Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Tuesday Tips: Uses for Cornstarch

Here are some alternative uses for cornstarch that were featured in a past edition of Woman’s World.

Carpet freshener: Shake cornstarch over your carpet. Let it sit for 20 minutes. Vacuum. This should deodorize the carpet without heavy chemicals.

Foot fancy: Toss a little cornstarch into your socks. This dusting will soak up the moisture from your soles and help prevent blisters by reducing friction.

Auto Buff: Dust cloth rags with cornstarch before you shine up your car.
This step will remove surplus polish and add an extra gleam to your car.

Natural Face Paint: Recipe: Two parts cornstarch for each amount of vegetable shortening. (2 to 1 ratio) Divide the mix into bowls. Use food coloring to color the different bowls. Apply to face.

Easy-on-gloves: Rubber gloves slide on easily if you sprinkle cornstarch inside.

Leather Anti-Stain-Saver: To banish potential oil stains from leather (furniture, clothing, or shoes) apply cornstarch to the oil spot. Leave it in place overnight in order to soak up the grease. Use a clean cloth to brush off the corn starch. Oil is removed with the starch.

Do-It-Yourself Spray Starch: Recipe: one cup of cold water and a half teaspoon of cornstarch. Shake, shake before spraying and ironing.

--Source: Woman’s World.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Cornstarch is also a great quick-fix for oily hair. If you don't have time to wash (or can't shower for some other reason), sprinkle a little cornstarch on the roots of your hair, fluff with your hands, and let sit a few minutes. Then flip your head over and brush thoroughly (or finger-comb if your hair is very curly). The cornstarch will absorb some of the sebum. (Hair will be less shiny than usual; may look grey on very dark hair.)