Uses for Common Household Items: Part 1

Here is the first part of a series of posts that will give you some great tips for using common household items, in new ways.  They range from cleaning to organizing and even health/beauty uses.  Feel free to leave comments with your own tips as well for others to see!

LEMONS:

- Grate the pith/flesh side of a half lemon on a cheese grater after using to help remove cheese or other residue.

- Rub the cut side of a lemon half over a wooden or plastic cutting board to whiten and refresh.  Rinse thoroughly after.

- Squeeze a lemon wedge into a bowl of just cut pears or apples to prevent browning.  This can also help to keep your guacamole green if done right after mixing.  Limes also add a nice flavor to guacamole.

- Roast a lemon half until the skin is bright golden yellow.  This helps to bring out the essential oils and cut the sour-ness of the fruit.  Then squeeze the juice out and mix with a teaspoon of honey.  Drink for a healthy and natural sore throat remedy.

- Adding 1/4-1/2 cup of lemon juice to your laundry's wash cycle will brighten whites.

- Lemons are a beautiful and simple table centerpiece when placed in a nice vase or bowl.

- When done juicing a lemon half stick it down your garbage disposal instead of throwing it away.  Simply turn on your disposal and run hot water to naturally clean and deodorize your disposal.

- Simmer sliced lemons in water for at least an hour and then place in a spray bottle.  This will add gentle highlights to blond hair.

VINEGAR:

- Use as a natural rinse agent by pouring it into the Rinse Aid container in your dishwasher.

- Splash some vinegar on your hands after cutting onions or garlic to help remove the smell.

- When making hard boiled eggs add a few drops of balsamic vinegar to the water just to slightly dye the egg shells.  This way you can place them back in the container and help to distinguish which ones are hard-boiled.

- Instead of buying Goo-Gone or other toxic residue removers let the area soak for a few minutes in vinegar then rub off.

- Vinegar makes a great natural fabric softener when added to your wash cycle and will not make your clothes smell.

- Adding vinegar to your bat will help to soothe dry itchy skin.

- Run 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water through your coffee machine to remove buildup and odor.

- As mentioned on this blog before you can mix it with equal parts dish soap for an amazing soap scum remover/bathroom cleaner.

- There are numerous household cleaning uses for vinegar, it is a wonder product!  I am sure I will be writing, at some point in the future, an entire post dedicated to vinegar.

DRYER SHEETS:

- Hang or place dryer sheets in your closets and dressers to keep your clothes smelling nice.

- Lightly dampen a sheet and use to clean the scum and buildup off glass shower doors.

- Leave one sheet in a especially dirty casserole dish or pan overnight and by morning the tough food will be much easier to remove.

- Place sheets in your shoes to help keep odor under wraps.

- Blot a sheet on your clothes when experiencing static cling.

- Stick a sheet in older books to help curb that musty smell.

BAKING SODA:

- Place a box of open baking soda in your fridge or closet to help prevent mustiness and tame odors. Change once a month for best results.

- Mix 3 parts baking soda and one part water for a natural and gentle face scrub.  This will leave your face with a nice healthy glow and smooth skin.

- Pour a baking soda and vinegar down your drains and let them work their magic.  Once the foaming subsides run hot water down the drain.

- If you run out of toothpaste you can always mix water and baking soda to a paste.  It is non-abrasive and helps whiten.

- Use baking soda as a gentle scouring agent on delicate surfaces.  Such as crayon and pencil marks on walls or furniture.

- A water and baking soda paste will remove stains from coffee and tea cups, shine your stainless steel sink, and remove greasy film from dishes.

Money Saving Vegetable Tips

Produce is not the cheapest thing to buy.  However, it seems to be one of the things people end up throwing away the most of, due to spoilage.  Fresh vegetables are one of the healthiest things you can eat and are great to cook with.  They contain more nutrients and flavor than their commercially canned or frozen varieties.  Here are a few money saving tips to help you get the most out of your vegetables.

- Buy as fresh as possible.  Something that is already starting to look bad is not going to magically improve in your refrigerator or on your counter.  Only purchase what you know for sure you are going to use in a reasonable amount of time.  Once one veg molds it will spread to the rest, so be careful.

- Store onions and potatoes in dry, dark areas.  This can be a pantry, under a counter, or in a cupboard.  This helps to prevent early rotting, mold, and inhibits them from growing more.  You can always cut off the growing parts, which are not unsafe.  But if you do have a lot of little green stems sprouting out it is probably a sign that you are not using your veggies fast enough and should buy less next time.

-  Do not cut, portion, trim, or peel until you are ready to use it.  This will minimize shelf life and will just make your produce go bad even faster.

-  Tomatoes, eggplant, squash, peppers, beans, and avocados are best left at room temperature.  The cool climate of the fridge can actually cause browning and texture loss.

- Leafy greens and celery benefit from being stored in plastic produce bags, and sometimes wrapped very loosely in a slightly damp paper towel.  This prevents the dry air of the refrigerator from wilting these items.

- Lettuce and greens will last longer, even weeks, if washed in cold water and dried using a salad spinner.  Make sure all dirt and water are spun from the leaves and then store a plastic bag.

- Fresh herbs are one of my favorite things to cook with.  They blow away the flavor of the dried tasteless flakes you get in jars.  However many people buy them and leave them in the bag or container they come in which leads to a very short shelf life.  Leafy herbs like basil, parsley, cilantro, and dill are stored best by placing them in a container with a little water.  Similar to putting flowers in a vase.  This will help to keep the stems and leaves hydrated and last longer.  Parsley can last for a week or more, while more delicate herbs such as basil will turn brown after 4-5 days.  Heartier herbs such as rosemary and thyme are best store wrapped loosely in a damp paper towel for a few days.

- If you are thinking the fresh herbs you bought are not going to make it then you can salvage them in other ways.  Before they are too far gone you can either chop and freeze them in little bags to later add to soups or other dishes, however the longer they are frozen they will lose their flavor.  You can also pour olive oil into an ice cube tray and place a small amount of chopped herbs into each cup.  Then simply freeze and take a cube as needed to melt into a saute pan and voila you have oil and herbs ready to go!

- Bananas are a fruit that gives off ethylene gas.  This can cause other produce around it to ripen quickly.  So unless you are trying to ripen a tomato or avocado quickly it is best to store all things separate from bananas.

- Tomatoes should never be stored in the fridge.  It causes them to become mealy and flavorless.

And finally here is a great trick that I learned to lengthen the life of scallions.  I was skeptical but happily surprised when it worked!  When you are using scallions cut away the green portions and leave the white bottom part whole.  It works best to have a good 2-3 inches left.  Then simply place the stalk root end in a little bit of water and in just a few days you will have a re-grown scallion.  Talk about getting the most bang for your buck!  The picture below is how much growth after one week.  The green part is what was grown from the original stump.  It has been about two weeks now and is pretty much as long as a scallion you would purchase in the store now.  I can't wait to do this with the rest that I have left now that I know it works!

Enjoy these tips and please leave comments and share any you may have as well!