Repost from '05 - 50 useful household tips

While I cannot personally vouch for each and every one of these, I have tried many and they work great!

1. Drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately without the unpleasant side effects caused by traditional pain relievers.
2. Colgate toothpaste makes an excellent salve for burns.
3. Before you head to the drugstore for a high-priced inhaler filled with mysterious chemicals, try chewing on a couple of curiously strong Altoid peppermints to clear a stuffy nose.
4. Achy muscles from a bout with the flu? Mix 1 tablespoon of horseradish in ½ cup of olive oil. Let the mixture sit for 30 minutes, then apply as a massage oil for instant relief for aching muscles.
5. Sore throat – just mix ¼ cup of vinegar with ¼ cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacterial.
6. Cure urinary tract infections with alka-seltzer. Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of symptoms. Alka-seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly.
7. Eliminate puffiness under your eyes… All you need is a dab of preparation H, carefully rubbed into the skin, avoiding the eyes. The hemorrhoid ointment acts as a vasoconstrictor, relieving the swelling instantly.
8. Honey remedy for skin blemishes… cover the blemish with a dab of honey and place a band-aid over it. Honey kills the bacteria, keeps the skin sterile, and speeds healing. Works overnight.
9. Listerine therapy for toenail fungus… soak your toes in Listerine mouthwash. The powerful antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.
10. Easy eyeglass protection…. To prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of crystal clear nail polish to the threads of the screws before tightening them.
11. Coca-cola for rust… Just saturate an abrasive sponge with coca-cola and scrub the rust stain. The phosphoric acid in the coke is what gets the job done.
12. Cleaning liquid that doubles as a bug killer…. If menacing bees, wasps, hornets or yellow jackets get in your home and you can’t find insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409. Insects drop to the ground immediately.
13. Hunt’s tomato paste boil remover… cover the boil with hunt’s tomato paste as a compress. The acids from the tomatoes sooth the pain and bring the boil to a head.
14. Balm for broken blisters…. To disinfect a broken blister, dab on a few drops of Listerine, a powerful antiseptic.
15. Heinz vinegar to heal bruises… soak a cotton ball in white vinegar and apply to the bruise for one hour. The vinegar reduces the blueness and speeds up the healing process.
16. Kills fleas instantly. Dawn dishwashing liquid does the trick. Add a few drops to your dog’s bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly. Rinse well to avoid skin irritations. Goodbye fleas.
17. Rainy day cure for dog odor…. Next time your dog comes in from the rain, simply wipe down the animal with Bounce or any dryer sheet, instantly making your dog smell springtime fresh.
18. Eliminate ear mites… all it takes is a few drops of Wesson corn oil in your cat’s ears. Massage it in then clean with a cotton ball. Repeat daily for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat’s skin, smothers the mites and accelerates healing.
19. Quaker oats for fast pain relief… Mix two cups of Quaker Oats and 1 cup of water in a bowl and warm in the microwave for one minute – cool slightly, then apply the mixture to your hands for soothing relief.
20. Flies or bees bothering you? Spray them with hairspray and they will take a dive.
21. Sealed envelope – put it in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed.
22. For icy door steps in freezing temperatures… get warm water and put Dawn dishwashing liquid in it. Pour it all over the steps. They won’t refreeze.
23. Crayon marks on the walls? Take a damp rag dipped in baking soda. Comes off with a little elbow grease.
24. Permanent marker on appliances/counter tops (like store receipt blue).. rubbing alcohol on paper towel.
25. When buying a new box of SOS pads, immediately take a pair of scissors and cut in half. It is much more economical since they last longer and the scissors get sharpened this way.
26. Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on.
27. Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels and linens.
28. Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning.
29. To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new.
30. Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent dripping.
31. Use meat baster to “squeeze” your pancake batter onto the hot griddle and you’ll get perfectly shaped pancakes every time.
32. To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.
33. To prevent eggshells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.
34. To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing.
35. To easily remove burnt food from your skillet, simply add a drop of tow of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan and bring to a boil on stovetop.
36. Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces to prevent hard stains.
37. When a cake recipe calls for flouring the bake pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won’t be any white mess on the outside of the cake.
38. If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it is cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant “fix me up”.
39. Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting into the fridge and it will keep for weeks.
40. Brush some beaten egg white over piecrust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.
41. Place a slice of apple into hardened brown sugar to soften it.
42. When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn’s natural sweetness.
43. To determine if an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool water. If it sinks it is fresh, if it rises to the surface, throw it away.
44. Cure for headaches… take a lime, cut in half and rub on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
45. Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.
46. To get rid of mosquito itch, try applying soap onto the area and you will experience instant relief.
47. Use air freshener to clean mirrors. It does a good job and better still, leaves a lovely smell to the shine.
48. To clean a toilet, drop two alka-seltzer tables in. Wait twenty minutes, brush and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous china.
49. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water and drop in tow alka-seltzer tablets.
50. Unclog a drain…. Clear the sink drain by dropping three alka-seltzer tablets down the drain followed by a cup of Heinz White Vinegar. Wait a few minutes, then run the hot water.