Line-drying your sheets

There is nothing better to kill bacteria and bleach out stains (unlike your dryer) than drying your clothes in the sunshine. To avoid the line-induced crease on sheets, and skip ironing later, try this: Fold the sheet in half and clip the 4 corners to the line so the fold hangs freely at the bottom. To secure its midsection, pin each hemline separately to the line, leaving gaps between clips. The free flow of air through the openings will speed drying time and keep fabric wrinkle-free.

Small hole in the wall

Tear a few facial tissues or paper towels into tiny pieces and place in a plastic container. Add a few drops of carpenter’s glue and stir to make a thick paste. Using a spatula (or similar), fill the hole with the paste, making sure it is level with the wall. Let dry for 2 hours. Finish with a dab of primer, then paint to match the wall color.

Natural trick against mice

Attract owls to your property with an owl box (if a quiet rafter or tree crook is not available). A pair of barn owls and their family can eat over 3,000 mice in a nesting season. Should the food supply be dependable, the same owls may return season after season.

Avoid ants

Use a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water to wipe down countertops and other surfaces. Use the mixture anywhere you have spotted ants. Repeating this procedure several times a day you will destroy the scent trails that ants use to navigate.

Get rid of spiders

In a spray bottle, mix water and unsweetened lemon or lime juice. Wipe furniture, countertops, or spray down doorways and windowsills. In your garden, spread around some lemons, oranges or lime peels. Spiders do not like the smell of citrus.

Avoid mosquitoes

Repel mosquitoes with catnip plants! Grow them in your garden or apply undiluted catnip oil to the skin for up to 2 hours of protection. It works more effectively than repellents.

Cooking spaghetti

If your pot is wide and squat instead of tall and narrow, break spaghetti strands in half before dropping them in the water. All the pasta will hit the water at the same time and cook evenly. Also, shorter strands make slurping them easier and neater.

Avoid flies

Flies hate the smell of basil. Place pots of the plant at doorways and windowsills and on the kitchen counter. If you do not have potted basil, put dried basil in a small muslin pouch, rubbing it occasionally to keep the scent strong.