Monday, April 5, 2010

Let's Not Forget This Simple Tool...!


I'll bet that a lot of us have some of this wonderful and useful stuff around!

It's like the duct tape of your pantry! Very useful in cooking, but did you know about all the other wonderful tings you could do with it?

Let the Hermit tell you just a few, if you don't mind...!

Dry shampoo
Fido needs a bath, but you just don't have time. Rub cornstarch into his coat and brush it out. The dry bath will fluff up his coat until it's tub time.

Untangle knots
Knots in string or shoelaces can be stubborn to undo, but the solution is easy. Sprinkle the knot with a little cornstarch. It will then be easy to work the segments apart.

Soak up furniture polish residue

You've finished polishing your furniture, but there's still a bit left on the surface. Sprinkle cornstarch lightly on furniture after polishing. Wipe up the oil and cornstarch, then buff the surface.

Remove ink stains from carpet

Oh no, ink on the carpet! In this case a little spilt milk might save you from crying. Mix the milk with cornstarch to make a paste. Apply the paste to the ink stain. Allow the concoction to dry on the carpet for a few hours, then brush off the dried residue and vacuum it up.

Give carpets a fresh scent

Before vacuuming a room, sprinkle a little cornstarch on your carpeting. Wait about half an hour and then vacuum normally.

Make your own paste

The next time the kids want to go wild with construction paper and paste, save money by making the paste yourself. Mix 3 teaspoons corn-starch for every 4 teaspoons cold water. Stir until you reach a paste consistency. This is especially great for applying with fingers or a wooden tongue depressor or Popsicle stick. If you add food coloring, the paste can be used for painting objects.

Make finger paints
This simple recipe will keep the kids happy for hours. Mix together 1/4 cup cornstarch and 2 cups cold water. Bring to a boil and continue boiling until the mixture becomes thick. Pour your product into several small containers and add food coloring to each container. You've created a collection of homemade finger paints.

Clean stuffed animals
To clean a stuffed animal toy, rub a little cornstarch onto the toy, wait about 5 minutes, and then brush it clean. Or place the stuffed animal (or a few small ones) into a bag. Sprinkle cornstarch into the bag, close it tightly, and shake. Now brush the pretend pets clean.

Separate marshmallows

Ever buy a bag of marshmallows only to find them stuck together? Here's how to get them apart: Add at least 1 teaspoon cornstarch to the bag and shake. The cornstarch will absorb the extra moisture and force most of the marshmallows apart. Repackage the remaining marshmallows in a container and freeze them to avoid sticking in future.

Lift a scorch mark from clothing
You moved the iron a little too slowly and now you have a scorch mark on your favorite shirt. Wet the scorched area and cover it with cornstarch. Let the cornstarch dry, then brush it away along with the scorch mark.

Remove grease spatters from walls
Even the most careful cook cannot avoid an occasional spatter. A busy kitchen takes some wear and tear but here's a handy remedy for that unsightly grease spot. Sprinkle cornstarch onto a soft cloth. Rub the grease spot gently until it disappears.

Get rid of bloodstains
The quicker you act, the better. Whether it's on clothing or table linens, you can remove or reduce a bloodstain with this method. Make a paste of cornstarch mixed with cold water. Cover the spot with the cornstarch paste and rub it gently into the fabric. Now put the cloth in a sunny location to dry. Once dry, brush off the remaining residue. If the stain is not completely gone, repeat the process.

Polish silver
Is the sparkle gone from your good silverware? Make a simple paste by mixing cornstarch with water. Use a damp cloth to apply this to your silver-ware. Let it dry, then rub it off with cheesecloth or another soft cloth to reveal that old shine.

Make windows sparkle

Create your own streak-free window cleaning solution by mixing 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 1/2 cup ammonia and 1/2 cup white vinegar in a bucket containing 3-4 quarts (3-4 liters) warm water. Don't be put off by the milky concoction you create. Mix well and put the solution in a trigger spray bottle. Spray on the windows, then wipe with a warm-water rinse. Now rub with a dry paper towel or lint-free cloth. Voilá!

Say good riddance to roaches
There's no delicate way to manage this problem. Make a mixture that is 50 percent plaster of Paris and 50 percent cornstarch. Spread this in the crevices where roaches appear. It's a killer recipe.

From Extraordinary Uses for Ordinary Things


Maybe we should all consider adding a little extra cornstarch to our pantry supplies...just in case, ya know? Just a thought!

Now, my friends, let's get some fresh coffee and sit out on the patio! Seems to be pleasant enough today!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cool beans - Thank You HermitJim! Lotsa great uses from a simple to find pantry item.

Anonymous said...

Wow! I thought baking soda solved all of the world's problems but I guess I was wrong. The next time I head to Costco I'll pick up some corn starch. Great tips! Thanks! Keep up the fantastic work!

Momlady said...

Good stuff! Isn't it amazing what one can do the "old-fashion" way with what is in the pantry!

JoJo said...

Good Morning My Special One, great tips. I am always spilling something so I sure can and will use these tip.
Heading for home today :( I never like going home.
Have a great day and hugs to you.

Catman said...

Remove bloodstains.....hehehe

Now you're talking!

HermitJim said...

Hey Anon 5:56...
Always glad to share with my friends! Amazing what we can learn with a little research, isn't it?

I sure do thank you for coming by today!


Hey Anon 7:25...
We have so many things in our pantry that we don't know all the uses for! If we did, we would realize just how prepared we really are!

Thanks for coming by today!


Hey Momlady...
Sometimes older is really better! Pretty amazing stuff, huh?

I'm glad you could come by today!


Hey JoJo...
Just think! Someday, if you want...you can take off and stay gone just as long as you want!

Heck, you could do that now, Sweetie!

I sure am glad you came by today!


Hey Catman...
Never can tell when that might come in handy, right?

Better to be ready, just in case!

Thanks, buddy, for dropping in!

Rae said...

Lots of good ideas. I am going to give a few of them a try.
And it works to put some in bath water to soothe itchy skin from poison ivy too.

HermitJim said...

Hey Rae...
I didn't know that about the soaking in the bath to relieve an itching...

Glad you could drop by today!

TEAM HALL said...

Well Jim, I've printed this one out too! Into the home management binder it goes....

Hope you had a lovely day...wild winds here today.
Cath

HermitJim said...

Hey Cath...
Glad you could get some use out of it.

Winds have died down here, thank goodness!

Hey, thanks for coming by!