Household tidbits

Shucking Corn – Clean Ears Every Time

Posted by giddy filly on Nov 24, 2011 in Household Tidbits | 0 comments

Now how about that !

Hydrogen Peroxide Uses

Posted by giddy filly on Nov 9, 2011 in Household Tidbits | 0 comments

As confirmed on Truth or Fiction . . http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/h/hydrogen-peroxide.htm

1. Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily, then spit
it out. (I do it when I bathe or shower.) No more canker sores and your teeth will be whiter
without expensive pastes. Use it instead of mouthwash-Truth! But Limited Use!

The Merck Manuals recommended diluting the 3% hydrogen peroxide 50 percent with water, but
suggest it as a rinse and part of a treatment for trench mouth, for example.
The FDA has approved 3% solutions of hydrogen peroxide for use as a mouthwash.
Most sources said to use it only for a short time, however, such as part of a
treatment of a mouth infection.  A report from Well-Connected (written or edited
by physicians at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital)
recommended against extended use, saying that overuse may actually damage cells
and soften tooth surfaces. We were not able to find any authoritative
information about hydrogen peroxide and canker sores.

2. Let your toothbrushes soak [in] a cup peroxide to keep them free of germs-Unproven!

We didn’t find anything authoritative about soaking toothbrushes in hydrogen peroxide.  Because hydrogen peroxide degrades quickly
when exposed to light, if you do soak a toothbrush, do it in freshly poured hydrogen peroxide.  Just keeping an open cup of the stuff around won’t do much
good.

3. Clean your counters, table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leavea fresh smell. Simply put a little on your
dishrag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters-Truth!

4. After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria-Truth!

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved hydrogen peroxide as a sanitizer.

5. I had fungus on my feet for years – until I sprayed a 50/50 mixture of peroxide
and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry-Unproven!

We were not able to find any authoritative source about foot fungus and treatment with hydrogen peroxide.  Again, we are assuming
she means a 50/50 mixture of water and 3% hydrogen peroxide.  An actual 50/50 mixture of pure hydrogen peroxide and water would be too high a concentration to be safe.

For many of us, hydrogen peroxide was one of the first things we put on a cut
or a wound, but that is less recommended nowadays.  The reason, according to
numerous medical sites, is that there is a downside to the hydrogen peroxide as
well.  It also damages healthy cells that are needed for the wounds to heal and
hinders them from getting to the area where the healing needs to take place. The
HealthFinder publication of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
says don’t use hydrogen peroxide on a wound because it interferes with healing.
The U.S. Gymnastics team has followed the recommendations of researchers and
uses soap and water for cleansing wounds and not hydrogen peroxide. The National
Safety Council’s First Aid Pocket Guide (1996) says “DO NOT use hydrogen
peroxide  It does not kill bacteria, and it adversely affects capillary blood
flow and wound healing.”   The Mayo Clinic gives the same advice.6. Put two capfuls into a douche to prevent yeast infections. I had chronic yeast infections until I tried this once or
twice a week-Disputed!

Interestingly enough, hydrogen peroxide is naturally produced in the vagina to deal with bacteria.  There is conflicting
opinion among the experts, however, about whether douching with hydrogen peroxide is helpful or harmful and even some voices that doubt whether douching
is necessary at all under normal circumstances.

8. Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water and
keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system
like bleach or most other disinfectants will-But be sure you put the mixture into a bottle that
filters out sunlight.  Also, it appears that hydrogen peroxide does not harm septic systems.  Again, this is probably a mixture of 50% water with the other
half being 3% or 30% strengths of hydrogen peroxide.

9. Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture
whenever you have a cold, plugged sinus. It will bubble and help to kill
the bacteria. Hold for a few minutes then blow your nose into a tissue-Undetermined!

We couldn’t find much about this in terms of research.  Again, if you choose
to do it, this is probably referring to a mixture of 3% hydrogen peroxide with
water.

10. If you have a terrible toothache and can not get to a
dentist rightaway, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for ten
minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly-11. And of course, if you like a natural look
to your hair, spray the50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and
comb it through. You will not have the peroxide burnt blonde hair like the
hair dye packages, but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown,
faddish, or dirty blonde.It also lightens gradually so it’s not a drastic
change-Truth!

11. And of course, if you like a natural look to your hair, spray the
50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You
will not have the peroxide burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages, but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown,
faddish, or dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually so it’s not a drastic change-Truth!

One of the classic uses of hydrogen peroxide is to bleach hair. The concentrations are
between 3% and 6%.  This suggestion to dilute with water probably applies to
those solutions.

12. Put half a bottle of peroxide in your bath to help rid boils,fungus, or other skin infections-Undetermined!

The half a bottle probably refers to a 3% solution.

13. You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of
whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour
directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and
rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary-Truth! But Careful!

The effectiveness of this method is a matter of experimentation, but the principle is sound.  Some of the
so called “oxygen” bleaches contain hydrogen peroxide.

Be careful about the suggestion to use it on spots.  Hydrogen peroxide is a bleach!

14 This list didn’t have it, but I use peroxide to clean my mirrors;
there is no smearing, which is why I love it so much for this-Unproven!

The original hydrogen peroxide eRumor did not include this.  Some of these
were added by people along the way.

15. Gargle with hydrogen peroxide, put drops in the ear and nose to end
colds, flu, chronic sinustis (including polyps], and infections.

A repeat of some previous information

16. Use as a vegetable wash or soak to kill bacteria and neutralize chemicals-Truth!

We don’t know about the chemicals, but there are several credible references about the use of hydrogen peroxide on fruits or
vegetables.  Research published by the Journal of Food and Science in 2003 showed effective results of using hydrogen peroxide to decontaminate apples and
melons that were infected with strains of E.coli.

17. Disinfect your dishwasher or refrigerator-Undetermined!

18. Use it on trees and plants as a natural fungicide, insecticide, and
as a weed killer-Undetermined!

We found no research on the use of hydrogen peroxide as an insecticide, fungicide, or weed killer.

19. Clean with hydrogen peroxide when your house becomes a biohazard
after its invaded by toxic mold, such as those with water damage-Truth!

In a publication about “Healthy Homes,” the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) listed hydrogen peroxide as among the substances that can be
used against mold, but also said there had not been enough research to recommend
its use.  It is not known what molds hydrogen peroxide is most effective against
or what the human health hazards may be from using it so extensively. Also,
since hydrogen peroxide is a bleach, be careful where you use it in terms of
preserving the colors in your home.

Vodka

Posted by giddy filly on Nov 9, 2011 in Household Tidbits | 0 comments

Who Knew???

1. To remove a bandage painlessly.
Saturate the bandage with vodka. The stuff dissolves adhesive.

2. To clean the caulking around bathtubs and showers.
Fill a trigger-spray bottle with vodka, spray the caulking, Let set five minutes and wash clean. The alcohol in the vodka kills mold and mildew.

3. To clean your eyeglasses, Simply wipe the lenses with a soft, Clean cloth dampened with vodka. The alcohol in the vodka cleans the glass and kills germs.

4. Prolong the life of razors by filling a cup with vodka and letting your safety razor blade soak in the alcohol after shaving. The vodka disinfects the blade and prevents rusting.

5. Spray vodka on wine stains, Scrub with a brush, and then blot dry.

6. Using a cotton ball, apply vodka to your face as an astringent to cleanse the skin and tighten pores.

7. Add a jigger of vodka to a 12-ounce bottle of shampoo. The alcohol cleanses the scalp,removes toxins from hair, and stimulates the growth of healthy hair.

8. Fill a sixteen-ounce trigger-spray bottle with vodka and spray bees or wasps to kill them.

9. Pour one-half cup vodka and one-half cup water into a Ziploc freezer bag and freeze for a slushy, refreshing ice pack for aches, pain or black eyes.

10. Fill a clean, used mayonnaise jar with freshly packed lavender flowers, fill the jar with vodka, seal the lid tightly and set in the sun for three days. Strain liquid through a coffee filter, then apply the tincture to aches and pains.

11. To relieve a fever, use a washcloth to rub vodka on your chest and back as a liniment.

12. To cure foot odor, wash your feet with vodka.

13. Vodka will disinfect and alleviate a jellyfish sting.

14. Pour vodka over an area affected with poison ivy to remove the urushiol oil from your skin.

15. Swish a shot of vodka over an aching tooth. Allow your gums to absorb some of the alcohol to numb the pain.

And silly me! I USED TO DRINK THE SHIT!!

108 stores with Senoir Citizen Discounts

Posted by giddy filly on Jul 7, 2011 in Household Tidbits | 0 comments

108 Stores with Senior Discounts

Gone are the days of your grandmother’s “early bird special” at
the local diner. As our baby boomers reach retirement age, hundreds of
retailers are featuring new and improved discounts exclusively for the 60 and
older crowd. Brads Deals have composed a list of senior savings that will help
you keep more cash in your pocket. Whoever said getting older was a bad thing,
obviously didn’t know about these fantastic senior discounts!

Restaurants

• Applebee’s: 15% off  with Golden Apple Card (60+)
• Arby’s: 10% off (55+)
• Ben & Jerry’s: 10% off (60+)
• Bennigan’s: discount varies by location
• Bob’s Big Boy: discount varies by location (60+)
• Boston Market: 10% off (65+)
• Burger King: 10% off (60+)
• Captain D’s Seafood: discount varies on location (62+)
• Chick-Fil-A: 10% off or free small drink or coffee (55+)
• Chili’s: 10% off (55+)
• CiCi’s Pizza: 10% off (60+)
• Culver’s: 10% off (60+)
• Denny’s: 10% off, 20% off for AARP
  members (55+)
• Dunkin’ Donuts: 10% off or free coffee (55+)
• Einstein’s Bagels: 10% off baker’s
  dozen of bagels (60+)
• Fuddrucker’s: 10% off any senior platter (55+)
• Gatti’s Pizza: 10% off (60+)
• Golden Corral: 10% off (60+)
• Hardee’s: $0.33 beverages
  everyday  (65+)
• IHOP: 10% off (55+)
• Jack in the Box: up to 20% off
  (55+)
• KFC: free small drink with any meal
  (55+)
• Krispy Kreme: 10% off (50+)
• Long John Silver’s: various discounts at participating locations (55+)
• McDonald’s: discounts on coffee
  everyday (55+)
• Mrs. Fields: 10% off at participating
  locations (60+)
• Shoney’s: 10% off
• Sonic: 10% off or free beverage (60+)
• Steak ‘n Shake: 10% off every Monday & Tuesday (50+)
• Subway: 10% off (60+)
• Sweet Tomatoes 10% off (62+)
• Taco Bell: 5% off; free beverages for seniors (65+)
• TCBY: 10% off (55+)
• Tea Room Cafe: 10% off (50+)
• Village Inn: 10% off (60+)
• Waffle House: 10% off every Monday (60+)
• Wendy’s: 10% off (55+)
• White Castle: 10% off (62+)

Retail and Apparel

• Banana Republic: 10% off (50+)
• Bealls: 20% off first Tuesday of
  each month (50+)
• Belk’s: 15% off first Tuesday of every month (55+)
• Big Lots: 10% off
• Bon-Ton Department Stores: 15% off
  on senior discount days (55+)
• C.J. Banks: 10% off every Wednesday
  (60+)
• Clarks: 10% off (62+)
• Dress Barn: 10% off (55+)
• Goodwill: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)
• Hallmark: 10% off one day a week
  (date varies by location)
• Kmart: 20% off (50+)
• Kohl’s: 15% off  (62+)
• Modell’s Sporting Goods: 10% off
• Rite Aid: 10% off on Tuesdays &
  10% off prescriptions
• Ross Stores: 10% off every Tuesday (55+)
• The Salvation Army Thrift Stores: up to 50% off (55+)
• Stein Mart: 20% off red dot/clearance items first Monday of every month (55+)

Grocery

• Albertson’s: 10% off first Wednesday of each month (55+)
• American Discount Stores: 10% off every Monday (50+)
• Compare Foods Supermarket: 10% off every Wednesday (60+)
• DeCicco Family Markets: 5% off every Wednesday (60+)
• Food Lion: 6% off every Monday (60+)
• Fry’s Supermarket: free Fry’s VIP Club Membership & 10% off every Monday
  (55+)
• Great Valu Food Store: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
• Gristedes Supermarket: 10% off every Tuesday (60+)
• Harris Teeter: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
• Hy-Vee: 5% off one day a week (date varies by location)
• Kroger: 10% off (date varies by location)
• Morton Williams Supermarket: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
• The Plant Shed: 10% off every Tuesday (50+)
• Publix: 5% off every Wednesday (55+)
• Rogers Marketplace: 5% off every Thursday (60+)
• Uncle Guiseppe’s Marketplace: 5% off (62+)

Travel

• Alaska Airlines: 10% off (65+)
• Alamo: up to 25% off for AARP
  members
• American Airlines: various
  discounts for 65 and up (call before booking for discount)
• Amtrak: 15% off (62+)
• Avis: up to 25% off for AARP
  members
• Best Western: 10% off (55+)
• Budget Rental Cars: 10% off; up to
  20% off for AARP members (50+)
• Cambria Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)
• Clarion: 20%-30% off (60+)
• Comfort Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
• Comfort Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)
• Continental Airlines: no initiation fee for Continental Presidents Club &
  special fares for select destinations
• Dollar Rent-A-Car: 10% off (50+)
• Econo Lodge: 20%-30% off (60+)
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car: 5% off for
  AARP members
• Greyhound: 5% off (62+)
• Hampton Inns & Suites: 10% off when booked 72 hours in advance
• Hertz: up t0 25% off for AARP
  members
• Holiday Inn: 10%-30% off depending
  on location (62+)
• Hyatt Hotels: 25%-50% off (62+)
• InterContinental Hotels Group:
  various discounts at all hotels (65+)
• Mainstay Suites: 10% off with
  Mature Traveler’s Discount (50+); 20%-30% off (60+)
• Marriott Hotels: 15% off (62+)
• Motel 6: 10% off (60+)
• Myrtle Beach Resort: 10% off (55+)
• National Rent-A-Car: up to 30% off for AARP members
• Quality Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
• Rodeway Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
• Sleep Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
• Southwest Airlines: various
  discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)
• Trailways Transportation System: various discounts for ages 50 and up
• United Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for
  discount)
• U.S. Airways: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for
  discount)

Activities & Entertainment

• AMC Theaters: up to 30% off (55+)
• Bally Total Fitness: up to $100 off
  memberships (62+)
• Busch Gardens Tampa: $3 off one-day tickets (50+)
• Carmike Cinemas: 35% off (65+)
• Cinemark/Century Theaters: up to 35% off
• U.S. National Parks: $10 lifetime pass; 50% off additional services including
  camping (62+)
• Regal Cinemas: 30% off
• Ripley’s Believe it or Not: @ off one-day ticket (55+)
• SeaWorld Orlando: $3 off one-day tickets (50+)

Cell Phone Discounts

• AT&T: Special Senior Nation 200 Plan $29.99/month (65+)
• Jitterbug: $10/month cell phone service
  (50+)

·       Verizon
Wireless: Verizon Nationwide 65 Plus Plan $29.99/month (65+)

Great tips from keeping bananas greener longer to reheating pizza

Posted by giddy filly on Mar 26, 2011 in Household Tidbits | 0 comments

DID YOU KNOW? ,
Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. 
If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.  

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. 
It will stay fresh much longer and not mold! 
Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. 
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking. 

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef. 
It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.
To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich add a couple of 
spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream; then beat them.  

Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste 
of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic. 

Reheat Pizza 
Heat leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove; set heat to med-low 
and heat till warm. This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the food channel and it really works.

Easy Deviled Eggs 
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal; mash till they are all broken up Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy; squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done – easy clean up.  

Reheating refrigerated bread 
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in 
a microwave next to a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food 
moist and help it reheat faster.  

Newspaper weeds away 
Start putting torn newspaper in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers, 
put layers around the plants, overlapping as you go; cover with mulch and forget about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic; they will not get through wet newspapers. 

Broken Glass 
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can’t see easily. 

Flexible vacuum 
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings. 

Reducing Static Cling 
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and … ta da! … static is gone. 

INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load of clothes.) He took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material . I’m sure you know what your dryer’s lint filter looks like. Well …. the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn’t go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh – that’s what burns out the heating unit. 
You can’t SEE the film, but it’s there. It’s what is in the dryer sheets to make your 
clothes soft and static free. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box … well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen. This is also what causes dryer units to potentially burn your 
house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very long time (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush at least every six months. 
He said that increases the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?! 
Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn’t know dryer sheets would do that. So, I thought I’d share! 
Note: I went to my dryer and tested my screen by running water on it. The water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the mesh screen. I washed it with warm soapy water and a nylon brush and I had it done in 30 seconds. Then when 
I rinsed it … the water ran right thru the screen! There wasn’t any puddling at all! That repairman knew what he was talking about!