3 Unusual But Useful Things Lurking At Home

If you’ve lived in a house for a substantial amount of time, the minimal and initially inconsequential junk that you started with is bound to pile up like a mini mountain as the years go by. If you don’t do something about that, the mess will start taking over your house. The clutter monster is real, and it must be stopped at all costs.

The good news is that household items you thought have been taking up space for long, with no particular purpose, can now be repurposed. There are a couple of things that you can start picking up and gain benefits from.

Here’s a list of everyday household stuff that you can breathe new life and meaning to.

Breathe Better with Charcoal

They’re not just for your neighborly weekend barbecue. Charcoals are natural air humidifiers that don’t cost as much.

When you have a transparent vase decorated with your favorite flowers, you can plop a chunk of charcoal in and let it sit at the bottom. It will keep the water clean for a few days.

Charcoal has an alkaline component that provides nourishment for plants and other living matter. If you have a garden, you can spread a few bite-size pieces across the garden bed to use them as mulch and retain soil moisture. Also, charcoals are common in orchid pots as they allow flowers to thrive in small containers.

Get Rid of Squeaky Hinges with Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is not just for sumptuous dishes or dressings; it’s for creaky doors too. It has more nonedible properties than any other condiment out there. When you have hinges that keep creaking louder and louder, rub a bit of mayo on the squeaky metal.

Try opening and closing the same door a few times, and see if you still hear the creaky sound. It works wonders to any metal-based items in your house, including doorknobs and even tools such as lockpicks that can use a bit of lube to avoid rust.

If you happen to have indoor plants, you can rub in some mayo on the leaves to bring out that natural luster. Because of its oily qualities, mayonnaise can wipe off any residual stains on glassy surfaces and give it a shiny finish.

Other than plants, you can also use mayo on price tags. Using a washcloth, dab a bit of mayo on it and put some on the price tag. Let the paper absorb the mayo for a few minutes. After a while, rub the same spot with the same cloth to slide it off. You won’t have to peel off sticky tags with your fingernails anymore. 

Wine Not?

Who needs a vase when you have wine bottles? When the good times have rolled, the empty bottles are useful in so many ways.

Give your flower arrangements a bit of rustic feel to them by placing them in half-filled wine bottles. If you have loads of boots lying around the house or in your walk-in closet, insert a bottle in those boots to keep them on an upright position at all times. Also, because of their weight, you can even place one at the end of your books on the table or on the shelf to keep them from toppling.

Wine bottles are also gaining momentum as decorative elements. DIY practitioners love putting tea lights inside the bottles. The bottle gives that extra faded-glow effect that can turn any night into a romantic one.

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