# Neat useful tricks that you think most people are not aware of **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 31, 2013, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959 "2013-01-31T21:35:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 19
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/361 "2013-04-09T08:49:28Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > most lamp timers will deteriorate rapidly with such a heavy load and may be a fire hazard. maybe a heavy duty one for 20A might be OK. Crock pots don’t draw anything close to 20A. I just checked a random example that’s rated at 0.21 kW, that’s 210 W, which on US household current is ~2 A and Brit-side, just less than one. eta: On low power setting, roughly halve those amperages. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/362 "2013-04-09T09:00:47Z")
Want to burn down your house without burning yourself? Use an overloaded electrical wall plug timer! ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/363 "2013-04-09T09:16:04Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Want to burn down your house without burning yourself? Use an overloaded electrical wall plug timer! Yep, a 200 W crock pot is going to burn out a [1250 W wall timer](http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/TORK-Timer-4JNL3?Pid=search) in quite a hurry. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/364 "2013-04-09T14:43:49Z")
As long as we’re talking about timers, not all electronic timers will work with fans. Some timers have trouble turning the fan off. I think it’s something about the inductance? If you have a fan, you want one of the older timers with a ratcheting dial. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/365 "2013-04-09T15:07:14Z")
Timer for a crockpot: It’s fine electrically. Crockpots are slow cookers, meaning they are low power. Actually, the newer ones tend to be overpowered such that they can hardly be called slow cookers.\* Light bulbs typically run hotter than crockpots. Heating loads are also the easiest of any on the switch contacts in the timer. Incandescent bulbs draw about 10X nominal current the moment they are switched on, owing to tungsten’s large thermal coefficient of resistance. Heating appliances use nichrome heating elements specifically so they don’t present such surges when turned on. Check the watt rating on the cooker and the watt rating on the timer, as long as timer rating \> cooker + 100W (or so) you are good. Engine heater timer: Fine if it is just a timer. Many of them also have a temperature sensor, so they only come on in cold weather. Food safety wise, having dinner sit on the counter at room temperature for several hours before the cooking starts might not be a wise thing. If it were me, I would probably put in frozen meat to help mitigate this. \*You can use a router speed control to tone down the crock pot temperature. This requires some trial and error to find the correct setting. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/366 "2013-04-09T16:46:12Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > Timer for a crockpot: > > It’s fine electrically. Crockpots are slow cookers, meaning they are low power. Actually, the newer ones tend to be overpowered such that they can hardly be called slow cookers.\* Light bulbs typically run hotter than crockpots. Heating loads are also the easiest of any on the switch contacts in the timer. Incandescent bulbs draw about 10X nominal current the moment they are switched on, owing to tungsten’s large thermal coefficient of resistance. Heating appliances use nichrome heating elements specifically so they don’t present such surges when turned on. Check the watt rating on the cooker and the watt rating on the timer, as long as timer rating \> cooker + 100W (or so) you are good. > > Engine heater timer: Fine if it is just a timer. Many of them also have a temperature sensor, so they only come on in cold weather. > > Food safety wise, having dinner sit on the counter at room temperature for several hours before the cooking starts might not be a wise thing. If it were me, I would probably put in frozen meat to help mitigate this. > > \*You can use a router speed control to tone down the crock pot temperature. This requires some trial and error to find the correct setting. I must have explained it poorly. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/367 "2013-04-09T19:41:00Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > Timer for a crockpot: > > It’s fine electrically. Crockpots are slow cookers, meaning they are low power. Actually, the newer ones tend to be overpowered such that they can hardly be called slow cookers.\* Light bulbs typically run hotter than crockpots. Heating loads are also the easiest of any on the switch contacts in the timer. Incandescent bulbs draw about 10X nominal current the moment they are switched on, owing to tungsten’s large thermal coefficient of resistance. Heating appliances use nichrome heating elements specifically so they don’t present such surges when turned on. Check the watt rating on the cooker and the watt rating on the timer, as long as timer rating \> cooker + 100W (or so) you are good. > > Engine heater timer: Fine if it is just a timer. Many of them also have a temperature sensor, so they only come on in cold weather. > > Food safety wise, having dinner sit on the counter at room temperature for several hours before the cooking starts might not be a wise thing. If it were me, I would probably put in frozen meat to help mitigate this. > > \*You can use a router speed control to tone down the crock pot temperature. This requires some trial and error to find the correct setting. Cool! So do you think this [router speed controller](http://www.harborfreight.com/router-speed-control-43060.html) would work on an average analog slow-cooker with just Hi/Lo/Auto settings? I might have to try this, because my slow cooker just isn’t slow enough sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/368 "2013-04-09T20:16:26Z")
The talk of appliance timers reminded me of my Industrial Alarm Clock, for when you absolutely have to wake up: Set the appliance timer for the time you need to get up. Plug your vacuum into the timer, and place it so that the switch is in an inconvenient location. Ta da! ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2013, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/369 "2013-04-09T20:29:24Z")
> [@Kevbo](#): > > Food safety wise, having dinner sit on the counter at room temperature for several hours before the cooking starts might not be a wise thing. If it were me, I would probably put in frozen meat to help mitigate this. Food safety wise, cooking meat in a crock pot from frozen might more than offset the health risks of having it sit at kitchen temperature before cooking. Slow cookers won’t defrost meat in any kind of a hurry, and the bacteria might like the window of opportunity a bit too well. You can argue that slow cooking for hours will kill any bacteria you grow that way, but in that case it would do the needful for room-temperature meat as well. [One](http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/7542/can-i-put-frozen-meat-in-a-slow-cooker) opinion. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/370 "2013-04-10T05:03:06Z")
I use to use a timer with a ghetto blaster plugged into it for an alarm clock. Worked great. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2013, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/371 "2013-04-10T12:08:22Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Cool! So do you think this [router speed controller](http://www.harborfreight.com/router-speed-control-43060.html) would work on an average analog slow-cooker with just Hi/Lo/Auto settings? > > I might have to try this, because my slow cooker just isn’t slow enough sometimes. If there is a hard switch, it should work fine. The fancy pots with micro controllers, probably not. I did damage such a RSC using it in a 1500W smoker. The electronics stood the load fine, but the output socket overheated and became a fused mass of plastic. Still worked, but could not unplug it. Note that the smoker draws about 6 times what a crock pot does, and the resistive heating increases with the square of current (and has a positive feedback mechanism) so there should be absolutely no problem. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/372 "2013-04-12T01:25:59Z")
Got a bag of stale pretzels or a box of stale Cap’n Crunch? Spread them out on a cooky sheet and pop them into a 250-275 degree F oven for a few minutes and they’ll crisp right up. This works for many crunchy/crispy snacks. Seal them up in a ziplock bag before they cool if you want to keep the new freshness. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/373 "2013-04-12T05:27:39Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > Got a bag of stale pretzels or a box of stale Cap’n Crunch? Spread them out on a cooky sheet and pop them into a 250-275 degree F oven for a few minutes and they’ll crisp right up. I’m picturing Cap’n Crunch with even more upper palate-shredding capabilities than before! ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/374 "2013-04-12T06:10:15Z")
Couple of quick ones I don’t think are up yet. 1. Toothpaste is great for cleaning CD/DVD/Game discs if they’re scratched. 2. To open a jar with a stuck lid, hold the lid under the hot tap for 20 seconds or so turning the jar so you get all round. Get a dish cloth to grab the lid with and twist and away. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/375 "2013-04-12T16:07:24Z")
> [@stui\_magpie](#): > > Couple of quick ones I don’t think are up yet. > > 1. Toothpaste is great for cleaning CD/DVD/Game discs if they’re scratched. Not always. Crest Pro-Health toothpaste will make the scratching worse. ---
**Author:** ![Ambihelical\_Hexnut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4491bb/32.png) [@Ambihelical\_Hexnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambihelical_Hexnut)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2013, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/376 "2013-04-12T21:51:52Z")
> [@stui\_magpie](#): > > Couple of quick ones I don’t think are up yet. > > 1. Toothpaste is great for cleaning CD/DVD/Game discs if they’re scratched. In my experience, toothpaste will actually make the scratches worse. Car wax may yield better results: [QUOTE=Ambihelical Hexnut] My experience was with a new game DVD that had two scratches; one was on the surface of the shiny side, the other was a really nasty zigzag scratch that was embedded in the plastic (the game’s title screen wouldn’t even load). I didn’t want to go through the hassle of returns from Amazon Marketplace sellers just for a very cheap game, so I set about fixing the problem myself. There was nothing that could be done about the embedded scratch, but I thought maybe it would work OK if I fixed the surface scratch. I tried toothpaste, 2 different brands of furniture polish and car wax. The toothpaste was totally ineffective; it did nothing to improve the original scratch, and succeeded only in introducing dozens more tiny scratches. Furniture polish fared slightly better - there was some improvement in the appearance of the original scratch, and it didn’t introduce any more scratches. Car wax was the best; it almost totally eliminated the original scratch, as well as the vast majority of the small scratches caused by the toothpaste. Alas, the embedded scratch was the problem, so the game still didn’t work. One thing I would suggest is not to try buffing it out too many times. I tried each of the above substances 2 - 3 times (so maybe 9 or 10 attempts in total). After all this, the two layers of plastic that make up the DVD were beginning to peel apart, so the disc had to be trashed anyway. [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/377 "2013-04-14T08:37:10Z")
> [@stui\_magpie](#): > > 1. To open a jar with a stuck lid, hold the lid under the hot tap for 20 seconds or so turning the jar so you get all round. Get a dish cloth to grab the lid with and twist and away. Or use your Big Time Rush jelly bracelet. You don’t have one?! ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/378 "2013-04-14T17:57:35Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > …Also, for mosquito bites, put some Scotch tape on it. It probably just keeps you from scratching but totally works. Learned that here. So did Hamlet’s uncle\* after he snuck in the garden to kill old King Hamlet. \*“A king of shreds and patches.” This will conclude the waste-of-bytes test. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/379 "2013-04-14T18:03:32Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > The talk of appliance timers reminded me of my Industrial Alarm Clock, for when you absolutely have to wake up: > > Set the appliance timer for the time you need to get up. Plug your vacuum into the timer, and place it so that the switch is in an inconvenient location. Ta da! Or just use a [Clocky or Tocky](http://www.nandahome.com/). Falls off table and runs away. Invented by MIT kid, now for sale. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2013, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959/380 "2013-04-14T18:20:32Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > … > > Zinc oxide for burns — I don’t know if it works as well on sunburn but is AMAZING on other burns. I grabbed the handle of a sautee pan I’d just removed from the oven, and practically melted my palm. :eek: I slathered zinc oxide on it, wrapped it, and in the morning no more burn. Just a dried-up crusty place. And no more pain. Is this safe? Cool water is always recommend to take away pain and lessen the chance of infection–hence, no butter–or other salve, I heard. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959.md?page=18) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neat-useful-tricks-that-you-think-most-people-are-not-aware-of/648959.md?page=20)