Home Essentials

Do you have the top five home essentials in your house? Here's the list and a few of the things you can use them for.

1. White vinegar - Fill the bottom of a burned pan with vinegar and bring it to a boil. You'll see the mess flaking off. Or, pour it on the cracks in your sidewalks to kill grass and weeds, or mix it with the number two item on the list, baking soda, to free up clogged drains.

2. Baking Soda - Dip a damp cloth in baking soda to clean stains from painted walls and woodwork. Or, sprinkle some on aluminum foil and cover with boiling water to make silver cleaner.

3. Lemon juice - It is a natural bleach and disinfectant. Spread some on a white laundry stain and put it in the sun; the item will look like new in no time. Or use lemons to clean brass. Cut a lemon in half, dip it in salt and scrub no more tarnish.

4. Dryer sheets - They clean off television screens, freshen drawers and sneakers. Or, put a used dryer sheet in a baked-on pan, cover it with boiling water and leave it overnight. It will clean up easily in the morning.

5. Denture tablets - They clean anything from narrow-necked vases to toilet bowls.

Toilet Care

If your toilet is dingy and yellowed, or if you have problems with clogging and back-ups, here are some easy ways to clean the toilet and keep it in good running order.

1. When the toilet is dingy like this there are a couple of easy ways to make it gleam. Try dropping a couple of denture tablets into the bowl. Let them dissolve. Then use the toilet brush to swish it around, and just flush!

2. Pour cola in the bowl and let it sit there for a couple of hours, and flush.

3. For a stubborn ring, apply a thick paste made out of borax and lemon juice. Let it sit for a few minutes and scrub the ring off. The elements work together to break up the stain and bleach it away.

4. To keep your toilet running well, flush a cup of baking soda once a week. It will help to control the pH level in the septic tank, and therefore keep the toilet running smoothly.