Grass stain removal
When the guys and the kids, who are out of school, get to fixing machinery, they always seem to get grass stains all over their clothing when fixing something at ground level. A neighbor taught me years and years ago a trick that I’ve used forever. She said to get out the molasses jug and spread molasses all over the stain and rub it in real good. Let it set for 20 to 30 minutes and then wash the garments in hot, soapy water. It works!
I’ve been using this hint for years and decided it was worth passing on as some of the stain removers are really expensive and only have one use whereas molasses can also be used for cooking when you aren’t taking stains out.
Easy fix for a stinky basement
I’ve always had trouble with the basement floor getting damp when we have a few nice days in winter, when the snow melts, or in spring when we get the rains. Even though we’ve plugged lots of cracks over the years, I still get water in it at times and then the whole basement gets musty smelling.
I use plain old baking soda to get rid of the dampness and the smell. I can buy a couple of boxes of soda and sprinkle it by big handfuls all over the floor and let it sit there a few days and then give it a good sweeping and the smell is gone. I don’t worry about pets getting into it or even any kids who might go to the basement. A good washing takes care of any residue.
Rust remover
If you have some garments with rust stains in the fabric, you can mix equal parts of plain table salt and cream of tartar and after wetting the spots thoroughly, spread the mixture over the stains and put the wet garment out in the sun. We put ours on an old wooden picnic table and then let it set for a while before washing the garments. It does a pretty good job of getting the stains out and the garment is still useful.
Recycle those old rubber gloves
I was at a neighboring farm the other day and in the gentleman’s shop, he had some big colored rubber bands holding together the various projects he was working on. When I asked him where he had purchased them, he sort of chuckled and said “My wife uses rubber gloves when she’s doing a messy project and when they get holes in them, she cuts these big bands from the wrist part. They are wonderful, stretchy and can hold big things in once place. It’s recycling and they are also free after the gloves are of no use again.
