From flowers to bananas to sponges, INSIDE EDITION has tips to make your products last a lot longer.
Lifestyle expert Kris Schoels has shared tips for how to make products in your home last longer. Here are some life hacks that can help you stretch a dollar:
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1 - Everybody wants flowers to look fresh for more than just a few days – so, what's the secret?
Schoels told INSIDE EDITION that alcohol slows the bacterial growth, keeping the flowers fresher, longer. You can also use mouthwash.
“Apparently, the plants like to drink the vodka,” she explained. "Pour a little bit into the water... Then eyeball about a shot."
2 - Sponges are the dirtiest things in your home - but you don't have to throw them away just because they're full of bacteria.
To decontaminate, pour white vinegar over a wet sponge, and put it in the microwave for two minutes.
“Not only does it disinfect your sponges, it going to also disinfect the microwave,” said Scholes.
You can also clean dirty sponges in the dishwasher.
3 - What about bananas that ripen too fast? Separated, they'll last twice as long.
“The reason why they are still like this is because if they are not separated they continue to emit the gas that ripens them. So, in order to save your bananas, unless you want a lot of banana bread, is to actually break them apart and store them separately,” responded Schoels.
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4 - Did you know that pantyhose last longer if they're kept in the freezer?
“What the freezer does is actually strengthening the fibers and prevents the runs in the pantyhose. You’re rushing out the door; you've got the run in the hose. Nobody wants that,” Schoels said.
5 - The freezer is also a great place to store candles.
“It actually slows down the burning process so they burn a lot longer and then the other thing, which is my favorite thing that it does, is they drip less so you don't end up with wax all over your countertops,” said Schoels.
6 - Who knew a vacuum cleaner can make your hair dryer last longer?
Scholes said: “Dust kind of collects in the back here, and it can burn out the motor. So all you need to do is vacuum it out."
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