• Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    

    MyThirtySpot

    When Girl Meets 30

  • Beauty
  • Fashion
  • Health
  • For The Home
    • Entertaining
  • Family
  • Life
    • Relationships
  • Travel
  • Love for Thirty Project
  • Shop

MyThirtySpot

When Girl Meets 30

24 Household Hacks to Make Life Easier

June 11, 2014 By Erin Kennedy Leave a Comment

Adhesive tape, painter’s tape, and lint rollers

  • Flower arrangement needing some stability? Use clear adhesive tape to make a small grid across the top of the vase to stabilize it.
  • Use it to clean the dust out of grooves on vacuum attachments.
  • Pick up glitter, sequins and scraps left behind from the kids’ art projects.


Chopsticks and toothpicks

  • Hang on to those spare chopsticks when you get takeout – they’ll come in handy for cleaning out the treads of your shoes when they get caked with mud (or things worse than mud).
  • For small houseplants that need a little extra support, chopsticks make great stakes.
  • Toothpicks can do way more than clean your chompers – they are great for unclogging everything from spice jars, to strainers, to your toddler’s Play Doh toys.
  • Mark the end on a roll of tape by wrapping a toothpick in it – so much easier than picking at it with your fingernail for ten minutes!

Plastic jugs and bottles

  • Cut a two liter bottle in half and the top makes a great funnel; the bottom is a terrific scoop for birdseed, sand, garden soil, etc.
  • If you need weights to hold down tarps or picnic blankets, bottles filled with water or sand are ideal.

Wine bottle corks

  • You can clean your scissors and knives without damaging them by using some lemon juice or cleanser on a wine cork. It keeps from scratching and dulling them.
  • Slice a cork into disks and attach them to the bottom of a planter to allow drainage; they can also be used under pots to protect surfaces.
  • Wrap a piece of fine sandpaper around an old cork and you’ve got a mini sanding block that perfect for touching up moldings.
  • To keep your photos and artwork hanging straight, attach thin strips of cork to the back with glue to create a good grip against wall.
  • If your cabinets have lost their corner pads (or never had them), slice a cork into thin circles and attach – you’ll have quiet doors again!
  • For safer knife storage, glue several corks together to make a strip and place it in a drawer; rest knives with the blades in the crevices to keep them sharp and protected.
  • Keep a few old corks soaking in a jar of rubbing alcohol or mineral spirits – drop a couple on the grill or fireplace to get the flames roaring quickly.

Salt

  • It can be used to dust wreaths and small fake plants. Place the plant in a paper bag with about ¼ cup salt and shake it gently to get the dust out of all the tiny crevices. It works amazingly!
  • Eradicate coffee and tea stains in mugs by sprinkling a little salt on a lemon peel and gently scrubbing.
  • To shine brass and copper, mix a few tablespoons of white vinegar with equal parts salt and flour to make a paste. Apply with a soft cloth, rinse, and dry.

Clear nail polish

  • Keep your glasses together! If the screws get loose, tighten them by topping with a tiny dollop of polish to keep them in place.
  • A thin layer of clear nail lacquer applied to the center of a button will help keep the threads loosening.
  • To keep can in the shower from leaving a rust ring, apply a thin coat of polish on the bottom and let it dry before use.
  • If you have a stubborn envelope that won’t seal shut, polish will do the trick. (Or, glue stick.)
  • Costume jewelry can lose its luster and shine easily and quickly; coat it with a layer of clear nail polish to extend its beautiful life.
Here is more info on saving your jewelry with nail polish. 

Filed Under: For The Home

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome

Erin Kennedy is the editor of My Thirty Spot, a lifestyle blog for sharing tips and stories for women in their 30s to live the best 30 lives we can. Read More →

Never miss a post!

Get the latest posts and articles sent straight to your inbox

  • Contact
  • Write for MTS
  • About
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 My Thirty Spot · Implemented by WPopt

Copyright © 2025

7ads6x98y
MENU
  • Beauty
  • Fashion
  • Health
  • For The Home
    • Entertaining
  • Family
  • Life
    • Relationships
  • Travel
  • Love for Thirty Project
  • Shop
Stop Taking Loans & Get Funded for Free with Grants!FREE Resource: 25 Grants That Help Women Entrepreneurs Get Funded

Get Your Free PDF now!

Click Here!

No thanks, I’m not interested!