1. Anything can be used as a reference for measuring. For instance, a dollar bill is roughly six inches long. Folded in half, it is roughly three inches long. Knowing the measurements of common household objects will come in handy.
2. Before purchasing wall coverings, measure all windows even if they appear to be the same size. The differences may surprise you.
3. Floor-length draperies should be sized a half-inch above the floor, or just short of the carpet pile. Place a piece of cardboard on top of the carpet for an even measurement.
4. To measure for custom picture frames, measure the exact width and height of the outside dimensions (including the mat) of your artwork to the nearest 1/8". Use these dimensions for the size of your frame, acrylic and backing board. Note: Frames custom-cut to a fraction of an inch are priced to the next whole inch.
5. When measuring carpeting or sheet vinyl, get the longest width and length along the floor. Do not multiply them together. Most carpet and vinyl rolls are 12 feet wide. If the room is less than 12 feet wide, order a roll of carpet as long as the room, being sure to get enough to go through the doorway. Call a professional installer or measuring agent if the room is more than 12 feet wide.
6. When measuring for wood, tile, or laminate flooring, figure floor area as above, but be sure to order extra to account for the material you will have to discard when making cuts. Industry standard is 15 per cent waste.
7. To measure how much paint to buy for a room, add together the length and width and multiply by two. This number is the circumference of the room. Next measure the height of the room. Multiply this number by the circumference of the room. This will give you the basic square footage of the room. Measure any windows and doors in the room. Multiply the width and height of each opening, and then add them together. Subtract this number from the rooms square feet. Simple as pie!
8. The next time you are measuring corn syrup, honey, or maple syrup spray the measuring cup with PAM or a similar non-stick oil spray. Not only will it keep your measurements consistent, there's less waste and clean-up will be less sticky!
9. When measuring shortening or butter, dip the cup or spoon in hot water first. The grease will slide right off.
10. For those of you who would rather take 10 preschoolers shopping then sift flour, this tip is for you. To accurately measure flour without sifting (which is often the difference between cakey and moist brownies), whisk or stir the flour a bit before measuring since flour settles.
11. Here's a way to make a measuring cup that never gets dirty. Find two clear 16-ounce plastic cups and a liquid measuring cup. Measure one ounce of water in the measuring cup. Pour it into the large plastic cup. Draw a mark at the waterline with a fine-tipped permanent marker. Do the same with as many measurements as you need. Remove the cup of water. Place a clean cup inside your new measuring cup. These disposable liners are poor for the environment but help in a pinch when measuring non-edible products.
12. Sometimes markings on measuring spoon or cups become worn off and are difficult to read. When this occurs, paint a strip of red nail polish over the measurements. Sand them lightly and the numbers will stand out clearly against the nail polish.
13. If you're unsure how much batter your Bundt pan will hold, here is a quick way to measure its capacity. Using a cup for measuring liquids, fill the pan to the brim with water and note how many cups it holds. Use a permanent marker to write the capacity on the outside of the pan. Also, measure the amount of batter to make so that it is within the pan's capacity. A general rule of thumb is that a cake pan should be half to two-thirds full.
14. Spice up your life with this easy tip to speed up measuring while cooking. Get rid of the lids in spice jars that have holes in them. Keep the lids with holes for spices that you tend to sprinkle instead of measure such as, paprika.
15. Heading out to the lake? In order to measure your freshly caught fish accurately, measure the fish from the most forward point of the head, with the mouth closed, to the farthest tip of the tail with the tail compressed or squeezed, while the fish is lying on its side.
Speaking of measurements...
Did you know the largest animal in the world is the blue whale? It has a heart the size of a car and tongue as long as an elephant.
Did you know? In the course of a lifetime the average person will grow two metres of nose hair.
Solutions is compiled from various sources: bbqtricks.blogspot.com, hirstarts.com, diynetwork.com, healthy-quick-meals.com, immenseknowledge.blogspot.cominteriormall.com, robinsfyi.com, myfwc.com, tipnut.com, kidsgen.com, pictureframes.com, wikihow.com, dallasnews.com, associatedcontent.com. Thanks to all who contributed. Similar information may be found elsewhere.
Solutions sleuth Reena Nerbas is a home economist and speaks professionally on the topic of household challenges. She is also the author of two national bestsellers, Household Solutions 1 with Substitutions and Household Solutions 2 with Kitchen Secrets. She can be heard on radio and television programs across Canada.
