Home Remedies

This weekend was Confirmation Sunday at our church and one of the kids accidentally spilled some of the communion down the front of their white robe. Yup - huge purple stains. People were lamenting leaving their Tide pens at home and some debated running to a store between services to purchase one. Oddly, no one knew about the "hydrogen peroxide as stain remover" trick. They were amazed the purple lifted right out using an inexpensive first aid kit standard. (Simply dab on the peroxide and the bubbles lift the stain right out. Blot with water once the stain is gone to prevent continued bleaching of the fabric. This works best on whites as the peroxide may remove die from colored items.)

Yesterday was gorgeous so I hit the gardening store after church. People were filling their carts with rabbit/deer repellent at $16 per spray bottle. Apparently they did not know about the much cheaper homemade version that is just as effective as commercial chemical repellents. (Mix 1/4 c eggbeaters with 1 c water. Mix well, place in a clean spray bottle, spray on plants and let dry. Repeat every 30 - 60 days.)

When my gardening was done, I washed dog nose prints off my sliding glass door with homemade glass cleaner (fill a spray bottle with equal parts vinegar and water.) As I was putting the mixture together, the neighbor kids watched in fascination. They didn't know you could "cook" window cleaner.

These recipes and formulas take less time and money to whip together than selecting a specialty commercial item from the store. Why have they become a novelty?

Do you have other tried and true homemade fixes that you are willing to share?