I suppose you could say my obsession with tips began many years into my marriage. As I got busier and busier with life, I realized that there must be better and faster ways to do things and began my journey to collect tips and tricks. I just love a good idea—and easier and faster ways to do things—and can’t wait to share these with my friends and family. Here are some more of my favorites.
It’s so annoying buying stuff with those sticky labels on them. Try this little trick to easily remove them: Just stick the article in water with some OxyClean and the stickies will float right up to the surface!! The residual glue can be removed with vegetable oil.
Any mom knows that babies come with baby wipes—lots of tubs of baby wipes. Those tubs can make fantastic storage. I also use the baby wipe containers for small toy pieces that are floating all over my house. I use them to corral vitamin and pill bottles as well. You can also decorate the containers with spray glue and fabric if you are ambitious and like a “dressed up” look where you can showcase it on the bathroom counter. I also like to use them in the laundry room for dryer sheets.
I put a dryer sheet into my cholent pot Saturday night. By Sunday morning, the gook is all easily washable. Miraculous!!!! You can also use dryer sheets to remove static electricity from things such as clothing, TV screens, or your own hair. Tame fly away strands by running a dryer sheet over them. When I am out of static guard, I use this trick and it works!!! A sheitel macher once told me to use static guard directly on sheitels; that works great, too!
You can take really nice picture frames, paint them (or leave them their original color) and put decorative sheets of paper inside. Then you can put your desserts or kugels on them as a gorgeous Shabbos presentation. Additionally, you can just buy a flat mirror to do the same.
Use those large plastic medicine daily dose containers to put in scrapbook pieces or beads. They are great for just about any type of small things you need to keep organized. They sell these in the dollar stores all the time.
Keep two marshmallows in your brown sugar bag to keep the sugar soft.
Have old puzzle pieces? Just hot glue magnetic tape on them and they make great magnets for bulletin boards—so cute in kids’ rooms or just about anywhere.
This is always worth repeating as I just did this last week: To get the built-up residue off your shower head, tie a baggy of vinegar around a shower head. Leave it there overnight, and it will clean everything off with little work.
To make your challah dough rise faster, put your dough pan on top of a heating pad. Works like a charm.
A cute pair of shoes are worthless if you can’t actually wear them! I’m definitely guilty of that; I have a closet full of shoes that I rarely ever wear. Here’s an easy trick to stretch out your shoes a bit! Fill a couple of good quality zip lock baggies half full with water, seal them with most of the air out, and then place them in your shoes over night in the freezer. Repeat if needed.
Use soda tabs (aka pop tops) to hang a second hanger from the first hanger. This gives you so much more hanging space in your closet.
Use a cereal canister as a trash can for the car…Perfect size and gets the job done!!!
Do you have necklaces that have knots in them? No problem… Untangle it with this no-sweat trick: Sprinkle a bit of baby powder over the knot to help loosen it; then use a pin to finish off the job.
This is probably my most favorite tip of all time!! Everyone always asks me where I buy my large bowl covers and they are shocked to find out they are really shower caps. I use shower caps for covering casserole dishes and salad dishes. I buy them at the dollar store by the dozens and use them all the time. Do not try to use them in the microwave b/c they do not let heat in. Shower caps become the perfect wrapper for shoes when traveling, preventing them from dirtying clothes packed in your suitcase
I make truffles all the time with leftover cookies and cake crumbs and store them with ease in empty egg cartons. They stack beautifully in the freezer.
To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.
Having a BBQ? Just put all your condiments into a muffin tin and bring them out to the table in one shot. Or you can use the muffin tin as a drink holder and bring out multiple drinks at one time as well. Muffin tins are also an excellent way to cook stuffed peppers. They stand upright and are so easy to work with.
Hate those plastic packages that are like Fort Knox and you cannot open them with ease? Try using a can opener along the sides…Should work very well.
Sometimes I can’t find a long match to light my candles especially on a yom tov when I need to light from a light. No problem. I just use spaghetti—works like a charm.
I would love for you to share some of your favorite tips. Email me at [email protected]
By Gail Hochman
