Things my Grandma should have told me

Each month, we receive a newsletter from our MN realtor, Tom. This newsletter is usually filled with tidbits of information - such as what consumer products are on sale that month, seasonal recipes, gardening tips, etc.

One particular section I find most intresting, is the article titled, "Things my Grandma should have told me." Some of the mentioned advice has been told to me from one of my (many) grandmothers, other parts is brand new to me.

Here are a few of my favorites from the November and December issues:

• A bag of sand or kitty litter should stay in your trunk during the winter; sprinkle it on each side of each wheel to gain traction in a pinch
• You can often loosen a rusted bolt by applying a cloth soaked in any carbonated beverage
• Use a melon baller to scoop olves from a jar or can (drains the juice w/o damaging olives)
• Cloves on pantry shelves will exterminate ants
• Periodically run ice cubes through your garbage disposal; it helps shake up and loosen any built-up grease
• Wrap bananas individually in foil and refridgerate to retain color and flavor
• Preserve freshness of cut flowers by dipping stems in hot water so they expand and absorb more moisture; add a few drops of oil of cloves to the water; or add one tablespoon of sugar to the water
• Acid vinegar makes a good preventative wash for areas where mildew might form
• Remove grass stains from clothing by first rubbing corn syrup lightly into the stains, then wash garment as usual

Learn something new? Me too! As my dad always says, you learn something new everyday!

One new cleaning solution I have been doing lately is sprinkling baking soda into toilet bowls, let sit then brush away for a quick, inexpensive way to sparkling fresh toilets. 

What tricks do you have up your sleeve?