Next comes C

I have been slacking on my blogging of awesome uses for common household products. I know you have all been patiently waiting for the C's. So here we go...

CANDLES:
*Help drawers slide smoothly--if you have a desk or chest with drawers that stick, remove them and rub the runners with a candle. Slip the drawers back in place, and they should move smoothly in their tracks.
CARDBOARD TUBES:
*Save that artwork for posterity--if you have children, yo know that each drawing they bring home is precious. But pretty soon you can be up to your neck in finger paintings. For easy, safe storage, save all your empty paper towel and wrapping paper tubes and roll the artwork up inside. Stick a label on the outside with the child's name and date. These tubes are much easier to toss into storage, and you don't have to worry about ruining those little treasures.
CARPET REMNANTS:
*Be prepared for winter emergencies--stock your trunk with a few pieces of old carpet in case you get stuck in the ice or snow. They'll slip under your tires to provide extra traction.
CAT LITTER:
*Keep your garbage can fresh--nothing smells as bad as garbage, right? Think again. A cat's litter box might be worse, and if not, it runs a close second. If commercial products can keep litter boxes from smelling bad, they should be able to keep your garbage positively fragrant. Just sprinkle some in the bottom of the can, and change it occasionally.
CHALK:
*Prevent silver from tarnishing--you love using you grandmother's good silver when company comes but hate having to polish it after every use. Try putting a piece of chalk in the drawer with the silver. The chalk will absorb moisture and slow down the tarnish. Put some in your jewelry box, and your jewelry won't tarnish as quickly, either.
CHARCOAL BRIQUETTES:
*Stamp out stumps--save money when you have a large tree cut down. Instead of paying extra to have the stump ground out, you can get rid of it gradually yourself. Each time you cook on the charcoal grill, when you finish the steaks and burgers, put the remaining live coals in the center of the stump surface. Each time it will burn a little deeper until finally the stump will disappear.
CLOTH SCRAPS:
*Feed your plants from afar--going away for a few days? Keep your houseplants watered with this handy trick. Line the bottom of your tub with several thick layers of old towels, then soak them well with water. Put your houseplants in on top of them, and they'll have water when they need it.
CLOTHESPINS:
*Use all your toothpaste--it's frustrating to throw away a tube of toothpaste when you know there's more inside. A clothespin can help hold the back of the tube flat as you use up what's left in the front of the tube.
COFFEE:
(I don't drink coffee, but I think that some of these are good ideas)
*Restore faded cottons--if black, cotton garments are looking brownish and dull, add two cups of strong Maxwell House coffee to the rinse water when doing laundry. They'll turn dark again.
*Highlight dark hair--add some highlights to brown or red hair with black coffee. After shampooing, just douse your head with cold, black coffee, then rinse with water.
COFFEE CANS:
*Keep toilet paper dry--when you're camping out there "in the rough," one luxury you don't want to be without is dry toilet paper. And empty coffee can makes a perfect waterproof travel container for this precious commodity.
COFFEE FILTERS:
*Keep the flavor, lose the fat--if you've got delicious beef or poultry broth to use for soups or gravies, don't worry about the fat. Simply strain it through a paper coffee filter, and you're left with flavorful, fat-free broth.
COINS:
*Buy extra time for your posies--keep cut flowers fresh longer by adding a copper penny and a cube of sugar to the vase of water.
COOKING OIL:
*Pet food supplement--if you add a little Crisco to your pet's food every day, it will help his coat become shiny and lustrous. If you have a cat, it will also help prevent hair balls.
*Keep the crows away--fight crow's feet with olive oil. Just dab a couple of drops around your eyes each night before bed.
CORK:
*Keep your keys afloat--whenever you go boating or swimming, attach your keys to a cork. Then if they fall overboard, they'll float and you can easily retrieve them.
CORNSTARCH:
*Handy dry shampoo--when you go camping, does it drive you crazy not to wash your hair for several days? Take along a box of cornstarch, and you can at lest give yourself a dry shampoo. Just work it into your hair and brush out.
(It works. I don't like to wash my hair every day, but if I don't, I can't wear it down two days in a row. The cornstarch helps. In fact...I used it this morning.)
CORRECTION FLUID:
*Make scuff marks disappear--you are all dressed to go out when you notice a dark mark on your white shoe. With a dab of correction fluid (also known as white-out), you can perform a neat emergency touch-up.
CRAYONS:
*Cover bleach spots--you can recolor spots on fabric that got splashed with bleach. Choose a crayon that matches the color. Heat the area to be repaired by ironing it. Color in the spot white it's warm. Then cover with waxed paper, and iron again to set the color.
CUCUMBERS:
*Repel mosquitoes--for a natural mosquito repellent, try this trick. Peel and puree a cucumber. Strain the liquid into an ice cube tray and freeze it. Before you go outside, rub your face and hands with the ice cube. Mosquitoes will stay away.

I'll try not to make another week before I post the D's...