{Nesting} Mother Knows Best- Home Tips From Grandmother

Now that I am a grandmother, I appreciate and find myself relating more to the things my mom passed onto me when she was living.  She would write down tips in a small notebook that she had read, like a recipe book, and then she would test them.  Here are a few that I will share with you, because we can never learn too much or have too much help.

• To deodorize shoes, especially those sports shoes that come home and make a child’s room smell like something has died in there. Place a dryer sheet inside each shoe and leave it there over night. They are also good for the gym bag!
• Out smart the bugs. Mix equal parts of baking soda and sugar, fill jar lids with the solution and place them in the trouble spots where you see roaches and silver fish.  Next day vacuum up the dead bugs.  Be sure to keep the solution out of reach from children.
• Taming of the hair, that static electricity that is so annoying…quickly run a dryer sheet over your flyaway hair. I wonder if this also would work for static pants…have to try that.
• Kill the bacteria, even our underarms can get a smelly bacteria build up. Take a cotton ball and put some alcohol or witch hazel on it and rub it in your armpits. Let it dry. Do this before you put your deodorant on.
• Ok, you have got to love this one. Wet a dryer sheet and rub it on the shower doors and walls to remove mineral deposits and soap scum.
• How do the microwave ovens get dirty so fast? Someone is not using covers, but there is help. In a 1 quart microwavable bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of baking soda with 1 cup of water. Zap it in the microwave for 3 minutes. Use a paper towel to wipe off the condensed steam on the walls of the microwave and door. Wipe one more time with a clean damp towel.
• Before you start sewing, run a needle and the thread through a dryer sheet, it helps keep the thread from tangling.
• If you wash your own car, make it a bit easier on yourself. Prepare a solution of 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart warm water, wait for the baking soda to completely dissolve. Apply to your car with a soft cloth or sponge to remove road grime, tree sap, bugs and tar from car lights, chrome, windows, tires, etc.
• And last but not least…have a dish that is just caked with baked on food ? Place a dryer sheet in the bottom of the dish, fill it with warm water and let it sit for a few hours. Then it should easily wipe out with a paper towel.