# The "I'll be damned, it actually works" helpful tip thread **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 30, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425 "2010-11-30T16:59:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/322 "2013-05-10T17:24:24Z")
If you get pine sap on your hands try washing your hands with pure peanut butter. Works like a charm. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2013, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/323 "2013-05-10T17:55:25Z")
Stuff burned on inside the bottom of a cooking pot? It scrapes off amazingly well with the edge of a credit card. ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/324 "2013-05-11T00:44:46Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I finally remembered one - when looking for a carton of unbroken eggs, if you run across one broken or questionable egg, instead of starting your search in a new carton, just take a whole egg from another carton and replace the one questionable egg in the carton you’ve already looked at. It took me way, way too long to figure this one out! Hang on - if you’ve opened the carton without the broken egg, why wouldn’t you just take that one instead of swapping it over? Adding Napisan and a stiff brush (or broom) to clean tile grout. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/325 "2013-05-11T03:33:26Z")
> [@Seagirl](#): > > Hi everyone. I happened upon this fab and funny as heck site and have been laughing my butt off. I love all the answers and have decided everything all of you have to say works better with vodka or wine. That being said, I have my wine and can’t leave this site, after I figure out how it works…love all of you…wow … seagirl Welcome aboard. I think [MPSIMS](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?f=4) is the correct forum for new members to introduce themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/326 "2013-05-11T04:23:30Z")
> [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](#): > > Hang on - if you’ve opened the carton without the broken egg, why wouldn’t you just take that one instead of swapping it over? > > Adding Napisan and a stiff brush (or broom) to clean tile grout. Sometimes it seems that every carton has at least one broken egg, so swapping out eggs is your quickest solution. ---
**Author:** ![Rack-a-Bones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rack-a-Bones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rack-a-Bones)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2013, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/327 "2013-05-11T05:45:33Z")
Toothpaste works on mosquito bites, burns, pimples, cleans silver and hazy headlight lamps. Witch hazel for the scalp and skin. Is it weird that I use toothpaste as a cleaner but baking soda for toothpaste? ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/328 "2013-05-12T01:46:43Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Sometimes it seems that every carton has at least one broken egg, so swapping out eggs is your quickest solution. Geez - I didn’t realise that Smash Up Derby was an egg delivery service. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/329 "2013-05-12T02:06:50Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Sometimes it seems that every carton has at least one broken egg, so swapping out eggs is your quickest solution. Yup - instead of checking another whole dozen, I just grab a good egg and be on my way. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/330 "2013-05-12T02:15:29Z")
If there’s too much lime in your water, dump some vinegar in the dishwasher at the start of the cycle – gets rid of that white haze on clear glassware. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2013, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/331 "2013-05-12T16:18:38Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > If there’s too much lime in your water, dump some vinegar in the dishwasher at the start of the cycle – gets rid of that white haze on clear glassware. I’ll back this one up. It’s a cheap way to put the sparkle back in your glassware. Vinegar is also a great way to clean a cat’s plastic water tray. Cats often won’t drink water from a dish that may still smell soapy but the vinegar scent breaks down and dissipates quickly. Happy cats = happy me. ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/332 "2013-05-13T02:08:37Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > Our family remedy is to take at least ten gulps of water at a steady pace, without stopping to breathe. It ALWAYS works. Try peanut butter.Just take a spoonful and eat it and no more hiccups. It’s worked on every family member and even on Gunner the Great Dane. He gets them all the tine and a small bit of peanut butter and he’s back to normal. ---
**Author:** ![Phnord\_Prephect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Phnord\_Prephect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phnord_Prephect)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/333 "2013-05-13T05:02:29Z")
> [@obbn](#): > > He gets them all the tine and a small bit of peanut butter and he’s back to normal. Next week on _How to Train Your Human_… ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/334 "2013-05-13T14:18:01Z")
If the visor on your helmet is hazy first wet with cold water and apply a mild detergent with your (clean) fingers, rinse carefully and dry with the softest lint-free/microfiber cloth you can find. Don’t use glass cleaner because it is not glass. With scratches you can use toothpaste to buff them out, but try a small area on a corner you don’t look through first as it could damage the surface. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/335 "2013-05-13T15:05:30Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > If there’s too much lime in your water, dump some vinegar in the dishwasher at the start of the cycle – gets rid of that white haze on clear glassware. …and am I the only one that started mentally singing “put the lime in the coconut and call me in the morning?” I am? Oh well. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Obnoxious\_Hood\_Ornament](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Obnoxious\_Hood\_Ornament](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obnoxious_Hood_Ornament)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/336 "2013-05-13T16:17:49Z")
I ended up with a terrible drain fly infestation in my master bathroom. I tried everything (more or less) including thick “industrial grade” bio-gels and all that other crap. Foaming Pipe Snake didn’t cut it. Manually scraping the gunk didn’t cut it. Bleach didn’t cut it. When they went into hibernation I started treating each drain with a ~1:1 mixture of baking soda and white vinegar. I dumped the baking soda in first, then added the vinegar. This foamed violently, coating the entire area of the pipe with vinegar (pouring stuff into the drain normally coats… the bottom of the pipe!) Rinse with boiling water half an hour later. Repeat until nothing evil comes out of the drain 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/337 "2013-05-13T20:19:36Z")
Basil leaves keep ants away. I had waged a year and a half biological campaign against the ant invasion in my kitchen. I had tried everything. My wife’s elderly YMCA class members recommended basil leaves around the sink. We tried it and of course it didn’t work…until they dried. It was so effective we threw them away a half a year ago and I still haven’t seen one ant. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/338 "2013-05-13T20:24:07Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Also for mosquito bites - Scotch tape. I don’t know if it just helps the itch because you can’t scratch it, but it does help. Isopropyl alcohol works well too, put a little on a q-tip and put some on the bite. ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2013, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/339 "2013-05-13T20:52:38Z")
> [@PookahMacPhellimey](#): > > One of my students got the whiteboard perfectly clean using toothpaste as there was no alcohol and some of the stuff wasn’t wiping off. > > I don’t think this will actually come in useful often, but it just made my day at the time. Often, when people think they have no alcohol handy, they do have hand sanitizer gel. It does the trick on whiteboards. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/340 "2013-05-14T01:18:56Z")
> [@obbn](#): > > Try peanut butter.Just take a spoonful and eat it and no more hiccups. It’s worked on every family member and even on Gunner the Great Dane. He gets them all the tine and a small bit of peanut butter and he’s back to normal. I use peanut butter for my hiccups too - works 100% of the time for me. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2013, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425/341 "2013-05-14T02:46:44Z")
> [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](#): > > 1 part white vinegar to 2 parts water, and paper towels. Though newspaper was once the best thing to use, the change in ink now means it will leave streaks. > > So, **olivesmarch4th** , just spray it on, and wipe it off. > > Then admire yourself and your fine work at the same time 😃 If you really want newsprint, they sell some kind of packing paper at U-Haul locations that smells and feels like blank newsprint. Haven’t tried it for windows, but I bet it would work well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-ill-be-damned-it-actually-works-helpful-tip-thread/562425.md?page=18)