Edgewood Neighbors

Household Hints

Post your hints here!

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

2. Use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the hot
griddle and you'll get 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 Rice Krispies treats
in the pan and 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 on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or
two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a
boil on stove-top.

8. Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in
tomato-based sauces and there won't be any stains.

9. When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any 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 and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant "fix
me up."

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

12. Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a
beautiful glossy finish.

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

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, but 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 bites, try applying soap on the area
and you will experience 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. See for yourself.

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.

24. Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer. Clean a toilet. Drop in
two Alka-Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush. The citric
acid and effervescent action clean vitreous china.

25. Clean a vase. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or
cruet, fill with water and drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets.

26. Polish jewelry. Drop two Alka-Seltzer tablets into a glass of water
and immerse the jewelry for two minutes.

27. Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, dropin four
Alka-Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).

28. Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three
Alka-Seltzertablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar
- Wait a few minutes, then run the hot water.