New uses for everyday household products

Today’s column offers more applications for everyday products in most households. Again, kudos to everydayhelpsforeverydaypeople.com and realsimple. com. ›

Tea bags are one of the cheapest ways to combat health and beauty issues. Save used bags if you or your baby experience sore gums; the tannins help reduce swelling and bleeding. Those who’ve gotten too much sun these hot summer days dip tea bags in cold water, squeeze out the excess and lay them on affected areas to soothe and relieve burns. Who among us gets enough sleep to avoid tired-looking eyes? Again, those tannins, when using a cool teabag on swollen, puffy eyes, help rejuvenate the whole area. For readers with dandruff or simply wanting to add more shine to their hair, pour tea over just washed hair as a rinse. ›

Baking soda is one of the wonders of the world for all its uses. Many of us know to exchange this item for toothpaste for bright smiles and clean breath, and to place it in the fridge and freezer to neutralize bad odors, but

but what about cleaning veggies or pots and pans? With veggies, sprinkle soda on a sponge, wipe fruits and veggies clean, then rinse well. Add a couple of tablespoons to dishwater to help dissolve grease and food. (If food is cooked on, let the pots soak first, then use some dry baking soda on a cloth to scrub away.

One way I’ve found to make a big difference fast and environmentally safe is to sprinkle soda in the oven, spray with water, and let it sit overnight. The next day, scrub the oven and scoop out the baking soda. To clean walls and furniture (or any painted surface), sprinkle soda on a damp cloth or sponge, then rub lightly and dry with a clean cloth.

With regards to cleaning, baking soda is ideal for cleaning one’s vehicle. One-half cup mixed with a half-gallon of warm water is perfect to clean tires, windows, floor mats and vinyl seats. Fire on your skin (from bug bites or sunburn) is helped by baking soda. Mix soda and water together to form a thick paste and apply to the affected places. For a kitchen flame, if you don’t have a fire extinguisher handy, keep an open box of baking soda around. It smothers the base of normal fires, as well as electrical and grease fires.

Lemons taste delicious in different recipes but, these tart beauties go way beyond taste. Take cutting boards: Cut a slice and rub over the top to sanitize the surface. Food stains on plastic and light-colored wooden cutting boards come clean using this fruit. Slice one in half, squeeze the juice onto the soiled surface, and let sit for 20 minutes. Afterward, rinse with hot water for a likenew appearance.

Forget the Doc-in-a-Box and relieve sore throats in your family. Skewer one half lemon over a medium flame on a gas stove (or an electric burner set on high) and roast until the peel turns golden brown. Cool slightly, then mix the juice with one teaspoon of honey. Let the mixture slide down the patient’s throat. (My daddy used to add a dollop of whiskey to the mixture; to this day, I’m not sure if the “medicine” really did the trick or it tasted so nasty I never again complained about a sore throat.)

And, finally, rub a wedge on the surface of your fingernails to whiten them.

Coffee filters do more than help brew coffee. Wine drinkers, whose bottles may have a broken cork, can place a filter over a carafe or pitcher and slowly pour the wine into it, sans cork.

Rather than using plastic wrap on top of foods to be reheated in a microwave, use a filter as the protective cover over a bowl or plate. Prevent soil from draining out of flowerpots when repotting; simply place a filter over the drainage hole(s) and add soil.

For efficient cleaning, use filters when paper towels run out, and forget lint or other residue on just cleaned window panes. One last use (for today) is to save room in your dishwasher. Circular filters are the perfect size to carry a sandwich with no worry about drippings on clean clothes.

Contact Ellen Phillips at consumerwatch@timesfreepress.com.

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