Helpful Hints & Tips Archive

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Better Laundry Results

A tall clear glass bottle with a square base and a natural cork stopper on white.

When doing laundry, add 1 cup of white distilled vinegar to the final rinse cycle. It leaves towels fluffy, whites whiter, and colors more vibrant.

To remove skunk spray odor from skin, fur, or fabric, mix 1 quart 3% hydrogen peroxide, 1/4 cup baking soda, and a teaspoon of grease-cutting liquid dish soap. Work into the affected area with gloved hands, rinse, and reapply as needed.

Rainy Day Driving Tip

Silver car splashing through a deep puddle on a wet asphalt road during a heavy rain shower.

Experts recommend turning off cruise control if it’s raining or snowing. Cruise control may cause you to actually lose control in these conditions. If you hydroplane while you’re in cruise control, your car will actually go faster.

Easier Gutter Cleaning

For easier gutter cleaning, attach some PVC pipes to your leaf blower and then “blow” the gutters clean.

Don’t Let Your Tent Get Moldy Or Musty

Red and tan camping tent pitched on grass under a large leafy tree near the water.

Before packing your tent up for the season, put some clean kitty litter in a sock and tie it in a knot. Put it in the tent. This will help keep mold and mustiness away.

Homemade Bug Repellent

A mosquito positioned behind a red circle and slash prohibition symbol on a plain white background.

Use 1 big bottle of blue mouthwash, 3 cups of Epsom salt, and 3 stale beers. Mix together until salt dissolves. Place in spray bottle. Spray perimeter where you are sitting. (Do not spray on yourself!)

Drying Fresh Herbs

Dried green herbs fill a clear glass jar viewed from directly above against a white background.

To dry fresh herbs for use later, simply hang them upside down to dry, then bottle them in glass jars. Works well for thyme, parsley and oregano.

Save Time When Making Zucchini Bread

Grated zucchini with a raw egg in a bowl beside flour on a white wooden table.

Don’t Peel It! When making zucchini bread there’s no need to peel the zucchini. It will melt right in with the rest of the ingredients.

Zucchini Picking Best Practices

Five fresh green zucchinis rest inside a round woven basket placed on a bed of dry straw.

For best tasting homegrown zucchini wait until it’s 6-8 inches long, dark green & firm. Pick by grabbing the zucchini at fattest part and gently twisting it off the vine.

Preserving Fresh Berries

Frozen red raspberries covered in a light layer of white frost on a plain white background.

Place berries on a cookie sheet and put in your freezer. After they are frozen, transfer into an airtight container and place them back in the freezer where they will last 6–8 months. Rinse before using.