Cheaper, Better, Faster

Cheaper, Better, Faster by Mary Hunt Page A

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Authors: Mary Hunt
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sure the rice stays in the bag. Your flowers will come out dust-free and looking like new.
    Silver polishing
    Polishing silver while wearing rubber gloves promotes tarnish. Instead, choose plastic or cotton gloves.
    Silver tarnish
    Place a piece of aluminum foil, shiny side up, on the bottom of a glass bowl or pan. Fill the container with boiling water and a few teaspoons of baking soda. Drop silver pieces into this bath, making sure they touch the foil, and the tarnish will disappear.
    Silverware
    To remove stubborn stains from your good silverware, rub the utensils with a clean cloth that has been dipped in wet salt.
    Sink stains
    To remove mineral deposits caused by a dripping faucet, place a slice of lemon on the area and leave it there overnight. The next day, remove the lemon and wipe the area clean.
    Sink-stopper leaks
    To stop water from leaking out of the kitchen sink while you’re doing dishes, put a piece of plastic wrap between the drain and the drain stopper. This is also a handy trick to remember if you’re soaking something overnight.
    Sponges—freshen and disinfect
    Easily freshen and disinfect your sponges by putting them in the dishwasher along with all the dirty dishes. Clip them to the top shelf to keep them from falling to the bottom and getting scorched on the heating element.
    Sponges—sudsy scrubbers
    Cut a slit in the side of a sponge and place soap slivers inside to make a sudsy scrubber.
    Stainless steel sinks
    (1) Rub stainless steel sinks with olive oil on a soft cloth to remove unsightly streaks; (2) Remove streaks or heat stains from stainless steel by rubbing with club soda; (3) Pour some baking soda on a sponge to scour a stainless steel sink; it is nonabrasive; (4) Remove hard-water spots from a stainless steel sink with a sponge dipped in a mixture of 3 teaspoons of laundry detergent and 1 cup of warm water.
    Steel wool pads—no rust
    After using an SOS or similar brand scouring pad, just set it back in the box with the unused pads. It won’t rust. This way it will last until it is used up and not thrown away too soon because it is rusted out.
    Sticker and label removal—decals
    To remove stubborn decals or residual adhesive, soak a rag in mineral spirits or laundry stain pretreatment and lay it over the area. After 10 minutes or so, scrape away decal or adhesive with a plastic windshield scraper or an old credit card. Wash as usual.
    Sticker and label removal—plastic and mirrors
    Sticky labels on glass or plastic containers or mirrors come off easily with rubbing alcohol or cooking oil. If neither is handy, use your laundry prewash treatment, or, as a last resort, nail polish remover may work. But be careful; nail polish remover might remove more than the offending label.
    Sticker and label removal—wood
    If your kids decide to decorate your fine-wood furniture with stick-on labels, remove them with lemon oil (the labels, not the kids). Using a paper towel or cloth, dab oil on the labels and allow it to soak in for only a few minutes. The oil will penetrate into the glue and act as a solvent to soften it. Rub the labels off with a nylon-net scrubbing pad, being sure to rub in the direction of the wood grain.
    Tar or sap from shoes
    Petroleum jelly easily removes tar and sap from the soles of shoes.
    Teakettle
    To remove hard-water and lime buildup in a teakettle, pour in 2 cups of vinegar and bring to a boil. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, then rinse well.
    Tea stains in china cups
    To remove stains from china teacups, pour an equal amount of salt and white vinegar in the cups and let stand. Rub off stains with a soft cloth and rinse with clear water.
    Toilet—baking soda
    Using a plunger, plunge the water in the toilet until the bowl is nearly empty. Sprinkle baking soda onto the sides of the toilet bowl, then drizzle with vinegar and scour with a toilet brush. This both cleansand deodorizes. Flush to rinse and refill

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