28 handy hints for removing hard-to-remove stuff

Dab some cooking oil onto a paper towel and then lay the paper towel over the stain. Wait a few minutes while the oil works to dissolve the stubborn stain. Finally, remove the towel and rub away the stain in circular motions (with some force) with another paper towel dipped in oil. When the stain is gone, wipe the area clean with soap and water.

Simply rub a walnut over a scratch in wood several times. Then, with your fingers rub the scratched area. This will help the wood absorb the oil from the nut. Lastly, use a soft cloth to buff the area. Now the scratch is sealed and gone!

Soak a washcloth in water and wring it out a bit so it’s not sopping wet. Put the damp washcloth on the affected area. The water will wick through the wood, and that’s fine. Now, with your iron on its highest setting, place it on the damp washcloth over the affected area, and make small movements back and forth and in circles. Press down firmly and continue until your washcloth is dry. It won’t take long to evaporate. At this point, the wood fibres are absorbing the water and should expand back to where they were originally. Continue this process and repeat by adding more water until the dents rise up to be flush with the rest of the material.

Here are 6 hacks to remove water stains from wood. 

To prevent rust and extend the life of a cast iron frying pan, it’s best not to use dishwashing liquid to clean it. Instead, use about a tablespoon of coarse salt to scrub the pan after a meal.

The salt breaks up bits of stuck food and residue on the frying pan. Then toss the dirty salt in the bin, rinse the pan with hot water and dry it with a clean towel. To further protect a cast iron frying pan, rub a few drops of vegetable oil over the entire cooking surface.

Hair clumps that get stuck in the drain are inevitable. Turns out, a wire coat hanger is one of the most effective tools for unclogging them. First, untwist the wire under the hook. This leaves the hook at one end and a miniature “auger” at the other end. Push the auger end down the drain up to the clog. Bend the free end 90 degrees, forming a handle. Crank the handle so the auger bores into the clog, allowing you to pull it out.

To get rid of hard-water build-up on a tap, try this natural solution: Cut a fresh lemon in half. With one of the halves, use your thumbs to gently open up the centre. Then press the lemon onto the end of the tap. Put a small plastic bag around the lemon and secure it around the tap with a rubber band. Be sure that the rubber band it cinched tightly and that the lemon is around the end of the tap. Leave the lemon in place for a few hours to allow the citric acid to work its magic.

After you remove the lemon, you may need to use a gentle scrubbing pad to wash off any loosened hard-water build-up. Then wipe the tap with a damp cloth to remove any leftover lemon juice, and your tap will be squeaky clean.

Use this handy hint if there’s an unpleasant smell lurking in your couch or upholstered chair: Sprinkle a generous amount of regular baking soda onto the fabric and let it sit for at least 20 minutes. The baking soda will help to release odours and break up some light stains in the fabric. After about 20 minutes, remove the baking soda – and the bad smell – with a handheld vacuum or a hose attachment for your large vacuum.

Learn the 13 things you should never vacuum.

Have you ever struggled to get a splinter out of a finger or toe? It can be a challenge, not to mention a pain. Spread a small amount of wood glue over the affected area and let dry completely. When you pull off the dried glue (gently and in the opposite direction of the splinter) it pulls out the splinter. By pulling the wood glue off in the opposite direction, the glue has a chance to pull the splinter out the way it went in. This tip is easy and most importantly pain-free!

All you need is an old toothbrush and a little toothpaste to learn how to clean sneakers and get your old sneakers looking like new! Non-gel white toothpaste works great for cleaning white-soled sneakers (coloured toothpaste may stain sneakers). Apply toothpaste to an old toothbrush and then work the paste into the dirty spots. Leave the toothpaste on the shoes for about ten minutes, and then wipe it off with a damp towel. Repeat the process if necessary.

Important: The ingredients in toothpaste may vary from brand to brand, so make sure to try this method on a small unnoticeable spot on your sneakers before applying it to the rest of the shoe.

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 Source: The Family Handyman