Ingenious Household Tips

Some people are just clever.  They think outside the square and come up with terrific solutions to every day problems.  Today I thought I’d share some ingenious household tips I have come across!

1)  Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a ice cream cone to prevent ice cream drips.

2)  Use an old sauce bottle to “inject” your pancake batter onto the hot pan – perfectly shaped pancakes every time.

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

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

5)  Run your hands under cold water before pressing sticky slice treats into the pan, the marshmallow won’t stick to your fingers.

6)  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.

7)  To easily remove burnt food from your pan, simply add a drop or two of washing up liquid and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove-top – pan will be much easier to clean.

8)  Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato-based sauces – no more stains.

9)  When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead – no white mess on the outside of the cake.

10)  If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it’s still cooking, drop in a peeled potato – it absorbs the excess salt for an instant “fix me up”.

11)  Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator – it will keep for weeks.

12)  Brush beaten egg white over pastry before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.

13)  Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it back up.

14)  When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn’s natural sweetness.

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

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

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

18)  If you have a problem opening jars, try using latex dishwashing gloves. They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.

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

20)  To get rid of itch from mosquito bite: try applying soap on the area, instant relief.

21)  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.

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

23)  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.

Do you have some ingenious tips to share with SAHM?