You Don't Need Long Distance

I got tired of seeing a $5 charge per month on my Verizon landline phone bill as a penalty for not using any long distance (also a charge per month for having the service). I do all of my long distance calling on my cell phone. Called Verizon today--they helped me remove both the service and the non-use charge.

Many people have dropped their landlines altogether. I'm keeping mine for two reasons: 1) Sometime cell phones may be down and I don't want to be without a phone, and 2) my Directv Tivo doesn't have an ethernet port so it needs to connect through the phone.

If I ever need to make a long distance call on my phone, I can still use a service like 10-10-220 in case of an emergency.

Clean Shower Heads Easily

Depending on your water type (hard or soft) you will get a build-up in your shower heads in the bathroom. Fill a deep cup (large fast food plastic cups work well) halfway with white vinegar. Place the cup under the shower head and push it up so the shower head is covered with white vinegar. Your arms will get tired but it's easier than removing the shower head. Hold it on for a few minutes to give the vinegar a chance to work. After a few minutes, run the shower on hot for a minute or two. Turn off the shower and repeat with the vinegar one more time. If your shower head is really clogged, you may have to repeat the process a few more times. When completely finished, dump out the vinegar and fill the cup with water--dump the water over the top of the shower head to remove and lingering vinegar.

Get Rid of Burn (Burnt) Smell in House

So my roommate didn't use the microwave correctly (he thought he had set it on 50% power but had not) and his microwave pot pie burned to a crisp, ruining the microwave (yes, he bought a new one). Now we had to deal with the awful burnt smell (imagine burned popcorn times 100).

First, we opened up all of the doors and windows. Next, we set bowls of vinegar around the kitchen and living room. Finally, we used small paper plates with a teaspoon of fresh coffee grounds on each plate. We left both the vinegar and coffee grounds overnight. Today we boiled water on the stovetop and added a few tablespoons of cooking vanilla.

This morning, most of the smell is gone. We threw out the coffee grounds and just left the vinegar. Seems like another day or so and the smell will be completely gone.