Author: Bruce and Jeanne Lubin
Bruce Lubin and Jeanne Bossolina-Lubin are the proud parents of three boys and more than a dozen books. After saving thousands per year using everyday tips and simple lifehacks, they started their own business in the hopes of sharing their knowledge with others. They have been known to go into their friends' refrigerators to turn their eggs upside down so that they last longer.
Baking soda Easy DIY jewelry cleaner Baking soda mixed with hydrogen peroxide is a great cleaner for lots of household objects, and it’s also a safe and effective cleaner when it comes to cleaning gold, silver, and costume jewelry. For best results, make a by adding drops of hydrogen peroxide to the baking soda, then rub gently on your jewelry. Rinse off and wipe dry. It gets rid of dirt, grime, and body oils, and leaves your gold and silver sparkling. Quick and easy way to clean silver jewelry If your silver jewelry is starting to look a little dull or needs polishing,…
Super-Power Your Potpourri If there’s a bad odor in your bathroom, your potpourri has to work overtime. Hide a charcoal briquette in your potpourri bowl and it will absorb foul odors. Not only that, it will absorb moisture, which will help stop mold and mildew build-up in the bathroom (just make sure to use briquettes that haven’t been soaked in lighter fluid). Then, you can enjoy the beautiful scent of your potpourri even more. See also: The Secret to a Clean Bathroom Use Vodka to Keep Potpourri’s Scent Longer As we told you in our podcast on getting rid of…
Can the corns and calluses Painful corns and ugly calluses can put a cramp in your style, especially in the summer. Flatten them with this easy tip. All you need are bandages, petroleum jelly, and an emery board. Every night before you go to sleep rub a little petroleum jelly on the corn or callus and cover with a bandage. Then, in the morning, file gently with the emery board. Repeat the process every day until they’re gone, usually in about 10–14 days, and make sure not to use the emery board for any other purpose, like filing your nails.…
Keep Raccoons, Skunks, and Possums Out of Your Yard Besides being pesky mammals, raccoons, skunks, and possums have something in common—they hate light. Keep the outside of your home well-lit, and they’ll stay way. This is also a good tip if you have a dog: Make sure you turn on the light before you let your dog out in the yard at night, and give skunks and other creatures time to amble away. How to Keep Animals Out of Your Trash To keep raccoons, possums, skunks, or other critters out of your garbage, regularly spray the side of your cans…
Best Baking Soda Substitute Besides baking soda, a number of other kitchen items are capable of removing odors. Our favorite? Vanilla extract! Pour a little vanilla extract into a shallow bowl or bottle cap and set in the refrigerator to absorb odors and make your fridge smell great each time you open it. Deodorize Your Fridge or Freezer Add a shallow bowl of freshly ground coffee, uncovered, to your freezer. Leave for a few days and any funky odors will disappear. You can even reuse the coffee grounds you used to make your coffee this morning! Vanquish Smells with Vinegar…
What to do if your nonstick pan sticks Why do nonstick pans start sticking in the first place? For the most part, coated pots and pans are easy to keep clean, but they do get stains and scratches, and over time, grease and other tiny food particles may build up in these areas, making them sticky. This will adversely affect the efficiency of the nonstick surface. Luckily, all you have to do to greatly improve this problem is to thoroughly clean and re-season any stained and scratched areas. To do so, simply mix 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons baking soda,…
Quick Fix for Dark Spots If you have dark spots on your skin and you want them gone now, try this trick that works especially well on elbows: Halve a lemon, then sprinkle salt on one of the cut sides. Rub it on the spot (or, if it’s your elbow, just jab it right into the lemon half!) to exfoliate and lighten. Yogurt and Parsley Mask This mask will reduce the look of age spots and prevent new ones from forming! Mix together 2 tablespoons of sour cream or Greek yogurt with a teaspoon of chopped parsley. Once or twice…
Little bit of lemon (or vinegar) To help clear out clogged pores, simply dab some lemon juice right on your pimples. The acid will help dissolve the oil that keeps them around. You can also use vinegar, but lemon juice smells nicer! An aspirin a day keeps acne away Did you know that the bottle of aspirin you’ve got at the back of your medicine cabinet is a powerful pimple popper? Aspirin is an anti-inflammatory drug, and its active ingredient is similar to salicylic acid, which is used to treat acne. To harness aspirin’s anti-acne properties, simply crush up a…
Foil Birds with Foil If birds or other critters are wreaking havoc on your garden, place strips of aluminum foil under the surface of the dirt and around any plants they’re bothering. They hate the feeling of it under their beaks (who wouldn’t?) and they’ll stay away. Keep Birds Away from Patios and Pools Foil can repel birds in another way, too. Hang strips of it (shiny party streamers work, too) from trees and other high points. Its flashiness in the sun bothers their eyes, and they won’t want to come near. If woodpeckers are bothering you, try hanging an…
Basic Athlete’s Foot Treatment To treat athlete’s foot, prepare a solution of water and white vinegar—one part white vinegar to four parts water; soak your feet for 20 to 30 minutes twice a day. (Yes, vinegar can do everything.) Then sprinkle some baking soda between your toes and rinse your feet after fifteen minutes. It is as effective as an expensive antifungal powder. Essential Oil Variation If you’re got some essential oils around the house, give this variation on the previous treatment a try. To a gallon of warm water, add ½ cup vinegar along with a few drops of…