Aluminum Foil

Aluminum foil...can't live with it, can't live without it (just kidding, of course you can live with it...especially with all its different uses like....

• Before you begin a painting project, cover doorknobs, drawer pulls, etc. with aluminum foil. The foil easily molds to any shape and comes off when your done so you won't get any spills.

• To keep your silver from becoming tarnished, store it on top of a piece of aluminum foil. You can also wrap clean silverware in plastic wrap, then in foil, for tarnish-free long-term storage.

• You can also polish silver with aluminum foil, Line a pan with aluminum foil, add a tablespoon of salt, and fill with cold water. Add your silverware to the mix and let it sit for a few minutes before removing and rinsing. The aluminum acts as a catalyst for ion exchange, a process that will make the tarnish transfer from your silver to the salt bath.

• Covering your ironing board with foil before you iron your clothes will get them wrinkle-free twice as fast, saving you time and energy!

• If your houseplants aren't getting enough sun, maximize the amount of light they are getting by placing them on top of a table covered in foil (shiny side up). The foil will reflect the light, and your plants will thank you.

• If your household scissors are getting dull, sharpen them back up by cutting through several layers of aluminum foil at one time. It's that easy!

• When you're done grilling, place a large piece of aluminum foil over the entire top of your grill, then put the top back on and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. The caked-on mess from the burgers and hot dogs will turn to ash.

• If your camping outside, place a long sheet of aluminum foil underneath sleeping bags to keep moisture from sinking into the fabric.

So much aluminum foil, so little time! These tips are great and theres a lot more thanks to my Who Knew? book. If you would like to see more tips, let me know by contacting me.

Ways to Reuse Vegetable and Olive Oil Part 2

I had to make a part 2...there are just so many things you can do with oil! Here we go...

• Using a Q-tip, dab a bit of oil on your cuticles to keep your nail bed moisturized. You'll be less likely to get hangnails!

• For the softest feet you've ever experienced, try this before-bed routine: Rub down your feet with vegetable oil, then put on some old socks. When you wake up, the oil will be gone and your feet will be supersoft.

• Shaving cream feels great, no doubt, but did you know it's actually not the most efficint way to get a good shave? Next time, try shaving with oilive oil instead—you'll get a closer, smoother shave.

• Add up to 1/4 teaspoon of olive oil to your cat's moist food to starve off hairballs and make his or her coat extra shiny.

• Got a splinter you can't get out? Try soaking the area in vegetable oil for several minutes. It should soften your skin enough to allow you to ease the splinter out. 

Believe it or not, cooking oil is great for shining up leather shoes. First clean off the shoes with a damp cloth, then wipe with a soft, dry cloth and a drop of vegetable oil. Your shoes will drink in the moisture and look good as new.

Did you know that in ancient Greece, women used olive oil to make eye shadow by mixing it with charcoal. Who Knew!

I hope you enjoyed this post! If you have any comments, I would love to hear from you!

Ways to Reuse Vegetable and Olive Oil

There are many more ways to use vegetable and olive oil besides for dressings and to cook with. These tips are from my trusty Who Knew? book. Pay attention kids...you might learn something...

• Silence squeaky hinges. Who needs WD-40 when you have vegetable oil? Simply rub oil on squeaky hinges with a cloth, letting the oil run down the sides of each hinge.

• Zipper won't budge? Try adding a tiny bit of vegetable oil or olive oil to the stuck teeth with a Q-tip, being careful not to get any on the fabric. This will lubricate your zipper and allow it to move more easily.

• Out of Pine Sol? Use vegetable or olive oil to dust your wooden furniture.

• Keep bugs away from a bird's bath by adding just a few drops of canola oil or vegetable oil and it will keep mosquitoes from laying eggs in the water in  your birdbath and won't hurt the intended residents.

• For tiny scratches in  your wooden table or floor, rub vegetable or canola oil into the surface. The oil will darken the area and help it blend in. (love this one!)

• A wonderful, inexpensive way to remove eye makeup is to dab a little olive oil under your eyes and rinse it off with a washcloth. You can also use hair conditioner!

There are plenty more where that came from...stay tuned and I might do another post on vegetable and olive oil!

When life gives you lemons...

(photo source)

...make a margarita! mmmm :) Todays post is about lemons and all the wonderful things you can do with them. Such as...

• Rub salt into a cutting board with a wedge of lemon to sanitize it
• Save your shower curtain (first wash in hot soapy water, then rub a wedge of lemon on to the stains and leave it in the sun to dry and the stains will disappear!)
• Refresh your lettuce! If you have wilted lettuce, submerge it in a bowl of cold water and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Let sit for 5-10 minutes and it will be as good as fresh
• Clean graters by rubbing the pulpy side of a lemon against the grater. For an extra abrasion, add a little salt.
• Lemon peels make an excellent glass cleaner , and will even give it an extra shine!
• Use lemon peels for kindling the next time you are making a fire. Your fire will burn longer too
• Stung by a bee or wasp? Rub the area with lemon juice to neutralize the venom.
• The next time you get a sore throat, gargle with one part lemon juice and one part warm water. Lemon helps fight bacteria and soothes your throat.
• Repel dandruff by using a little bit of lemon juice. Mix 2 tablespoons lemon juice with 2 cups warm water and pour over your head after you rinse with conditioner.
• Go blonde! If you have brown or dark blonde hair, you can add highlights with a lemons! Cut a slit into the middle of a quarter piece of lemon and while your hair is still wet, place a strand of  your hair in the slit, beginning at your scalp and running the wedge down to the tips of your hair. Sit outside in direct sunlight until your hair dries, and you'll have lovely blonde streaks. Repeat in one week to make the streaks even brighter.

My favorite idea is still the margarita! What will you do with a lemon?

All these facts are from of my trusty Who Knew? book.

Who Knew?

I get a lot of my tips from this great book that I have called Who Knew? It has 10,001 easy solutions to everyday problems. It is a great book and please e-mail me if you would like information about purchasing the book. Although, why would you want to buy it when you can get the info for free! I will be referencing this book a lot for my tips and tricks to reusing and re-purposing products.

Did you know vinegar can be used for a lot of other things besides putting on your salad? It can also be used for.....

• Removing labels (white vinegar works best)
• Burnt dinner? boil a cup of vinegar in 2 cups of water. The smell should be gone in 15 minutes!
• Rub vinegar on a sunburn to help your skin feel cooler
• Greasy hair? shampoo your hair as usual, rinse, then pour 1/4 cup vinegar over it and rinse again to get rid of greasy hair
• To get rid of corns, soak a band-aid in apple cider vinegar, and apply it to the corn for a day or two. Then finish by rubbing the corn with a clean pumice stone
• Use vinegar instead of fabric softener!

Did you know that in the Middle Ages, vinegar was thought to cure fever, snake bites, leprosy, and the plague. Who knew!

I have only given you 6 tips of how to use vinegar and believe me, there are A LOT more in this book! It has become my go-to book if I want to look something up that I know can be useful and if it will save me a trip to the store then it is worth it!

If you would like more tips on what else vinegar can be used for, please follow my blog (to stay up-to-date on all the reusing and re-purposing tips) and e-mail me and I shall give you more tips!

Remember to reuse and re-purpose whenever you can and if you have any more tips, please comment or email me and I would love to share them!