A little salt added to the water when scrubbing willow furniture will give it a fresh appearance.

From The Almanack of 1910

Take the time to teach the girls to sew nicely. Lots of girls grow up without knowing a thing about such work. It is a shame, and they will be sorry some day that they do not know how to do this kind of work, and perhaps, blame you. Don’t let it be so.

Reprinted from The Almanack of 1960

USE PEROXIDE RATHER THEN BLEACH.

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

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

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 it directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.

Use peroxide to clean mirror. The result is no smearing.

WHO KNEW?

Ever try and pull some foil out and the entire roll comes out of the box? Then you have to put the roll back in the box and start over. Check this little known secret out. At each end of a Saran Wrap or a Reynolds foil box is written, ‘Press here to lock end’. Right there on each end of the box is a tab to lock the roll in place. How long has this little locking tab been there? Even most generic brands of wrap and aluminum foil have them, too.

A teaspoonful of cold water added to the white of an egg causes it to whip more quickly while increasing the quantity.

Cottage cheese will remain fresher longer if stored upside down in the refrigerator. This slows the effects of oxidation.

Make giant ice cubes in muffin tins or plastic margarine bowls. These are perfect for using in picnic coolers or punch bowls. Add food coloring and make them look pretty!

Place a slice of bread in hardened brown sugar to quickly soften it.

Transfer your jelly to a small plastic squeeze bottle. No more messy, sticky jars or knives. This also works well for homemade salad dressing.

To speed drying time of big bulky items and jeans, add a dry towel to the wet items you're placing in the dryer. The towel will help absorb excess moisture.

NEW USES FOR COFFEE FILTERS

Coffee filters can be put to good use any number of ways, such as:

Cover bowls or dishes with a coffee filter when cooking in the microwave. Not only does it absorb moister but it will also prevent splattering.

Their lint-free quality makes a coffee filter perfect for cleaning windows and mirrors. No streaking.

Protect fine china by placing a coffee filter in between plates, bowls, etc.

As a filter (other then for coffee!), use one to strain out broken cork from wine or turn old frying oil into fresh.

Hold messy foods like tacos or hot dogs and chili.

CLEANING TIPS

To clean really dirty work clothes (grease or mud), add two cups of ammonia to the wash. This helps break up all this dirt and gets the clothes much cleaner. To thoroughly clean your microwave, dissolve a spoonful of baking soda in a glass measuring cup filled with water, and then place the cup in your microwave and heat on full power for two minutes. The steam it creates will loosen any spills inside the oven and make them easy to wipe out.

Repair any tear in your ironing board cover economically by simply attaching iron-on patches over the tear.

To properly clean varnished woods like Mahogany, Walnut, Maple, Oak and Pine, remove all dust first. Prepare 1 quart boiling water, 3 tablespoons lemon oil and 1 tablespoon turpentine. Dip cheesecloth in and wring out well. Wash a small area and then wipe immediately with dry cheesecloth. Carvings may be cleaned with soft brush with this solution.

NEW USES FOR OLD SPRAY BOTTLES

Don’t throw out those empty spray bottles. Instead, wash thoroughly, label and reuse in one of the following ways:

• Add water and several drops of lemon or orange essential and use to cover up smelly trash odors.
• Fill with water to mist plants.
• Mix a solution of half vinegar and half water in the bottle and store with paper towels in your car to clean dirty windows.

Add 5 drops of lavender essential oil to 32 ounces of water and mix in one of those spray bottles you saved. Spray lawn furniture and picnic area for a bug-free afternoon or evening.

CLEANING THE TABLECLOTH

To get rid of candle wax from a tablecloth, try these two techniques:

For small drips or spills, iron the over the affected are with a large piece of a brown paper bag. Iron the paper with an iron set at a low temperature until the wax is absorbed into the paper.

For larger spills, first let the wax harden. A quick way to do this is to put it in the freezer. Then scrape it off the tablecloth with a dull knife. Place paper towels on both sides of the stain and set the iron on the warm setting, then iron over the stained area. Change the towels often to absorb all of the wax.

To clean up gravy, spoon it up as fast as you can. Sprinkle artificial sweetener or flour over the stained area to absorb the grease. Put the tablecloth into a sink and soak in a mixture of one teaspoon of a mild, colorless detergent with each cup of lukewarm water for at least 20 minutes. Then wash as usual and let air dry—don’t put in the dryer.

To eliminate grime and soap scum, wash plastic shower curtain and liners with a bath towel or two for scrubbing action, along with the usual amount of detergent. Then place in the dryer or hang to dry.

To get rid of roaches, mix half boric acid powder and half sugar or cornmeal or flour. Put in lids or small containers and place in the areas where you see roaches. They will track it back to their nests and eventually they will die.

Save time and never lose a sock with this handy tip. Keep some safety pins by the washing machine and use them to pin the toes of the socks together so you can easily match them when dried.

To keep butter from sliding around on the butter dish, heat the dish with hot tap water, dry off and then put the butter stick on the dish and then into the refrigerator. This will melt just a little of the butter which will then quickly harden when placed in the fridge anchoring the butter to the plate.

Get rid of those pesky fruit flies around the house without using harmful chemicals. Use one of the spray bottles you are recycling and fill with rubbing alcohol Adjust the spray head so that it sprays a fine mist. When you spray the fruit files, the rubbing alcohol will not kill them but it will knock them out so that they fall onto the floor where you can sweep them up.

When small "pills" develop on cotton clothing, use a rough piece of steel wool, run it over the material softly and they will magically disappear without harming the delicate material.

Add about one tablespoon of cornstarch to about a third of a gallon of lukewarm water. Wet and a rag or squeegee, remove excessive water and wipe down glass as if using regular glass cleaner. Dry with either a soft cloth or paper towel.

To get blood out of ANY fabric, use hydrogen peroxide. Apply it directly to the stain and toss in the washer.

If you are troubled with silverfish, try placing whole cloves in closets and drawers.