Smart Home Solutions

Remove Old Wallpaper
Combine equal parts of hot water and liquid fabric softener in a five gallon bucket. Pour into a tray. Using a paint roller, apply to the wall until it's saturated. Let sit for about 20 minutes, then carefully peel off. The water softens the wall covering and the fabric softener will break down the adhesive.

Spritz Away Soap Scum
To make your own shower cleaner and save money, combine 3 parts water to 1 part bleach in an empty spray bottle. Add 1 tbs. of white vinegar.
Vinegar will dissolve the soap deposits and the bleach will kill mildew and prevents it from forming again

Make Wood Furniture Shine
If you want to keep your unfinished wood pieces shining, combine 2 parts olive oil and one part lemon juice or white vinegar. Shake well Spritz onto furniture and let stand for about 2 minutes, then wipe off with a paper towel. The lemon juice/white vinegar acts like a cleaning agent while the oil brings out the wood's natural shine.

Lift oil based paint off skin
After painting, do you have speckles of paint left on your hands, arms and face? Use olive oil. It sure is more gentle on your skin than paint thinner or mineral oil. Moisten a cotton ball with a few drops of olive oil and rub it on the affected skin. The molecules in the olive oil will attract the molecules in the paint, so the splotches will come off easily.

Gloss Indoor Plant Leaves
Here's a florist's secret: Shine the surface of leaves by rubbing them with a paper towel dipped in olive oil