Natural Solutions for Household Problems

This works well for silver jewelry as well as tarnished silverware. First, line a large cake pan or casserole dish with aluminum foil. Fill with 8 cups of warm water (150°) mixed with ¼ cup of baking soda. If the tarnish is advanced, substitute boiling water for the warm water. In ten minutes, you should see the tarnish transfer to the foil and your silver is shiny again.

Carpet Stains

If you have kids or pets, your carpets are prime targets for spills. The closest thing we had to a towel in the living room one day were baby wipes. When my toddler knocked over my glass of iced tea, I grabbed a few wipes and stains disappeared. They are not ideal for soaking up spills but they do help with mild stains if you catch it before they dry.

Sharpen Dull Blades

Coffee Grinder

If your coffee grinder blades are dull, run a small handful of dried white rice through. The rice sharpens the blades.

Garbage Disposal

You can also use dried rice on the garbage disposal blades to sharpen or you can drop a handful of ice cubes down. Both work very well.

Microwave Grit

Do you have a lot of dried on food splatters in the microwave? Instead of scrubbing hard, start by microwaving a half a cup of water on high for two minutes. The steam will loosen the dried on grit and you can easily wipe it out.

Nail Holes

Moving and need to fill in nail holes? Or are you like me, and constantly change the stuff on the walls? Nail hole filler or putty is not very easy to use or spread. I also hate to buy a whole jar when all I need is a little to fill in one or two holes. Instead use a little cornstarch and water and form a putty consistency. It works just as well as nail hole filler and you can mix up just the amount you need.

Leftover Soap

Do you just toss the scrap pieces of bar soap? They are too small to use in the shower but do not throw them out just yet. Dry them thoroughly and put them into a ventilated plastic bag. When you store your seasonal clothes, put the bag of dried soap in with them and you will not only keep out moths, but your clothes will smell much better.

Squeaky Doors

Petroleum Jelly

This is probably my favorite solution. I use this all the time. If your doors are squeaky, use petroleum jelly instead of oil. It is a great, drip-less solution.

Ref: Carpet & Rug Institutes Carpet Maintenance Guidelines

Products I Like To Clean My Carpets:Febreze Carpet care