected, keeping your washing machine efficient.

Light candles with short wicks

Soak one of the cotton swab’s ends with alcohol then ignite it using a lighter. Set the burning tip atop the candle, which will burn some of the wax and eventually light the wick.

Take a shine to your silver

Use a cotton swab to apply polish to gaps in flatware or tea services.

Tote touch-up makeup

In a tiny evening bag, rub cotton swabs in concealer and eye shadow, sealing them in a plastic bag, and tucking the bag into your clutch.

Perfect face painting

Apply paint with a cotton swab to perfect fine lines and markings in a facial masterpiece, and save your makeup brushes.

Keep your phone charged

Use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol to clean the battery contacts of a cordless phone, cell phone, or laptop. This will help maintain good battery connections and sustain the charge for a longer time.

Touch up paint on cabinets or walls

Use a cotton swab to apply wood stain to elaborate carvings on furniture, to cover scratches on furniture and floors, or to touch up walls.

Reheating lasagna

To avoid dried reheated lasagna, trim and discard crusty edges, poke holes in the casserole, sprinkle some milk, cover with foil and bake.

Big glob macaroni and cheese

Cook macaroni 2/3 of required time and drain. When macaroni & cheese are tossed, they will blend well.

Do not waste onions

The recipe asks for half onion. Chop the whole onion, save one half in a zip-top bag, and pop the bag in the freezer for future recipes.

Stuffing mushrooms

Use a melon baler to scrape and scoop the underside of the mushroom cap without damaging its delicate surface.

Soggy meringues

After turning off the oven, instead of cooling meringues on the counter, leave the pan inside the oven for few hours. Gradual cooling prevents cookies from cracking and helps them do dry avoiding weeping.

Crispy surface for meatballs

Lightly coat the meatballs in flour before placing them in the hot pan. When they hit the pan, a crust is formed immediately keeping moisture inside.

Tenderizing meat

Use any kind of citrus to tenderize your hard meat before cooking it. Go by your preference and use slices or juice. For chicken and pork, better using lemon. For beef, better using pineapple or orange.

Extra fluffy mashed potatoes

Add only half of the cream to the mash. In a separate cold bowl, whip the other half with a mixer until thick. Gently add the whipped cream into the mash.

Accumulation of sugar in the bottom of a glass

To prepare iced tea (or any other drink with sugar), first mix the sugar to the water, bring to boil, stirring to dissolve, and let the mix sit to cool. Then add the brewed tea, creating a drink without residues in the bottom.

Peeling garlic cloves

To peel many cloves at the same time, place them in a metal bowl, cover with another metal bowl, hold together and shake energetically for about 15 seconds.

Crystals on ice-cream cakes leftovers

Stir 1tsp of corn syrup into the softened ice cream before transferring to the pan. It will prevent crystals from forming on leftovers without modifying the flavor.

Chopping hot peppers

Snap off the stem, halve and place hot peppers in a garlic press. In one squeeze all the skin-irritating juices will go to a recipient, and you will not have that feeling like if your fingers were on fire.

Sweet and tender green beans

When you buy green beans, always pick the small ones, those that look like did not grow enough. They have spent less time under the sun, as a result, they have more moisture and flavor, and they are also tender.

Cooking with garlic

If you do not like burnt chopped garlic as part of your dish, wait until dish is cooked to add the ingredient. The residual heat from the food will be enough to cook the chopped pieces.

Pretty deviled eggs

To make your deviled eggs to stand up, avoiding overturning and mess, just trim a sliver from their bottoms, before you fill them.

Egg separating

Crack the eggs into a funnel. The whites will slip through, and the yolks will stay in the funnel's cup.

Salt granules in dressing

To avoid salt granules in your homemade dressing, first mix salt with vinegar, then add the oil. Salt granules are unable to dissolve in oil.

Keeping corn fresh

Strip the corn bare of husks and silk, toss the ears in a large zip-top plastic bag and store in the fridge up to a week.

Cutting cookies

If you do not have a cutter handy, use a clean tin soup can. Size is right and edges are sharp enough to cut the dough neatly, helping the baking process.

If you have a cold

Take 1tbsp of apple cider vinegar before bedtime and another the next morning. Malic acid and acetic acid in the vinegar are antibacterial and antiviral, and a rich source of potassium.

Soothe a sting

Dissolve two antacid tablets in a glass of water, then dab on bug bites.

Runny nose

Boil water with a drop or two of eucalyptus oil. Stand with your head about 18 inches above the pot to avoid scalding, cover your head and the pot of water with a towel, and breathe deeply.

Clean carpets

Spots in carpets can be often removed with a simple dilution of one part vinegar, one-sixteenth part lemon juice, and eight parts distilled water.

Brown stain on coffeepot

Rub coffeepot with half of a lemon sprinkled with salt. Citric acid in lemon bleaches the stain, and abrasive granules in salt clean any other residues.

Calm down stress

Drink a cold glass of green tea. Amino acid in tea helps stress relief while cold beverage provides refreshment.

Dental Floss Day!

We all know that dental floss was created to clean your teeth and gums, and keep them healthy… Since it is made with very strong material and does not cost much (you can even find it at dollar stores), floss can also be great to help you in many different ways…

Quiet a dripping faucet

A quick fix until you can repair your faucet is to tie a piece of dental floss around the opening, and let it hang down into the sink. The drips will slide silently down the floss.

Slip off a stuck ring

If you cannot get your ring off, try wrapping dental floss around your finger from the tip down to the ring. You will reduce the size of your finger without cutting off the circulation, and your ring will easily slide over the floss.

Holes in your fishing net

Repair a hole in your fishing net with dental floss. Floss is a very good option to fix any kind of netting. It is also a strong replacement for a broken fishing line.

Baking rolled meats

Use unwaxed, unflavored dental floss to tie up rolled meats and poultry for baking.

Get a perfect slice

Use unwaxed, unflavored dental floss to slice any soft layer cakes, cheesecake or bread. Also a good idea for eggs, soft cheese and canned cranberry jelly.

Holidays décor

In case of emergency, use the mint flavored dental floss (green color) to hang Christmas decorations. You can also string a popcorn garland, just threading the floss through a needle as you would do with sewing thread.

Hang a painting

To hang lightweight artwork that is not in a heavy frame with glass, use dental floss in place of picture wire.

Save a necklace

Rescue a broken strand by threading the beads onto dental floss for a quick and strong fix.

Tough poached chicken

To prevent meat from getting tough and unevenly cooked, place a round piece of parchment paper on the liquid's surface, keeping the meat immersed while cooking.

Clean cut of cheesecake

Use knife sold to cut soft cheese, like brie cheese, to cut your cheesecake. Its blade is designed with holes to prevent cheese from sticking, and it will work perfectly to get a clean slice of your cheesecake, without mess or waste.

Storing block cheese

To prevent block cheese from drying, first wrap the block loosely in wax paper, and then cover well with plastic wrap. Cheese will stay moist and will not dry for an extra week.

Mayonnaise stain

Remove excess with a spoon, sprinkle the area with 1/4 cup of cornstarch and let it sit for about 3 hours, then brush off.

Fruit stain

Wipe with a sponge soaked in cool water. Rinse the back of stain with boiling water, which will help to loose any remains of fruit. If pigmentation persists, dab the stain with lemon juice, cleaning any remaining stain.

Paper cut

If you do not have an antiseptic handy, wash the area, dry well, and sprinkle some cinnamon on it before bandaging. Antimicrobial properties in cinnamon help to prevent bacteria from growing, and antioxidant powers will ease the hurt.

Fragment of wood into skin

Dab some iodine on the area where the fragment is located. Iodine will darken the wood splinter, making it more visible to be removed, at the same time that disinfects the affected area.

Peeling sunburn

Grab some watermelon from the fridge and gently rub a slice over affected areas. Malic acid found in watermelon moisturizes sunburned skin, avoiding it to peel and helping the healing process.

Waxing pain

To minimize pain while waxing your body, pat some baby powder over the area, already dried and cleaned, to absorb excess oil and moisture.

Skin cuts and burns

Dab honey before covering with bandage. Honey has natural antibiotics and enzymes that sterilize, ease pain and stimulate new cell growth.

Remove a stain from a vase

Drop an antacid tablet in a little water and let it sit for several minutes. Wipe and rinse.

Difficulties cleaning casserole

Place dish in a larger baking pan, fill outer casserole pan halfway with hot water, and bake as usual. Pieces stuck to the bottom of the casserole will be removed easily.

Fruit juice stain

Absorb the liquid with paper towel, wipe the area with a sponge soaked in cool water, and rinse the back of stain with boiling water. If pigmentation persists, dab it with lemon juice, cleaning any remaining stain.

Cold is making you feel terrible

Bring 2 cloves of garlic and a cinnamon stick together to a boil. On the side, squeeze 1 lemon into a cup and add 1tbsp of honey. When the tea is ready, mix everything together and drink as hot as possible, preferably before going to bed. Garlic is a natural antibiotic, making the body more resistant to illness.

Dry leg skin

Mix 1 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup almond oil and a few drops of lemon juice, and apply to wet skin under the shower. Sugar granules helps to eliminate layer of dead skin and almond oil helps to moisturize.

Grime in can opener wheels

Slide a piece of wax paper between the metal gears and run it through the tool, removing food residue and lubricating the wheels.

Puffy bags under the eyes

If you have puffy bags under your allergy-irritated eyes, beat one egg white, dab it on your under eye area with your finger, let sit for 15 minutes and rinse your face with cool water. Vitamin B in egg white helps to constrict blood vessels.

Thyme for a cough

Try this natural alternative: add 3tbsp of dried thyme to 1 pint of boiling water. Let cool, then add 1 cup of honey. Take 1tsp every hour as needed. You can store the mix in the fridge for up to 3 months!

Greasy hands from butter

To dot the top of a dish with butter, simply freeze the butter first, then use a box grater to shred it over the dish, keeping your hands grease-free.

Hiccups

Press your index fingers into the soft area behind both earlobes and massage gently. Stimulating the area of auditory system will calm the contractions in your diaphragm, helping to stop hiccups.

Clean windows

If you want an alternative cleaner for your windows, instead of chemicals, especially ones that include toxic or potentially toxic ingredient, mix 2tbsp of white vinegar with a gallon of water, and dispense into a used spray bottle. Spray on, then scrub with newspaper (paper towels can cause streaking).

Deck maintenance

To prevent mold and stains on your deck, spray the wood with a waterproof sealer and let it dry for at least 48 hours before you use the area again.

Stain from permanent marker

To remove stains caused by permanent markers from nonporous surfaces (fridge, tile etc), use a dry-erase marker to color over the stains, let it dry and wipe clean with a dry-erase eraser.

Tea or iced tea stain

Absorb the liquid with paper towel and rinse the back of the stain with cold water. Mix 1 to 1 cold water and white vinegar plus 1tbs of sodium bicarbonate, and soak garment until stain is gone. Acetic acid in vinegar and sodium bicarbonate neutralizes and clean the dark stain.

Underarm dark shadow

While in the shower, massage your underarm area in a circular movement using your facial scrub. Do it twice per week, helping to send your dead cells away and to clean deodorant residue that cause hair to stick under your skin's surface.

Eliminate odors in carpets

Mix 2 parts cornstarch and 1 part borax (antifungal sodium borate) and sprinkle over the carpet. Let sit for about 1 hour, and then use the vacuum. Odors will be neutralized and moisture will be absorbed, preventing mold from growing.

Over spilling water in vase

Stuff a balled-up panty hose into the drainage hole before adding soil to the vase, slowing drainage.

Ketchup stain

Remove excess, rinse the back of the stain with cool water, let it soak in cold water for 20 minutes, wet a sponge with hydrogen peroxide and dab at the stain. The bubbly oxidizing action will remove remains of pigmentation. Wash garment later as usual.

Dry leg skin

Peel and quarter 2 fresh peaches, blend fruit with 2 cups of uncooked oatmeal, rub the mixture onto legs, let sit for about 20 minutes and rinse. Malic acid in peach breaks down the top layer of damaged cells, oatmeal whisks away flakes, and alpha hydroxyl acid brightens skin.

Dry and damaged hair

Prepare a mask with 1 mashed banana, 1/4 cup of honey, 2tbsp of wheat germ. Massage into damp hair and let sit for 20 minutes. Wash as usual. Moisturize in bananas plus humectants in honey plus vitamins A and E in wheat germ, will help to heal damage and enhance shine.

Baby Oil Day!

Baby oil is such a great product for your baby!!! That is right! But you do not have to be a baby to use it… Here are some alternative uses for this wonderful moisturizer...

Wiping off makeup

You can use baby oil to wipe off makeup such as eye shadow, mascara, and eye liner. It easily cleans these products without irritating your skin.

Shaving sensitive skin

If you have sensitive skin or suffer from razor burn, using baby oil instead of soap or shaving cream will stop the burn and irritation.

When zippers get stuck

Some zippers can get stuck or can be hard to zip up or down. Simply put baby oil on the zipper and it should be easy to use.

Clean shower doors

Wipe down shower doors in the bathroom, using baby oil. It helps to remove soap scum and other residues.

Massage your body

Baby oil is hypoallergenic and is made with natural ingredients that will not cause your skin to become itchy or red. It keeps in the moisture better than a lot of lotions, and it is warming to the skin and very relaxing.

Polishing miscellaneous items

Gently rub your leather (shoes, handbags etc), wood furniture, stainless steel, and chrome appliances, using a soft wash cloth with a few drops of baby oil.

Slip off a stuck ring

Massage baby oil onto your finger and rotate the ring until you can slide it off.

Peel off bandages

Avoid involuntary hair removal and extra pain by rubbing baby oil over and around the sticky parts of an adhesive bandage before pulling it off.

Untangle a necklace chain

Massage a dab of baby oil onto the tangled area, and then use a straight pin to carefully pull apart the knot.

Remove latex paint from skin

Pour a generous amount of baby oil on a cotton ball and scrub your skin.

Dull leather accessories

Coat a cloth with some petroleum jelly from your medicine cabinet, and buff the item's surface. After 5 minutes, wipe off with a clean cloth, making your accessories shinny and protected against water.

Align adhesive-backed paper straight

Place the paper in the freezer for 1 hour before you have to use it. When paper is frozen, it will be easier to maneuver and align in draws, trunks, shelves etc.

Preventing tools from rusting in storage

Before putting your tools into storage, rub the metal surfaces with wax paper, lubricating them against rust-causing moisture.

Accumulation of soap scum in shower stalls

Combine 3 parts water to 1 part bleach in a spray bottle, add 1tbsp white vinegar and spray all over your shower area. Acetic acid in vinegar dissolves alkaline soap deposits, while bleach kills mildew.

Gravy stains

Pat a layer of cornstarch onto the stain, let sit for 30 minutes. Blot with dry washcloth soaking up the oils before you wash your cloth.

Deter cats

If you love cats but you do not want them doing their business in the kids' sandbox or in your flower bed, every few months, pour some vinegar around the edges of the area you want to protect.

Storing decorative flag

Roll the flag around its pole, slip it into an empty gift wrap tube, and label the outside of the tube.

Dusting chandelier

Clean your chandelier hanging an open umbrella upside down from the center of it, preventing mess on table and other items under the light fixture.

Toilet tank condensation

Turn off water supply valve, flush to empty toilet, wipe inside, dry and line the walls and bottom with bubble wrap, securing with silicone sealant. Turn the water back on. The bubble wrap will create insulation inside the tank, preventing contrast in temperature between the cold water inside and the humid air outside.

Facial double chin in a photo

Take a deep breath, then as the camera clicks, exhale with a sigh and smile widely. Action will tighten the lower half of face and photo will have a nice result.

Sanding tiny gaps in wood

If the sandpaper cannot reach tight spaces, use a nail file.

Candle wax spilled on fabric

Place a piece of wax paper on the spot, glide an iron set on medium over the area, lifting the stain from fabric.

Dried-out baby wipes

Add a little bit of baby oil to the bottom of the container, close the lid and flip the container upside down. The oil will reactivate the dried-up solution in wipes.

Coca-cola stain

Absorb the liquid with paper towel or dry cloth and rinse stain with cold water. Mix 1 cup of water with 1tbsp of clear household ammonia, spray on stain and blot with paper towel. The solution will dissolve the sugar, preventing from darkening.

Cellulite and saggy skin

Add 5 green tea bags to a tub with warm water and let your body submerge for 15 to 30 minutes. Tannins in green tea help to tight skin, while polyphenols stimulate blood-flow.

Placing adhesive-backed paper

To prevent kinks after placement, roll a heavy glass jar or can across the surface of the paper to smooth it.

Alternative all-purpose cleaner

To save space, money and health hazard, try a non-toxic alternative all-purpose cleaner. In an empty spray bottle, combine 3 parts vinegar, 1 part water and 1/2 cup salt. Acetic acid in vinegar and antibacterial properties in salt will remove stains, mildew and grease.

Shining chrome

Rub a piece of wax paper over chrome's surface, coating the metal and keeping fixtures shining longer.

Coffee stain

Absorb the liquid with paper towel and rinse the back of the stain with cold water. Mix 1 to 1 cold water and white vinegar plus 1tbsp of sodium bicarbonate, and soak garment until stain is gone. Acetic acid in vinegar and sodium bicarbonate neutralizes and clean the dark stain.

Fast dry nail polish

For a fast-drying top coat, mist over freshly painted nails with some of nonstick cooking spray. Oils in the spray will help to dissolve the solvent in polish.

Vodka Day!

Believe it or not, there are many other alternative uses for this product beyond drinking and preparing cocktails… cleaning, personal care, fighting insects… Check today’s tips and find out!

Ease a toothache

Your first priority should be to see a dentist. But sometimes you cannot get an appointment right away. In that case, try swishing a shot of vodka over the affected area. It can help disinfect, and should numb some of the pain in your gums.

Make a soothing lavender tincture

Fill a clean glass jar with fresh lavender flowers, and then top off with vodka. Seal the lid tightly and place in the sun for three days. Strain the resulting liquid through a coffee filter, and you will have a homemade tincture to rub into aches and pains. You can also pour into smaller bottles, decorate them and give them as unique gifts.

Clean away mold

Try filling a recycled spray bottle with some bottom-shelf vodka, and spritz on mold, then let sit for 15 minutes. Scrub away with an old toothbrush.

Get great, shiny hair

Try this remedy for healthier, lush hair: add a jigger of vodka to a 12-ounce bottle of shampoo.

Soothe jellyfish stings

For vegetarians and others who do not travel with meat tenderizer, try pouring some vodka over the bites. The liquid can also disinfect and alleviate some of the bite of a jellyfish sting.

Preserve flowers

Add a few drops of vodka and a teaspoon of sugar to the water in your flower vase. It should help keep your flowers fresh longer. Change out the mixture with fresh ingredients daily.

Repel Insects

Pour some vodka in a spray bottle and squirt on the little buggers or yourself as a repellent. The liquid can kill pesky insects, but please do not try at any beneficial bees!

Shine your fixtures

Make your chrome, glass and porcelain fixtures shine. Moisten a soft, clean cloth with vodka, and then apply a little elbow grease.

Treat poison ivy

To avoid the uncomfortable reaction, immediately pour 100 proof vodka on skin that has come into contact with poison ivy, and the alcohol will wash away the itchy urushiol oil.

Cooking with walnuts

To prevent the blue aspect, roast walnuts in a 350-degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes, before adding them to any baking recipe.

Oxidized aluminum furniture

Remove the dark tarnish from your aluminum furniture with a cloth soaked in a solution of 1 to 1 water and white vinegar, wiping down the affected areas. Acetic acid in vinegar helps to dissolve tarnish without damage.

Bumping vacuum cleaner into walls

To avoid dark marks on the walls, cover the edges of the vacuum cleaner with tape.

Storing important papers

To store awards, diplomas or any other important paper without damaging, roll them, separated or together, slide inside an empty paper-towel tube and label the outside of the tube. Cardboard protects your papers and rolls are easy to store.

Dry and frizzy hair

After a usual hair wash, massage your hair with some extra virgin olive oil, let sit for 2 hours, then wash your hair again as usual.

Keeping drink cans cold

If you ran out of can cozies for everyone, wrap each can with enough bubble wrap to cover it and tape the ends together. It may look a little ugly and doubtful, but it works as well as a can cozy.

Removing old wallpaper

Combine equal parts hot water and liquid fabric softener in a 5 gallon bucket and pour into a tray. Using a paint roller, apply to the wall until it is completely saturated, let sit for about 30 minutes, and then peel off the paper. Lubricants in laundry softener break down adhesives in wallpaper.

Dark brass fireplace accents

Mix equal parts salt and vinegar with enough flour to make a paste, rub on brass with a soft cloth, let sit for about 1 hour, rinse clean, then buff to shine. Sodium chloride in salt and acetic acid in vinegar release ions that bond with the oxidized metal.

Saggy celery

Your celery stalks are saggy when you are ready to make a salad. Trim a small part off the root and stand them upright in a glass with ice water for about 30 minutes, helping the stalks return to their crunchy state.

Frizzy hair

Lightly run an ice cube over hair after styling, sealing open cuticles that cause frizz.

Stains on patio porous surfaces

Your patio has porous surface and is full of stains from previous cooking… Sprinkle some powdered laundry detergent on affected areas, add some water to make a thick paste, let sit for 10 minutes, scrub with a nonmetallic brush, and rinse away. Repeat if needed.

Small particles inside your keyboard

Your computer keyboard has small particles that you cannot catch even if you turn it upside down. Tear off a piece of tape and slip between each row of the keyboard, back and forth. Tape is thin enough to slide around keys and its adhesive side picks up particles that are hard to reach.

Golden brown beef color

Blot excess moisture from the beef with a paper towel before cooking. Wet meat lowers the temperature of a hot pan, preventing the cuts from caramelizing.

Messy jewelry box

Cut a piece of the mesh material from an old window screen and insert it into a matted frame without the glass. It is perfect to poke earrings through.

Bad mood

When you are blue, you probably crave sweets, because simple carbs prompt the brain to secrete serotonin, the calming hormone. But after the initial spike in mood, sugary treats set up the body for a blood sugar crash that can make your bad mood worse. Better options are complex carbs like chickpeas, lentils and whole-grain bread.

Dusting ceiling fans

Use a few big pillow cases to slip over each blade. Hold each side of the blade and pull the pillowcase outward. Dust will stick to the fabric inside, and your ceiling fan will be cleaned without spreading the mess.

Aluminum furniture maintenance

To prevent tarnish caused by rain, snow and pollutants, rub the metallic parts of your furniture with car wax, coating the surfaces against water and dust.

Packing fragile items

If you do not have packing material to cushion fragile items in a box, try inflated zip-top plastic bags. Slip a straw in an almost sealed bag, blow into the straw inflating it, remove the straw and seal the bag.

Stain on the edges of your car wheel

Rub the stains with a cloth dipped in mayonnaise, let sit for about 10 minutes and rinse. Oils in mayo soften the stains and acid from vinegar (ingredient in mayo) helps to dissolve the marks originated from rubber fragments, asphalt etc.

Fresh chicken salad

Add mayonnaise only when chicken is cold to the touch, preventing creamy dressing from spoiling.