Unusual uses for everyday items (part 2)

If you think about it, around your house there are a ton of items that are actually very versatile and may be used for a variety of purposes. Find out what astonishing things you can make with commonplace materials by reading on.

Velcro – Velcro is a combination of the French word crochet and velour. It is a unique double-sided fastener – one side with stiff hooks, the other with soft loops. Here are some more uses for velcro around the house:
1. Hang art and pictures – Stick several strips of velcro to your wall, and to the frame you want to hang. Make sure you use this for frames that are not too heavy.
2. Prevent a rug from moving around – If there is a rug in your house that cannot simply stay in place, take a couple of velcro strips and stick them to the floor and the bottom of the rug. Use this for your doormat, bathroom/toilet rub, etc.
3. Stop seat cushions from sliding off – Stick a strip of velcro to the chair and the cushion, and keep it from slipping away underneath you every time you move.
4. Organise toys, remotes, and other smaller objects – Place a strip of velcro on your wall or couch and stick your remotes/toys and other needed objects that seem to get lost quite often right there.

Ziplock bags – Ziplock bags are a kitchen staple. Their plastic zipper seals make them useful and practical in so many ways. Here are some of them:
1. Knead dough – Place dough in the bag and knead it inside until it is ready. You will prevent your fingers from becoming sticky, as well as the cleaning of the mess all over your kitchen.
2. Cleaning gum or wax from a tablecloth, couches, or carpets – Fill a ziplock bag with ice and rub the area where the wax is with it. When the gum hardens, scrape it off with a blunt object and vacuum the rest of the chips. Carefully peel the wax.
3. Store soup – Fill ziplock bags with leftover homemade soup and lay them flat in your freezer. You will be able to stack them like books and save some storage space.
4. Protect fragile cargo – Ran out of bubble wrap? Grab a ziplock bag, close it almost all the way to the end, insert a straw and blow air inside of it. Seal it and use that cushion to secure your precious items and prevent them from breaking.
5. Keep your compact powders when transporting them – Place all your powders in a ziplock bag and prevent them from spilling all over your bag.

Salt – One of the most common ingredients in your kitchen can be used for much more than seasoning delicious meals. Here are some useful tricks for salt.
1. Cleaning iron residue – If there is some residue at the bottom of your iron, run it hot (with no steam) over some plain paper sprinkled with salt.
2. Cleaning dirty leafy vegetables, such as spinach – Wash the vegetables in a bath of salt water.
3. Cleaning drains – Pour a strong, hot solution of ½ cup of salt for every quart of water.
4. Remove red-wine stains from your favourite clothes – When you spill some wine on your garment, stretch it over a bowl, pour salt all over the area of the stain, and pour boiling water on top of it.
5. Prevent egg shells from cracking when boiling – Add a couple of salt pinches to the water when boiling eggs. That will prevent cracking.

Vinegar – Another common kitchen ingredient that you can find pretty much everywhere. Here are some uses for vinegar.
1. Remove tea or coffee stains from the inside of a cup – Pour some vinegar into your cup and swish it around. Scrub if needed, then wash your cup as usual.
2. Wipe salt stains off boots – In winter, the salt that is poured on the street may leave some white residue all over your boots. Grab an old t-shirt, dip it in vinegar and get rid of it.
3. Treat oily hair – Vinegar is a great degreaser for oily hair because it is able to adjust the pH levels. Shampoo your hair as usual, then pour ¼-½ cup of vinegar (depending on the length of your hair), massage it in, then rinse well.
4. Make wool sweaters fluffier – Pour a few caps of vinegar into your washing machine during the rinse cycle. Your sweaters will be incredibly soft and no vinegar smell will be there.
5. Remove stubborn price tags or stickers – Apply some vinegar on your stickers and let them soak for a few minutes. When done, scrape the residue away with a dull blade or a plastic scraper and wipe away with a damp clean cloth.
6. Cleaning your dishwasher – Once a month run your dishwasher empty and add vinegar throughout the entire cycle. It will help remove soap build-up and mineral deposits.