Baby Oil = Chrome Polish

When we needed to buy a new toaster last year, I spied a shiny chrome toaster and realized it was calling my name! Unfortunately, no one told me that after a while that lovely toaster would no longer be so shiny. Hmm... how to restore it to its former luster? I tried various things with no luck and then ran across a tip on realsimple.com that baby oil works wonders on polishing any chrome in your house (even chrome wheels on your car). I filed that away under "good to know" in my brain and decided I would try it "one of these days." Well, "one of these days" arrived this morning and I gave it a try. Wow! I must say it does indeed work wonders! I should have taken before and after shots so you can fully appreciate the difference, but I didn't think of it until I was finished. Now I guess I should try that toothpaste-on-tarnished-silver tip next and see if it also works wonders. :)

Clogged Drain Help

I have unusually long hair. Rapunzel hair. Grazes-the-back-of-my-calves hair. My hubby has often said it could be used as a weapon.

Why do I share this? Because when one has that much hair, it doesn't take much of it to cause some pretty serious clogs in the shower drain. We have tried so many different things when the drain clogs up, including heavy-duty industrial supplies my hubby was able to order through work, and all without much success. So imagine my surprise when we recently got the best results using items most people have in their kitchens.

This little beauty

Plus this little beauty

Equals

I've heard off an on that baking soda and vinegar is a great solution for this problem, but I admit that I've always blown it off, thinking it wouldn't work for a big doozy of a clog. For kicks and giggles, though, last week I decided to give it a try. First I poured half a cup of baking soda down the drain. Then I poured half a cup of vinegar down the drain. I've heard you should let it sit for at least 30 minutes before running hot water down the drain, but I had to go somewhere, so I ended up letting it sit overnight. The next morning I ran lots of hot water down the drain and went about my day. Later when I took a shower, it really didn't seem much better. In fact, by the time I was done, the water didn't seem to be draining AT ALL. I was afraid that maybe I had really messed up something! But about 15 minutes after I got out of the shower, I heard this strange loud noise come from the drain and then heard all the water drain quickly away. Ever since then, the drain has been clearer than it has in years! Woo hoo! So I just wanted to share this little tip in case you've never tried it because, like me, you were doubtful of its effectiveness.

Happy Friday! :)