Alternative Uses for Chalk

Chalk has so many great alternative uses and its as easy as 1-2-3.

1. The next time you have a grease stain or a little ring around the collar, grab some chalk. Rub it into the stain, let it sit for a few minutes, dust it off and launder as usual. The chalk dust will get into the fibers and absorb the oils that are causing the stain.

2. Wrap a small bundle of chalk in cheesecloth, tie it off and store it with your silver to keep the pieces from tarnishing. The chalk will absorb excess moisture, which can speed up the tarnishing process.

3. This same method will work in your toolbox to keep your tools from rusting.

4. Put a bundle in your closets and cabinets to keep them from getting damp and musty.

5. The next time you need to trace a pattern on something, use chalk. It will be clear and easy to see and you can simply dust away the lines when you're finished with your project.

6. To keep ants out of your house draw chalk lines around your doorways and windowsills, ants won't cross over the line.

St. Patrick's Celebration Stains!

I love celebrations, but when the parties are over, sometimes there are stains left behind on my carpets. I have some stain removers to help if you find yourself in the same situation.

1. Always use white cloths when you're cleaning stains. A colored cloth could transfer dye onto the carpet, creating a bigger stain.

2. For alcohol stains such as wine, sponge the area with some cool water. Then mix a half of a teaspoon of dish detergent and a tablespoon of white vinegar into a quart of warm water. Use a cloth to blot the stain with the mixture. This will remove the stain and smell in one step. Then layer the area with some white towels and heavy books to absorb moisture. (You can also blot wine stains with club soda.)

3. For a beer stain, mix equal parts of white vinegar and detergent. Sponge it onto the stain and then blot it out.

AOL's DIY Life: Cleaning with Cola?? Absolutely!

Check out my post on AOL's DIY Life - Unusual Uses for Cola!

Hand Sanitizer

A couple of squirts of hand sanitizer can help in the kitchen, the bathroom and on the go!

1. Keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in the kitchen and bathroom; it removes ink stains from countertops, skin and fabrics!

2. It will easily wipe away grime and kill germs on refrigerator door handles, and it polishes chrome fixtures and mirrors to a streak free shine!

3. Use some hand sanitizer to clean the ink off of rubber stamps before you store them.

4. It will also remove price tag stickers from glass and plastic with ease! Sticky tree sap will come off of your skin with a little bit of the gel on a paper towel.

5. Eyeglasses covered in fingerprints? Squirt a little sanitizer on them and polish those prints away.

6. It's also great during cold and flu season to wipe off cart handles, doorknobs and steering wheels.

Nail Polish Spills

Even though it seems like an unusual topic, I get so many e-mail questions about nail polish spills; I thought it was time to tell you how to remove them.

1. Spills on fabrics can generally be treated with non-oily nail polish remover. There are a couple of things to remember. Test for colorfastness, a good place is on the inside of the hem. Never use it on acetate or acetate blends. The acetone will dissolve the fabric. Once you know it's safe dab the remover into the spot with a cotton swab working from the outside inward. Switch swabs frequently so you don't spread the stain. Once it is removed wash the fabric with warm soapy water.

2. Spills on carpets can be removed with window cleaner, again test a hidden spot first, especially on darker carpets, and be patient, this remedy will take several applications. Spray it onto the carpet and then dab it out with a damp, white cloth. Once the stain is removed mix together a teaspoon of dish soap, a teaspoon of white vinegar and a quart of warm water to clean away any traces of window cleaner.

3. For spills on wood, mix together equal parts of olive oil and white vinegar and use a terrycloth rag or superfine steel wool to buff the stain off of the surface.

Happy Day After Valentine's Day!

Chocolate covered strawberries, champagne and roses, signs of Valentines Day but all with challenges. From how to keep the flowers lasting long to how to keep the stains from setting in.

1. If you got flower's you want them to last, but flowers only come with one pack of preservative. How can you replicate it? Well preservatives have three main components sugar for food, citric acid for controlling the ph and an antibacterial ingredient to kill germs. To make your own, a capful of hydrogen peroxide or bleach will take care of the antibacterial. And for the sugar and citric acid it's a two-fer, a tablespoon of powdered lemonade mix has them both!

2. How about chocolate covered strawberries? If you have chocolate on your clothes, scrape away as much as you can with a dull knife, then working from the back of the fabric rub white shaving cream into the spot with a soft bristled toothbrush. This method should push the stain back out of the fabric. As for the strawberries, lay the item over a sieve in the sink. Then pour boiling water over the stain, through the sieve. It will loosen and remove the stain in short order. This also works well on red wine stains.

3. Champagne stains can be treated with club soda. It contains both sodium and carbonation these elements work together to keep the spill from becoming a stain. As with any stain removal tip, make sure you test the item in an inconspicuous spot to make sure that the solution won't damage the fabric!

Wallpaper Stains

If your wallpaper is a magnet for stains, I have some ideas that should get your wallpaper looking like new again!

1. An eraser sponge is a great tool for spots and smudges on wallpaper, it's gentle enough not to cause any damage and since you use it almost completely dry you don't have to worry about over-wetting the paper.

2. No eraser sponge, a waded up piece of plain white or plain wheat bread will work the same way.

3. If someone hung a picture with tape on your wallpaper, don't just try just ripping it down. Cover the tape with a piece of paper and then iron over the paper with a warm iron on a dry setting, this will activate the sticky side and make it easy to gently peel off. Once it's off use a cloth dipped in a little rubbing alcohol to remove any adhesive residue. This also works great if your little one put stickers on their wallpaper!

4. Your iron can also help get rid of greasy stains on wallpaper. Layer a couple of paper towels over the spot and then run a warm, dry iron over the towels. The oil residue will transfer to the towels!

Smudges and stains gone!

Hands Down!

From smells, to splatters to stains, household tasks can wreak havoc on your hands; I have some tips to clean them up!

1. Don't get caught red handed; berry and fruit stains are easy to fix. Grab some sugar and a fresh lemon in place of soap. Cut the lemon; dip it in some sugar and scrub! The citric acid and the gritty sugar will work together to wash those stains. If you don't have any lemons on hand try plain lemonade mix, it will do the same thing!

2. If your hands smell like garlic or onions, rub a stainless steel spoon over your skin under hot water. The steel reacts with the odors to leave your skin smelling sweet, or at least not garlicky.

3. Latex paint and grease splatters are easily cleaned off of your skin with some white shaving cream. Rub it into your skin and watch the mess disappear, you don't even need any water.

4. Say you want to prevent all of these hand dilemmas but you're not a fan of gloves, rub a thin layer of petroleum jelly over your skin before you start a task. Dirt, grime and stains will wash away easily when you're done.

Just some "handy" tips to help you out at home!

Club Soda

Do you know what product can remove stains, shine surfaces and clean cookware? It's club soda; I have some easy ideas for this inexpensive little gem.

1. Speaking of gems, club soda does a beautiful job cleaning your gemstone jewelry. Just put some in a glass and soak it overnight!

2. Save your flat club soda to nourish your plants. Just water them once a week and the nutrients in the liquid will greatly benefit your plants.

3. Cooking in cast iron can make a big mess; pour some club soda in the pan while it's still warm. It will keep the mess from sticking and make clean up a lot easier.

4. It will put a great shine on stainless steel surfaces like pots and pans, sinks and faucets.

5. Club soda is also an amazing stain remover on clothes, carpets and upholstery. Use a white cloth to dab it directly on stains like wine, grease, fruit and chocolate. When you see that the stain is lifting, dab with a clean cloth and cool water.

Cheesecloth

From cooking, to cleaning to home repairs, cheesecloth is an indispensable tool that you should have in your home.

1. You can buy cheesecloth in grocery stores and home improvement centers, it is a loose weave, lint free gauzy fabric originally used to wrap cheese!

2. Use cheesecloth and a little mineral spirits to buff away any buildup and residue on a piece of furniture.

3. In the home repair venue you can use cheesecloth to strain lumpy paint, secure it over the top of the can and pour it into a paint pan.

4. It is also a great staining pad because it doesn't absorb excess stain and doesn't leave behind any lint.

5. It's that same lint-free quality that makes this cloth great for cleaning plus it's loose weave polishes and cleans everything from furniture to windows easily.

6. Cheesecloth is also useful in the kitchen too. Drape it over a bowl before squeezing lemons or limes to keep the seeds out.

7. You can also use cheesecloth to strain yogurt or squeeze excess moisture out of frozen spinach.

8. These are only a few of the hundreds of ways that you can use cheesecloth around your home. I'm Mrs. Fixit and it's just that simple!