These are 12 random tips for your home that you should know

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Most of us have certain ways that we clean and take care of everything around the house. We clean the same things on the same days of the week and put everything in a specific place when we're done. This is the way that we've always done it, so why change it now?
Well, sometimes there is an easier and quicker way to do something. Your existing routine for cleaning and organizing your house may not be the most efficient way to do it. Check out these tips for accomplishing quick fixes around your house that you can do anytime.
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1. Make a decorating cone out of wax paper
Decorated cookies and cakes are always a hit at any bake sale or party, but it's such a hassle trying to make them look pretty. Simplify the decorating process with an item that you already have in your kitchen. Cut a 12" x 12" square of wax paper. Cut it in half diagonally and roll it into a cone. Pour your icing into the cone and you're ready to decorate the fanciest desserts in town!
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2. Fix peeling wallpaper
When your wallpaper starts to peel away from your wall, you have two options: rip it all down and start over or fix the section that's peeling. If you really like this particular wallpaper or can't undertake a huge removal project, there's an easy way to reattach the peeling wallpaper that just a sponge, water, adhesive and a roller. First, wet the loose edge with a damp sponge; squeeze adhesive to cover it; press down the edge with a roller.
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3. Homemade Febreeze
Why spend money on a name brand fabric refresher when you can make your own from products that you probably already have? Just combine 1 tablespoon baking soda and heated distilled water in a 4 ounce spray bottle and add 10 drops of your favorite essential oil. Shake the bottle to mix everything well and you have your very own Febreeze for a fraction of the cost.
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4. Clean your vacuum roller with a seam ripper
Every once in awhile, you may notice that your vacuum just isn't picking up dirt like it's supposed to. That's when you discover that the roller is covered up with tangled hair, string and lint. It takes too long to rip out all of that waste from there and get back to vacuuming. Instead you can grab a seam ripper from your sewing supplies. It will easily cut through anything wrapped around your vacuum roller, allowing you to pull everything out of there and get back to work.
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5. Organize hair ties with a carabiner or makeup brush
Anyone with long hair knows the struggle of trying to find a hair tie. It doesn't matter how many you've purchased over the years. You can never find a single one when you need it. Instead of wasting time searching for a hair tie, keep all of them in one place by hooking them on to a carabiner or a long makeup brush.
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6. Use Pine-Sol to clean your toilet bowl brush (h/t Smart School House)
If you're tired of the lingering odor of urine in your bathroom, then you might need to clean your toilet bowl brush. The best way to do this is to pour a little lemon Pine-Sol (or whatever scent you prefer) into the brush holder. This will kill the smell and help disinfect your toilet bowl brush.
7. De-clutter your movie cabinet
Now that most of us have switched from VHS tapes to DVDs and Blu-Ray, we've all noticed a significant amount of free space in our movie cabinets or on the shelves around our TVs. What if you could save even more space? Buy a few zippered CD cases and store all of your DVDs in these instead of in their original boxes. These cases will not only clear some space on your shelves, but also make it easier for you to travel with your movies in tow.
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8. Hold a nail with a clothespin
One of the worst parts of any simple building project is the inevitable moment when you swing your hammer down, completely miss the nail and smash your thumb. Prevent this scenario from ever happening again by using a clothespin to hold the nail in place while you hammer it.
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9. Fill nail holes with crayons
When it's time to move or you've decided to rearrange everything hanging on your walls, you're going to discover an abundance of nail holes. You could use various types of putty to fill these in, but there is a much cheaper and faster way to do this. Find a crayon that matches the paint on your wall and just color over the nail hole. Make sure you put plenty of pressure on the crayon while you color. This will quickly fill the hole. If there is any excess crayon around the hole, just wipe it away with a dry cloth.
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10. Clean window blinds with kitchen tongs
To clean your window blinds, you probably just take a feather duster and swipe it down the closed blinds. While that makes for a quick clean, it's not the most effective way to dust each individual slat. Next time, wrap a dust cloth around each side of a pair of kitchen tongs and hold them in place with a couple rubber bands. Slide this contraption across each slat for a thorough dusting.
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11. Prevent wasted wrapping paper with cardboard rolls
With Christmas always just around the corner, you can never really get away from wrapping paper. Trying to store your wrapping paper the rest of the year can be kind of a hassle. The paper is constantly unrolling and getting bent out of shape. When you stick on a piece of tape to keep it in place, you end up ripping the paper when you are ready to use it and try to take the tape off. Instead of wasting paper like this, cut open an old toilet paper or paper towel roll and use it as a cuff around your wrapping paper.
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12. Store coins in pill bottles
If you frequently travel on toll roads or just can't pass on the temptation to swing through a cheap drive-through on your way home, then you probably deal with a lot of loose change in your car. Keep your coins organized and in one convenient location by putting them in an old pill bottle. Now, you'll have easy access to your money without worrying about the change spilling in between your car seats.
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Resources Banner Image Credit and Hir.Ma
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