I think it’s fair to say that most people have looked at a problem, thought of a doubtful solution, and figured, what the hell, I might as well try it, and been surprised to learn that it actually worked.
Let’s share those tips, shall we? Household hints, child rearing pointers, car/other mechanical maintenance tips, solutions found at work etc.
To start:
New England is pretty dry during the winter. Not like out west, but below 30% humidity is between a half and a third as humid as our summers. A lot of people’s skin doesn’t like the drier weather (how do people out west avoid desiccation during the winter? Does your skin grow used to it?) and that can lead to dry skin all over your body. When moisturizing bodywashes don’t help, your only option is to rub lotion all over, and that’s a pain in the ass. So I thought about looking for a spray-on lotion to help speed this up. And…all I could find was Skin So Soft, which I hate the smell of.
So I gave it some thought, and decided that it was remotely possible that lotion put into a spray bottle might spray despite being thick. I bought a tiny spray bottle (called a “fingertip” bottle. it holds 2 or 3 oz - it’s the kind you push down rather than pull a trigger) and filled it with Yardley’s Oatmeal lotion. And guess what, it works perfectly.
I don’t know why no one puts lotion in spray bottles, but…I’m glad it works. This way takes about half the time and there’s less risk of squirting out too much and leaving your legs feeling greasy.
So, what helpful tip are you sitting on? Come on, share with the class!
I still swear by Desitin Creamy (diaper rash ointment, the “creamy” version has aloe) for sunburns. I had a sunburn some years ago and it was bad, and I didn’t have anything to treat it so I just tried the Desitin I keep on hand for rashes.
Boy, does it work! I haven’t blistered from a sunburn since. Immediately soothes any uncomfortableness and turns the burn into a nice brown tan.
No one I know has ever taken me up on my offer to let them use some of my Desitin on their sunburns. They seem to be turned off by stuff that is meant to soothe a baby’s ass. Their loss!
(Furiously scribbling notes… I wish I’d know the Desitin trick this summer, when my son got a horrible, blistering sunburn.)
One of my “I’ll be damned, it works!” tricks is probably pretty obvious to everyone: My oven has some pretty extreme hot/cool spots. My iron frying pans live in the oven when they’re not in use. I now leave the skillets on the lower oven rack while I bake on the upper rack. The pans shield baked goods from the most direct hot spots on the heating element, and act like a baking stone, retaining steady heat - no more burned rolls or cookies, I didn’t have to spend extra for a baking stone or new stove element, and my skillets are beautifully seasoned!
I use the little pump bottle for Neutragena’s body oil. Smells so much nicer than Skin so soft and works better. I think the light spray makes it less greasy feeling.
I’ve burned many a foods to the bottom of pots while cooking to the point that they’re black and charred on pretty well. My ex’s father taught me to make a paste with baking soda and water, let it set in the pot for a while, then fill the pot with water and bring it all to a boil. Works like a charm every time at getting that black gunk off.
This is more of a ‘product really does what advertised!’ thing:
Oxyclean Spray-On stain remover has saved many of my shirts from retirement. I somehow get these stains that look like grease stains but aren’t and repeated washing would never remove them. A spritz of this stuff and then throw the shirt in the hamper to linger until the next load of laundry and it comes out lovely.
Duct tape on warts. You have to keep it on for several weeks. I just covered mine with a Band-Aid and replaced it after showers. Eventually they went away, and they’d been stubborn through dermatologist freezings for years.
Jamie Oliver has a lot to answer for, in terms of his recipes, but he knows exactly how to get caramel out of the pot you cooked it in. As soon as you’ve taken the caramel out, fill the pan with water and bring it to a boil. Voila, clean pan, no effort.
I was patching my roof with some hideous tar material which left my hands and arms covered with sticky goop. I tried scrubbing it off with various soaps and cleaners to zero effect, only managing to scrape the un-tarred portions of my skin raw but failing to remove the tar.
Mrs G said “rub it off with vegetable oil”. I did, and the tar magically goopified and sloughed off.
If you’re wearing stockings (pantyhose, tights) and find your skirt or dress clinging to your legs because of static cling, rub some hand or body lotion directly onto your legs over your stockings. That’s enough to get rid of the static electricity.
An organic chemist? When soap and water don’t work I turn either to isopropyl alcohol or vegetable oil. Solubility is a wonderful thing to understand.
Windex or Hertel or any other ammonia-based household cleaner works wonderfully to stop itchy mosquito bites. A lot of “after-bite” products are just solutions of ammonia anyways, so why pay extra for something you already have in the house?
I learned a fabulous trick when I accidentally sat in gum and then sat on our couch before I realized there was gum on my bum. Take a towel and wet the corner in vodka and gently rub at the gum that has mashed itself into your couch and your pants. It pulls up pretty easily and leaves no trace. It was a hell of a lot easier than the whole freezing it with an ice cube trick.
“Ouchless” splinter removal: put a tiny dab of Elmer’s glue (or any white school glue; we’re partial to Elmer’s) on the splinter, rub it into a thin layer, allow to dry, then peel up. Most of the time, the splinter will come out stuck to the glue.
If you have a Chevy product and the starter dies, you can sometimes get it to work by tapping on the starter with a hammer or rock. NOTE: Use common sense safety rules. Don’t get under a vehicle if it is not safe to do so, and don’t try to start the vehicle while someone is underneath it.
I love deviled eggs but mixing the yolks up was a pain in the butt. Someone told me to put the yolks in a ziploc, add the mayo, mustard and spices (I use garlic and onion powder and a little pepper) then seal it and smoosh it until it’s all mixed. Then just cut the corner off the bottom of the bag and squeeze to fill the eggs. I’m sure all the Cafe Society folks know this already but cooking is not my forte and I was amazed. And there’s no clean-up which is always a big bonus!
I had another D’oh! food moment with kiwis. I love them but they’re a pain to peel. Then I saw someone eating one with a spoon (after cutting it in half). I literally smacked myself on the head and wondered why I had never thought of that.
