17 Tips To Make Your Life Easier
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I received this as an email and instead of saving the email, I decided to post it here so that I know I always have these great tips on my site. I plan on trying every single one of them too. I actually just tried the dryer tip (#17) at the bottom, so we’ll see how that one works out. Oh yeah, I probably won’t be trying the hair conditioner on my legs for shaving either since, well…I’m a guy. A lot of these tips are things that I can actually use on a regular basis too.
1. Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove , set heat to med-low and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.
2. Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up. Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing roughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done easy clean up.
3. Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes. You can double it in size. You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.
4. Reheating Refrigerated Bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated , place them in a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.
5. Newspaper Weeds Away
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic they will not get through wet newspapers.
6. Picking Up Broken Glass
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can’t see easily.
7. No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
8. Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn’t hurt the plant and the squirrels won’t come near it.
9. Flexible Vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.
10. Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and — ta da! — static is gone.
11. Unsticky Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water. Dump out the hot water, but don’t dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such as peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.
12. Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car. When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!
13. Reopening Envelopes
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Voila! It unseals easily.
14. Smoother Legs With Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It’s a lot cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It’s also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn’t like when you tried it in your hair…
15. Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies , take a small glass fill it 1/2″ with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid , mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!
16. Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it “home”, can’t digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains , but it works & you don’t have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!
17. Info About Clothes Dryers
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He told us that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink, ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material – I’m sure you know what your dryer’s lint filter looks like.
WELL…the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn’t go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that’s what burns out the heating unit. You can’t SEE the film , but it’s there. It’s wha t is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free – that nice fragrance too, you know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box, well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen This is also what causes dryer units to catch fire & potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (& to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out & wash it with hot soapy water & an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long!
How about that!?! Learn something new every day! I certainly didn’t know dryer sheets would do that. So, I thought I’d share!
Note: I went to my dryer & tested my screen by running water on it. The water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the mesh screen. I washed it with warm soapy water & a nylon brush & I had it done in 30 seconds. Then when I rinsed it the water ran right thru the screen! There wasn’t any puddling at all! That repairman knew what he was talking about!
62 comments
Those are REALLY GREAT comments! I’m definitely going to try the one with the dryer. Also, recently, I had been having a squirrel problem where they were finding some really creative ways to get into my bird feeder, so I made a mixture out of cayenne pepper (a pepper spray, essentially) but it only worked for a short period of time before the squirrels came back in full force and actually ate my bird feeder! You wouldn’t happen to know of any special types of bird feeders that squirrels can’t get into, would you? Thanks again for the advice
I’ve never seen a feeder that a squirrel can’t access. I once tried hanging a coconut in the middle of a washing line. The squirrel tightrope-walked the single strand about 8m, bit thru the wire and dragged the coconut off while I watched from the window.
Wow, I tried the dryer tip and I was completely amazed to see the water pooling on my mesh lint trap! Soap, a toothbrush and 45 seconds later it ran through the screen with no problems
. My dryer thanks you!
Well, I’m glad I could help! I just couldn’t keep these tips all to myself. The dryer one worked for me too, by the way. I don’t have to dry my clothes 3 times in a row anymore.
Great site! I’ve heard of several of the hints, and have used the “conditioner to shave legs” hint for many years (and love it), btw.
Can’t wait to try the dryer hint. Thanks!
Don’t bother trying to find a feeder the squirrels can’t get into. Fill the feeders you have with safflower seeds, not mixed seed. The squirrels don’t like safflower seeds and they won’t go near the feeder. A guy in a garden-supply store told my mother this years ago, and I’ve never had a squirrel near the bird feeders since. (And yes, the birds love the safflower seed. They must just taste funny to mammals, or something.)
thank you so much!
The dryer tip alone just completely made my dad.
As a single mom, I need to save money where ever I can…
Thanks again.
Tip 3 does NOT WORK. I tried this and you end up with a big sticky mess and not more frosting. You break down the frosting… DO NOT TRY THIS.
I do eggs in a cup in the microwave – doing them in a bag is wasteful!
I’ve recommended friends plant chilis when they plant their flower bulbs to keep the squirrels off.
this is the type of page that makes the Internet great. Stumble upon has so many pictures and videos, but pages like this are why text is is still totally relevant!
Thanks for taking the time to upload that email!!!
The best squirrel proof feeder I’ve found is this:
http://www.yankeeflipper.com
My whole family has them. Not only does it keep them from getting the bird seed, it’s pretty entertaining! Just watch some of the youtube videos!
The cayenne pepper thing works until you get the one squirrel with a taste for hot food. I tried this and all the squirrels avoided the bird food except one who crawled inside the feeder and had a feast.
Wow! Cornmeal to get rid of ants! I gotta’ try that! Nothing gets rid of ants. Those little black ones that bite! Mrs Washington’s cornmeal is gonna put and end to that!! WAhoo!!
[...] 17 Tips To Make Your Life Easier I love home remedies and simple things like this. (tags: tips) [...]
… the Web page is interesting. I’m a second year teacher in Singapore, SEA and find web sites such as yours a tremendous help. Thanks.
Dryer sheets are toxic for many people- Most commercial dryer sheets are impregnated with all sorts of toxic chemicals including Benzyl Acetate, Benzyl Alcohol, Chloroform and Linalool; none of which are good for the environment – or you. Some of these compounds are known carcinogens.
they also can trigger asthma attacks. Dont use them learn about alternatives on my site or elsewhere.
My favorite alternative to dryer sheets is vinegar in the rinse cycle of the washer. Cheap white vinegar in an old Downey ball = no more static cling, blacks hold color longer, and it doesn’t smell like vinegar. Brilliant!
These are some great tips! I will have to try cleaning our lint trap. We sometimes have to run the dryer twice just to get clothes dry! I wonder if this has something to do with it!
great tips. love the fruit flies trick, used it for a long time. just got done with the lint trap dryer screen thing. worked like a charm
thanks for the hints
Great! I’ll definitely use them in my life some time or another
bookmarked and stumbled 
Those pesky squirrels certainly make short work of sunflower seeds in my bird feeder. That’s the ones with the outer husks removed. maybe you have to stick to the whole ones .I’ll try them next time
you can also use dryer sheets [old or new] to wipe down all the metal and stainless steel in your home. like faucets and shower heads. really great for the hard to reach nooks and crannies of faucets. makes them sparkle better than windex.
The frosting trick Does work.
I have used it for a few years now.
It almost doubles the frosting you get.
It can cause kind of a whipped texture with some frostings, though.
To keep it creamy I sometimes add a tablespoon or so of margarine.
I too cleaned my lint filter as soon as I read #17 and was amazed that I never realized that before.
I can’t wait to try some of these others tips.
Thanks so much for sharing.:)
Great tips!
Last year we brought some fruit home from the farmer’s market and a few days later we noticed a few fruit flies. Then a few more. 24 hours later there was a SWARM of fruit flies in my kitchen and it took us multiple tries, time and money to get the pesks out. I am going to file away the easy solution above (I searched and searched the internet and never saw this tip!) for the next time we get fruit flies, they won’t stand a chance!
Nice article… and great blog… This is a great tips for life…
Hint #7 for mosquitoes. Also try spraying/spritzing Listerine on your clothes or in your yard they will stay away.
Ady (comment #20)its safflower seeds squirrels don’t like. They love sunflower seeds. Totally different seed.
These are great tips– I needed all of ‘em. Especially the ant one; we used to have tons of lizards that seemed to control ants and other bugs, but the cat hunted them all down:( Thanks!
About the dryer sheet…
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/bounce.asp
I wouldn’t reheat pizza in a non-stick skillet. The coatings they use on those pans are quite toxic, especially if heating a pan with little in it. In other words, you don’t want to be heating one of those skillets if there’s a large area of dry exposed area. It’s quite dangerous to your health.
Use cast iron. I do this with pizza (although I usually do it in the oven) and it works great. Cast iron skillets are cheap and work great for many things. For most things I use my trusty All-Clad skillet; it was quite expensive, but well worth it.
Another tip for your dryer is pull the dryer out and clean out the vent tube. You will be amazed at what comes out of there. Also, sometimes the tube gets kinked so be careful when you push the dryer back.
My husband is a handyman. I learn some things from him
We solved the squirrel in the birdfeeder problem by wrapping the post of the birdfeeder with aluminum sheeting. It is far enough from branches that the squirrels cannot jump to it. They have plenty of food from the seeds that the birds spill. At first the look of the aluminum bothered me, but now it has just faded into the backdrop, and we love feeding ALL the wildlife.
I’m sooo grateful for the dryer tip. I’ve been having to turn it on 2 or 3 times just to dry one load of laundry. Thank you for sharing this!
We had problems with squirrels getting to our birdfeeder, too (even hanging upside down from the eaves to get that the feeder hanging below!). A friend of mine recommended petroleum jelly – worked like a charm! Placed on the fence, eaves, wherever. They figured out pretty quickly that there was plenty of seed below the feeders…
[...] brush like a toothbrush. It only takes moments and will save you much hassle. I found this tip at aimlessdirectrion.com amongst a whole lot of other useful [...]
Wow…I just stumbledupon you…great stuff!!!
TO GET RID OF OFFENSIVE SMELLS EG…ONIONS,GAS,FISH ETC.
WALLOW A STAINLESS STEEL SPOON OR ANYTHING STAINLESS AROUND IN YOUR SOAPY HANDS A FEW ROUNDS, TADA SMELLS ARE GONE.
Great tips there
Dryer=TRUE! Who would’ve thought????
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/dryer.asp
Bummer about the mosquito thing
http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/skeeters.asp
Thanks for the tips, especially the one about the dryer lint. I’ll have to do that soon.
These are some really great tips! The only one that concerned me was the cayenne pepper thing to get rid of squrrels, etc. This substance is EXTREMELY irritating, and should the animals NOT be immediately deterred, (which they often aren’t) it can cause them serious trouble when they get it on their paws and transfer it to their eyes and nose. I sometimes have an issue with critters digging up my bulbs in the spring; I usually put a few mothballs (literally, 3 or 4 a few feet apart, not too many as they aren’t really envoronmentally friendly)towards the edges of the garden, and VOILA! Gonzo! I’ve watched them from the window; they get a whif and won’t even approach! It’s great, and much more humane then burning their little faces off! Good luck!
PS: The dryer thing? TOTALLY TRUE! Heard this a few years ago and sure enough, our filter was invisibly clogged too! Everyone should check…
AWESOME
First, thank you for these great tips! As for using hair conditioner as shaving cream, perhaps you could use it on your face if you shave your facial hair!
Wow, this has some very useful tips! Thanks a lot. I am getting my first home and this definitely gave me more confidence. Great blog!
Ok… here in Canada they sell these squirrel proof bird feeders that are amazing! they’re hard metal so the squirrels can’t bite through, but the best part is the trap. When anything heavier than a bird tries to eat from the feeder, the landing drops and snaps the door on the feeder shut. therefore, there is no access to the food.
We bought one for my grandmother, who has a bad squirrel problem, and she’s had it for almost a year with no trouble.
Thanks for sharing! Great tips!
@Montana, that sounds like a good idea. I think my grandparents would love one of those. Time to do some searching
@NotJustAMom, no prob! I love your site by the way. Lot of great tips to making money from the comforts of home. I’m not a mom, since I’m a guy and all, but I can still use the info you blog about.
conditioner for shaving cream does NOT save money, they both cost about $1.5o. If you use conditioner for shaving cream, you just wind up buying twice as much conditioner, which is the same you would have spent buying the shaving cream.
I haven’t tried using the conditioner yet, but I wouldn’t imagine that I’d have to buy twice as much conditioner. It only takes a dab. That would be for my face though, not legs
The shaving cream that I buy for my face is also much more expensive than the conditioner I buy for my hair.
These looked so interesting, I had to try one. I tried the pizza on the oven thing and it worked perfectly! Thanks for the tricks.
Seth
http://fun-dad.blogspot.com/
Who’s Viola?
Not a who, but a what. A Viola is a music instrument with a beautiful sound… Just a typo, now fixed.
[...] Helpful hints Seriously, some of these are very cool. I love the chalkboard eraser one. [...]
poor ants:[
ants dont deserve to killed
because they dont have a soul, so they dont go to heaven
i would only kill fire ants and killer ants with cornmeal
i have an ant farm of my own
no fire ants or killer ants
So, Alex…
Did you know that this particular blog comes up on Stumble Upon in the homemaking section? I thought you’d be amused
Thumbs up!
Homemaking? Ha ha, and all because of this one blog post, probably… I’m not sure how I would categorize this blog, but I though it would be more relevant to the internet/technology topics. Oh well
Nice DIY home and garden tips, worth saving.
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