Hey Everyone! Don’t you just love it when you find an alternate use for an everyday item? I know I do! Here are some tips that I hope will save you some time and make life just a teeny bit easier.
Oh, and here’s a totally random picture I took while having dinner at a restaurant at Jacob’s Pillow. This little cutie was our dinner companion. Sooooooooo adorable!!
Now back to business…
Address labels
Carry a few of those free address labels you get from different organizations in your wallet and you’ll have a handy way of filling out raffle tickets.
Put an address label on items such as your cell phone, iPad, iPod, keys, etc. They will be more likley to get returned if misplaced, and that’s always a good thing!
Edited to add: An astute reader pointed out that an address label on house keys would NOT be a good idea! You would think I would have mentioned that owning a cleaning business! I use mine on car keys and locker keys if they’re big enough.
Dryer sheets
If a pan is very dirty, put an unused dryer sheet in the pan and fill it with boiling water. Let it sit for several hours. Overnight is even better. This process will make the pan much easier to clean.
Dryer sheets make good air fresheners. Put some under your car seats, in diaper pails or even in vacuum cleaner bags.
Liquid Fabric Softener
I actually just thought of this one this past weekend, and oh how I wish I had thought of it years ago! I would have saved a TON of brushes from the fate of the dreaded land fill. I don’t know about you, but no matter how well I clean my brushes after painting, or especially after using polyurethane, they NEVER are the same. So here’s what you do: fill whatever container you have (coffee container, large glass or even a bowl) with a couple of tablespoons of fabric softener and water and soak your brushes for at least 10 minutes or more. Rinse well and I promise they will be all soft and cuddly and ready for their next diy project :).
Chalk
Chalk has a ton of uses other than writing on chalkboards. Rub some chalk on a grease stain, let it work it’s magic for a few minutes, then dust off the excess and wash as usual.
Did you know chalk absorbs moisture? A bundle of chalk in your closets will keep items from getting musty. Put some in your toolbox and your tools won’t get rusty! Who knew?!
In your garden powdered chalk repels ants and slugs. Again, who knew?! Not me.
Olive oil
Put a little oil on a paper towel and wipe indoor plant leaves. They’ll shine for weeks!
Olive oil can revitalize leather items like shoes and baseball gloves. A little dab will do ya’!
Nail files
Use a nail file when you need to get into small areas to sand. I just used this tip the other day to sand drawer pulls on my garage sale dresser.
We have a suede like sectional in our family room and I have found a nail file will remove a stain and perk up the nap a bit.
I’ll be back with more tips soon!
xxx
Doreen
Photos sourced here
Peggy @The Decorating Files says
These are such great tips! I love learning about new uses for everyday items. Especially when they are so simple to do. Thanks for sharing!
Christina @ Little Victorian says
Great tips, thanks for sharing!
I love labeling things, but I’m not sure if I would want to label my keys with my address. That would just be incredibly handy for a would-be-robber if I lost them in a public place. 🙂
The Honeys says
You are so right Christina! My bad!