Everyday Items with Different Usages
There are undoubtedly many items sitting around your house that you can use for purposes they were never intended for. You might think that fruit is only for eating, but it can serve other purposes when necessary. The same holds true for “dirty” water and sour milk. Even deodorant, aspirin and batteries can be utilized in different ways to accomplish some goals.
Below is a list of seven ways to improve conditions in and around your home with common, ordinary items you probably already have:
— Batteries will last longer if you store them in the refrigerator, and they’ll get an extra energy boost if you place them in direct sunlight before using them.
— Take away the itch from small insect bites by forming a paste with a crushed aspirin and water, and applying it to the area.
— Deodorant soap bars hung on trees and bushes can keep a variety of critters from eating fruit and berries growing on them.
— If you place fresh coffee grounds in an open container and put it in your refrigerator, it will help take away unpleasant odors.
— House plants are negatively affected by dust and smoke, but you can rejuvenate the cells in their leaves by cleaning them with sour milk.
— The next time you change the water from a fish aquarium, instead of pouring the old water down the drain, use it to water your house and garden plants. Marine life waste contains nutrients your plants can appreciate.
— Cut-up apples can remove wood and cigarette smoke from confined areas, even after they’ve turned brown.
What other items that you have around your house have you used for alternative purposes and how has that worked out for you? Our readers would love to know.
When repotting plants, put a coffee filter in the bottom of the pot first before adding soil. It will allow drainage, and the dirt will not drain out of the holes in the floor of the pot.
Another use for coffee filters: Wet and wring out coffee filter and put it on top of anything you want to microwave. A wet filter keeps from drifting off the food during the microwaving process. It can even be tucked around the edges of the microwavable container.
Before relocating to Florida, I used to live in an apartment complex that allowed its tenants to beautify their space….I had fish tanks and used the “fishy” water to water my flowers…..They grew unbelievably beautiful!
You can take human hair from a hair brush or after a haircut and place it on and around fruit trees to deter deer and maybe even other animals.
Will the plants appreciate turtle tank water, as well as fish tank water?
Be careful with turtle water. Turtles can carry salmonella which can easily transfer to humans. I’d keep that water away from my edibles
The aspirin paste works as an effective topical painkiller, as well as reducing itch. Though dentists claim it should not be used for toothaches (because of tissue damage, supposedly), I have used it several times with no problems., The tough part often is getting the paste (or even a piece of the aspitin pill) into the correct spot. Clove oil may be better, but if yoiu don’t have any other means to kill the pain, it’s well worth considering. Also works, to some extent, on surface wounds and cuts.
BAKING SODA WORKS ALSO FOR SMELLY REFEGERATORS.
I see no way, physically, that apples can remove smoke particles from the air, though there fruity smell mask some of the odor.
If you want something that will absorb odor particles from the air, use baking sosa — though I think its effectiveness is somewhat overblown. ,
correction: should be: “…their fruity smell may mask some of the odor.”
and
“baking SODA,” of course.
A small/large bowl of vinegar and a bowl of water will clean odors in rooms and refrigerators.
coffee grounds can also be put in your garden, it acts as a great fertilizer.
Coffee grounds also helps to keep some of those nasty critters like snails and leaf eaters from eating your vegetables. Coffee grounds are the preferred food for worms. If you have a compost pile just toss your coffee grounds in and the worms will thank you for it.
Yes coffee grounds are great in the garden,… BUT ONLY after they have been USED to make coffee, to remove the acidity of the grounds. UN used coffee grounds have an acidity level that will harm most plants.
Batteries should NOT be stored in a refrigerator or freezer unless first sealed in a vacuum package. The condensation from frig and freezer doors opening and closing will actually shorten battery life. There is also some research that shows simply sealing batteries (i.e. foodsaver) and storing in cool dry area will provide longest storage life.
I seal my batteries but rotate my stores regularly.
When you find that your batteries of low on power; if you put them in the oven at 200 degrees for about five minutes you will get an extra boost in output. This would be a one time shot and you have to be careful not to leave them in too long or they may explode or become to hot to handle.
SPEND THE MONEY AND BY LITUN ION BATTERY’S. YOU CANN BUT A BATTERY CHARGER THAT CHARGES AKLINE AND LEAD ACID AND LITUIN ION.