Winter el-cheapo handy hintsYou can keep your bathroom mirror from fogging up by applying a thin coating of soap. Either squeeze some liquid soap onto a rag and rub it onto the mirror or scribble all over the mirror with a bar of soap and then rub that in. Shaving cream works, too. Your mirror should stay clear for at least four or five days. This technique also works with eyeglasses. And while you’re at it, apply this treatment to the inside of your vehicle’s windshield and windows to keep them from fogging up.
When homeowners and renters want to keep the warm air from leaking out of their homes and apartments, they often use caulk to seal up the gaps around windows. But you wouldn’t want to caulk up the gaps that would keep you from opening windows on warm days. That’s when you use rope caulk. Rope caulk comes in 1/4-inch width in a roll that you can slowly unravel. Break off as much as you need, and push it along the gap. On a warm day, carefully pry it away with an old knife—and because it’s like cookie dough, it can be rolled between your fingers, reshaped, and reused. Lowe’s doesn’t carry rope caulk, but Home Depot does. Check out this link. It’s not too late to weatherproof your entry doors. There are several types—adhesive foam, adjustable brush-type that can be attached to the bottom of the door, and rubber gasket type. Visit any home-improvement or hardware store; you’ll have lots to choose from. If you hate scraping the ice off your windshield in the morning, try ice-proofing the glass with vinegar. Make a solution of three parts vinegar and one part water, and then pour it into an old spray bottle. The acid in the vinegar is the key ingredient, and if you spray your windshield right before going to bed, you can keep nighttime precipitation from freezing. If you forget, then you can still spray this solution onto your frost-covered windshield to remove the ice a bit easier in the morning. While driving, if you approach your first intersection just right, you can hit nothing but green lights if you drive at exactly the speed limit. That’s how the engineers worked it out. It never hurts to have plastic grocery bags on hand for emergencies. (While driving down the street, I once saw a woman running around picking her groceries up off the ground after her bag burst. I was able to pull over, grab a few bags from the glove compartment, and help corral the groceries.) Take an extra grocery bag, flatten it out and fold it length-wise into a one narrow strip. Then, starting at one end, make a triangle by pulling the top corner to the side edge. Continue folding the bag like this, over and over, the same way the military folds the American flag. A bunch of these folded-up grocery bags can be slipped into a ziplock bag for neat storage. If you have old, scratched-up wooden furniture, you can rejuvenate it by rubbing it down with a mixture of 3/4 cup oil (canola or vegetable) and 1/4 cup vinegar. Make sure the furniture is clean first—you can start by going over it with a bit of vinegar and water. Here are two suggestions for saving $$$ on dryer sheets: Soak a clean rag (such as a square torn from an old tee shirt) in fabric softener and hang it up to dry. It can be used several times—at least a dozen times—in the dryer. When it no longer smells like fabric softener, soak it again. Or, ball up a large piece of tin foil and toss it the dryer with your clothes. Don’t you hate scratching at a roll of tape while trying to find the end? Next time, fold down the end of the tape 1/4-inch and stick the tape to itself so you can find the end more easily and quickly. Soup is really popular this time of year. You can make it individual servings available superquick by preparing a batch, pouring it into a muffin tin, and sticking it in the freezer. When you need a quick bowl, pop out a serving and warm it on the stove or in the microwave. It might not snow here this winter—at least it hasn’t yet. But if it does, grab your shovel and keep it by the door so you won’t have to trudge through the snow to the shed in search of it later. Right before you do use your shovel, spray it, front and back, with cooking oil or lubricating oil (like Pam or WD-40). Snow won’t stick to the surface, which should make your job a little easier. If you have superdry skin, and winter weather is making it even dryer, get your hands on some glycerin. Liquid glycerin can be found at drugstores and variety stores for around $5 or $6. Add some to your favorite lotion and you’ll notice its soothing and moisture-retention properties. Another thing you can do is to apply lotion as soon as you exit the shower or bathtub. After applying the lotion, gently pat yourself dry. Your skin will benefit from the extra moisture and you’ll feel more comfortable and less itchy. You’ve heard those horror stories about people getting stuck on the highway after an unexpected snowstorm (and around here, and eighth of an inch can be treacherous). Keep emergency supplies in your car trunk just in case, such as a cell phone charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter, a camp shovel (some are just over 2 feet tall and some fold in half), a bag of kitty litter for traction, a ziplock bag with socks, gloves, hat, and pocket hand warmers), energy bars, bottled water, paper towels, and a piece of brightly colored or fluorescent fabric in case you end up stranded, jumper cables or a portable jumpstarter device (especially if you’re driving an older vehicle). Microwave ovens usually get quite a workout this time of year. Here’s how to get it nice and clean again: Place a microwaveable bowl half-filled with vinegar into the microwave and set it to 2 minutes. When the vinegar begins to boil, remove the boil. Carefully dip a cleaning rag into the vinegar (careful, it’s hot!) and wipe the inside of the microwave. You’re removing old food particles and lingering odors at the same time. Some people keep quarters in their vehicle’s ashtray to feed the parking meters. If that’s something you don’t do, you can use the ashtray to freshen the air by dipping cotton balls into vanilla flavoring or vanilla extract and stuffing them into it. Sometimes our kitchen drains run a little slow during the holidays. Try pouring 1/4 cup of baking soda down the drain, followed by 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Then pour a pot of boiling water down the drain and see if that clears it up. Pour boiling water down the drain every couple of weeks after that, just to make sure you’re keeping the drain clear. If you have a small outdoor pond stocked with fish, be sure to remove the ice or chop a hole in it if the pond freezes over at night. The fish need oxygen to breathe and the gases they emit under water can harm them if they can’t get fresh air. You can remove the tarnish on the copper base of a saucepan by rubbing it with a cloth dipped in ketchup. Make a paste of equal amounts of cornmeal, salt, and vinegar. Rub on, rub off briskly, rinse, and dry it off. Try this the next time you do the dishes: Stir a tablespoon of baking soda into your soapy dishwater. Not only will it cut through grease, it will also help soften your hands. It can be a real nuisance when you walk from the cold outdoors into a warm room and your eyeglasses fog up. You can prevent this by putting a drop of liquid soap on your lenses (both sides) and rubbing the soap off with a lint-free cloth. There’s nothing like burning your tongue on soup or stew that we find out too late is too hot. Quickly pour a teaspoon of sugar right where your tongue is burned and raise your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Keep it there for a while and let the sugar melt. Somehow this heals the burn and keeps your tongue from becoming sore. Post your latest water and/or electric bill on the refrigerator and then encourage your kids to help you save money by being less wasteful. They can turn off the water while brushing their teeth, turn off the light as they leave a room, etc. Get them on board by telling them that you’ll share some of the savings with them if your water or electric bill is lower next month. Lessen the chance of having an electrical fire. Go around the house and feel the extension cords you’re using. Any cord that’s warm should be replaced by a heavier, thicker cord. (The gauge numbers operate “backwards”: a 10-gauge cord is thicker than a 12-gauge cord.) Keep a watchful eye for electrical devices that are only sold during the holiday season, such as wireless remote controls for Christmas tree lights. You can use those year-round for all kinds of things. One of my favorite devices plugs into an electrical outlet and provides three extra outlets (for holiday decorations). What I like about this device is that the three outlets face downward (at a 90° angle), which saves lots of counter space. I use one in the kitchen for my toaster, hotdog cooker, and blender. |
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The Durham Skywriter is published and uploaded monthly.
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©2018 patricia A murray. All rights reserved.
For more information, call patricia A murray at 919-809-9682 or write to durhamskywriter@yahoo.com.
Authors/publishers can send books for review, and artists/managers can send CDs for review to: patricia A murray, 1910 Capps St, Durham NC 27707, USA
©2018 patricia A murray. All rights reserved.
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