28 handy hints for removing hard-to-remove stuff

Reach for cooking oil next time you want to remove annoying sticker residue. Dab any type of kitchen cooking oil ­­– olive, canola or sunflower – onto a paper towel. Then lay the paper towel over the residue that refuses to budge. Wait a few minutes while the oil works to dissolve the stubborn glue. Finally, remove the towel and rub away the sticker residue with another clean paper towel.

A degree of caution is necessary when using this cooking oil method. This is because many oils can stain absorbent materials like clothing. If you are concerned about leaving a stain, test a drop of your chosen oil on an inconspicuous part of the object. And proceed only if the oil leaves no trace to remove glue residue.

Wooden drawers with wooden drawer slides often become sticky and difficult to open and close. Moisture is usually the culprit, making the wood swell or warp slightly and causing too much friction. A sticky drawer can be very frustrating, especially if you use it frequently.

Try this quick fix: Rub a block of paraffin wax along the wooden drawer slides and along any other high-friction points on the drawers. The paraffin wax will lubricate the moving parts and make the drawers operate much more smoothly.

When my bathroom sink gets clogged, I don’t reach for chemicals as a bathroom sink cleaner. Instead, I use a long zip tie. I cut several notches on the zip-tie’s end. It’ll hook the hair clog, allowing you to pull it out. Problem solved. The size of the eye of the zip tie prevented me from inadvertently pushing the tie past the stopper.  –  Rick Holmen

When you drive a long enough distance you’re going to end up with bug splatters on the front of your car. The bugs are impossible to avoid and if you leave them on your car for too long, they will harden and become difficult to remove. Unfortunately, cleaning the bugs off of your car requires a little more than just a quick car wash. So instead of scrubbing and potentially damaging your car’s paint job, grab a can of cooking spray. Spray a bit onto the stubborn bug, wait a few seconds, then use a microfibre cloth to wipe the area clean. Be sure to wash the area clean with soap and water like you would when giving your vehicle a car wash.

Here’s what one of our readers, Ellis Biderson, had to say about the versatility of the electric toothbrush:

“One of the handy little tools that I use for cleaning around the house is an electric toothbrush. To clean up residue and splatters in the kitchen, I use just a bit of baking soda under the spinning toothbrush head to quickly clean the metal sink and plastic dish drying rack. I also use the electric toothbrush with baking soda and a tiny bit of water to scrub grout in both the kitchen and bathroom. Of course, I use a different one for my teeth!”

Small and sometimes expensive items are easily washed down the sink drain. And if the item you dropped down the drain is metal like a screw or washer, a simple magnet might be just what you need to retrieve the item.

Try attaching a magnet that is small enough to fit down your drain on the end of a long string or small, flexible rod that will also fit down your drain. Lower the magnet and slowly pull it back up in order to ensure you don’t drop the item once again. If you’re still without your favourite piece of jewellery, try a stronger rare earth magnet and see if that does the trick.

Removing super glue is a hassle but if you act quickly you can reduce how long you’re stuck to yourself or the item you’re gluing. Soak the glue spot in warm soapy water as soon as possible to soften the glue, and then pat dry. Rub the glue with an acetone-based nail polish remover. Acetone is the ingredient that will breakdown the adhesive agents of super glue. The glue will turn white and easily peel off.

When glue squeezes out on an inside corner like in a drawer or the inside of any woodworking project, using a chisel has the potential to cause more harm than good. This is because the sharp blade can easily mark-up and scratch the adjacent surface. The solution is a simple drinking straw. We used paper straws because they can be recycled, unlike plastic ones. The straw will conform to the shape of the corner and the excess glue will be collected inside the straw so it can’t get re-deposited anywhere else.

The rubbery interior of a tennis ball makes it perfect for gripping stubborn twist-off bottle caps or sticky jar lids. And the soft exterior eases the strain on your hands when bearing down on the item you’re trying to open.

To make this handy bottle and jar opener, use a utility knife to cut a tennis ball in half. For safety, stabilise the tennis ball in a vice or clamp it to a work surface while cutting, so it doesn’t move around. With one tennis ball, you can create two openers – one for your kitchen and one for your home bar area.

Here are 10 things you can clean with outdoor cleaner. 

The advantages of traditional oven cleaners are power and speed. But for many of us, the disadvantages outweigh the good, specifically, the corrosive chemicals and caustic fumes that this type of oven cleaning can produce.

A simple, more natural way of cleaning your oven is to place an oven-safe pot or bowl filled with water inside. Set your oven to 230 degrees for 20 to 60 minutes to loosen dirt and grease with the steam. Once your oven is cool, wipe off the condensation and the grease will come with it. If stubborn spots persist, scrub with a paste of baking soda and lemon or vinegar. This steam-cleaning option doesn’t take as long as pyrolytic cleaning and doesn’t produce smoke, either. It’s a win-win!