School Time Tips
Author: Peggy HoehnePublished on: Aug 9, 2002
As I surf through the Internets great world of household tips I come across a number of tips that don't always fit with other themes. Then I realized a lot of them could be useful for the parents of those who will be heading back to school before long. Let's take a look at this odd selection of tips.
STAIN REMOVAL
Ink- Ball Point Pen: Try a sponge soaked with milk and rub on the ink. It may take a couple of tries, but will work.
*You can remove ink spots from cloth with Alberto VO5 Hair Spray. Simply spray the hair spray on the stain, (Test a small spot of non-visible material to make sure the hairspray doesn't hurt the color of the garment.) blot until the stain comes up, and launder as usual.
*Apply ReaLemon lemon juice liberally to the ink spot, and then wash the garment in the normal cycle with your regular detergent in cold water.
Pencil- Pencil Marks can be removed by using an artgum eraser. (You can get Artgum at your art supply store.
Crayon- For crayon marks on walls, sprinkle some baking soda on a damp cloth. Gently rub the crayon marks away.
Scuffs on the Floor- Scuffs on linoleum or hardwood floor from dark-soled shoes can be erased by using the same shoe to "erase" it, or a tennis shoe sole. (Pencil erasers can work too, but the reddish ones can leave a line, best to use a white eraser if you choose this method).
Grass Stains- Wash a fresh stain with cold water. Alcohol will dissolve the green coloring matter, when material cannot be washed. Moisten with kerosene, let stand a short time, and then wash with soap and water.
Paint- Use Hand Cleaner for paint stains.
*Use tung oil to remove oil-based paint stains.
Grease- Hand Cleaner will remove greasy stains like baby oil or margarine.
CLEANING
Patent Leather- To clean patent leather, first wipe with a wet sponge and then rub with a dry cloth. Next, take a piece of flannel cloth and dip it in olive oil. Rub the leather till it shines. Never let regular shoe polish get on patent leather. It will permanently ruin the patina.
Glue Removal off Clothing- Use warm water and vinegar. Warm water will dissolve glue. Apply vinegar to a white fabric if stain is old.
SMELLS
Lunch Box -To keep a lunch box or ice chest fresh smelling fresh clean in warm soapy water, then dry well. Next take a paper towel or a cotton ball and put some vanilla extract on it and lightly wipe the freshly cleaned interior and it will knock out odors and smell fresh for a long time.
*Try putting a piece of white bread that has been soaked in white vinegar in the lunch box and close it up. Leave it closed overnight.
Deodorize sneakers-Fill the feet of knee high hose with unused Tidy Cat, tie the ends, and place inside sneakers overnight.
THIS & THAT
*Dry wet boots or sneakers. Insert the nozzle of a Conair Pro Style 1600 into the boot and use on a low setting for five minutes.
*Baby powder sprinkled in your boots keep them comfortable and easy to get off.
*Use Bounce fabric softener sheets to tame static-filled hair. Simply stroke a sheet of Bounce over the flyaway strands of hair and, magically, the static disappears! This trick will help get your little girl to school on time on one of those 'bad hair days'.
There are more great Back to School tips at More Back to School Laundry and Household Cleaning Tips.
Maybe these tips will help you through 'back to school' time. Have a good year!
Other Suite 101 authors offer their Back to School tips.
Back to School Organization
Author: Rachel Webb
Back to School
Author: Debbie DeSpirt
Back to School Daze!!
Author: C. M Snyder
Did you know? There are more than 200 articles about "Back to School" on the Suite 101 website. You can access them by putting "back to school" (with the quotes) in the search box located in the upper left corner of the page.