HOUSEHOLD HINTS
Put a handful or two of tissue, torn into shreds, in the bottom of the cookie jar. This allows the air to pass through, keeping the cookies crisp and good.
A currycomb makes an excellent fish scraper.
When scaling fish, put them in a large pan of water and scale while under the water. You'll find it's less messy because the scales do not fly everywhere.
When you throw out the water, all the scales are in the pan.
Mineral spirits rubbed on gently with a piece of terry cloth will remove the sticky residue left on an item by price tags.
Denatured rubbing alcohol is very effective for cleaning shower tiles, and it leaves them sparkling. Put it in a small container and scrub with an old washcloth.
Use rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth to clean piano keys beautifully.
To clean stained teapots off coffeepots, soak a denture tablet in them overnight.
Buff up pewter with a cabbage leaf for a nice shine
Rid sinks of green stains with baking soda. Just sprinkle it on and rub off.
When cooking bacon (not frozen), dip it in flour and fry as usual. The flour gives it more body and makes a beautiful crust.
To keep cooked ham from developing a sticky feeling and taste, store in the refrigerator in a brown paper bag with the flap turned over.
Pickling spices often sit in the cupboard getting stale when harvest season is over. Use them up as a flavor enhancer for tomato sauce.
Tie about a teaspoon in cheesecloth or empty out a tea bag, fill it with pickling spice, and use a bread twist tie to secure it. Add it to tomato sauce as it cooks. When cooking anything that grows above the ground, start in hot water. Start anything that grows under the ground in cold water.
Use snap-type clothespins instead of wire wrappers to keep bread bags sealed. It's faster! This trick also works well on bags of chips and popcorn and on the waxed paper bags inside cereal boxes.
Use disposable gloves while kneading dough. It does not stick to the gloves and cleanup is a breeze. If you freeze your package of flour before putting it in a canister, it will not become buggy.
Put one stick of chewing gum with the outside wrapper removed into an opened box of flour or oatmeal to keep it free of bugs.
Keep a magnet in your sewing basket to pick up dropped needles or pins in hard-to-find places.
Use different colored plastic baskets with handles to store frozen foods in a chest-type freezer. Keep all 'like' items together in one basket - vegetables in one, beef in another, etc. Then make a list of colors and categories and keep it near the freezer. This saves having to dig into the freezer to get what you want.
To open clogged drains, fill them with Spic and Span powder. Pour about a quart or more of boiling water into the drain. After a few moments turn on the faucets and allow water to run into the sink. If drains are not gurgling properly, repeat.
