Random Tidbits

This morning I was getting ready and for whatever reason, I was going over random tidbits in my head that I usually pass along to help others out. So here they are...

• If you burn yourself use whitening toothpaste on it. It sounds weird, but it really works. Just rub the toothpaste on the burn, wait a few minutes while it dries itself out, then run water over it. The vapors in the toothpaste pull the heat out and the pain is instantly gone. When this happened to me (I very stupidly and purposefully touched my finger to the heating element in the bottom of the oven once) the heat left the burn and so did the pain. The burn didn't blister and scab over like it normally does. It was just a little tender for a couple of days. A girl that I worked with in the dorms taught me that one.
• If you gag while brushing your teeth then stand on one foot. A good friend clued me in to this little trick a few weeks ago because I had complained to her once that I always gag while brushing. According to the article that she read, the amount of brain activity it takes to balance yourself is so complex that it overrides the gag reflex. You may think that sounds kind of far fetched, but it really works!
• If your shoe strings will not stay tied, or especially if you're always having to re-tie your kids' shoes, here's what to do: Wet the shoe strings before you tie them. They will kind of shrink up a little when they get wet, so as they dry they will expand, which in turn makes the knots you tie stay tighter. I read that in a parent magazine. I have since used the trick at work a countless number of times. It sounds weird, but again, it works.
• If you cry while slicing onions try one of these tricks. The first, but not always the easiest or most practical is to stick your knife through a small piece of bread before cutting the onion. Since bread is super absorbent, it soaks in most of the vapors and juice-causing-vapors before they can reach your nose and eyes. I have done this and it does work. But it's a little more trouble than it's worth. You have to replace the bread quite often because it gets too full or because it starts to fall apart. The method that I used most often is this: I slice the whole onion very quickly, or sometimes I have to take it a slice at a time. Then I run cool water over each slice for about a minute. It flushes out most of the strong juices that cause the vapors that make you "cry."
• Carbonated beverages can be used to clean most surface. You've probably already heard that before. The other day, there was something sticky on the counter that I couldn't get off. I poured just a little Coke on it and it ate right through it. It's also good for the pipes in the sinks and tubs to have Coke or what-not poured down them periodically. It eats away the grimey gross stuff in there. No wonder I drink water all the time now...
• Have you ever spilled paint on the carpet before? Duh, of course I have. Most people can't manage to do something so totally clumsy, but I have perfected the talent of committing mysterious mishaps. The most important thing to remember is to act fast! Pour a ton of water on the paint (assuming it's water-based paint that was spilled)! Soak the water up with towels and scrub a little. Repeat this for a very long time. After the first few pours, add Dawn dish washing liquid to the paint, then more scrubbing, then more water. It will take a long time, but it works. I know this works because once I was involved in spilling purple paint in the carpet in the Sanctuary at Church. It took us the better part of an hour, but we got the mess cleaned up. Also, it's handy if you have a Wet-Vac to help suck up some of the water.
• If your kids like to paint pictures but you're paranoid about what the paint might do to their clothes, to your furniture, or to your floors, worry no more. Pour the paint out onto a paper plate or something like, and add a drop or two of Dawn to the paint and stir it up. Dawn has the bubble factor in it. Adding it to the paint works like this: When the Dawn-paint mixture "accidentally" goes someplace it's not supposed to, squeeze a wet washcloth over it and scrub a little. The exfoliant goes to work on the paint from the inside-out. You'll get it clean in no time!
• Baby wipes will remove just about any stain from clothes. I have no idea how this works, but trust me, it does. It will even take motor oil out of a white t-shirt.
• There are 4058+ uses for vinegar. Among them is removing film from glass. It smells horrible though. Windex now has a version of glass cleaner with vinegar in it. It works great.
• A not-so-commonly-known use for vinegar is this: If you're sickly with the cruddy stuff - you know - sinus drainage in your throat and chest and such, and if you're effected by the coughing so much that you're loosing your voice, then gargle with Apple-Cider Vinegar. It tastes horrible, and you will probably puke a lot. But it helps you get rid of the stuff you're choking on, and after you're finished, you'll instantly have your voice back and fell better.
• Once I spilled red Kool-Aide on a white rug. I poured about half of a bottle of the dollar store brand of Wool-lite on it, and the stain disappeared before my eyes! All I had to do after that was run the rug through the wash and it was as good as new!

Maybe some of these little tips will help you out during some of your most random moments. If you know any other tips... please share them with me!!!