Some of these may come in handy:

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



2. Sealed envelope: If you've ever put something in an envelope, sealed it and placed a stamp on it only to remember you forgot to include something. Put it in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be re-sealed.



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 doorsteps in freezing temperatures: Warm water with Dawn dishwashing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won't refreeze.



5. Crayon marks on walls? A damp rag dipped in baking soda. Comes off with little elbow grease.



6. Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt blue) Rubbing alcohol on a paper towel.



7. A way to sharpen scissors and economize and cut down on waste:: When you purchase a box of SOS pads, cut them in half. (They have a way of becoming rusty and smelling very quickly, even though there is still a lot of 'goodie' left in them.)



8. Opening brand new jars can be a feat in itself. Here is a way to make it easier. Instead of banging a jar of jam, pickles, etc. with a knife until it loosens up, reach for the handy dandy nutcracker. (No, not a hammer.) It adjusts to the size of the jar and simply give it a good twist and off pops the lid! (A sharp slap on the bottom of the jar before opening it helps too!)



9. Blood stains on clothes? Just pour a little peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works every time!



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



11. Spray a bit of 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 linen.



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 vigorously and the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works great!



14. To easily remove burned on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil on the stove top. (If you have a cast iron skillet with burned on food...do not use dish soap! Add some salt and water and bring it to a boil on the stove top. This is an old method but it's a goodie!)



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. (Salt will make the corn tough.)



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



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



21. To get rid of the itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you'll experience instant relief.



22. Ants, ants, ants everywhere! Well, it is said they never cross a chalk line. So get out your chalk and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. (Better yet...let the kids have a great time with the chalk if it is outside!) See for yourself if this is true.



23. Use air freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and gives a lovely smell to the shine.



24. 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, and then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.



25. Ever forget to take a stick of gum out of your pocket before washing (and drying)? Pretreat with Lestoil (it's an old brand.) and wash again. You may have to pretreat & wash again on really bad spots.

Do you have a favorite, little known tip you would like to share? Email it to us!