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A New Year's gift: 101 Household hints, some of them new and simply brilliant (Original Post) Mira Jan 2014 OP
Rec'd Kaleva Jan 2014 #1
Some of those hints are really clever! Arkansas Granny Jan 2014 #2
Thank you! PADemD Jan 2014 #3
K&R Sherman A1 Jan 2014 #4
Great stuff BlueToTheBone Jan 2014 #5
You are right, I don't regret clicking this. Curmudgeoness Jan 2014 #6
Great! I love positive feedback, of course, plus more ideas to boot. Mira Jan 2014 #9
Let me know if the match trick works for you. Curmudgeoness Jan 2014 #11
Imagine: I just peeled about 20 onions Mira Jan 2014 #14
Glad it worked so well. Curmudgeoness Jan 2014 #15
Wow! Some great tips! Callalily Jan 2014 #7
So many awesome ideas! DamnYankeeInHouston Jan 2014 #8
I love the idea of the tension rod & hangers for my pots & pans! I have absolutely Hestia Jan 2014 #10
this is terrific, Mira NJCher Jan 2014 #12
I am skeptical of these sorts of lists. This one is golden. Thanks for posting it. marble falls Jan 2014 #13
I had to immediately try the trick passiveporcupine Jan 2014 #16
love this kind of thing! Thanks BlancheSplanchnik Jan 2014 #17
Bookmarked ConcernedCanuk Jan 2014 #18
Bookmarked also. So many great tips. n/t RebelOne Jan 2014 #21
Thanks left-of-center2012 Jan 2014 #19
huh!.. some good stuff here. . . .n/t annabanana Jan 2014 #20

Kaleva

(38,171 posts)
1. Rec'd
Thu Jan 2, 2014, 11:35 AM
Jan 2014

Loved the idea of turning the electric toaster on its side to make grilled cheese sandwiches!

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)
6. You are right, I don't regret clicking this.
Thu Jan 2, 2014, 08:46 PM
Jan 2014

I love these ideas. So many great ones. I love the coat rack as a shoe rack. And the rubber bands to help you open jars.

I have a few to add that I was reminded of as I read this.

They say to use egg cartons to store Christmas ornaments, but if you have bigger ones to store, I use those plastic tomato containers that hold four tomatoes.

To keep lettuce, celery, etc. (I use this for just about all my veggies these days) fresh longer, wrap in a damp paper towel and store in a plastic bag without holes. I am shocked at how long things stay fresh.

I use curtain hangers to store my necklaces and bracelets where I can see them. I hang them from a shelf, but you could probably find a lot of places where you can hang them...even in the window (which I have thought of doing).

I use an open weave scarf tacked on my bureau mirror to hold my earrings. But you can put a scarf or just nice open weave material all sorts of places where they are easy to get to.

I got a couple of chenille throws with fringe on sale at the end of the season to use as curtains. I was shocked at the price of curtains for my bedroom and had to find a better way to do it. I got curtain clips, folded the top down so that the fringe hangs near the top and hang them with the clips. (This is because I was too lazy to sew a seam for the rod to go through.)

To prevent crying when you chop an onion, hold a match between your teeth with the head facing out and under your nose.

Mira

(22,480 posts)
9. Great! I love positive feedback, of course, plus more ideas to boot.
Fri Jan 3, 2014, 02:14 PM
Jan 2014

What I have found the most useful for earrings is white ice trays. You can really see them well, and they sit on my dresser.
Will try the match trick later this afternoon, when I'm making butternut squash soup

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)
11. Let me know if the match trick works for you.
Fri Jan 3, 2014, 07:46 PM
Jan 2014

I have often had good results with it, but occasionally, I have had an onion that just kicked butt and it didn't help.

Mira

(22,480 posts)
14. Imagine: I just peeled about 20 onions
Sat Jan 4, 2014, 11:12 AM
Jan 2014

(after peeling put them aside in a pot with lid)
had 2 matchsticks, the wooden big ones in my mouth. Yes. I had to wipe my nose, and once my eyes. But NO MISERY.
Now I'll put them in the crockpot for 10 hours to caramelize for soup and stuff.
Thanks. There are now large matches in an egg cup at my kitchen sink.

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)
15. Glad it worked so well.
Sat Jan 4, 2014, 01:20 PM
Jan 2014

I always use the wooden matches too. I am surprised that just two matches worked for 20 onions. I was always wondering if there was a limit to how much the matches would absorb of the fumes before the would be saturated (?) and not work. And I have never prepared that many onions at one time.

 

Hestia

(3,818 posts)
10. I love the idea of the tension rod & hangers for my pots & pans! I have absolutely
Fri Jan 3, 2014, 04:50 PM
Jan 2014

no room in my cabinets but they would work this way. Fantastic ideas! I love the idea of re-purposing things so they will get used again.

NJCher

(37,883 posts)
12. this is terrific, Mira
Sat Jan 4, 2014, 01:12 AM
Jan 2014

Thank you for posting it. I love the combination of tip/photograph.

I tried the squeegee tip on my white rug where my black kitty likes to hang out and---it works!


Cher

passiveporcupine

(8,175 posts)
16. I had to immediately try the trick
Sat Jan 4, 2014, 06:26 PM
Jan 2014

of rubbing a walnut on wood scratches on my oak desk. It is amazing. I can no longer see the white spots that were glaring at me. And I've tried other ways of fixing them. It's a medium dark oak, so finish mars are very visible.

Thanks for this list. There are others on there I need to try as well.

left-of-center2012

(34,195 posts)
19. Thanks
Sun Jan 5, 2014, 09:38 PM
Jan 2014

I'm passing it along in a couple non_DU forums.
And I'm going to try the baking soda in water when boiling eggs. I hate crunching down on a piece of shell.

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