1. Create a stunning and edible centrepiece for your next dinner party by displaying veggies in a vase of water. Inside the vessel arrange an assortment of herbs, raw broccoli, cauliflower, long carrots and stalks of celery. Tip: Beside the vase set out a bowl of dip for a healthy after school snack.
2. Undercook pasta and drain leaving a small amount of water in the pot. Add sauce and freeze. When reheated the pasta will be cooked to perfection.
3. Before composting coffee grounds, rub them on your hands to soften skin.
4. Soften feet or hair by combining a few drops of 50/50 Jojoba oil and Aloe Vera. Rub on hands or throughout hair, feels great. (Submitted by Sharon Nerbas)
5. To whiten yellowing fingernails, soak fingertips in 1-tbsp. 3% hydrogen peroxide and 1-cup warm water.
6. Deter moles in the yard by mixing half-cup castor oil with 2-gallons water. Pour mixture down the hole, will not hurt moles but keeps them at bay.
7. To open a bottle in a hurry, place a deflated balloon over the bottle opening and twist.
8. Create your own customized cork board for a child's room by spelling out the letters of his/her name with painted cork.
9. Perk up stale potato chips or crackers by spreading them in a single layer onto a microwave safe pan. Heat on high for a few seconds. Tip: Stale potato chips and crackers also work well when crushed and sprinkled into casseroles.
10. Instead of icing the sides of a cake, break up Kit Kat chocolate bars lengthwise and stand them up along the outside of the cake. Tip: To give your cakes a professionally frosted appearance, use a hair dryer set on low to blow the surface dry.
11. Spread peanut butter onto hardwood floor scratches. Let sit for 1 hour and wipe off all excess.
12. Give windows extra shine by putting cornstarch into enough water to soak a cloth. Wipe windows and dry with a separate clean cloth. (Submitted by Tina from Corner Brook)
13. Dirt on glass attracts more dirt. Exterior window surfaces should be cleaned often because dirt left over time becomes harder to remove, and some types can etch the glass, causing permanent damage.
14. Keep jewelery safe by hiding it in a tennis ball with a slit cut into it.
15. Polish teak furniture by applying coconut oil onto a cloth and wiping wood along the grain. Remove all excess.
Solutions, is compiled from various sources. 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.
www.householdsolutions.org
