Ten Random, Useful Things

Perhaps you can use one of them someday.

10. There are 16 tablespoons in a cup.

9. Rubbing alcohol dissolves most inks. Although regular washing will take out ball-point pen, other inks can be difficult. Soak a more stubborn ink stain in rubbing alcohol and blot with a rag. Continue soaking in clean alcohol and blotting till the stain is gone or nearly so. Unlike bleach, rubbing alcohol won't change the color of your clothes (as long as the fabric is washable). Then wash as usual.

8. In circumference measurements, petite sizes are equivalent to one size smaller in non-petite (in the same brand). For example, a 10 petite corresponds to an 8 regular. The key differences are that Petite sizes are shorter waisted (the distance from the shoulder to the waist is less) and have shorter sleeves and legs.

7. For a quick conversion of a temperature from Celsius to Fahrenheit, double the Celsius amount and add 30. For example, -4 Celsius doubled = -8. Add 30 and you get 22. Hence -4 Celsius = 22 Fahrenheit. Subtract 30, then divide by 2 to covert the other way. You'll get within a few degrees of accurate -- enough to tell you whether to pack a bathing suit or a parka. Be careful of the positives and negatives.

6. Applesauce is a useful substitute for oil in most sweet baked goods if you want to cut calories. (For sandwich breads or rolls, it's generally not a good idea to substitute, but they tend to call for only 1-2 Tablespoons of oil anyway.) For best results, use 1/4-1/3 of the amount of oil called for, and the remainder in applesauce, since most baked goods need a little fat. Some things, like brownies, can use all applesauce and no oil. Experiment with your favorite recipes.

5. Salt soaks up red wine nicely from fabric or carpet. Sprinkle liberally, let sit until saturated (it will turn pink), then brush/vacuum off. Repeat until the salt doesn't absorb any more wine. Then wash. For bad stains, soak a tablecloth or napkins in a soapy bath overnight before washing.

4. Semi-colons connect two things that could be sentences on their own; if you couldn't read the words on each side of the semi-colon, and have them make sense as a complete sentence, you've used the wrong punctuation. (The only exception to this is when using semi-colons to separate items in a long list; this is proper use of a semi-colon if the items themselves are complex and contain commas, for example.)

3. Milk neutralizes the oil that makes chili peppers hot. Drink milk if your mouth is too hot. If you get some of this oil on your face or near your eyes, wash the oil off with milk. Don't use water. (I once made a poultice of a slice of bread soaked in a bowl of milk for a particularly hot smear of oil I'd gotten on my face while slicing what I thought were sweet banana peppers. Although I wasn't the most attractive girl at the beach weekend dinner party wearing milky bread plastered to my face, I did manage to avoid having to go to the doctor for treatment of chili oil in my eyes.)

2. Drier heat will set almost any stain. If, after washing a stained item (like, say, your Son's shirt), the spot isn't completely gone, don't dry said shirt in the drier. Instead, let it air dry. Then you can treat the stain and wash again later. For whites and light colors, try drying spread out in the sun, which sometimes bleaches out stains. (Warning: occasionally the sun will set a stain. This has been the case for me with red wine, though most other organic stains seem to bleach clean in the sun.)

1. Vinegar kills mildew. Use a 50/50 white vinegar and water solution to scrub stubborn tile mildew. Or throw 1 cup white vinegar into the washing machine when you go to rewash that load you forgot to put in the drier. The vinegar will get rid of that hideous smell without leaving any vinegar odor behind. Then, remember to put that load in the drier this time.

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I think we all know random useful things. If you've got good tips or info, email them to me at victeacher AT comcast DOT net, and I'll put up occasional posts with 10 random handy bits of information and links back to your blog for proper credit (please include your blog address with your tip). I thank you very kindly for sharing your knowledge! (And for giving me something to write about for an otherwise slow Sunday...enjoy your day.)