Clean Your Dishwasher with Lemonade Kool-Aid
Original Purpose: Quenching your thirst.
Aha! Use: Cleaning lime deposits and iron stains inside the dishwasher. Pour a packet of lemonade Kool-Aid (the only flavor that works) into the detergent cup and run the dishwasher while empty.
Reward: The citric acid in the mix wipes out stains, so you don't have to.
Use Eggshells to Clean Bottles and Vases
Original Purpose: Playing a central role in the chicken-and-egg debate.
Aha! Use: Cleaning the hard-to-reach places in bottles and vases. Drop some crushed shells in the bottle, add warm water and a drop of dishwashing liquid, and give it a good swirl.
Reward: Shells that scrape off the gunk you can't get to, so you can save your elbow grease for the dinner dishes.
Use WD-40 to Remove Crayon Marks
Original Purpose: Greasing a squeaky wheel.
Aha! Use: Removing crayon from almost any surface: plastic, metal, TV screens, freshly painted walls. Just apply a small amount and rub away with a clean cloth.
Reward: The living room won't look like a romper room after Sammy's visit.
Remove Adhesive with Mayonnaise
Original Purpose: Key tuna-salad ingredient.
Aha! Use: Adhesive remover that banishes old stickers from mirrors, glass, and bumpers. Apply a generous helping to persistent adhesives and coax off with a flexible putty knife.
Reward: Unstick sticky surfaces without the noxious fumes of the commercial stuff.
Laundry Bag as Dishwasher Item Saver
Original Purpose: Saving delicate unmentionables from getting stretched in the spin cycle.
Aha! Use: Keeping mini Tupperware lids, baby-bottle caps, and other small items from falling through the dishwasher rack.
Reward: No more diving for treasure on the floor of the dishwasher.
Slow Silver Tarnishing with Chalk
Original Purpose: Drawing the lines for a rousing game of hopscotch.
Aha! Use: Slowing the tarnish on your good silver. Tie up a few moisture-absorbing pieces in cheesecloth and store them with your cutlery.
Reward: Shinier flatware that reflects well on you in no time flat.
