• Wrap a cloth around your broom head and secure it on with rubber bands. Sweep around the ceiling and corners to remove dust and cobwebs. Yes, I had to remove my granddaughters pet spiders from the house, even if they are named Peekachu, Hamtaro and Bob.
• To clean fiberglass showers and tubs, use the cleaner made for cleaning fiberglass boats.
• Your lightbulbs will work better if you keep them free of dust and grease.
• To clean varnished floors or other wood work rub with cold tea.
• For floors that have spots that have faded, mix brown shoe polish with floor wax and apply to the worn spots. It will give it an antique look instead of just a worn look.
• Rub scratches away with a piece of very fine steel wool dipped in floor wax.
• Remove crayon marks from vinyl tile or linoleum with silver polish
• In between waxings, mop floor with a piece of waxed paper under your mop. The dirt will stick to the paper and give the floor a quick wax.
• Dampen the brushes of your carpet sweeper before usiing and it will pick up the lint and string better.
• When removing picture hangers to paint a room, you can mark their location with a toothpick.  Then,  paint right over them and when the paint dries, remove the toothpick and replace the hanger.
• If you can't find your dustpan, cut a paper plate in half and moisten the edge.
• After painting a window, rub a candle along the inside track of the fram. The wax coating will make it easier to open the windows without chipping the paint.
• To remove self-adhesive paper from shelves or drawers, place a towel on the paper and iron it. The warmth will loosen it up and it can be removed easier.
• Paint brushes make good dusters for small or hard-to-get places sucah as door jambs, around windows and into corners.
• Mend a torn reusable vacuum cleaner bag by pressing iron-on patches over holes.
• When cleaning picture glass, never spray liquid cleaners directly onto the glass. The liquid may seep under the glass and ruin the picture underneath
• To clean deeply carved picture frames or knick knacks, use a clean dry plastic squeeze bottle, pumping the bottle like a small bellows to blow the dust out of the crevices.
• It is easier to wash knick knacks than to dust them, so put them on a tray in the sink and spray them with a window cleaner or foaming bathroom cleaner, then rinse with water, Or, swish them around in the sink of water and a small amount of dish detergent. Gently pat them dry.
• To get rid of stale aromas such as cigarette smoke, set out a bowl of vinegar or ammonia over night.
• Vinegar makes a good preventive wash for areas where mildew forms
• To remove the discoloraton of a yellowed bathtub, rub with a mixture of salt and turpentine.
• To remove tiny scratches on glass, polish with toothpaste.
• To remove candle wax that has dripped onto a table, carpet, or cloth, hold ice cubes against it until the wax is brittle and can break off. Or, get a brown paper bag, and place over the wax. Iron on low until the wax melts into the bag.
• When hanging sheers and curtains without snagging, insert a butter knife blade first into the opened end of the curtain rod, then slide the curtains onto the rod.
• Fill a tiny hole in the wall with a dab of non-gel toothpaste or paper correction fluid.
• How to Clean Your Walls: Mix 1/4 cup of washing soda, 1/4 cup white vinegar, and 1/2 cup of ammonia ina a gallon of water. Wash walls from the bottom up, otherwise, water dripping down over the dry, unwashed areas will create hard to remove streaks. Use nylons or socks to clean rough textured walls because they will not tear and leave pieces to pick off.
• How to Clean Wallpaper: Sponge washable wall paper with a mild detergent and even scrub some vinyls. To find out how hard you can scrub, first work on a piece of scrap. To remove crayon marks, rub carefully with a dry soap-filled, fine grade steelwool pad. Or use a wad of white paper towel moistened with dry-cleaning solvent and carefully sponge the surface. Carefully blot and lift in small areas to prevent the solvent from spreading and discoloring the paper. Some marks can be removed by gently rubbing with an art gum eraser. Lift grease stains from washable wallpaper with a paste made of cornstarch and water, or rub borax over stains.  To remove grease from non-washable wallpaper, place a blotter over the spot and press it with a medium hot iron. The blotter will soak up the grease. Repeat as required until stain is gone. Or: puff on some talcum powder, leave it for an hour and then brush it off. Repeat if necessary. Clean nonwashable wallpaper with rye bread. Make a fist sized wad of bread and rub it across dirt.
• To remove white marks off wood paneling, rub mayonnaise into them. Wipe it off 12 hours later.
• To remove stains from counters, rub with vodka and rinse with water.
• To revive your pillows, put them (one at a time) into a kitchen garbage bag. Then stick your vacuum cleaner hose in and close tightly with your hand. The vacuum will suck out the all the air and dust. You can fluff them up in the dryer with a couple of tennis balls thrown in.
• Spray your linen tablecloth with fabric protector before entertaining to help protect it from staining.

MAKING A MOVE

• When you are packing for a move, tape the hooks and nails to your wall hangings. They will be ready to rehang at your new home.
• Instead of boxing up the unbreakables stored in drawers, tape the drawers in place with wide masking tape. Remove tape immediately, to minimize the tape marks
• Get carpets and slipcovers cleaned before you move. They will be wrapped, rolled and ready to go
• Use you small towels and linens as packing material for breakables
• Plates are less likely to break if you stand them on end and pack with newspaper between them
• To prevent odors in refrigerator and freezer during the move, place some charcoal inside to absorb the odors
• When you tape each box shut, place a piece of kite string under the tape to use as a pull string for easy opening

EXTRA STORAGE

• Replace a nailed in piece of step with a hinged step. Use the space under the hinged step to store boots or sports equipment.
• For more storage space in the bedroom, you can use roll-out bins under the bed for sewing materials, extra linens, and other items not used all the time. Old dresser drawers can also be used for this.
• Small clothing items, as well as craft supplies and various other small items can be stored in large, decorative popcorn tins. I use one for the single socks I tend to collect.
• Hang a basket by your door to throw your keys in. Put mail that needs to go out, bills, etc so you won't forget to grab them when your get your keys.
• Hang a clip board from a cabinet door and clip on your placemats for storage.
• When storing heirloom items, first wash and rinse them, then rinse them again in a vinegar and water solution. Avoid starching and ironing and if possible dry them in the sun. Finally, wrap each item seperately in tissue paper, placing extra paper between the folds
• When storing suitcases, place in an unwrapped bar of soap to keep out the musty odors.
• Use stored suitcases to hold other items such as out-of-season clothes, clothes to go to Goodwill, etc.
• When storing sweaters, make sure they are washed to remove any moth eggs, Place sweaters and other woolens in plastic bags with moth balls, cedar chips, dried lavender or pepper corns.
• To store stuffed animals or toys, hang two hooks on adjoining walls at one corner of the room, put a hook at the point at which the walls meet. Attach a triangular piece of netting, and put the toys in it.
• To put more room in a closet, put a small chest of drawers inside. You can hang clothes over it, set stuff on top of it, and use the drawers for storage.
• Get some empty gallon jars from restaurants, bakerys, etc. Spray paint the tops and use them as cannisters. If you have the space, buy a cheap bookcase to store them on. Store bulk flour, sugar, pasta, etc. in them
• As you pack things in boxes for storage, list where and what you are stroing in a record book. It will be easier to find them when needed.
• If your cedar chest or closet no longer smells like cedar, lightly sand its surfaces. Sanding opens the wood's pores and releases fresh scent.
• Organize your desk with a silverware tray
• A multi-pocketed shoe bag hanging in the closet is good to file and store bills. Mark each pocket with category of each monthly bill.

SAFETY TIPS

• If you are planning to paint your bathroom stairs, add a little sand to the paing tokeep it skid free, or install ribber or abrasive strips.
• Staple burlap to the bottom rung of a ladder and you will have a scraper for your shoes before you climb up.
• If you have a multi-level home, keep at least one fire escape ladder in the upper levels and have the family practice using it, so in case of an emergency, they will know what it feels like to climb down it.
• If you frost or cover the windows of your garage, potential burglers cannot tell if your car is in the garage.
• Put a peep hole in the door that leads from the house to the garage, so you can investigate suspicious noises without opening the door.

HOUSEPLANTS

English Ivy - They enjoy lukewarm "showers" once a week and add a bit of gelatin to the spray. Bugs don't like the gelatin.

Any flower that has a fuzzy stem lasts longer in shallow water.

Tropical flowers such as orchids or birds of paradise like plain water better than preservatives

Cover the bottoms of your hanging plants with shower caps when you water them to keep from dripping. Or: get a spring loaded curtain rod to put over your tub to hang your plants on while they drip. Or: water your plants with ice cubes and as they melt your plants will get watered without the mess.

Get rid of aphids and other houseplant pests: Puree 2 teaspoons Tabasco or other pepper sauce and three garlic cloves in blender; ad three cups water and two tablespoons biodegradable liquid detergent, then strain into a spray bottle and use to spray on the plant leaves.

Odds and Ends

If your candles don't stand up in the holder, put a rubberband on the base of the candle, or put a little florists clay in the bottom of the holder.

If your stamps are glued together, freeze them.

Keep your addresses in a 3x5 card file box. It is easy to change cards for new addresses and there is room to write birthday and anniversary information, or other important information about the person.

Automobile Airfreshener: Instead of buying a car airfreshener, put whole cloves in the ashtray. I guess this is only for non-smokers.