Hair Dryer Day #1!

Handheld hair dryers are perfect for hairdos but they can also be used in other surprising ways around the house. Here are a handful of them…

Hard-to-dust items

Use a hair dryer to dust hard-to-dust items. The air will blow the dust somewhere else, but hopefully somewhere else that is easier to dust.

Removing contact paper

Remove contact paper from shelves by heating it with the hair dryer and gently working the edges up. Also works for bumper stickers and other rogue sticky things.

Jammed ice-makers

Automatic ice-makers can get jammed with frozen ice. Relieve that with a long blast of hot air from your hair dryer to melt unwanted icebergs.

Defrosting a freezer

Some people use pots of boiling water to quicken freezer defrosting, but a hot hair dryer works even more quickly. Be careful of puddles of water and the dryer, though!

Scooping ice cream

Running an ice cream scoop under hot water helps, but you can also try using a hair dryer on the carton to soften ice cream for easy scooping.

Unstick cake from pan

If your cake will not unstick from the cake pan, use your hair dryer on the bottom of the pan then invert it, it should drop right out.

Icing your cake

If you need to quickly set the icing on a cake, the air and heat of a hair dryer can quicken up the process.

Killing bedbugs

Freeze infested sheets, backpacks or other items to 23 degrees Fahrenheit or less for at least 5 days. Cold temperature will kill the bugs.

Removing gum

Remove gum stuck to clothes or hair by putting ice on the spot or freezing the clothing, then use a butter knife to pop off the frozen gum.

House odors

Clear the air in your house by boiling a pot of water with a mix of citrus peels and sweet spices, and beat chemical air fresheners that often contain petrochemicals and carcinogens.

Cleaning drains

To prevent drains in your home from getting clogged, pour a pot of boiling water down each one to keep them clear. Do it in a regular basis (monthly is fine), and if you want, you can add some salt or sodium carbonate to the boiling water.

Clean microwave grime

Boil 4tbsp of lemon juice in a cup of water for about 5 minutes. Use a wide bowl to allow lots of steam to condense on the microwave. After carefully taking out the bowl, wipe out splattered stains.

Wrapping paper leftover

To prevent used wrapping paper from unrolling and tearing in storage, cut the legs off old pairs of panty hose and then store the tubes inside. The stretchy nylon keeps paper tightly rolled.

Blemishes on the wall

Mix some baking soda with a bit of water. Rub the solution over problem areas (tape marks, pinholes etc) using a dry cloth. When turned into a paste, the mild, slightly abrasive baking soda fills in small holes in the wall’s surface as it buffs away smudges and spots.

Match watts when lighting a house

A 60-watt bulb here, a 75-watt one there, an eco-friendly model screwed in for good measure… When you have a different kind of bulb in each lamp, it throws everything off, subtly manipulating the eye and forming strange shadows. Note: the lower the wattage, the more forgiving the light.

Add a little twinkle to a room

Shiny decorative accents, like a subtle metallic lamp shade, an antique silver base, a crystal chandelier, or a well-positioned mirror, reflect a radiant, dappled light that gives any room a special glow.

Lighting your home

Place all lamps at waist level or higher to better illuminate a room, accentuate features, and "fill in" faces. Always avoid direct overhead lighting, which creates Frankenstein-like shadows.

Overripe fruit

The minute you see your fruit going bad, wash it, slice it, peel it (in the case of bananas) and freeze it in resealable bags. You will have instant smoothie or pie makings anytime!

Remove stains from wooden cutting boards

Sprinkle the board with salt rubbing it with lemon. For more stubborn stains, try an abrasive antibacterial kitchen cleaner and scouring pad. For the toughest, reach for sandpaper. And of course wash thoroughly afterward!

Soften hardened brown sugar

Place the sugar in a bowl, cover the sugar with a double layer of wet paper towels, and then cover the bowl with foil or plastic wrap and let it stand overnight.

Refresh crystallized honey

Let the jar or bottle of honey sit for 15 minutes in boiling water that has cooled for five minutes.

Cleaning burnt pots

Spray pots with oven cleaner and leave them for a couple of hours and the grime will wipe right off. It works for stainless kettles as well.

Remove egg shells dropped into eggs

Wet your finger with water before attempting to fish it out. You will be shocked at how easily it can be grabbed and eliminated.

Open stubborn pistachios

Take one half of a shell, stick it into even the littlest opening of an unopened pistachio, and turn the shell half like a key. The pistachio will pop right open!

Protecting skin from sun damage

Dark chocolate help protect the skin from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation. They are rich in flavonoids and antioxidants that could prevent wrinkles and cut the risk of skin cancer caused by exposure to sunlight.

Boosting your vision

Omega-3 fatty acids in olive oil help prevent age-related macular degeneration. About 7tbsp per week is already enough to prevent early AMD.

Getting rid of dandruff

Use a shampoo that contains tea tree oil to reduce dandruff and improve the itchiness and greasiness of scalp. You can also safely add a small amount of tea tree oil to your own shampoo to get a similar effect, but no more than a few teaspoons per bottle, to prevent over drying of your scalp.

Toothpaste Day #2!

The same ingredients that help to whiten, brighten, deodorize, remove stains, protect enamel and polish our teeth can also work wonders on many other alternative uses. Try out the following tips and watch the results!

Burned crust on irons

The silica in toothpaste gently grinds away this rusty-looking layer on the plate of the iron.

Deodorize baby bottles

If baby bottles develop a sour-milk smell, a good cleaning with some white toothpaste and a bottle scrubber will clean away residue and deodorize. RINSE WELL!

Tidy up piano keys

Piano keys retain oil from the skin, which then attracts dust and dirt. Clean away grime gently with a damp, lint-free cloth and white toothpaste. After rubbing in the toothpaste, wipe the keys clean with a second lint-free cloth.

Make silver sparkle

Rub white toothpaste onto jewelry or any other silver piece, and wipe clean with a soft cloth. Make diamonds shine by giving them a gentle scrub using a toothbrush, white toothpaste, and a little water. Rinse thoroughly to remove all traces of toothpaste. DO NOT USE THIS TIP ON PEARLS!

Crayon stains on painted walls

Rub a damp cloth with white toothpaste gently on the marked-up wall and watch the marks disappear.

Spruce up dirty shoes

This tip works great on running shoes or scuffed-up leather shoes. Apply white toothpaste directly to the dirty or scuffed area, then scrub with a brush and wipe clean.

Removing stains

For clothes, apply white toothpaste directly to the stain and rub quickly until the spot is gone, then wash as usual (note that using a whitening toothpaste on colors can sometimes bleach the fabric). For carpet stain, apply white toothpaste to it and scrub it with an abrasive brush, then rinse immediately.

Eliminating canker sores

Apply some aloe vera gel to help repair damaged tissues, to decrease or prevent inflammation and control pain. Sores will heal faster.

Shrinking hemorrhoids

Apply some witch hazel to the area, which is a natural astringent already used as ingredient in many hemorrhoids OTC treatment, but may dry out delicate tissue. So, also apply some cream, such as Vaseline or A+D ointment, to moisturize the skin.

Calming irritated skin

To get relief, place a cup of baking soda under a running bath tap so it dissolves completely, and then soak in the water for about 30 minutes.

Soothing insect bites

Make a paste with a crushed antacid tablet, a pinch of oatmeal (also a skin soother), and water and apply it to the skin. Effervescent antacid tablets provide quicker relief from pain and itching.

Keep hair waves bouncy

Sleep on a satin pillowcase to help keep your hair from getting matted, tangled, and frizzy. Cotton cases tend to have coarser texture, which can rough up your hair.

Beat bad breath

Always floss; clean your tongue with your toothbrush (or a tongue scraper); go sugar-free with gum and mints (bacteria tend to ferment sugar which leads to odors); avoid a dry mouth (saliva contains protective enzymes that help kill bad bacteria); chew on a few cardamom seeds instead of mints and gum.

Stinky clothes

Combat mild odors in fabric by adding a cup of baking soda each to your machine’s wash and rinse cycles. If odors persist, dilute 3tbsp of salt (to help kill bacteria) in a quart of warm water and soak the garment for at least one hour. Rinse and wash as usual.

Mineral deposits in water heater

When heated, calcium turns into insoluble calcite, lining pipes and water tanks. Even a thin film can increase energy consumption by 10%. To avoid that, place one small ceramic magnet on each side of the freshwater intake pipe so they are directly across from each other. Secure with tape to prevent shifting. Magnetized water molecules create a force field that blocks the formation of rocklike deposits.

Rusty steel wool

After using a pad, place it in a resealable plastic bag and store it in the freezer until you need it again. The cool air freezes the moisture, stopping rust. Then, just thaw the scrubber under warm water before using.

Clean and shine wood surfaces

Combine 2 parts lemon juice with 1 part olive oil in a spray bottle. Spray on the wood surface and wipe dry with a soft cloth. The citric acid from juice gently dissolves dirt while the oil prevents the wood from drying out.

Hanger bending in the closet

Cut a slit down the entire length of an empty paper-towel tube. Slip the cardboard roll around the hanger bar and drape pants over it.

Perfect caulking

Dip a finger in soapy water before running it along the caulk. Though the moisture helps, the soap is the key. It lets your finger glide smoothly over the silicone without it sticking to your skin.

Younger-looking hands

Next time you make rice for dinner, let the cooking water cool, then soak your hands in it for 10 minutes. The fiber in rice helps cell regeneration, and nutrients increase production of collagen.

Extend your pants at the waist

You ate a little too much and your pants are feeling a bit snug at the waist. Grab a rubber band and unbutton your pants. Feed the band through the buttonhole and then through itself. Then loop the band around the button to secure.

Snag on sweater

Use a crochet hook to pull the loose yarn through to the underside of the garment, and turn the sweater inside out. Make a loop out of the yarn and pull the loose end through to create a small knot. Dab the spot with clear nail polish and let it dry before turning right side out.

Toothpaste Day #1!

The same ingredients that help to whiten, brighten, deodorize, remove stains, protect enamel and polish our teeth can also work wonders on many other alternative uses. Try out the following tips and watch the results!

Scrub away stinky smells

Garlic, fish, onion, and other pungent foods can permeate the skin cells on our hands. Scrubbing hands and fingertips briefly with toothpaste removes all traces of smelly odors.

Keep hair in place

If you are out of regular hair gel, try gel toothpaste to style and hold an extreme hair creation. Gel toothpastes contain the same water-soluble polymers that many hair gels are made of.

Clean up your fingernails

For cleaner, shinier, and stronger nails, simply scrub the underneath and tops of fingernails with a toothbrush and white toothpaste.

Decrease the size of a facial blemish

Apply a tiny dot of white toothpaste to the affected area at night before bed. Wash it off in the morning.

Soothe a stinging burn

For minor burns that do not involve an open wound, white toothpaste can deliver temporary cooling relief. Apply it delicately to the affected area immediately after a burn develops preventing the wound from weeping or opening.

Irritation from bug bites, sores, and blisters

Relieve skin irritation applying a drop of white toothpaste (overnight) to a bug bite or insect sting to stop the itching and decrease any swelling. When applied to sores or blisters, it dries them up, allowing the wound to heal faster.

Scrape marks on glass tabletops

Using your fingertips, rub a dab of white toothpaste over the scratches, let it dry, and rub clean with a lint-free cloth. Mild abrasives that make teeth sparkle also buff away scrapes and restore shine to glass.

Tiny spaces

Use fewer but larger pieces of furniture with clean lines to open the space up. Many small pieces in a small room can overcrowd and clutter the space.

Design your floor

If you do not like rugs or carpets, try to include a pattern into the existing floor by installing different colors of wood boards, ceramic tiles or other flooring material. If you have a low budget, you can even try a different design, painting simple stripes or using stencils.

Storage for nail tools

Use your old glasses case to make a storage box for the emergency kit you use to keep your nails gorgeous. It can perfectly fit an emery board, cuticle scissors and nail clippers.

Make an open floor plan united

Give each room its own character, using a flowing color scheme for both, the walls and the décor. Pick fabrics and rugs with several different colors, as long as you highlight one color as the primary shade in one space and a secondary shade as the primary in another.

Make bread crumbs

If you do not have a food processor, do not waste your unsliced stale bread. Run them across a box grater, and use your bread crumbs to make your favorite dishes.

Make ceilings look taller

If you do not have crown molding, paint the ceiling a slightly lighter shade of the wall color, which will trick your eye into thinking that it is higher. If you do have crown molding, paint vertical stripes on the wall for an instant boost of height.

Easy way to core pineapples

Place pineapple on its side and slice it. Put a large biscuit cutter over one slice, pressing down to make a perfect circle and removing the skin at the same time. Repeat with the remaining slices. Use a 1 1/2" cutter to remove the inner core in the same manner.

Tall ceilings

The normal rule of thumb is to hang art 60 inches from the finished floor to the middle of the image, but when you are dealing with really tall spaces you may consider hanging collection of art instead of a single picture.

Sweet tomatoes year-round

To give your tomatoes a sweeter taste and juicer texture, bake them whole for about 30 minutes in a 350F oven. As they cook, the sugars in the fruit caramelize. Just cool, chop and toss them in any dish you want.

Eco-friendly decorating

There are fashionable options that allow you to respect the earth when you decorate your home. Buying antiques is a good example, but you can also check furniture retailers offering upholstered goods made with Forest Stewardship Council certified wood frames, soy-based fillers and naturally dyed upholstery.

Tender breast meat

When cooking a whole chicken, the breast meat dries out by the time the thighs are cooked. To get moist all over the bird, place ice cubes in the pan and set the bird breast side down on top. Let sit 20 minutes, turn the chicken over, discarding the cubes, and roast as usual. The breast meat will take longer to heat and will not dry out.

Reducing your sauce to delicious

Your recipe calls for reducing a sauce down to 1 cup. Sometimes eyeballing works but you want a more exact way to measure that. Before cooking, pour 1 cup water into a pot, stand a wooden spoon handle in the pot, mark the level with food coloring and discard the water. Next time you make sauce, use the spoon to measure the amount.

Home décor trends under budget

Embrace the newest color trend through throw pillows, blankets and other changeable items without having to repaint an entire room. Color trends can change often and few have the energy and money to constantly redesign.

Test for fresh green beans

Before bagging them at market, bend a bean. If it snaps, it is fresh and tender. If it can be folded, give them a pass and choose another vegetable.

Go green with back-to-school swap

Host a back-to-school swap with other moms, with kids the same gender as yours but different ages, for an annual clothes swap. Also trade toys and books and save some money.

Back to school basic supplies

Check supermarket weekly circulars for great deals on basic supplies (pens, loose-leaf paper etc), and get your weekly grocery shopping done at the same time. You will save time and also money in gas.

Back to school gear

Hold off buying trendier gear for the kids. They may love a version they found before school time, but once they start school and see their friends using another kind, they will beg you to upgrade them.

Sleep more deeply

Fill your pillows with lavender flower scent. Lavender increases deep slow-wave sleep, and helps people with mild insomnia.

Revive your libido

The smell of baby powder, cucumber or licorice, has been shown to turn women on, increasing vaginal blood flow by 13%.

Vinegar Day #3!

There are tons of other applications for this product beyond using it as an ingredient in your kitchen! Vinegar is also well-known as a great all-purpose cleaner!

Polish patent leather accessories

Give them a rub with a white vinegar-soaked cloth. Buff them with a dry one.

Clean the microwave

Fill a microwave-safe bowl with 2 cups water and half cup white vinegar. Heat it on full power for 3-4 minutes until it comes to a boil. Keep the door closed for a few minutes longer to let the steam fill the microwave, loosening the grime. Remove the bowl (carefully!) and wipe down interior walls with a clean sponge.

Disinfect wood cutting boards

Wipe down wood boards with a wash of white vinegar.

Clean grills

Spray white vinegar on a ball of tin foil, and then use it to give the grate a firm scrub.

Clean paintbrushes

Soak paintbrushes in white vinegar for an hour before simmering them on the stove to remove hardened paint. Drain and rinse.

Polish linoleum floors

Add 1 cup of white vinegar for every gallon of water you use to wash your linoleum floor.

Make a toilet sparkle

Pour in a cup or two of white vinegar and let it sit there overnight before scrubbing with a toilet brush next day.

Clean a grimy showerhead

To get rid of scum, fill a Ziploc with half cup of baking soda and 1 cup white vinegar and tie it around the showerhead. Let it sit for an hour, until the bubbling has stopped. Remove the bag and run the shower as usual.

Clean the shower door

Spray them down with white vinegar pre-shower, or post (after you have squeegeed the glass) to remove hard water deposits.

Clean grout

Pour on some white vinegar, let it hang out for a few minutes, and buff with an old toothbrush.

Save space in a master bedroom

Your first consideration should be to minimize the bed. A bold headboard, rather than a space-sucking style with rails and footboard, will allow room for a seating area or extra storage.

Quick fix for stale muffins

When muffins get dried out and crumbly, use 2tbsp of milk to brush them and heat in a 300F oven for 6 minutes, or until warmed through.

Find good deals online

Browse craigslist.org for top-quality stuff on the cheap, and you can be a seller too.

Crank up your workout

Sniffing peppermint vapors can give you more motivation, energy, speed, and confidence. Some athletes use peppermint inhalers, and at one time Reebok even built a peppermint smell into some sports bras.

Soothe menstrual cramps

Get a daily 15-minute abdominal massage with essential oils for 1 week before your period. The smell of essential oils can decrease discomfort by half.

Fight a headache

Use less medication! The aroma of lavender or peppermint, can easy a headache and make you feel better.

Improve learning

Sniff rosemary and feel more alert next time you watch a presentation or deal with a new software program that drives you crazy.

To calm down

The smell of oranges before some people, and lavender before others, make them feel less anxious, more positive and calmer.

Resist a snack attack

Sniff a green apple (banana and peppermint work well too) or another favorite scent. A fragrance you love can help manage cravings.

Fruit flies

Put some beer in a cup, cut the corner off of a sandwich bag and place the cut corner in the cup; folding the rest around the cup and securing with a rubber band. Place the cup in the bin and say good bye to little flying guys.

Polish pots

Because of beer's slight acidity, it can help boost shine without staining the metal like a higher-acidity liquid would. Try a not noticeable test spot first: dampen a soft towel with beer, and buff.

Marinate meat and mushrooms

Beer is slightly acidic and works as a great tenderizer that is not as acidic in flavor as wine or vinegar based marinades. Use a hearty-flavored beer like a stout or barley wine, poke a few holes in the meat or mushrooms, add any other herbs or spices, and allow marinating in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.

Slugs and snails in the garden

Bury a clean container (like an empty juice carton cut length-wise in half) in the area where you have seen the pests, so that the top is about one-half inch higher than ground level, and pour in leftover beer. Slugs and snails will fall in, and drown.

Exterminate weeds

Soak weeds with a mixture of half water and half vinegar (you can use the leftover vinegar from a jar of pickles), and they will be dead a few days later. This is a good method for exterminating weeds with long taproots.

Prevent weeds from growing

At the end of winter, sprinkle some salt on gravel garden paths to keep weeds from coming up in the spring. Salt also makes a good weed barrier along lawn edgings and other places you cannot reach with a lawn mower. Apply it carefully, because it will erode concrete surfaces and can leave the ground infertile for a long time.

Eliminate weeds

Cover low-growing weeds such as clover and crabgrass with several layers of newspaper. The lack of sunlight will exterminate them. Similarly, put down layers of newspaper (it is biodegradable) and then cover them with mulch. This is a highly effective way of keeping weeds from sprouting up, and it helps the soil retain moisture.

Dry out weeds

When cooking potatoes or pasta, repurpose the boiling water by draining the pot directly onto the weeds in your yard, herb garden and patio. A splash of scalding water will shrivel even the toughest weeds in a couple of days.

Pulling weeds

Some weeds are much tougher to pull than others. Try watering the area directly around the weed or pulling weeds after a rainstorm, when the ground is softer. Also, insert a knife blade, screwdriver or "dandelion puller" alongside the deep root and pry it loose a little before pulling.

Scrape marks on dark wood

Make a paste of 2 parts instant coffee to 1 part water and apply to marks with a soft cloth. The more you dab, the darker the stain. Wipe excess with a clean rag.

Stubborn stains in carpet

Place a clean wet terry-cloth towel on the spot and press it with an iron set on high, alternately pushing down on the iron and moving it back and forth. Rewet the towel and check the stain every 15 seconds until it is gone. The moisture from the cloth liquefy the dye while the steam dry it out of the fibers.