Great Ideas, Some Tips that Work

1   Flies or bees bothering you? Spray them with hairspray and they will take a quick dive.

2.   Sealed envelopes. Put in the freezer for a few hours, and then slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed.

3. Use empty toilet paper rolls to store appliance cords. It keeps them neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.

4.   For icy door steps in freezing temperatures get warm water and put Dawn dishwashing liquid in it. Pour all over the steps, they will not refreeze. (Too bad I'm just learning this instead of 60 years ago.)

5.   Crayon marks on walls? This works wonderfully! A damp rag, dipped in baking soda, comes off with a little effort (elbow grease).

6.   Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipts-blue)? rubbing alcohol on paper towel.

7.   Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S. pads, I immediately take a pair of scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this would be much more economical. Now a box of S.O.S. pads last me indefinitely! In fact I have noticed that the scissors get sharpened this way.

8.   Opening brand new jars can be a feat in itself. Well, I have found a way to make it the easiest thing to do. Instead of banging a jar of jam, pickles, etc., with a knife until it loosens up, I simply reach into the drawer and pull out the handy nutcracker. It adjust to the size of the jar and I simply give it a good twist and off pops the lid!

9. Blood stains on clothes?   Not to worry. Just pour a little peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works every time.

10.   Use verticals strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and probably streak.

11.   Spray a little perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on. Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels and linens.

12.   Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning.

13. To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake well, as the salt will absorb the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm.

14.   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 stovetop.

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

16. 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.

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

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

19.    Cure for the headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on our forehead. The throbbing will go away.

20. Don't throw out all the leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casserole and sauces.

21.   To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area. You will experience immediate relief.

22.   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.

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

24. When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to a tweezers or a needle. simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily

25.   Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer. a. Clean a toilet: Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean china. b. 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. c. Polish jewelry: Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes. d. Clean a thermos bottle: Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer if necessary). e. Unclog a drain: Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz white vinegar. Wait a few minutes, then run the hot water.

Finally, in order for me to count this too my spiritual service to the community please kindly allow me to add a scripture from the Christian writings. Ephesians 4:28. "Doing with his hands what is good work, that he may have something to distribute to someone in need."