Everyday Cheapskate

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Everyday Cheapskate

Thu, 08/06/2020 - 14:05
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Our teenage daughter badly stubbed her toe, and we needed to clip the nail. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t let us near it because of the pain. My wife found a tube of Orajel and covered the area using a cotton swab. It was like magic. It numbed the area well enough that I was able to take care of things. I would never have thought to use this product in this way. When Mary asked for tips of nonstandard product uses in her “Everyday Cheapskate” column, I couldn’t help but share! — Randall

DAWN FOR SPONTANEOUS

CLEANING

I keep a bottle of Dawn, an automotive detailing brush and an old toothbrush in my shower. Dawn cuts the soap scum and does not leave a gritty residue. Just don’t overdo it because it can get pretty slippery! — Laurel

SHOUT OUT THOSE STAINS

I found the best cleaner for my dirty golf shoes: Shout laundry stain remover. It works like a charm, getting down in the creases and crevices to get out the ground-in dirt. My golf shoes are leather, and it has not hurt them or the color. — Brenda

ERASE THE RED POLISH

Red fingernail polish accidentally spilled on my carpet, making a long, red streak. A friend told me to use Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. The polish had already dried, but with a little elbow grease and several erasers, it all came out of my carpet. This is a wonderful product! — Carolyn

LOOK OFFICIAL TO GET ATTENTION

Take a clipboard with you when you’re shopping. You’ll get waited on quickly, since sales associates will think you’re either a mystery shopper or you’re snooping for the competition. — LaVonne

PEROXIDE CLEANS UP

I use a 50-50 mixture of peroxide and water in a spray bottle to clean just about everything in my house. It works great on windows using newspaper, and it freshens my wooden cutting boards. On the lip of my sink, it foamed and cleaned up what I thought was rust. And the best part is that it’s cheap. — Carol

FOAMING BUBBLES AROUND THE HOUSE

AROUND THE HOUSE I took my foaming bath cleaner out of the bathroom and started using it on my walls, floors, patio furniture, kitchen — basically, anything and everything. It cleans it all.

When we removed the carpet in the hall, the old vinyl flooring underneath had seen better days. After using the foam on the floor, the dust and carpet fibers came up, and I didn’t have to replace the flooring right away. For most things, just spray, and wait a few minutes, and whip away the dirt. And it disinfects, too! — Jennie

ICE CREAM TIPS Recently, I wanted to serve ice cream cones but didn’t have a microwave available to soften the ice cream. So, I just peeled away the carton, put the whole quart on a cutting board and cut the ice cream into slabs with a knife.

It worked great. Also, since we were serving these cones to a younger crowd, we dropped mini marshmallows into the bottom of each cone before filling it up. No messy leaks! — Caitlyn

Would you like more information? Go to EverydayCheapskate.com for links and resources for recommended products and services in this column. Mary invites questions, comments and tips at EverydayCheapskate.com, “Ask Mary.”

This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a lifestyle blog, and the author of the book “Debt-Proof Living.”