Spring Cleaning Hacks You'll Wish You'd Found Out Years Ago

Ripen Avocados in the Dishwasher

This hack will answer the prayers of avocado lovers everywhere. Though there are several proven methods to soften avocados besides just leaving them out on the counter, sitting them in the top rack of the dishwasher has been the most effective.

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The More You Know

  • With the water running at about half throttle, drop in orange or lemon peels. Run the disposer for five seconds. Citric acid from the peels softens crusty waste and attacks smelly bacteria. Give the acid about 15 minutes to do its work.
  • Even if a ceiling fan is perfectly balanced, the breeze from the fan can cause the pull chain to smack up against the light fixture. Solve this annoying noises problem by removing the chain and sliding a 1/4-in. plastic tube over it.
  • If you have greasy fingerprints on your doorframes or walls, there's a simple fix. Just rub a piece of chalk gently over them, let it sit for 10 minutes, and the chalk will absorb the oil, allowing it to easily wipe away.
  • Next time you oversalt a soup, toss in a few wedges of raw apple or potato. Simmer for 10 minutes and discard the wedges to get the flavor back to normal.
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