Author |
Message |
Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Saturday, July 10, 2004 - 2:26 pm
Anyone have an idea for the fungi gnats? I'm considering walking back over to Walmart to get more sand to suffocate them, but wondered if any other ideas were floating around first.
|
Lumbele
Member
07-12-2002
| Saturday, July 10, 2004 - 2:55 pm
Fungus Gnats "....trap them by making your own sticky trap. The adults are attracted to the color yellow. Make your own sticky trap by smearing Vaseline or Tanglefoot on a yellow surface and hang it up close to where the adults congregate."
|
Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Saturday, July 10, 2004 - 3:04 pm
I'll give that a shot if I can figure out where--other than my face--they're congregating. DH has agreed to walk to Walmart to get the sand...we're gonna suffocate the little suckers.
|
Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Saturday, July 10, 2004 - 7:29 pm
Huh! Never even heard of fungus gnats.
|
Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Saturday, July 10, 2004 - 7:44 pm
okay, how do you get blood out of sheets?
|
Jmm
Member
08-16-2002
| Saturday, July 10, 2004 - 7:49 pm
First thing landi, use COLD water, hot water will set the stain. You can usually run it under the cold water and rub it together. If it doesn't all come out use a little detergent and rub together, rinse in cold water.
|
Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Saturday, July 10, 2004 - 7:52 pm
hydrogen peroxide. Also Lestoil gets out all sorts of stuff!!!
|
Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Saturday, July 10, 2004 - 11:26 pm
They still sell Lestoil?
|
Jmm
Member
08-16-2002
| Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 12:11 am
LOL Juju, I was wondering the same thing.
|
Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 7:05 am
Let me tell ya, Lestoil IS hard to find. I live in the suburbs of Chicago, yet the only place I've found it is in Racine Wisconsin at Piggly Wiggly!!! I can't believe it is not more popular as it DOES get so much stuff out that products like Shout or Zout can't even touch! And whatever happened to Grease Relief? That worked great too!
|
Whoami
Member
08-03-2001
| Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 4:30 pm
Well, I don't know if this is really a tip, but just something we came up with before the days of microwaves.... Macaroni & Cheese (Like the Kraft boxed dinners) is very yummy warmed up in a frying pan with just a bit of butter. Best when the cheese/mac starts to brown a little. Same thing with brussel sprouts. Slice them in half (lengthwise) and put them sliced side down in butter and fry till just a bit browned. Even after the advent of microwaves, this is my favorite way to have mac/cheese and brussel sprouts. Of course, its not exactly the most healthy way to have them, but..... Even more yummy is to fry your steak in a pan, take the steak out, add a bit of butter (to add flavor and to help scrape up the steak juice), and fry either bread in it, or your brussel sprouts. And as long as we're doing unhealthy! LOL..... Hamburgers.....take the burger drippings (minus grease, but I always use the 96% lean burgers anyway), add (you guessed it) butter, and fry up your burger buns. Adds a nice yummy crunchy texture to the bun. I do the same thing with French Dip. Brown the meat while you are mixing up the Au Jus (I just use a mix packet, and use broth instead of water for more flavor). Then take the meat out of the browning pan, and put it in the Au Jus to simmer (gets more flavor into the meat). Add a little butter to the browning pan, along with a little bit of the Au Jus sauce. Fry up the buns in the browning pan while the sauce/meat simmers. Again, this adds a nice crunchy flavorful texture to the bread. And now that I've hardened everyone's arteries just by reading this! I probably should have put this in the Cooking Corner folder. But I couldn't find an existing thread I thought it would fit in.
|
Lkunkel
Member
10-29-2003
| Monday, July 12, 2004 - 3:39 pm
We did the sand yesterday, and the gnats are GONE. Yea!!!!
|
Whoami
Member
08-03-2001
| Tuesday, July 13, 2004 - 7:28 pm
So, anyone have any tips on how to cool down a house with no air conditioning? Right now, at 8:24pm, it's 85 degrees in my house, and that's on the main level. Last night I think it got down to 80. I don't even want to know how hot it is officially up in my room. I have a fan in the kitchen, two fans in the living room, a window fan and floor fan in my room, and a window fan and floor fan in Mom's room. Its passably bearable in a room with a fan, as long as I don't move around and get my blood circulation going. But go to a hallway or bathroom or something, and the heat is like a vise pressing in on my face.
|
Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Tuesday, July 13, 2004 - 7:49 pm
Move to a house with central air!! How did people survive even like just 50 years ago? They just had a news story where they evacuated a nursing home cuz the AC went out. What about window units? I also believe an attic fan and/or a "whole house" fan is supposed to take 10 or 20 degrees away when it's hot....
|
Skootz
Member
07-23-2003
| Wednesday, July 14, 2004 - 6:00 am
I would open the windows as soon as it gets dark and as soon as the sun is shining in the morning...close all the windows and drapes and keep the heat out. I am glad that you have a fan. We have 2 window a/c. My dh finally put them in yesterday (one upstairs and one down stairs) He was finally fed up with my b&*%#'n. Now today it is not quite as warm so I have the windows. Also, try limit the use of any thing that gives off heat, i.e. stove, oven, kettle. I would use the micro and bbq. Hang in there Who
|
Rosie
Member
11-12-2003
| Wednesday, July 14, 2004 - 6:33 am
WhoMum, have heard of a free-standing air conditioner also. Have not seen one in person tho. Maybe an East coaster can help with this idea? I'll look for one online and post it. 
|
Bandit
Member
07-29-2001
| Wednesday, July 14, 2004 - 7:44 am
You can go to Wal-Mart and get a window unit AC for about $100. Worth every penny if you ask me. We had our AC go out for three days last summer (Texas, mind you) and without that, we would have died! Now, we use it when we go camping in the summer. We really rough it, don't we? My parents are in their 70s and don't have AC in their house in California. I don't know how they stand it. They have lots of fans and don't do very much, but still-it feels like a sauna in there! ************************************************ I have a great tip for cleaning out the microwave: Take a bowl of water with some lemon juice or orange juice, and bring it to a boil in the microwave for about 10-15 minutes. All the steam loosens up the grime and you can easily wipe it away. Makes your kitchen smell good too.
|
Skootz
Member
07-23-2003
| Wednesday, July 14, 2004 - 7:51 am
I was shopping yesterday and thought I would share a tip I use quite often. When you use a grocery cart while shopping and you put your purse in it as well. I take the child straps and attach the strap of my purse to the child strap..so my purse is strapped in. I know you have to still stay with the cart and watch your purse..but a would be thief would not be able to just grab and go as it will be attached to the cart. To clean your dishwasher...put a package of Tang Crystals and run on regular cycle.
|
Skootz
Member
07-23-2003
| Wednesday, July 14, 2004 - 8:03 am
Found this email that I had with lots of hints for around the home: }1) Flies or bees bothering you? Spray them with hairspray and they will take a quick dive. 2) Sealed envelope - Put in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed.. (hmmmmmm...) 3) Use Empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. It keeps them neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to. 4) For icy door steps in freezing temperatures: get warm water and put Dawn dishwashing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won't refreeze. 5) Crayon marks on walls? This worked wonderfully! A damp rag, dipped in baking soda. Comes off with little effort (elbow grease that is!). 6) Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt BLUE!) rubbing alcohol on paper towel. 7) Whenever I purchase a box of S.O.S Pads, I immediately take a pair of scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw away rusted and unused and smelly pads, I finally decided that this would be much more economical. And now a box of S.O.S pads last me indefinitely! In fact, I have noticed that the scissors get sharpened this way! 8) Opening brand new jars can be a feat in itself. Well, I have found a way to make it the easiest thing to do. Instead of banging a jar of jam, pickles, etc., with a knife until it loosens up, I simply reach into the drawer and pull out the handy nutcracker. It adjusts to the size of the jar and I simply give it a good twist and off pops the lid! 9) Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry! Just pour a little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood. Works every time! 10) Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks. Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don't wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will probably streak. 11) Spray a bit of perfume on the lightbulb in any room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on. Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels and linen. 12) Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning. 13) To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new! Works like a charm! 14) To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stovetop. 15) Spray your TUPPERWARE with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains. (Key Word:- Tupperware) 16) When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake. (or you can sprinkle sugar in the pan and get a "crunchier" crust with no white mess! 17) Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks. 18) When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness. 19) Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away. 20) Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces. 21). To get rid of itch from mosquito bites, try applying soap on the area and you will experience instant relief. 22) Ants, ants, ants everywhere ... Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march. See for yourself. 23) Use air-freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine. 24) When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.. 25) Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer. Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous China.. 26) Clean a vase. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water and drop in two Alka Seltzer tablets. 27) Polish jewelry. Drop two Alka Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes. Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary). 28) Unclog a drain. Clear the sink drain by dropping three Alka Seltzer tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes, then run the hot water.
|
Babyruth
Member
07-19-2001
| Wednesday, July 14, 2004 - 9:07 am
Who, when the house is hotter than the outdoors, pull IN the cooler outside air on the first floor (with fans set on "High" in the windows), and exhaust the hot air with fans (set on "High")blowing OUT the upstairs windows. You'll be surprised how quickly this cools the house to the outdoor temp. Then, in the AM, keep the shades drawn and windows closed to preserve the cooler indoor temps as long as possible. I love reading these helpful tips. Am interested especially to try Skootz's #4 this winter, if I can remember it! 
|
Vee
Member
02-23-2004
| Wednesday, July 14, 2004 - 9:17 am
I liked Skootz's idea for keeping scissors sharpened. Another method to try: before you toss out a used piece of fine or medium grade sandpaper, cut it into strips with your scissors. Result: a second use of about-to-be-tossed sandpaper and a very nicely sharpened pair of scissors.
|
Jan
Member
08-01-2000
| Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 9:08 am
I got this from somewhere and have it saved on my computer so I thought I would share it. Who knows. Maybe I even got the info at TVCH? 50 Uses for Vinegar 1. Kill grass on walks and driveways. 2. Kill weeds. Spray full strength on growth until plants have starved 3. Increase soil acidity. In hard water: one gallon of tap water for watering rhododendrons, gardenias, or azaleas. 4. Deter ants. Spray vinegar around doors, appliances, and along other areas where ants are known. 5. Polish car chrome. Apply full strength. 6. Remove skunk odor from a dog. Rub fur with full strength vinegar; rinse. 7. Keep cats away. Sprinkle vinegar on areas you don't want the cat walking, sleeping, or scratching on. 8. Keep dogs from scratching his ears. Use a clean, soft cloth dipped in diluted vinegar. 9. Keep chickens from pecking each other. Put a little in their drinking water. 10. Tenderize meat. Soak in vinegar over night. 11. Freshen vegetables. Soak wilted vegetables in 2 cups of water and a tablespoon of vinegar. 12. Boil better eggs. Add 2 tablespoons water before boiling eggs. Keeps them from cracking. 13. Soothe a bee or jellyfish sting. Dot the irritation with vinegar and relieve itching. 14. Relieve sunburn. Lightly rub white vinegar; you may have to reapply. 15. Condition hair. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to dissolve sticky residue left by shampoo. 16. Relieve dry and itchy skin. Add 2 tablespoons to bath water. 17. Fight dandruff. After shampooing, rinse with vinegar and 2 cups of warm water. 18. Soothe a sore throat. Put a teaspoon of vinegar in a glass of water. Gargle, then swallow. 19. Treat sinus infections and chest colds. Add 1/4 cup or more vinegar to the vaporizer. 20. Feel good. A teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water, with a bit of honey added for flavor, will take the edge off your appetite and give you an overall healthy feeling. 21. Deodorize the kitchen drain. Pour a cup down the drain once a week. Let stand 30 minutes and then flush with cold water. 22. Eliminate onion odor. Rub on your fingers before and after slicing. 23. Clean and disinfect wood cutting boards. Wipe with full strength vinegar. 24. Remove fruit stains from hands. Rub with vinegar. 25. Cut grease and odor on dishes. Add a tablespoon of vinegar to hot soapy water. 26. Clean a teapot. Boil a mixture of water and vinegar in the teapot. Wipe away the grime. 27. Freshen a lunchbox. Soak a piece of bread in vinegar and let it sit in the lunchbox over night. 28. Clean the refrigerator. Wash with a solution of equal parts water and vinegar. 29. Unclog a drain. Pour a handful of baking soda down the drain and add 1/2 cup of vinegar. Rinse with hot water. 30. Clean and deodorize the garbage disposal. Make vinegar ice cubes and feed them down the disposal. After grinding, run cold water through. 31. Clean and deodorize jars. Rinse mayonnaise, peanut butter, and mustard jars with vinegar when empty. 32. Clean the dishwasher. Run a cup of vinegar through the whole cycle once a month to reduce soap build up on the inner mechanisms and on glassware. 33. Clean stainless steel. Wipe with a vinegar dampened cloth. 34. Clean china and fine glassware. Add a cup of vinegar to a sink of warm water. Gently dip the glass or china in the solution and let dry. 35. Get stains out of pots. Fill pot with a solution of 3 tablespoons of vinegar to a pint of water. Boil until stain loosens and can be washed away. 36. Clean the microwave. Boil a solution of 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water in the microwave. Will loosen splattered on food and deodorize. 37. Dissolve rust from bolts and other metals. Soak in full strength vinegar. 38. Get rid of cooking smells. Let simmer a small pot of vinegar and water solution. 39. Unclog steam iron. Pour equal amounts of vinegar and water into the iron's water chamber. Turn to steam and leave the iron on for 5 minutes in an upright position. Then unplug and allow to cool. Any loose particles should come out when you empty the water. 40. Clean a scorched iron plate. Heat equal parts vinegar and salt in a small pan. Rub solution on the cooled iron surface to remove dark or burned stains. 41. Get rid of lint in clothes. Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle. 42. Keep colors from running. Immerse clothes in ful strength vinegar before washing. 43. Freshen up the washing machine. Periodically, pour a cup of vinegar in the machine and let in run through a regular cycle (no clothes added). Will dissolve soap residue. 44. Brighten fabric colors. Add a 1/2 cup vinegar to the rinse cycle. 45. Take grease off suede. Dip a toothbrush in vinegar and gently brush over grease spot. 46. Remove tough stains. Gently rub on fruit, jam, mustard, coffee, tea. Then wash as usual. 47. Get smoke smell out of clothes. Add a cup of vinegar to a bath tub of hot water. Hang clothes above the steam. 48. Remove decals. Brush with a couple coats of vinegar. Allow to soak in. Wash off. 49. Clean eyeglasses. Wipe each lens with a drop of vinegar. 50. Freshen cut flowers. Add 2 tablespoons vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar for each quart of water
|
Jan
Member
08-01-2000
| Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 9:13 am
This, too, is a saved doc on my computer: Little known facts about Bounce & Coke BOUNCE...the stuff you use in your dryer: Repels mosquitoes. Tie a sheet of Bounce through a belt loop when outdoors during mosquito season. Eliminates static electricity from your television screen. Since Bounce is designed to help eliminate static cling, wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling. Dissolves soap scum from shower doors. Clean with a used sheet of Bounce. Freshens the air in your home. Place an individual sheet of Bounce in a drawer or hang one in the closet. Prevents thread from tangling. Run a threaded needle through a sheet of Bounce to eliminate the static cling on the thread before sewing. Eliminates static cling from pantyhose. Rub a damp, used piece of Bounce over the hose. Prevents musty suitcases. Place an individual sheet of Bounce inside empty luggage before storing. Freshens the air in your car. Place a sheet of Bounce under the front seat. Cleans baked-on food from a cooking pan. Put a sheet in the pan, fill with water, let sit overnight, and sponge clean. The anti static agents apparently weaken the bond between the food and the pan while the fabric softening agents soften the baked-on food. Eliminates odors in wastebaskets. Place a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket. Collects cat hair. Rubbing the area with a sheet of Bounce will magnetically attract all the loose hairs. Eliminates static electricity from venetian blinds. Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce to prevent dust from resetting. Deodorizes shoes or sneakers. Place a sheet of Bounce in your shoes or sneakers overnight so they'll smell great in the morning. Coca-Cola: To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet. Let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous China. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a crumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion. To loosen a rusted bolt: Applying a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan; wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before the ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy. To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of Coke into a load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield
|
Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 11:44 am
Okay, here is a Juju Tip for Girlie Girls - I have been painting the front door this week. I painted it for the third time this morning. Ended up not liking the color I used for the first two coats. When I painted it two days ago, Bigdog gave me a big brush to use, and my hand began to hurt almost immediately. I was almost dreading painting again this morning because my sore muscle in my hand had not quite eased up. BUT, this morning, I went and found my own small brush, about 1-1/2 inches, as compared to 4 inches I used the other day. It made a world of difference. Not only did it not hurt my hand, I was able to do it a whole lot faster. Yay!
|
Kristylovesbb
Member
09-14-2000
| Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 12:02 pm
I discovered this by accident: You know how cheese always molds in the frig, well one day I wrapped the block up with Press and Seal wrap and WaLa no mold. I wrapped it up and smoothed it onto the cheese, works great!
|
|
|
|