Great Ideas...Cool Tips (Part 1)

For the next few posts on the Great Idea Series, I will be posting some cool tips for everyday uses of ordinary items that you already have in your home.  When you read these, and you know some other uses for these items...be sure to leave a comment and let us all know what they are.  (as a side note...please encourage your friends to check out the site and join it)  If you have just been coming and reading...I'm so thankful for you, and I ask that you join as well...I want this to have a real community feel to it!  Enjoy the tips!

Toothpaste

1. Remove Crayon marks.  Squirt a small dab of non gel toothpaste on the wall where the mark is .  Rub gently with a soft cloth, then rinse with warm water.
2. Deodorize hands. Can't get garlic or onion odor off your hands?  Wash them with a blob of toothpaste.
3. Whiten Sneakers.  Clean rubber soles by rubbing scuff marks with an old tooth brush and non gel toothpaste.
4. Buff a DVD.  Get rid of light scratches by squeezing a little non gel toothpaste onto a cotton ball.  Wipe over the DVD from the center out to the edge.  Rinse with water and dry with a non abrasive, lint free cloth.
5. Defog goggles.  Coat the inside of swimming goggles with toothpaste, then wipe off.
   

Nail Polish

1. Secure a screw.  Tighten loose screws on cabinets or pot handles by brushing some clear nail polish on screw threads.  Insert screw and let dry before using again. (Bonus...polish also keeps them from rusting)
2. Stop Tarnish.  Keep costume jewelry from turning black with a coat of clear polish.
3. Seal an envelope.  Worried about whether the glue will hold?  Brush polish on the underside of the flap.
4. Mend a screen.  Stop a small hole (no bigger than 1/3 inch in diameter) from getting any bigger by brushing a little clear nail polish over the spot.
5. Smooth a hanger.  If there are rough edges on wooden or plastic hangers that could snag clothes, don't throw the hangers out.  Just brush polish over nails. 
   

Rubber Bands

1. Identify a bottle.  Wrap a rubber band around a shampoo bottle and you'll be able to tell it's not conditioner, even if your eyes are filled with suds.
2. Neaten thread.  Keep spools of thread from unraveling by wrapping them with a rubber band.
3. Hold a lid.  Prevent a potluck disaster - secure the lid of a dish by stretching a band over the top.
4. Grip a tool.  Wrap a rubber band around the handle of a hammer or screwdriver for a firmer grip.
5. Extend your pants.  Hook a rubber band through the button hole and secure the other side to the button for an extra half-inch breathing room.
   

Tape

1. Protect Your Wall.  Put a small piece on the spot where you're going to hammer in a nail.  This keeps paint from chipping.
2. Tame Scratchy Clothes.  Annoyed by a shirt label rubbing the back of your neck?  Tape down the label so it lies flat.
3. Save a button.  If threads are becoming loose, put a small piece over them to hold the button in place.
4. Unstick Plastic Wrap.  Can't find the end of the roll?  Lift it up with a piece touched to the edge.
5. Steady a candle.  Fit it snugly in the holder by wrapping a few layers around the bottom to secure it.