Homemade remedies ...

Marlene Terry

I've tried my share of them ... homemade remedies that is. Those that promise the answer to whatever problem you might have, including mayonnaise as a substitute for furniture polish, lining the door frame with white cotton balls to prevent flies from coming inside, and swallowing teaspoonfuls of plain old sugar to cure hiccups!

Almost always it's been a waste of time for me. But there have been a few instances when the remedy really DID work and left me awe-inspired and a true believer.

Want you to know that a solution of 1 teaspoon of Dawn dish-washing detergent, 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol and a half gallon of hot water poured over your outside steps and walkways will not only melt ice, it will also prevent refreezing for the entire season. ... At least it worked that way for me. ... And yes, I'm talking about the winter season.

Actually when I tried it, it was late October. No ice in sight. I'd misread the directions that came by email from a friend, and completely missed the part where you were supposed to wait and apply the solution after ice was present.

I reported my success back to my friend the next spring in a return email. That's when she informed me I'd done it all wrong and should follow the instructions more closely the next winter.

... And all I can say to that is: "If it's not broken? Don't fix it!

I mean, I really didn't know we were experiencing a homemade remedy breakthrough. But I promise, there was not one speck of ice on our walkways that year or the following year either!

One more try at a homemade remedy still has me wondering if that spot on my carpet will reappear someday!

Early in the morning one Saturday, I did my impression of a juggler on my way to clean the bathroom just off our family room. It was a classic "trip, stumble, struggle to keep from falling while throwing everything in the cleaning bucket into the air" move.

To my relief everything landed pretty much upright. Everything that is except the bottle of toilet bowl cleaner which was on its side ... LEAKING!

Just couldn't give into my instincts on that shopping day and purchase the bottle of "no harmful chemicals," and colorless bowl cleaner. Had to have the double duty, extra strength version in bright, bright blue!

And trying to rub it out of the carpet didn't help either.

Days later and after exhausting several solutions, including placing a large flower pot over the stain, I opted for advice from my "Dawn dish-washing detergent and water" friend. And the next day armed with a spray bottle filled to the top with equal parts of plain old hydrogen peroxide and water, a damp white towel and my steam iron, I proceeded to the room with the stain.

"It'll never work," I thought, remembering a previous experience with peroxide, that when I was a teenager turned my bangs ORANGE, of all things.

I sprayed the stain over and over again to saturate it. Then placed the damp towel over the top and the hot flat iron on top of that.

"Wait about 20 seconds," my friend had advised.

I actually waited a little longer, not wanting to pull up the towel and see that I'd been correct in my assumption that the stain would still be there. But when the time ended I was blown away by the results. ... Honestly! NO STAIN AT ALL. ... Not even a faint blue hue!

... As I said, I am a little hesitant to recommend the process because in the back of my mind I think that someday the stain might reappear. 

... Guess that's why any visitor needing to use the family room bathroom has to walk AROUND the flower pot. ... It's there ... just in case!

♦ Hope you'll let me share your stories and photos here at my new residence "In a Nutshell." Email me at nutshellstories@gmail.com.