Homekeeping Tips
TIPical Mary Ellen : Episode TIP-1011 -- More Projects »
Field reporter Joe Lovitt shares some of his favorite homekeeping tips.
- Place large colored dot stickers on food items in the refrigerator or cupboard that should not be eaten (figure A).
- Store out-of-season clothes in your suitcases.
- Cover the ice in a camping cooler with heavy duty aluminum foil to help it last longer.
- Place a thick cutting board underneath a tablecloth on a buffet table to serve as a hot pad.
- Put some dish soap on a cloth and wipe the outside of pots and pans before you use them at a campfire. This will make it easier to wipe the soot off the outside of the pan.
- Placing masking tape on the back of sandpaper pieces will make the sandpaper last six to eight times longer.
To keep pasta hot on a buffet table, place the bowl of pasta in a large roaster filled with hot water (figure B).Remove shoulder dimples on a shirt by spraying with water and drying with a hair dryer.Turn your clothes inside out before washing/drying them. It will help keep colors from fading and keep sweaters from "napping up."
If you have to wait a few minutes before serving pasta, put a couple tablespoons of pasta sauce on the pasta instead of just letting it sit (figure C). That will keep it from sticking together.Add a little cinnamon (about a tablespoon per gallon) to your favorite chili recipe. It will give it a uniquely spicy taste, and your guests will wonder what you did to get that flavor.
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