Recently I provided you with a list of 15 common items that have multiple purposes.

There are bound to be many items sitting around your house that you can use for purposes they were never intended for. You might think that fruit is only for eating and dirty water should be immediately poured down the drain, but both can serve other purposes when necessary.

With other items, what you do with them can extend their usefulness and accomplish other goals.

Below is a list of an additional 15 ways to improve conditions in and around your home with common, ordinary items you probably already own:

• If a jewelry chain is tangled too tightly, sprinkle baby powder on the tangle to loosen it and then use a pin to free it.

• Pour white vinegar into a spritzer and spray it onto weeds and grass growing between cracks on your sidewalk.

• Use olive oil rather than shaving cream.

• Don’t toss our your old silverware when it’s time for a new set. Spoons can be used as chimes or for small digging projects in the garden.

• Before calling a plumber for a clogged drain, pour one-half to one cup of baking soda into the drain before adding equal parts of white vinegar. Let it sit for about five minutes before pouring a gallon of boiling water down the drain.

• Did your cell phone get wet? Wrap it securely in cloth and place it for two to three days in cat litter, which is much more absorbent than uncooked rice.

• Use baby wipes to keep your computer keyboard and mouse clean, not to mention your desk and television set.

• If ants start invading your home, sprinkle some cinnamon where you spot them. They’ll leave and you’ll enjoy the smell.

• Mix hydrogen peroxide with water and use it to disinfect countertops or to remove stains on the floor.

• Children and grandchildren like to use crayons – everywhere. Use WD-40 motor oil to remove those markings on most surfaces. A soapy rag will remove any leftover oil.

• Make aluminum foil balls of three inches in diameter and toss them in the dryer instead of dryer sheets.

• Use newspaper with cleaning fluid to remove tough streaks on mirrors and windows.

• Utilize coffee filters to cover items you place in the microwave oven, as disposable bowls and to prevent soil from draining out of flowerpots.

• Use Velcro to keep a rug in place, keep seat cushions from sliding off wooden chairs and to attach the remote to the side of the TV.

• Utilize zip-top bags to break up graham crackers or vanilla wafers for a piecrust.

I hope you were able to pick up a few ideas from this article (and the last one) that you can start implementing in order to improve things around your home. And I’ll bet you’ve done similar things with other common household items that our readers would like to hear about. If so, please let us know.