FOR YOUR FACE:

As a face mask, paint Elmer's Glue on your face, allow it to dry, then peel off. May not smell so good, but this works!

For puffy eyes, dab Preparation H around the eyes. As I grow older, I find myself doing this daily.

For red or puffy eyes, place cold cucumber slices over your eyelids for a few minutes.

Out of moisturizer? Apply Vaseline to a clean, wet face. Continue to add water as you apply the Vaseline - this will keep your face from looking and feeling greasy. I can guarantee this works, and if you use it at night, you don't have to worry about puffy skin the next morning from overmoisturizing.

As a nighttime eye cream, apply odorless castor oil. Many plastic surgeons use this after surgery.

For cleansing grains, mix a teaspoon of sugar with soap lather and gently wash your face/body.

Great facial scrub: Make a paste of oatmeal and water, apply and allow to dry until your face feels tight, then rub off with your fingers - this sloughs off dead skin.

To remove eye makeup: Try baby shampoo. My ophthalmologist recommended thisto me and it's the best makeup remover I've found. Very gentle and doesn't sting the eyes.

*Teeth yellow or stained? Try brushing vigorously with a toothbrush dipped in a mashed strawberry.

FOR FEET:

Suffering from itchy athlete's feet? Rub cornstarch onto the feet and between the toes. Instant relief.

For stinky feet, try dipping your feet in Jello. But please don't consume afterwards!

If you have that nasty-looking fungus on your toenails (or fingernails), coat with Vicks Vapor Rub.

Dry skin on your feet? Before retiring for the night, apply lotion (baby oil also works well) liberally, then pull on socks and climb into bed.

GENERAL BODY:

For overall moisturizing: After shower or bath, apply baby oil to wet skin, then gently pat dry. I do this religiously and have never found anything better.

For dried or chapped lips: Apply Vaseline. I have also found that if your lipstick is too dry, putting Vaseline on your lips before applying helps the lipstick to glide on. Also gives your lips a glossy shine!

Suffering from sunburn? Empty a large jar of Nestea into your bath water and soak. Or dab vinegar over the burn.

Hot drink scald your tongue? Put sugar on it. Really works!

For minor burns, dab gently with Colgate or Crest toothpaste.

To remove grease or paint from your hands, spray on with Pam.

*For those irritating paper cuts, use Crazy Glue or Chapstick.

*For deeper cuts: Crazy Glue. Hospitals use it now instead of stitches. They did this with my son for a hand cut and it worked. Whole lot less painful than those invasive stitches.

Stung by a bee? Use meat tenderizer or spray with WD-40.

For those irritating chigger bites, coat with Preparation H.

If you suffer from arthritis, try spraying with WD-40 and rub in.

For insect stings, WD-40 once more!

FOR CLOTHING:

If you're tired of pantyhose that doesn't seem to last long at all, try freezing before wearing. Wet thoroughly, wring out, put into a plastic freezer bag, and toss in the freezer. After frozen, thaw in a tub and hang to dry.

For longer-lasting buttons, dab clear nail polish in the center of each button, front and back, before wearing. This seals the threads.

Fuzz balls? Use a regular razor or an electric shaver.

To remove hem creases, sponge the material with white vinegar, then press with a warm iron.

How many times have we all gotten those irritating knots in our necklace chains? Don't despair. Put a drop or two of salad oil on waxed paper, lay the knot in the oil, and undo using two straight pins.

For hubby's or boyfriend's collar ring, brush hair shampoo into the soiled shirt collar, then launder. This is also great for removing makeup around collars.

To remove lint in wash, add 1 cup white vinegar to the final rinse.

For soft sweaters: When handwashing, add a capful of crème hair rinse in the final rinse water. Or if washing in the washer on the delicate cycle, add the creme rinse to the the final rinse cycle. Those sweaters will feel and look great!

For softer, sweeter-smelling clothes, add 1 cup white vinegar to the rinse cycle. Vinegar helps dissolve alkalines in soaps and detergents.

Uh-oh! Red wine spill? Sprinkle with salt - lots of it - then dunk into cold water and rub.

Kids have dull-looking white socks? Add a slice of lemon to water and boil. I use this with my daughter's sports socks for soccer.

For those stubborn blood stains, cover with meat tenderizer, apply cool water to form a paste, wait 15-30 minutes, then sponge with cool water. Hydrogen peroxide will work, too, and it's faster.

For a ballpoint ink stain, spray liberally with hairspray and rub with a clean, dry cloth.

Embarrassing perspiration stain? Soak in warm vinegar water. Works every time.

Grass stains on uniforms or kids' clothes? Use Karo Syrup.

HOUSEHOLD:

For clean toilet or dishwasher pipes, put Kool-aid in the detergent section and run.

To keep goggles and glasses from fogging, coat with Colgate toothpaste.

To remove wax, place a paper towel over the wax stain and iron.

For sticky labels, use peanut butter.

Baked-on food? Fill with water, place dryer softener sheet in container and soak overnight. Efferdent tablets will work, too!

Kids go crazy with the crayons? Apply Colgate toothpaste to the markings and brush.

For dirty grout, use Listerine.

Grease stains? Try Coca Cola. Works on clothing and even can be used on driveways or in the garage!

To remove polish buildup on furniture, mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/2 cup water. Dip soft cloth into solution, wring out, then rub. Dry immediately with another soft cloth.

White water ring? Put a dab of toothpaste on a dampened soft cloth and gently rub.

To clean glass tabletops, rub in lemon juice, dry with a paper towel, and shine with a sheet of newspaper. Beautiful!

To clean chrome, use an ammonia-dampened cloth.

To remove glue from furniture, use cold cream, peanut butter, or salad oil.

Rust on metal furniture? Scrub with turpentine.

A great upholstery cleaner is shaving cream. Simply spray on and rub.

For scratches on CDs: Apply peanut butter and wipe off with coffee filter paper.

Christy Tillery French P.O. Box 297 Heiskell TN 37754 E-mail: readermail@ChristyFrench.Com