New Uses for Household Staples

March 20, 2007 — -- Think you need a slew of different home and beauty products? Think again.

Real Simple magazine has come up with great, new uses for common items you probably already have in a cabinet or drawer at home.

Pam Cooking Spray
Old Use: Nonstick cooking and baking
New Use: Finishes, dries nail polish

When you get your nails done in a salon, the manicurist applies a finishing coat after the polish is applied. It's a protective coating that stops dust and such from drying on the polish. Pam works the same way -- it "seals" the polish, protecting it from those dings and dust that happen before the polish dries. It also dries the polish faster, because the oil helps dissolve the polish's solvent, which keeps it damp.

Transparent Tape
Old Use: Sticking things together
New Use: Cleaning computer keyboard

Everyone with a computer has a problem with dust and crumbs gathering in the keyboard. The solution is simple: Slip strips of transparent tape between rows of keys, picking up the unwanted debris. The tape is thin enough to slide between the keys, and the adhesive picks up crumbs without risking any damage to the keyboard.

Cut Lemon
Old Use: Flavor
New Use: Clean cheese grater

A cut lemon can help clean a cheese grater with stuff stuck in it. Simply rub the grater with the pulp side of a lemon and watch the cheese residue come out.

Rice
Old Use: Side dish
New Use: Clean coffee grinder

Rice is a natural absorbing agent -- when you cook it, it absorbs water and quadruples in size. The absorbent nature of rice makes it clean coffee grinders. It soaks up the oils that coffee beans leave behind. Also, many coffee grinders can be used for spices -- flavors and smells that you don't want mixed with your coffee. Rice will absorb the odors as well. Grind a handful of rice through the grinder and you're good to go.

Chalk
Old Use: Writing on blackboard
New Use: Preventing silver tarnish

Tarnish is caused by moisture, and chalk absorbs moisture. Wrap chalk in cheesecloth and slip it in with your silverware -- cheesecloth prevents the chalk from scuffing the silver -- and you won't be stuck polishing your silverware the next time company pays a visit.