Household-Upkeep Tips: From Ironing to Dust Prevention to Stopping Leaks

These general household hints may make your home run smoother and your chore time easier. Many of these hints may be considered outdated but are still useful today. I hope you will read them and give them a try to make your household chores run smoother and give yourself more family time.

Saving Photo Negatives

This was one hint I found unusual. When putting your pictures in an album always put the negatives under the picture. This way the negatives are never lost or hard to find when you want a re-print of the photograph. I shudder to think how many negatives may have been ruined by those old magnetic albums. This is a good idea though, as long as the album pages are archival safe.

Sewing Hint - Needle Eye

Keep a piece of white paper in your sewing machine drawer. On dark days lay it under the pressure foot and the needle eye will be much easier to see. This really works, try it.

Sewing Hint - Transfer Patterns

When tracing a transfer pattern use a piece of cellophane over the pattern and carbon paper under the pattern. It will save making pencil marks on the original design, so it can be used many more times.

Sewing Hint - Quilting Supplies

When quilting put needles in a cushion, scissors, thread, and measuring tape in a low box, such as a shoebox lid, on top of the quilt. If it slides around too much stick a pin through into the quilt.

Sewing Hint - Quilting Blocks

Create a handy helper when cutting quilt blocks; cut a pattern from a piece of fine sandpaper. This will keep your material from sliding while you are cutting the pattern out.

Paint Brushes

Soak neglected paint brushes in hot vinegar to clean and make them pliable again.

Candles

If you have unburned candles on your mantle or dining room table that have gotten dirty or faded try this trick. Wet a piece of absorbent cotton with rubbing alcohol and wipe the candles gently. They will look like new.

More Sleep for Mommy

Heat your babies extra bottle and place it in an insulated bag before going to bed. When baby awakens the bottle will be ready and will save you from losing precious sleep.

Stops Leaks