Life is full of big, worrisome problems, but sometimes it’s the little things that annoy us. Here are six quick and brilliant solutions to a few of life’s smaller vexations.
- Knife Gone Dull? How frustrating, especially without a sharpening stone at hand! But the bottoms of most ceramic coffee mugs have a flat, unglazed ring that is the perfect surface for a quick sharpening. Flip over the mug, run the blade across the non-glazed ring a few times, and presto! Your knife is sharp again.
- Lost an Earring on Plush Carpeting? Use a rubber band to securely fasten a nylon stocking to the business end of a vacuum hose. Then, turn on the vacuum, run it over the general area and voila! The missing earring will attach itself to the nylon.
- Sweeping Up Broken Glass? You know how annoying it is to get the last of it swept up past that last little line into the dustpan. Tape the front of the dustpan to the floor with blue painter’s tape to seal and cover the gap, and sweep away. No residue will be left on the floor.
- Dusty Lampshades? Dusting them with a cloth just doesn’t do it, but a lint roller gently rolled over the surface of the shade will neatly and handily do the job.
- Dripped Paint on the Carpet? Pour some denatured alcohol onto a neutral-colored rag and scrub away. The drops of paint will disappear before your eyes.
- No Tinder for the Fireplace? Collect the dryer lint from your clothes dryer, stuff it into empty toilet paper tubes and you’ll never be without an efficient fire starter.