Sanjay Das's ideas: (click suns to rate or comment on ideas)
1 | Apply a traser or glow-in-dark sticker to flash lights. When the power fails, you can spot and head for the flash light in the dark. | ||
2 | To reduce your spending, look at an item's price and think how many hours you had to work to buy that item. If you make $10 an hour and are looking at a $60 item, was it worth six hours of your life to have it? If so, get it. But often you find it isn't. | ||
3 | To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stovetop, or add soap and a little water to pan before it cools. | ||
4 | When washing dishes in your dishwasher, use white vinegar in the rinse compartment instead of those expensive rinse solutions. The dishes would never be more clean and they would actually squeak. | ||
5 | To poison cockroaches and other insects, put some boric powder in kitchen in corners and other places. It is less toxic to mammals. (borate) | ||
6 | Repel mosquitoes: Tie a sheet of Bounce fabric softener through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season. | ||
7 | Save money by reducing impulse buying and shopping for fun. Before buying an item, imagine that you could touch any item in your home and turn it back into the money you spent to buy it. Most of us would have a VERY nice pile of cash after doing that. | ||
8 | Place sticky (honey, syrup, molasses and oil) containers on plastic lids in the cupboard or fridge to avoid sticky messes. | ||
9 | To clear the blocked drain pipe of your kitchen sink, push a handful of sodium bicarbonate down the drain, then stand back and carefully pour in a few deciliters vinegar. It will create gas to help push out the clog. Then add a liter of water. | ||
10 | To make the bathroom a safer place, walk with your weight mostly on the front of your feet. You may also walk with your heel raised. This would reduce any chance of slipping. Practise this on dry floor to be fully in control of the way of walking. | ||
11 | If the dough sticks to the rolling pin, place it in freezer for a few minutes. | ||
12 | Put a few camphor tablets in a cup of water and keep it in the bed room near your bed, or in any place with mosquitoes. | ||
13 | To avoid crying, cut the onions into two parts and place them in water for a few minutes before chopping them. | ||
14 | To bake potatoes quickly, place them in salt water for 15 minutes before baking. | ||
15 | To prevent formation of ice, rub table salt on the insides of your freezer. | ||
16 | Use the leftover slivers of soap to cut expenses! Cut a small pocket in a sponge and place small slivers of leftover soap into it for a sudsy washing sponge. | ||
17 | Use a toothbrush to scrub hard to reach surfaces such as behind and on faucets. | ||
18 | Record every penny you spend for a month every year. This will help in planning a budget and make you aware of expenses you can cut. | ||
19 | For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put Dawn dishwashing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won't refreeze. | ||
20 | An ideal accessory for the foyer is a mirror. This allows light to reflect down the hallways, and illuminate the rest of the corridor. | ||
21 | Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning. | ||
22 | Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on. Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers, and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come. | ||
23 | To inexpensively change the look of a carpeted room, add a small area carpet over top of an existing carpet. | ||
24 | To peel garlic cloves quicker, microwave them first for 10 seconds. They pop out of their skin instantly. | ||
25 | When cooking a Chinese beef stir-fry or Mongolian beef, you are required to cut the meat as thin as possible. This is easily attained by slicing the meat while it is partially frozen. | ||
26 | Opening brand new jars can be a feat in itself. Instead of banging a jar with a knife until it loosens up, just put the cap into warm water (only the cap) and keep on testing it until it opens. | ||
27 | Roll the hard boiled eggs gently on a firm surface to crack the shells. You will find they will peal easily. | ||
28 | Remove permanent ink from appliances/counter tops (like store receipt BLUE!) using rubbing alcohol on paper towel by rubbing over it with a Dry Erase marker then immediately wiping it off. | ||
29 | To remove lingering smells from food storage containers, wash, dry, and stuff them with old newspaper. Close the lid. In a few days, the smell of onion or garlic will be gone. Or microwave them with a little water to boil out the odor. | ||
30 | Putting 3-4 cloves in the sugar container will keep the ants at bay. | ||
31 | Don't hurry-scurry driving. Check how much time you save in one rush--maybe 1-2 minutes. It's worth not to save that time with a good chance of an accident of any kind. Just remember to set out early by that time of 1-2 minutes and save yourself. | ||
32 | To keep the chilies fresh for a longer time, remove the stems before storing. | ||
33 | To save time on dinner dishes, before serving dinner, run a sink full of very hot soapy water. When everyone is finished eating dinner, tell them to wash and rinse their own plate. | ||
34 | By keeping a spoon rest on the stove, you'll avoid a lot of messy clean-ups. Or use your own plate. Then you'll eat off it anyway and will have one less item to clean. | ||
35 | Baking soda makes an excellent scouring powder. | ||
36 | Use a paint scraper or putty knife to remove baked on or cemented goo from stovetops, countertops or floors. | ||
37 | When preparing salads, remember to add the vinaigrette or sauce at the last moment, otherwise the acidity will discolour and soften the leaves. | ||
38 | When the noodles are boiled, drain all the hot water and rinse with cold water. This way all the noodles will get separated. | ||
39 | If you keep a piece of blotting paper at the bottom of the container, it will keep biscuits fresh for a longer time. | ||
40 | Immerse coconut in water for 1/2 an hour to remove its husk. | ||