Handy Hints

 

Erasing lettering off plastics

My Hint for you.... recycling

Ok, this is something I have been looking up on Pinterest & yes it probably works if you have 100% pure acetone (used in nail polish remover) but all 3 bottles I had were mixed with other ingredients. If yopu can get 100% Acetone from somewhere, that will work as they have told me in SO many "pins".

SO....... I got to thinking, those "Magic Erasers" do fantastic things & you can buy them cheap at the Asian stores, liquidators, etc. or you can get the name brand ones. Ok, I am a cheapskate, I buy them from the Asian stores for a couple of dollars for a big pack & they work exactly the same as the name brand ones.

Yes, I know... Get on with it Reg!!!!

Well, if you have a container (solid white ones) that is like a bucket with a lid, but you don't want all the writing on it when you want to re-purpose it for storing stuff, buckets for the kids to play with... whatever your heart desires, there is an easy way to get rid of the writing by wetting some of those magic erasers & rubbing them over (back & forth), over & over. If it IS going to come off you will see the lettering disappear. I have some photos of the lid I did from a nut container.... It was a total success!! Then I tried it on another plastic surface & the date comes off but takes a lot more rubbing, then I did it to the blue area on the side of the bucket & had a reasonable result... I think my hands were starting to feel sore (I do have RSI & arthritic so that doesn't help). Not every surface will be able to be done this way but I got a clean lid....lol

Contact (covering) Books

How many people hate that time of year when the kids bring home all their texts books to be covered? Yes, I know most people don't care for that job in parenthood, but I will let you in on a little secret. I dislike one type of covering that is available on the market & even so I am a self confessed book coverer addict (yeah I know, sickening isn't it?) I would rather do the older paper covering & then the clear contact over the top & take even longer to do it than trying to be patient with this one in particular type of contact. I am talking about the thin foil printed contact that is usually printed with all the great cartoons, or what is "IN" that year. It is also a lot heavier on the pocket to buy, with so many things the kids need for school now-a-days, every cent counts. I am speaking from experience, I had 3 girls & yes they wanted all the "hip" stuff too. Instead of trying to use this type of contact that can not be repositioned, sticks to itself, gets creases in it too easily, try this......
Today there are SO many pictures you can print off the internet, get the kids to pick the specific pictures they want, cut them out, glue onto the from & back of the exercise books & then place clear, good quality contact over the top. Oh yeah, if they want to be creative, let them do their own artworks & don't forget to add their names & class, etc. before contacting.

Keeping "Contact"able

Clear contact can be used for many things... just google it....
Anyway, one little tip for you..... when writing the childs name onto school lunchboxes, drink bottles, etc. Cut a small piece of left over contact from doing books & stick it over the name so it doesn't rub off. You may find it comes off (especially if the child likes to pick at the label) but you can always wrap in aroung the whole item or just repace when it gets a bit shabby.