Stainless Steel

Is your stainless steel a little less than stainless? Don't worry, there are a couple of ways to bring the shine back, and you probably have the solution close by.

1. For flatware and pans, fill your kitchen sink with hot water and add a little ammonia (open a window if you can, to help with the fumes). Then, simply soak your stainless for a few minutes. Rinse and dry.

2. For flatware and pans, fill your kitchen sink with hot water and add a little ammonia (open a window if you can, to help with the fumes). Then, simply soak your stainless for a few minutes. Rinse and dry.

3. Looking for an easy way to clean your stainless steel sink? Before you go to bed, soak some paper towels with bleach and line the sink with them. When you get up in the morning, the sink will shine!

4. If you aren't too keen on bleach, scrub the sink with club soda. Just pour some club soda on a clean cloth and polish. You'll see the smudges and stains disappear like magic.

Sharpening Knives

Nothing will slow you down faster in the kitchen than a dull knife. Well I have some easy ways to keep your knives nice and sharp.

1. If you have some clay pots that you plan on using in the garden, hold off. They are just the tool you need. Make sure your pot is clean and flip it upside down on the counter. Hold your knife at a forty-five degree angle to the pot and run the blade in one direction across the bottom; flip the knife over and repeat on the other side of the blade.

2. No clay pots? No problem. Check the bottom of your coffee mugs. A lot of them are unglazed on the bottom. Use the mug just like the clay pot.

3. If you have food stuck to your wood handled knifes don't stick them in the sink to soak. Sitting in water will ruin those handles. Instead, fill a vase with hot soapy water only as deep as the knife blade and soak the knife standing up in the vase.

4. Also, remember never to put wood handled knives in the dishwasher, because the hot water will dry out the handles. If you've already made one of these mistakes, rub the handles with some mineral oil and let it sit overnight. This will refortify the wood; just remember to wash them well in the morning so the handles aren't sticky.

5. To keep those knives sharpened, flatten some paper towel tubes and slip your knives in the tube and they'll stay nice and sharp.

Check out my tutorial on How To Build a Trellis on AOL's DIY Life

Along the side of my house, there's an expanse of facade that would make a perfect home for a garden trellis. I headed to my local home improvement store in search of one of a simple, latticed trellis, but couldn't find the right size.

Just as I was about to give up, I passed a big bundle of pressure-treated 1 x 2 lumber. Why not try to custom build one to fit the space, I thought, rather than spend so much time looking for the perfect trellis? And so that's what I did, and you can too. It's easy!

Check out the how to on DIY Life!

It's just that simple!!!

Summertime Stains

Fun in the sun? Not when you spend the summer fighting stains! I have some quick and easy solutions to fighting some of the most common stains this time of year!

1. Sun screen is a necessity in the summer but it can leave greasy stains on your clothes. Just treat with a little grease cutting dish soap. Rub it in and then wash the item in cold water.

2. Another summertime stain - grass. Try shampoo designed especially for oily hair. Saturate the stain with shampoo and wash in cold water. Or you can just put a dab of rubbing alcohol onto the spot. This will also tackle the mustard stains that the kids pick up at the ballgame or backyard barbeque.

3. Clothes are a magnet for barbeque sauce stains. Treat them by sponging with equal parts of white vinegar and water.

4. Ice cream stain? Wet the stain thoroughly and dab with unflavored meat tenderizer. Then wash the item in cold water!

Household Helpline

Little frustrations pop up everyday in life, don't let them get you! I have some ideas to help you get back on track!

1. In the kitchen, if measuring sticky substances like peanut butter and or honey is a problem, dip your measuring cups or spoons in hot water and then fill them up. The heat will help those items slide easily from the cup or spoon.

2. If the ice in your ice bucket always seems to melt too fast, use a funnel instead of an ice scoop. The ice will stay in the funnel and the water will wash easily away.

3. If your chairs are always scuffing your walls and you don't want to install a chair rail, keep white toothpaste handy. A little on a damp cloth will remove scuffs and spots from any painted surface with ease.

4. And speaking of scuffs, if a protective pad for a chair foot has fallen off and you don't have any more on hand, cut a slice from a cork and hot glue it to the foot. It will work beautifully! As a bonus, if you have a chair that's a little wobbly cut the cork a little thicker than all of the other pads that will keep it from wobbling.

Clean Baskets

If you have baskets around your house, you know that they can get dusty and dirty. Here are some easy ways to clean them up!

1. Use a paintbrush to dust your baskets regularly. Its stiff bristles will get into all the crevices. Or, try the small brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner.

2. Don't be afraid to wash your baskets; it's good to wet them down once in a while to keep the reeds from cracking! Wash baskets by putting it into the sink and wetting it down with your sprayer attachment. Dip a nail brush into some soapy water and lightly scrub the reeds. When you've finished scrubbing, use the sprayer to rinse it. Then put it on a towel in a sunny window to dry. Make sure that the basket dries all the way; too much water can cause it to rot!

3. For a basket with dyed reeds, you need to check before you wash it to make sure the color is not going to run. Just rub a wet cloth on the colored area. If the color comes off on the cloth, don't wet it. If your basket is painted you should just wipe it with a soft cloth.

Smart & Simple

Necessity is the mother of invention, and that is exactly where these tips came from. I have some simple and easy solutions to some common problems.

1. Everyone knows that window blind cords are a chocking hazard for kids, but what do you do if you're traveling or renting and their not tied up. A couple of suction hooks is all you need. Stick them to the window and wind the cord up and out of the reach of the kids. (These hooks are also great for organizing necklaces so they don't get all knotted up in the jewelry box. Just hang them inside your closet door and drape the chains over the hooks).

2. If you need a temporary place for organizing guests to hang extra towels, try a wreath hanger. It fits neatly over the door to hold the towels and it can be stashed away when you don't need it.

3. If your mattress slips and slides all over the place a length of non-skid rug padding can help. Slip it between the mattress and a box spring. Problem solved.

4. Throw rugs can be slippery too, but because they're so light sometimes rug pads won't work, the fabric doesn't hold like it should. Flip the rug over and apply rows of clear acrylic latex cover to the underside of the rug. Let it dry and flip the rug back over,. It will give you a non-skid surface that has a real grip!

5. Simple and inventive solutions that can help you with your small problems