OK, so it’s a really little thing in the course of human events. When I do laundry and I’m using liquid laundry soap, I simply throw the little measuring-cup thingy in with the wash and fish it out when moving the clothes to the dryer. Otherwise, yoiu get that nasty buildup of dehydrated soap jelly in the bottom of the cup that gathers dirt and dust and is just plain disgusting.
However, when several friends have heard this, they’ve nearly done a :smack: and said something like - wow, that’s a great idea, I’ll have to try that!
Now to me, it’s just always seemed intuitive to do it that way. The little measuring cup is hard plastic, it’s not going to melt in the wash, it doesn’t harm your clothes and it comes out clean on the other end. Why does this seem like something so obviousl and normal to me, but appears to be a revelation of epic proportions to some of my aquaintences?
I must assume you’re familiar with the notion(s) of zigzag thinking, lateral thinking, and other terms for similar ways to put the brain to use. Your example seems perfectly within bounds of that sort of problem solving
There are some neat books along those lines.
A collection of “Lateral Thinking Puzzles” with varying titles.
One called “A Kick In The Seat Of The Pants.”
Another called “A Whack On The Side Of The Head.”
(These titles are from memory and may vary slightly. The author’s name is something like van Oechs.)
You know, I always just stick the plastic thingy under the water for a moment as the tub is filling, and voila! it’s clean and soap-free. Can use the same one for years that way.
Although your idea sounds useful if you’re, say, in a laundromat where the washer won’t turn on until the lid is closed.
I like to collect little strange ways of doing things, too. Like the fact that hairspray takes ballpoint pen ink out of clothing. Or keeping a crochet hook in the bathroom to fish hair out of the drain with.
hairspray’s good for catching flying (or fast moving) insects, too. Sticks their little wings together so you can follow up with the stomp once, flush twice method of insect disposal. And, it holds for 2-4 hours.
The plastic cap that comes off the Tide bottle goes back on top, so no dirt really gets IN it because it’s upside down.
However, in an effort not to waste soap :rolleyes: I have always taken the cap (with no soap jelly lol) when I’ve used the last bits of soap, poured water into the jug, swished it around and then poured the rest into the machine.
My fave sliver-removal method: if you have a splinter or sliver of glass stuck in your skin, before digging in there with a needle, try this: rub a little bit of Elmer’s glue over the site. Let dry, then peel off. Nine times out of ten, the sliver will come out with the glue! This is especially useful for children, who are given to screaming when a sharp object is less than 12" from their skin.
When your toast is done toasting it’s good to finish buttering and eating the first slice before you take out the second one so it stays warm. It’s also nice to warm your hands over the toaster in the wintertime.
The best way to get that last bit of ketchup out of the bottle is to hold it by the base and do like a centrifuge with your arm instead of shaking the bottle.
Formula 409 or Fantastik are great bug-killers. Won’t kill spiders, but they’ve splashed every insect I’ve tried’em on. Stream mode is good for aerial battles. And it beats spraying poison on your countertops.
WD40 works great for removing tar. I thought everybody knew this, but this morning I was chatting with a lady at church who mentioned using gasoline to clean up after doing some roofing with tar. I mentioned the WD40, and she looked startled and said she’d have to try it.
My family never goes to the beach without WD40! (There’s natural tar seeps in the area.) Spray on a rag, spray the tar, rub until it’s gone. Repeat if necessary. If the tar was on your foot, rinse with water.
Wow, that is a good idea (about the laundry detergent cap), I hate rinsing it off after I dump soap in. We buy the big jugs of Tide that lay on their side, and keep it in a cabinet over the washing machine. I have to rinse it or else it drips, and my washer is a front loader so the door locks before the water will run.
I was always too lazy to drag the whole jug of detergent down to the laundry room, so I would just pour some on a washcloth and throw it in with the rest of the load.
If you’ve got a highball glass that remains milky after washing, fill it with a mixture of dishwashing liquid and water and let it sit by the sink for 24 hours - it will come clean.
So, what does this say about my life? I spend my time drinking highballs, while knocking the bugs that infest my house out of the air with countertop cleaners. And I have baby oil on hand. Notice that I haven’t contributed any doing-the-laundry tips?
