Handy Hints 2019

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Hint 1:
Why pay for cleaning rags? That's one concept I've never grasped! All you need to do is cut up old t-shirts into rags.

The soft material is great for cleaning any surface! It even works on glass. This is one way to reuse household items that can really pay off since cleaning rags wear out so quickly.



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Hint 2:
Here is a tip for reusing a household item I was dubious about until I tried it. When you use all your dish soap, wash out the bottle and save it.

You'll be surprised at the uses for squeeze bottles! They are so convenient for watering house plants.

If you have ever spilled water all over the place trying to water a potted plant with a cup you know what I mean.

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Hint 1: How Long Should You Use Your Bath Towel Without Washing It?
You may think that since you are clean after a hot shower that your towel should be for awhile, but you're wrong! The average towel collect millions of dead skin cells as well as bacteria that your loofah didn't scrub off.

On top of that here's a little more salt for that wound...most toilets are not that far away from the shower. Droplets of toilet water can reach far and wide when flushed...leaving your towel at risk.

Thank goodness towel care isn't rocket science, it just requires more effort than most of us want to put in.

So here's the answer...don't go more than three uses without washing your towel. Make sure to use warm or hot water with detergent.

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Hint 2: Clean your blender with soap
It can be kind of scary to clean your blender...you are essentially sticking your hand into a container filled with knives and hoping for the best as you try to remove the remains from your and spinach smoothie.

Good news, it's easy with this hint.

Pour some warm water, a touch of baking soda, and a splash of dish soap and pulse for a few seconds.

Give it a good rinse or throw it in the dishwasher for additional cleaning.

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Hint 1: Try warming up your blanket
I have not tried this, but you can bet your bottom I'm trying it tonight.

Pop your blanket in the dryer for 5 minutes right before you head to bed. It's suppose to help you drift off to 'la la' land 20 minutes soon, and you sleep more deeply.

(I will give you an update next week on how I sleep tonight after trying this)


Say 'goodbye' to heavy lifting around your house with the Mega Mover


Hint 2:
It's kind of remarkable how some things we touch daily, we rarely clean � your purse is one of those items.

About half all women's bags have fecal bacteria on them, so give it a swipe with a disinfectant wipe.

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Hint 1: Freeze as Flat as Possible
Freeze things flat and stack them, it doesn't matter whether it's soups, stews, or ground meat. The flatter and wider you can get them, the faster they'll freeze and defrost.

When freezing raw meat, soups, and stews, if you have a vacuum sealer, use it! Otherwise, place foods in heavy-duty freezer bags, squeeze out all the air, lay the bag flat, and use your hands to work the contents into as flat and even a shape as possible.

When freezing vegetables, cut them into pieces 1-inch or less and blanch any green vegetables. Place them on a large plate or sheet tray spaced apart from each other and freeze them solid before transferring to a plastic freezer bag and storing flat.


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Hint 2: Defrost Meat on Aluminum Trays
The fastest way to defrost meat is under a cold running tap.

But if you want to save water and speed things up a bit, place your meat on an aluminum sheet tray or skillet. Aluminum is a great conductor of heat and will draw energy from the surrounding environment into your frozen meat much faster than a wooden cutting board or wood or stone countertop.

You can cut defrosting times down by about 30 percent this way. It also works on soups, stews, and anything frozen flat.

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Hint 1: Hang towels on bars and robes on hooks
Your towels need to properly air-dry in order to be able to reuse them two to three times. Make sure they�re properly hung to dry.

If you�re a bathrobe person, a dedicated hook for it in the bathroom will make your space feel a little more like a hotel room.




Hint 2: Ripening Hard Avocados
No one wants to eat a hard avocado.

According to some famous chefs you can get an avocado to be soft and rip in less than 20 minutes.

Just wrap the hard avocados in tin foil, place them in the oven at 200 degrees for 20 minutes and they become soft and ripe.





'Go Green' Hint:
Any toilet manufactured before 1992 uses at least 3.5 gallons per flush. Modern low-flow toilets use less than 1.28 gallons, saving 60% of the water.

A new toilet may cost a few hundred bucks, but it will save you several thousand dollars in water consumption over its lifetime.

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Hint 1: Grate Cold Butter
I haven�t tried this little trick just yet, but I love the idea!

Your stick of butter has to be close to frozen for it to work, and you must work fast to keep it from melting, but the grated butter is perfect for adding to flour before baking biscuits, scones, muffins, etc..

It also makes the butter melt much faster, so if your butter is too cold to spread, consider grating it first and then topping toast, veggies, or a baked potato!


Hint 2: Taste It Before You Make It
Taste Meatloaf, Meatball, and Sausage Mixtures Before You Shape Them

There might be worse things than spending the time to make a full-blown meatloaf only to discover that it doesn't have enough salt in it, but I can't think of any off hand.

Here's the trick: when making meatloaf, sausage, or meatballs, take a small chunk of your mixture and fry it in a skillet (or even faster, microwave it for 10 to 15 seconds) and taste.

Adjust seasoning levels in the mixture accordingly.


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'Go Green' Hint: Bring Your Own Shopping Bags
Instead of answering the obligatory question, "Plastic or paper?" why not invest in some reusable canvas bags?

The key to this, I've found, is keeping the bags in your car. Once you've unpacked your groceries, leave the empty bags by your front door and the next time you go to your car, take them with you.

Even if you opt for the plastic or paper grocery bags, you can still bring them with you on your next trip for reuse.

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Hint 1: Kick off dirt at the door
Just by clicking your heels.

We track dirt on our shoes all throughout the day, which makes up about 60% of the dust in our home!

Just by tapping your shoes together three times on your doormat before you enter is shown to shake off 40% of the dirt collected. That's a huge chunk!

Listen to music, audiobooks or podcasts in the shower, at the beach... anywhere!


Hint 2: Keep your blinds clean with a citrus 'shield'
Blinds and baseboards attract dust because the air circulates more easily around them, thanks to drafts and heating.

Wipe them down with a cloth dampened with a solution made of one part lemon juice to two parts warm water.

The acid in the lemons form a barrier that prevents dust from settling and also blocks static electricity, so dust will be repelled in the first place.

'Go Green' Hint: Grow your own
Growing your own veg isn�t just a good way to save money, it�s also a great way to cut down your carbon footprint and be eco-friendly.

Don�t have any outside space? Windowsill boxes are a great way to brighten up your view, filter the air coming into your home and offer plenty of space for herbs and small vegetable patches.

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March 01, 2019
Hey Everyone!
99 cent showFinally...March is here, and spring is right around the corner! Hip Hip Hooray!

Who is up for doing a good deed? I love sharing these website with you to help out others.

Let's keep our troops comfortable.

Do you have baby powder or foot powder to spare? If so, please send to Packages From Home (PackagesFromHome.org)

They'll include it in care packages they ship to troops, who use it to keep their feet dry and comfortable on long missions.

Mail to:
Packages From Home
5643 N. 52nd Ave.
Glendale, Arizona 85301


Handy Hints Holly
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Ahhh the relief - that's what you'll say when you slip these Gloves on

Hint 1: Wipe your bedside table each morning
Keep wipes near your bedside table, and give your bedside table a quick wipe when picking up your phone in the morning. That�s one less chore to tackle on the weekend.




Hint 2: Save Excess Bacon Fat
It's almost un-American to throw away bacon fat. Store the useful (if admittedly unhealthy) stuff in an airtight aluminum or stainless steel container in the freezer, and use it to make corn bread or fry eggs or potatoes.

You can also use bacon fat instead of oil in a spinach salad: Combine two parts bacon fat to three parts balsamic vinegar. Add one part vegetable oil to the mix if you like a less pungent dressing.


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'Go Green' Hint: Plant some trees
Ecological sustainability is very important when it comes to eco-friendly living. Without a stable ecosystem, things start to fall apart.

Making sure that we�re planting more native trees to replace those that have been felled to make room for developments is something that more people and businesses need to do to protect the environment and improve air quality.

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Spring cleaning

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May 09, 2019
Hey Everyone!
Auto BannerGet your bathroom spic-n-span with everyday ingredients that you
already have on hand. No need to buy special cleansers, or special ingredients...everything is already in your home!

You can also add essential oils for a health-boosting aromatherapy experience. I have added my suggestions below each hint.

Handy Hints Holly
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Visit the NEW and IMPROVED archives


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Hint 1: Nix Mold and Mildew
Let's call this the 'MILDEW PREVENTION SPRAY'!

Steep 2 orange rinds in 1 quart of vinegar for 3 hours. Discard the rinds, and add 2 tbs. of rubbing alcohol.

Pour into spray bottle once it's cooled, and spritz shower daily.

Spa Boost: Add 10 - 15 drops of lemon essential oil. The antiseptic doubles as an energy booster.

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Hint 2: Get Glass Sparkling With A Quick-Dry Spray
Say 'bye bye'to streaky mirrors...

What you need
2 c. water
2 tbs. vinegar
2 tbs. rubbing alcohol
1 spray bottle

Mix ingredients above together in a spray bottle.

Spritz on glass and wipe. The fast-drying formula won't leave any residue behine.

Spa boost: Add 4-5 drops of peppermint essential oil. It helps disinfect surfaces, plus the scent improves memory and concentration.


'Go Green' Hint: Erase grimy grout with a salt scrub
Here's the perfect recipe for cleaning your tiles the natural
way.

1 c. table salt
2 tbs. liquid dish soap
1/2 c. baking soda

Mix the three together. Then use a sponge to gently scrub the tiles and grout.

Want a spa boost? Mix a few drops of patchouli essential oil to the recipe. Not only does patchouli break up dirt, it also eases inflammation - one reason it's been shown to alleviate joint pain!

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Hey Everyone!
Whether you pick them from the yard or grab a bunch at the supermarket, sunny tulips are certain to brighten any corner of your home!

The pro secret to beautiful blooms?

Wrap the stems in a sheet of newspaper, then place them in a vase filled with cold water for one hour. This allows the tulips to hydrate in an upright position so they stay relatively straight, which makes them look livelier.

After an hour, remove the paper and display.

Handy Hints Holly
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A great, easy Home Alert System for just $20 - This is REALLY cool...


Hint 1: Banish back aches by taking a load off
Sounds too good to be true, but shirking your responsibilities for extra downtime eases backaches now and helps prevent discomfort later.

AND reach for a pillow...placing a pillow under your knees (for back sleepers) or between your knees (for side sleepers) removes 55 pounds of pressure from your back, allowing inflamed tissues to heal while you snooze.

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Hint 2: Banish Blemishes with a Honey Spot Treatment
There is a lot more to honey than being sweet! The natural sweetener has natural anti-septic, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties!

Its anti-bacterial properties can help fight acne-causing bacteria, and because honey keeps the skin very well-hydrated and balanced it helps control the production of oil!

Try It! Mix 2 crushed aspirin tablets with 1 tsp of honey to form a paste. Apply onto blemishes and let it sit for 10 minutes before rinsing with water.

'Go Green' Hint: Cover pans when cooking:
Whenever you cook on the hob, always try to cover the pans � this reduces the amount of energy that escapes from open pans, plus the amount of time it takes to heat up food and boil water.

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Hint 1: Reverse your ceiling fan
Most ceiling fans have a switch to reverse the direction.

It might not be obvious, but run your hand along the fan's main body and you should be able to find it. From your point of view looking up at it, you want the fan to run counter clockwise at a higher speed during the summer. This forces room air down towards you and creates the cool wind feeling.

When you run it clockwise at a low speed, it pulls the air in reverse, drawing the room air up to the ceiling, cycling air near the ceiling back down, and pushing air towards the walls. Since heat rises, this means warm air near your ceiling is moved back into the main part of the room.


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Hint 2: Wash on cold rather than hot or warm water
This makes a big difference, and most modern washers do an equally fine job of getting clothes spic and span in cold. Likewise, try to hang dry items when you can�skipping the tumble dryer can nix around 60% of energy used on laundry.

Add Dryer Balls to your laundry routine! Not only will you save money (approx 8 cents per load) by eliminating dryer sheets, but it also speeds up the drying time up to 25%.Natural alternative...reducing static, wrinkles, and soften your clothing.

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'Go Green' Hint: Cut down on all water use
Turn off the faucet while you�re brushing your teeth; only wash full loads of laundry (in cold water�it saves energy).

Start to drink tap water instead of bottled.

Try washing dishes by hand a few days a week.

Scrape rather than rinse dishes before loading into the dishwasher.

Keep a pitcher of water in the fridge as opposed to letting the faucet run until it�s cold.

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June 04, 2019
Hey Everyone!
Wouldn't it be awesome if your home could do chores for you?

Well...it can, thanks to some clever hacks I've included in today's issue. These everyday household staples will work their butts off throughout the night so you can wake up to spick-and-span appliances and a clean bathroom!

Let's get to it.

Handy Hints Holly
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Visit the NEW and IMPROVED archives


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Hint 1: Let grout scrub itself with toothpaste
>From your bathroom tile to your kitchen backsplash, icky grimy grout can be super-tough to clean.

Whitening toothpaste to the rescue!

Simply mix traditional toothpaste (not gel, people) with a little water to make it easier to spread across the grout.

Let it sit while you sleep, and in the morning, just wipe the area with a damp towel to reveal the bright, white grout!

It removes LINT - DIRT - PET HAIR - and MORE like MAGIC! You'll LOVE THIS.

Hint 2: Get your bathroom gleaming with vinegar
This pantry powerhouse will get your toilet sparkling while you sleep?

Pour about 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar into your toilet bowl and let it sit overnight. It disinfects and reduces hard-water rings at the same time.

For your sink: put the stopper in and fill it with hot water and 1/2 cup of vinegar, and let it sit overnight as well.

In the morning...both your toilet and sink will be nice and clean. AND no elbow grease is needed!

'Go Green' Hint: Green Cleaning and Wood Surfaces
There are a lot of different recipes out there that call for some combination of olive oil and vinegar. (Yes, you're cleaning with salad dressing, for a floor you could eat off).

The ratio of vinegar, oil and water will vary depending on the the type of wood and the finish you have on top of it.

For wood floors, try 1/4 cup of vinegar in 1 gallon of hot water. For wood furniture, start with 1 cup vinegar with 1 teaspoon oil.

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June 11, 2019
Hey Everyone!
Solar Outdoor LightI mentioned this time and time again, but I try to do as much cleaning as I can using natural ingredients! I'm not a fan of using harsh chemicals, especially in my kitchen where I prep and eat my food. I want to clean with ingredients I would digest since food falls on the counter tops at time - no chemicals here for me.

If you are like me and are looking for a more natural way to clean try this trick or two:

To disinfect your cutting board use lemons and kosher salt. Simply sprinkle salt on your board and scrub with half of a lemon. The lemon juice kills all the icky bacteria, while the salt scrubs away any small food particles that are present.

Then, you can use the other half of the lemon to scrub your faucets to make them shiny and clean as well.

I, also, clean my counters with a homemade solution of half water and half vinegar. Some times I don't like the scent of the vinegar so I will add a few drops of any essential oil.

Handy Hints Holly
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Visit the NEW and IMPROVED archives


The messy bird problem at my house has been solved thanks to this!

Hint 1: Produce less heat with 'smarter' light bulbs
Did you know that incandescent bulbs only convert around 10% to 20% of their energy to light - the rest is largely released as heat?

Simply switching your lightbulbs to LEDs or CFLs, which convert nearly 90% of their energy into light, will make your home feel at least two degrees cooler.

PLUS making the switch to LED or CFL will save you about $100 on your energy bill over the life of the bulb.
What are you waiting for? Make the light bulb switch today!


Hint 2: Baby powder to the rescue...
This bathroom staple can tackle a whole host of summer beauty arghs...

Complexion mattifier: Pat a small amount onto greasy skin. It sops up oil for a shine-free face.

Foot deodorizer: Sprinkle a little on your feet and in your shoes. The powder absorbs moisture to fend off stinky odors that come from sweating.

Blister preventer: Brush some powder onto blister-prone areas like your heels or toes to create a friction-reducing barrier between your skin and your shoes.


'Go Green' Hint: Cover your pool when it�s not in use
Not only will it keep the water from evaporating and prevent the need for refills, but the pool will stay cleaner, require fewer chemicals, and reduce the need to run pumps and filters�all of which can save water and energy.

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Hint 1: Sanitizing Razor Blades, Tweezers, and Nail Clippers
If your metal beauty products are looking a little scary these days, disinfect them with a cloth or cotton ball dipped in nail-polish remover.

Then wash with soap and water and let dry before using.


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Hint 2: Erasing Permanent Marker
This hack will be a lifesaver for a lot of parents and teachers. A cotton swab or cloth moistened with nail polish remover can help remove permanent marker stains on glass, skin, laminated sheets, and even some fabric and upholstery (wash clothing or fabric directly after dabbing the stain with remover).