FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS
Cleaning Artificial Flowers -- Use a hair dryer on the lowest setting to blow dust off the flowers. For delicate dried flowers, use an empty atomizer or turkey baster to puff off the dust.

To Clean Fabric Flowers -- Pour 1 cup salt in a paper bag big enough for the flowers. Put flowers in blossoms first, hold the neck of the bag closed around the stems and shake vigorously. Take them out and shake off the salt over the sink. The flowers will look clean and be more vivid. This is so easy and your old flowers will look brand new!
To Brighten Plastic Flowers -- After washing with a mild detergent in warm water, dry thoroughly. Spray them with a pump hair spray (not aerosol) or paint a coat of colorless nail polish on them.

Care of Books  

To Prevent Mustiness -- Keep books close to the front of the shelves to allow air to circulate. The air will prevent mustiness.
To Dust Books -- Use a wide paintbrush for the job.
When Storing Books, be sure to store them in a cool dry place. To prevent mustiness and mildew, wrap charcoal briquettes in cheesecloth or in an old sock and put them in the box, too.
To CURE Mustiness -- You can get rid of that MUSTY smell. Crinkle newspaper pages, put them in a big brown bag with the musty book, and close the bag tightly with a rubber band. After a day or two, check on the book. If the musty smell isn't gone, change the newspaper and close the bag again. Repeat the procedure until the book is completely odor-free. You can also try using a cup of kitty litter instead of the newspaper.
The 3M's Moldy, Mildewed, Musty -- Use a soft toothbrush to brush off the mold and mildew, then sprinkle cornstarch between the pages and leave it there overnight. Next morning, gently brush out the cornstarch. Some people prefer baking soda instead of cornstarch, but both seem to do the job.

Removing Price Stickers -- Heat the iron to Medium, put a pressing cloth over the book and press the sticker for a couple of seconds. the warmth softens the stickers enough to let them be pulled off easily and shiny covers aren't damaged.

MISCELLANEOUS Household Items

Cleaning Leather Luggage -- To remove black scuff marks, rub on lemon juice and wipe it off.
To Brighten Leather, with a cloth dampened with egg white, give the leather a light coat. After a few minutes, wipe off and buff.
  Leather Gloves -- To erase stains, rub with an art gum eraser. To remove an oil stain, cover with cornstarch. Leave it on overnight then brush it off. To clean white kid leather, massage flour into the dirt, then brush it off.
Clean Black Lacquer Items -- Make a strong pot of tea and let it cool. Dip a soft cloth into the tea and rub it on the surface gently. Wipe off with a soft, dry cloth and you should end up with a smudge-free luster.

To REMOVE Labels, Price Tags or GLUE -- From glass, massage mayo into the label, and let soak in hot water.
OR Dip a cotton swab in nail polish remover and rub over the label. Keep dipping and rubbing until the label is off.
OR Work peanut butter into the sticky spot left over from a label until all the glue is off.
Smoke Smells -- Smoke smells will quickly disappear when a cold wet towel (wrung out) is swished around the room.
To Store your Sleeping Bags -- When you are ready to put away your sleeping bag for the season, put a few fabric softener sheets inside of it.

Freshen and Fluff PILLOWS -- Place bed pillows in the dryer with a fabric-softener sheet and tumble on the air cycle for 20 minutes to fluff them up and give them a fresh, clean smell.

Storing Blankets -- When space is limited, store your blanket between your box spring and mattress.
   Crayon on Chalkboard -- Spray some petroleum-based prewash spray on a paper towel and rub over the crayon stains. It may take some elbow grease, but the board should eventually come clean. You can also spruce it up with a coat of blackboard paint, found at most hardware stores.
OR Erase crayon marks without scratching the slate by massaging it with a paste of baking soda and water on a sponge or cloth.

  For GREAT PET Care Tips submitted by users or submit your own, visit THE CLEANING STATION from IVillage and Dirt Devil

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