On that note, I spent years gambling on the idea that my detergent + a little color-safe bleach would take the stains out of my clothes when I got around to washing them. Or if that didn’t work, THEN spraying on the stain remover and washing again. I did it this way because the stain remover lived in the basement laundry room, as that’s where laundry crap goes.
Then it dawned on me that hey, my bedroom is not a museum or a show room. I can keep laundry stuff in my bedroom. I can keep a bottle of spray-on stain remover RIGHT HERE NEXT TO MY HAMPER and spray stains as soon as I take the clothes off.
So, Oxyclean does work and it works even better if you keep a bottle next to your hamper and not far away from your dirty clothes
When I was a starving student and rode my bike everywhere, if I had to fiddle with the chains and got gunk on my hands, what worked was to use baby oil. Baby oil mixed with the bike oil/gunk thinned it out enough that I could wash it off.
Now whenever I’ve got something “sticky” on myself, I use baby oil to dilute it. Dollop of oil in my palm, rub it on the stuff, and I get it off with a wet washcloth after that.
In a pinch WD-40 will work as well. In a bigger pinch, gasoline will also get tar off. I’d imagine motor oil would work as well. I’d even put my money on Vaseline.
Tea tree oil for toenail fungus. Got rid of some on a big toe nail I’d had for a few years in a matter of a few weeks. I recalled hearing someone tell how a Vietnam veteran they knew had picked up some god-awful foot fungus and tried all sort of medical treatments for it for over a decade to no avail before trying tea tree oil. Figured it was worth a shot.
I just poured a bit on twice a day and the nail is currently perfectly clear and healthy. This was last year, ftr.
Creative visualization to clear warts. About 10 yrs ago I had one that kept recurring on the ball of my hand. I used the OTC treatments twice to get rid of it, but it kept coming back in the exact same spot.
I decided to try WILLING the damn thing away, spending about 5 minutes every morning before getting out of bed and another 5 every night before going to sleep, visualizing it shrinking and gone.
Within 4 days, it was completely gone and has never returned.
Might sound wonky, but studies have shown that hypnosis works, and this is basically just a form of self hypnosis.
Likewise, tea tree oil for minor burns. While it’s true that aloe will take the sting out of a burn, you have to keep reapplying. With tea tree oil, dab some on the burn with a cotton swab or cotton ball, the pain disappears within seconds, and doesn’t return!
Cat all staticky? Give him a couple rubs with a dryer sheet. (Works for your own hair, too.)
For red wine stains: mix half hydrogen peroxide, half dish soap. Blot on the stain, let it work for a while, then wash. I thought I’d ruined my favorite skirt, but damn if this didn’t take the entire stain right off.
Almond oil is the best facial moisturizer I’ve ever used. Also, for all over dryness, if you have a little time to pamper yourself, you don’t need a special bath oil. Any vegetable oil you have handy will do (almond, olive, plain old wesson). You don’t need to use a lot, and soak for 15 minutes or however long you like, and you step out all soft and non-greasy afterwards.
To get rid of white rings or spots on a wooden table, smear a little mayo on the spot, wait a few hours and wipe off.
Mayo also works in a pinch as a deep conditioner for really dry hair. Slather your dry hair with some Hellman’s (or the brand if your choice), wrap your hair in plastic wrap, wait about 30 minutes and then shampoo.
Eating a spoonful of granulated sugar has cured my hiccoughs.
My sister used to be a lot more outdoorsy than she is now and often had a problem with chapped and cracked hands. The only lotions she found that she liked AND that worked were both very expensive (she has money but she’s neurotically stingy). That’s when she discovered udder balm- literally a balm made for cow udders- that she bought cheaply at a local farmer’s supply store and that worked better than any lotion she’d ever bought at a fraction of the price.
If you’re out of WD-40 for your sticky sliding door, or want to use something more animal/kid friendly, break out the Pam or other cooking spray. (I’m not sure how olive oil would work, hrm) Works like a CHARM, and lasts at least as long as WD-40 <which doesn’t last very long on my own door>.
While it’s an idea that sounds like something I would come up with, I actually picked it up from maintenance at work, who broke down and used that to fix a sticky wooden door when nothing else worked. I had a /doh moment, tried it at home, and haven’t bothered with the WD-40 since. I do realize that WD-40 isn’t really a lubricant, so maybe they work in different ways, but hey. It works! And I don’t have to worry about the cats licking WD-40 off their fur when they get curious.
After spilling coffee on the front of my white blouse on the way to work one morning, I was trying to figure out a way to keep it from leaving a permanent stain. One of my co-workers handed me a spray bottle of peroxide from the first aid cabinet. Worked like a charm.
I wouldn’t use it on anything dark (in which case, the coffee or tea stain wouldn’t be obvious), but I’ve used it since on white or light colored blouses.
Yes, I know, I need to get better mouth aim with coffee.
There’s a tip I’ve heard, but never tried. If you get a coffee stain on something and it won’t come out, make a big pot of coffee and soak the whole shirt (blouse, whatever) in it. Essentially, dye the whole shirt to match the stain. It’s not a bad color.
Like I said, I haven’t tried it. But it’s so clever I really want it to work.
In a similar vein, cast-iron skillets that need cleaning from cooked on stuff is pretty simple. Re-heat the pan until good and hot. If there is residual oil/grease still in the pan, you are good to go for the next step, otherwise just add a bit of your cheapest oil on hand. Toss in a large pinch of Kosher salt, scrub with a paper towel folded over several times handled with tongs and even the most stubborn stuff comes off easily.
I run a humidifier in a couple of rooms during the drier months. My skin is much happier. My sinuses are much, much, MUCH happier. Also, don’t dry off completely after your bath or shower, just get most of the water off…and then moisturize. Moisturizing doesn’t really add moisture to the skin, it’s a barrier so your skin doesn’t lose moisture so quickly. I’ve cleared up some really nasty cracked heels by soaking my feet in warm water twice a day and applying moisturizer, in addition to moisturizing after my shower.
A&D ointment (diaper rash ointment) does a dandy job, though it does smell kind of funky.
Also, if you’ve had diarrhea so much that your anus is very tender, apply some A&D ointment on a piece of toilet paper, and then after you’ve cleaned yourself thoroughly, apply the ointment on the TP to the anus. This will soothe the area.
The first time I tried using rubbing alcohol to get permanent marker off a whiteboard I thought it was the best thing ever! This was before I’d discovered sex though…
Also taking ginger for motion sickness in movie theaters. I take drugs with a large amount of skepticism, and so-called natural cures had better fucking work! I ate a huge mouthful of ginger root before going to an IMAX movie, it was beautiful. No closing my eyes wishing the spinning would stop!
Another easy way: take a stack (maybe 50) of coffee filters out of the package, and turn them inside out. They will separate easily, and work just as well!
