TIPical Mary Ellen host Mary Ellen Pinkham shares some handy tips for household maintenance.
- To guard against falling dust when drilling overhead, cut a rubber ball in half, drill a hole in the center and push the drill through the hole (figure A).
- Always wear a mask when working with chemicals. A bandana tied around the face makes a good mask.
- Filter the lumps out of old paint by using pantyhose. Cut the foot off the hose, slip it around the edge of the paint can and pour the paint into a tray (figure B). For a larger can of paint, put the hose over a funnel and pour the paint through the funnel. Discard the pantyhose after use.
- To keep a steam iron clean and steaming right along, always use distilled water in the iron. Otherwise, mineral deposits will build up in the iron, causing it to eventually stop producing steam.
- Mineral deposits can be cleaned out with white vinegar. Fill the iron with vinegar and set it to steam. Let the iron sit until all the vinegar has steamed out, but do not leave the iron unattended. Rinse the iron with clean distilled water after the vinegar has evaporated.
- Clean grease stains off a car's floor mats by using a silicon spray. Rub the stain out with a towel, then spray with high-pressure water. Hang the mat to dry.
- To clear up the tangled mess of cables behind a computer or stereo, cut the coiled cord off an old telephone and use the cord to wrap the wires and keep them organized.
- Another way to contain the cables is by using a segment of plastic tubing or even an old cardboard paper-towel tube.
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