All people would like to save, especially when it comes to improving their homes. Below there are some handy hints using daily items to save money that everyone can check out.
1. Use a Ceramic Mug as a Sharpening Stone
If you find yourself in need of sharpening a utility knife, pocket blade, or scissors and don’t have access to a sharpening stone, you can simply flip over a ceramic coffee mug and use the outer edge of the bottom, the non-glazed part, as an emergency sharpening stone. This isn’t a perfect solution for continually sharpening your blades, but if you need to quickly sharpen and clean up the edge of a blade this method will do in a pinch.
2. Zip-Tie to the Rescue
When bathroom sinks get clogged, you don’t have to go out and buy chemicals. Instead, use a long zip tie. Cut several notches on the zip tie’s end. It’ll hook the hair clog, allowing you to pull it out.
3. See Out of Your Windshield Better
When you’re behind the wheel, nothing is more crucial than good visibility. Windshield wipers are notorious for drying out and cracking in a short time. To help prolong their life and clean them, soak a clean white rag with glass cleaner. Wipe the rag up and down the length of your wiper blades.
3. Bring Dead Markers Back to Life
To bring your permanent marker back to life, simply remove the back from the maker. This will be different for each brand of permanent marker; for Sharpies simply remove the back nib. Next, deposit a few drops of isopropyl rubbing alcohol onto the felt material inside. Shake the marker a bit to ensure the rubbing alcohol is absorbed. It’s the solvent that the ink is mixed with that dries out first, making the pigment unable to flow. Once the felt absorbs the rubbing alcohol for a couple of minutes, the marker will be practically good as new.
5. Zip-Tie Phone Stand
When referencing DIY plans or a recipe, most of us use our phones to display images or instructional videos. The only problem with this method is that our phones don’t prop themselves up, making it difficult to see the screen while working.
You can make a smartphone stand out of just about anything these days, but it doesn’t get much simpler than looping zip ties around your phone (two on each side). All you have to do is tighten the zip ties until they are snug to the phone with the zip-tie heads facing down and near the edge of your phone. Now you can watch or read without having to hold it in your hands the whole time.
6. DIY Emergency Candle
Every home usually has a stick of butter and extra toilet paper lying around. And coincidentally you can make an emergency candle using just those two materials. First, cut a stick of butter in half, each half should burn for about four hours. (You may have to relight it a couple of times.)
Next, cut a toilet paper square into four squares. Now fold one square diagonally and twist. Make a hole in the stick of butter to the base with a toothpick and place the wick inside. Rub the top of the wick in the butter for starter fuel. Now light.
You can also wrap the toilet paper wick around a toothpick so it does not fold over as the emergency candle burns. So maybe this isn’t the most practical way to add light to your home in the case of an emergency. But it will work in a pinch and it’s a fun party trick!
7. How to Make Your Own Ice Pack
Ice packs are a great way to keep your lunch cool, but they’re a bit expensive if you’re in the habit of losing them. This DIY ice pack hack is reusable, so it is good for the environment.
8. The Miracle of a Walnut!
Furniture gets beat up over time, but you don’t have to live with the unsightly scratches. In fact, you can remove years of damage with a simple snack food: walnuts. Simply rub a walnut over a scratch in wood several times. Then, with your fingers rub the scratched area. This will help the wood absorb the oil from the nut. Lastly, use a soft cloth to buff the area. Now the scratch is sealed and gone.
9. Pool Noodle Wrist Rest
Keep your wrists from getting fatigued during a long day at the computer by making this pool noodle wrist rest. First mark where you want to cut the noodle. For the wrist rest shown, we made the height slightly less than half of the full noodle diameter. (You could cut the noodle exactly in half and make two equally sized wrist rests.)
Use a utility knife to slice the pool noodle lengthwise at the marks; then pull the pieces apart. Clean up any areas along with the cuts and then place one of the pieces flat-side-down in front of your keyboard.
10. Use Soft Socks to Clean Blinds
No need for a special tool to give your window blinds a deep cleaning, just slip a soft (and clean!) sock onto your hand. Your hand is the perfect tool for wiping over, through and under the blinds to get every nook and cranny that collects dust. Spray a bit of all-purpose cleaner onto the sock for added disinfecting umph.
11. Quick Smartphone Speaker
Use a small piece of pottery or a bowl to amplify the sound produced by your smartphone. You can create a quick speaker on your desk at work or in your living room at home by simply placing your smartphone (speaker side down) in a container made of ceramic, plastic, or other hard material. The sound will bounce off the hard bottom surface and amplify it throughout the surrounding area. It’s great for watching videos without headphones or playing music when hosting a party.
12. Wine Cork Wobbly Table Fix
Have a table with a wobbly leg? First, make sure that the legs are secure: tighten any loose brackets or screws or re-glue any loose joints. If that doesn’t fix the wobbles, try this solution. Using a synthetic wine bottle cork (natural cork crumbles over time), mark the amount of space between the wobbly leg and the floor. Then use a utility knife to slice off the amount of cork needed to brace the leg. Use hot glue to adhere the piece of cork in place.
13. Wine Box Shoe Storage
Why pay for a fancy compartment-style shoe storage container when you can just pick one up for free at almost any store that sells wine? Designed to protect fragile glass bottles, a wine box is perfect for storing footwear because it comes equipped with cardboard dividers—a place for each shoe! In addition, the exterior cardboard is very sturdy.
14. DIY Lint Fire Starter Log
To properly build a fire, you need to have tinder (easy-lighting material), kindling (finger-size sticks) and fuel (logs). We all have a readily available supply of tinder: dryer lint! To make fire starters, stuff empty toilet paper tubes with dryer lint. Dryer lint “logs” light quickly and easily burn long enough to light up the kindling. And you don’t have to resort to lighter fluid or expensive starter logs.
15. Homemade Heating Pad
Next time you have a sore neck or back, don’t head to the store for an electric heating pad. Instead, fill a sock with uncooked rice, tie the end and microwave it for two or three minutes. It will conform to whatever body part needs heat. You can even put in some fragrant herbs like cinnamon or lavender to make it smell nice.
