17 Quirky Handy Household Tips

I received this list of 17 quirky, but handy household tips from my mom in my email yesterday and I thought it would be neat to share with all of you.  Have you ever used any of these?

17. You can flip a toaster on its side and grill cheese in it.

My Take:  Just  because you can doesn’t mean you should.  I’ve set too many toasters on fire to even think about trying this myself – true story.

16.  You can divide and store ground meat in a Ziplock bag.  Just break off how much you need and keep the rest in the freezer for later!

My Take:  This is a great idea and one I use frequently.  Though I don’t usually break it down so small because I cook for 4 or more people at one time.

15.  If you place a wooden spoon over a pot of boiling water, it won’t boil over!

 My Take:  Good reminder – my pots are always boiling over and why I’ve never tried this before though I’ve known the tip for a while is beyond me!  Wonder what the          science behind this is.  Do you know?

13.  You can run a paper bag through your printer!

12. Cereal canisters make the perfect trash bin for your car!

My Take:  This is a great idea! I like that it closes on top and holds the bag open and in place.  This is one of those where I say to myself, “Doh! Why didn’t I think of that?”

11.  Take your bananas apart when you get home from the shop.  If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster…

My Take:  I’ll have to try this next time we get bananas, which will probably be today.  We actually use them for smoothies though so I like them to be a little overripe.  I’ll try it with a few and see what happens compared to the others.

10.  Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminium foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!  (But you can scrape off any mold and still eat the cheese without changes in flavor!)

My Take:  This works best on hard or semi-hard cheeses and they must be wrapped tightly.  I have been known to cut mold off a chunk of cheese and wash it so that I can use the rest.  Because it is a little more aged the flavor is stronger, but once the mold is cleaned off there is no moldy taste.  This won’t work with Swiss cheese very well though because the mold goes into the cavities and is virtually impossible to get out.

9.  Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.  Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are stronger flavored.

My Take:  Hmmm.  Never tried that.  I wonder if this is true within each color pepper – like there are yellow peppers that are better for eating and others that are stronger.

8.  Add a teaspoon of water when frying minced beef.  It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.

My Take:  For some reason this tells me the origin of this list is English.  I don’t typically fry minced beef.  Ground beef, yes. Sliced beef, yes.  Not typically minced beef.  If I ever do, I’ll have to try this.

7.  Use a (clean) dustpan to fill a container that doesn’t fit in the sink.

My Take:  This is a wonderful idea.  IDK how many times I’ve run into this problem and just ended up filling the bucket in the tub.  Only problem with that is then the bottom of the bucket gets wet and if it’s a bucket like this with wheels, uh, how are you supposed to get it out of the tub?  Using the clean dustpan is a much better idea.

6.  Place a rubber band around an open paint can to wipe your brush on, and keep paint off the side of the can.

My Take:  Best on a small can of paint or you’ll need a giant rubber band.  Pour some paint out into a smaller resealable container if the original container is just too big for this to work.

5. Use a staple remover to save your fingernails when trying to add things to your key ring!

My Take:  I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve broken a nail or ruined a manicure trying to get a key on a key ring.  Next time. . . next time.

4. How to keep the straw from rising out of your fizzy drink can.

My Take: I don’t do this often; typically I pour into another cup or glass and add ice.  If you don’t like drinking directly out of the can and don’t have a cup available this is a great idea.

3. Use a micro-fibre cloth to prevent frost from forming on the windshield.

My Take:  Wish I had known about this when we didn’t have a garage.  Hubby is probably going to need this trick next fall because his new (to him) vehicle won’t fit in the garage with the family car anymore.  Looks like you have to put the cloths on the windshield the night before.  If you look at the blue one sitting on top of the  car it is covered in frost. My question is – How do you keep the cloths from flying away?

2.  Use a comb to keep a nail steady for hammering

  My Take:  Save your thumbs and fingers from the wrath of a poorly aimed hammer.  This is a great idea.  Hold the comb, not the nail!

1.  Use a post-it note to catch drilling debris.

My Take:  I guess if your walls are paper thin and there is no insulation behind where you are drilling (which technically there shouldn’t be unless you are planning on using a drywall anchor) this should work OK.  I question though how much that little sliver of paper is actually going to be able to hold.  I’ll give it a try though.  Anything to keep that dust from getting caught between the carpet and the baseboard.