Cooking with pot partially covered

When your recipe requires simmering in partially covered pot, use 2 parallel chopsticks to balance the lid. That will leave enough space for steam to escape, and will prevent lid from sliding back into place.

Fix an over-spiced chili

To take the heat out of a too spicy chili, add some sour cream to the pot. This procedure should balance the chili's flavor.

Buttering delicate dough

When working with delicate pastry that requires a coat of melted butter, use a small foam paint roller instead of a brush. The job will be done faster and the pastry will be coated much more evenly. Store the washed roller in the freezer and let it thaw for an hour before using.

Storing winter woolens

Keep stored sweaters dry and fresh, by tying a few sticks of white chalk into a pack and place in the container with your clothes. The chalk will absorb moisture and prevent mildew.

Revive yellow roses

To recuperate a bouquet of fading yellow roses, recut the ends of the stems, place the flowers in a vase with warm water and add 0.5oz of yellow liquid food coloring. The stems will soak up the water and disperse the dye throughout the petals, turning them brighter in a few hours.

Peeling oranges

To easily remove the white membranes from an orange, place it unpeeled in boiling water for about 5 minutes and let cool. The pith loosens from the skin and peeling it off becomes an easy job.

Keep peppers fresh longer

If you have to use only a portion of a bell pepper, slice the vegetable from the bottom. The top holds the seeds which will keep the moisture for a few more days without the veggie becoming soft.

Perfect grilled cheese sandwich

Buttered bread slices tend to burn before the cheese is melted. Next time, use mayonnaise instead. Mayo has a higher smoke point and gives your sandwich a richer flavor.

Cooking roast meat

Instead of searing the roast before placing it in the oven, and having the tough task to flip it later, just pre-heat oven to 450F. Slide in the roast, reduce the oven’s temperature to the one specified in your recipe, and let it cook. This “oven sear” will make your crispy and moist dish much easier.

Cleaning leeks

To get all the grit off leeks, place the stalks in a colander set in a bowl of water to rinse and lift the colander to leave all the dirt behind.

Mealworms in the kitchen cabinets

Place a bay leaf inside each container of flour or pasta. You can also tape a leaf to the shelf or to the inside of the cabinet doors. Mealworms do not like the smell and taste of the herb.

Scratches on glass tabletops

To protect your glass tabletops when you have to place trays on top of them, cut the erasers off some pencils and place 4 under each serving platter, using double-sided tape to stick them.

Wrinkle-free curtains

After washing your curtains, hang them while they are still damp and insert butter knives in the opening at the bottom hems. The weight of the knives will force the fabric to straighten. Once dry, remove the utensils and drapes will look like pressed.

Static cling in clothes

Next time you wash your clothes, ball up a piece of aluminum foil and throw it in the dryer. The foil is an electrical conductor and will force electricity to move fast through the garments, and the opposite charges that create static when they are tumbling will be neutralized.

Extra soft skin

During winter time, give your skin some extra smoothness e moisture. Heat your body lotion with the hair dryer, on the low setting, for about 15 seconds, and then apply the warm lotion to your body.

Locating studs on the wall

When you need to hang a frame and do not have your stud finder handy, just grab a men’s electric razor, plug in and run it over the wall. When the razor passes over a stud, its tone will change and you will know exactly where to hang your décor.

Cleaning candlesticks

To de-gunk glass or ceramic candlesticks, place them upside down in a veggie steamer and position over a pot of boiling water (just like if you were cooking vegetables). Cover the pot and let steam for about 15 minutes. Let cool and remove from the steamer. The softened old wax will have slipped off the holders and dripped into the water below.

Noisy cabinet’s hinges

To mute squeaky hinges on your kitchen cabinets, apply some cooking spray on top of the hardware and let the oil run down while opening and closing the door a few times. Clean excess oil with a paper towel.

Red-eye in photos

Avoid red-eye in pictures by focusing your eyes on a nearby lamp, or other light source, right up until the shot is snapped. Red-eye frequently happens when your irises dilate to let in more light so, when you fix your eyes on something bright pre-photo, the irises will shrink back to regular size.

Fix for dull and flat hair

To get glossy and glamorous hair in a blink, grab a silk scarf and run it over the strands from the roots to the tips. Positive particles on fabric will be transferred to negatively charged hair, giving it a much better look.

Quick fix for a popped button

If the popped button has a shank or ring on the back, just slide a safety pin through it and attach to the garment. You can use the same tip to customize clothing, changing buttons to diversify your outfit.