# What is your favorite household tip or technique? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 27, 2020, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041 "2020-01-27T09:22:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041/61 "2020-02-08T19:16:17Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yeah, I was going to say, most of my canned beans have pull tabs, but they are all Goya brand. A lot of Campbell’s soups have them, as well. (I don’t know if that comes under “ready to eat,” but I use their condensed soups as a pantry ingredient.) Yep, the Chunky Campbell’s soups, which are all ready-to-eat, have tabs. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041/62 "2020-02-08T20:14:08Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > My Campbell’s soups from their “Great for Cooking” line all have pull tabs. Yeah, these are the ones I’m thinking of. I have cream of mushroom, French Onion, cream of celery, and beef consommé of theirs hanging around that I use for cooking (though I think you can still find those in the non-pull-tab packaging, as well). And then, for the kids, I have chicken noodle and chicken with rice. All have tabs, but those are meant to be more ready-to-eat soups. ---
**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041/63 "2020-02-08T20:50:50Z")
As mentioned upthread, vinegar for [limescale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limescale). I’ve recently discovered a very cheap industrial-strength vinegar. It’s transparent like water and is the only thing I’ve found that will get the job done without soaking and deep scrubbing. Muriatic (hydrochloric) acid gets the toilet clean and white again. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2020, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041/64 "2020-02-10T11:19:43Z")
> [@romansperson](#): > > [Goya brand beans come in cans with the pull tabs](https://grocery.walmart.com/ip/Goya-Pink-Beans-Low-Sodium-15-5-OZ/119447519). I have several cans in the pantry right now. It’s not the main reason I buy that brand, but it sure is convenient. I occasionally buy Goya brand beans. Never, ever seen a pull tab on one of their cans. Is this a regional thing, perhaps? (As in, Goya thinks people in one part of the country are used to having pull tabs so they provide them there, but they think people in other places would look askance?) I live in MD, but I’ve also lived in various places in VA and SC, and never seen them in either of those places. I’ll have to check the shelves in the groceries in central FL the next time we’re down visiting the in-laws, because now I’m genuinely curious about this. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2020, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041/65 "2020-02-10T11:52:50Z")
If your washer and dryer are in a different part of the house (e.g. the basement, which is our situation) from where you spend most of your time, and you don’t want to run back and forth checking the wash to see if it’s done yet, get one of the [baby monitors that has a camera](https://www.amazon.com/VTech-VM350-Digital-Full-Color-Automatic/dp/B07C5PGNG8/ref=asc_df_B07C5PGNG8/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241889079555&hvpos=1o3&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9027773701164234411&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007731&hvtargid=pla-589510856373&psc=1) - you can usually get one in the upper two figures. Aim the camera at the machines, and when you’re doing whatever you’re doing elsewhere in the house, you can just check the (portable) monitor to see if the lights on the machine say your load is done yet, or still going. My wife was kinda skeptical when I bought one for that reason, but it didn’t take her long to be completely sold on it. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2020, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041/66 "2020-02-10T16:53:05Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > I occasionally buy Goya brand beans. Never, ever seen a pull tab on one of their cans. > > Is this a regional thing, perhaps? (As in, Goya thinks people in one part of the country are used to having pull tabs so they provide them there, but they think people in other places would look askance?) I live in MD, but I’ve also lived in various places in VA and SC, and never seen them in either of those places. I’ll have to check the shelves in the groceries in central FL the next time we’re down visiting the in-laws, because now I’m genuinely curious about this. I live in NC. I also checked my Bush’s brand beans and some of the the seasoned ready-to-eat ones have pull tabs too ([like these](https://www.walmart.com/ip/BUSH-S-Savory-Beans-Southern-Style-White-Beans-Canned-Beans-with-Onions-Garlic-Bacon-15-3-Oz/922724369)). The plain unseasoned Bush brand beans do not. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2020, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041/67 "2020-02-10T21:01:48Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Get a bidet, or figure out how to do it sitting on the side of the tub. Do what on the side of the tub?? :eek: ---
**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:** [February 10, 2020, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041/68 "2020-02-10T21:14:26Z")
Freezer burn won’t happen if there is no air in a package. One can approximate vacuum sealer air expulsion from ziplock bags thusly: Fill up your sink or a pitcher (I have an oblong one that works great) with water. Put your food to be frozen in the baggie. Seal the ziplock except for about an inch in the middle. Dip the baggie in the water up to the level of the lock, and then finish zipping it. The weight of the water will have removed the air in the bag. I use this mostly for freezing raw chicken parts, but it works great on any moist food. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041/69 "2020-02-11T02:31:27Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > I’ll have to check the shelves in the groceries in central FL the next time we’re down visiting the in-laws, because now I’m genuinely curious about this. You could check the soup cans, as well. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041/70 "2020-02-11T03:08:00Z")
A cooking tip: When making a sauce, pudding, etc. that requires constant stirring so lumps won’t form, use a spatula instead of a spoon. A spatula covers more surface area. Also, I’ve found stirring in a rough figure 8 pattern helps prevent lumps, as it helps ensure you scrape the entire surface of the pot with each pass. For passwords, etc., add an extra layer of security wherever you store them. So mine look like this: “Name of second pet” or “First three of second address + name of fifth grade teacher.” I’m going to use the dustpan trick from now on and many of the others when the occasion arises. Thanks, everyone! ---
**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041/71 "2020-02-11T11:39:24Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > A cooking tip: When making a sauce, pudding, etc. that requires constant stirring so lumps won’t form…! I think that usually happens when there’s flour in the mix, in which case you can just run a handheld blender through the liquid as it starts to thicken. Works a treat for me when making white (bechamel) sauce. ---
**Author:** ![crazyjoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@crazyjoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crazyjoe)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041/72 "2020-02-11T20:56:42Z")
To avoid lumps…mix the flour with a small amount of cool liquid first in a small sealed container, then shake the tar out of it. The resulting liquid will be smooth and more easily dissolve without needing the constant stirring. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041/73 "2020-02-11T22:12:54Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > To each his/her own on this one - the disc works just fine for us, and a pair of rubber gloves would be one more thing we’d have to keep handy in the rather small work area of our kitchen. Fair enough. Which reminds me of the fact that every time I’ve moved, I glued a pair of clothespins on the inside of the cupboard door that give access to the under-belly of the sink. That’s where the rubber gloves go. (actually, I still have the two clothespins, but I stopped using both - both gloves get held by one pin.) Mind you, I grew up in the era when you wore rubber gloves to wash dishes to preserve your manicure, even if you didn’t bother with a manicure! ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041/74 "2020-02-11T22:16:42Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > Whenever you need to shake something, like a bottle of dressing, hold the top on. Because the one time you don’t, it won’t be screwed or snapped on and you’ll spray dressing or whatever all over the room. Around age 10 or so, I decorated my father’s shirt with ketchup at a steak house because of this. While I no longer use ketchup on my steak, I do still check caps before shaking things. ---
**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041/75 "2020-02-11T23:12:12Z")
> [@crazyjoe](#): > > To avoid lumps…mix the flour with a small amount of cool liquid first in a small sealed container, then shake the tar out of it. The resulting liquid will be smooth and more easily dissolve without needing the constant stirring. Yes, that would be the most foolproof way, but they say you have to cook the flour a bit, otherwise the sauce will taste like flour. If you use a lot of butter (like too much), the flour will pretty much dissolve before the milk goes in. ---
**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041/76 "2020-02-12T07:50:19Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Unfortunately, in the U.S., the only cans that have those tabs are cans of snack foods or other ready-to-eat foods. But canned food that you’re going to bring home, put in the pantry, and open when you’re cooking something - no tabs. > Cans of chicken broth, tomato sauce, kidney beans, evaporated milk - nope, no tabs. > Not in any brand. That may be true in your area but in VA I am seeing more and more canned products with the pull tabs to include tuna, soup and tomatoes and I limit it to those three because I don’t buy other canned products… In the not too distant future, can openers may go the way of the old beer opener or church key; still around but not as practical. ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041/77 "2020-02-12T17:57:35Z")
> [@jerez](#): > > Yes, that would be the most foolproof way, but they say you have to cook the flour a bit, otherwise the sauce will taste like flour. If you use a lot of butter (like too much), the flour will pretty much dissolve before the milk goes in. You cook the gravy after adding the flour slurry. I saw a cooking show once that said to brown some flour in the oven when you’re baking something else, for future use in gravy. I haven’t tried that though. My tips: If you drop an egg or something similarly goopy on the floor, herd the goop into a dustpan with a sponge or something. Easier than trying to wipe it up from the floor. When opening a large can, like tomato juice, punch two holes in one side (and one in the other side, of course) to pour it out faster. If freezing rain is imminent, pre-salt the sidewalk. Also, keep a small container of sidewalk salt in the house so you can salt a path from the door to where the main store of salt is if the freezing rain is a surprise. My favorite kitchen tool is my [spring whisk](https://smile.amazon.com/Kuhn-Rikon-10-Inch-Galaxy-Spring/dp/B0000CD0HG/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=spring+whisk&qid=1581529573&sr=8-4). It makes stirring thin things (water) into thick things (tomato paste) a breeze. Also for gravy. I hate cans with pull tabs. I have enough opportunities to cut myself without pull-tabs. There’s a reason tabbed soda cans went away. I use the safe-edge can opener even when there’s a pull tab available. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041/78 "2020-02-12T18:01:01Z")
> [@AllShookDown](#): > > If you drop an egg or something similarly goopy on the floor, herd the goop into a dustpan with a sponge or something. Easier than trying to wipe it up from the floor. Alternately, pour salt over it and wait a few minutes. > **[Kitchen Hack - How to Clean Up a Broken Egg - My Fearless Kitchen](https://www.myfearlesskitchen.com/kitchen-hack-how-to-clean-up-a-broken-egg/)** > > Have you ever dropped an egg? It's a challenge to clean up a broken egg. This kitchen hack is the only trick you'll ever need to clean up a dropped egg! ---
**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041/79 "2020-02-12T18:23:48Z")
> [@AllShookDown](#): > > You cook the gravy after adding the flour slurry… Well, I’m not going to keep insisting. Look at any recipe for white sauce, bechamel, roux, etc. All I’ve seen say to **cook the flour in the butter first**. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2020, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041/80 "2020-02-12T19:06:13Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > Freezer burn won’t happen if there is no air in a package. One can approximate vacuum sealer air expulsion from ziplock bags thusly: Fill up your sink or a pitcher (I have an oblong one that works great) with water. Put your food to be frozen in the baggie. Seal the ziplock except for about an inch in the middle. Dip the baggie in the water up to the level of the lock, and then finish zipping it. The weight of the water will have removed the air in the bag. > I use this mostly for freezing raw chicken parts, but it works great on any moist food. I do this too, in a simpler way. I use Zip-Lok freezer bags and put the product in them, fill full of water, and then hold them against the side of the sink until the air and most of the water has been pushed out, then seal. Then I will lay them flat in the freezer until frozen, and then they will stack nicely. I have kept cleaned razor clams in this way for 2 years without harm to them. Water will protect them from freezer burn. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-favorite-household-tip-or-technique/847041.md?page=5)