LEMON AIR FRESHNER:  To freshen the air in your kitchen, especially after cooking fish or cabbage, place a whole, unpeeled lemon in a 300 degree oven for 15 minutes, leaving the door slightly open.  Turn off the oven and let the lemon cool before removing it.  You can also boil lemon rind in water for a ctirus scent.

A SWEETER REFRIGERATOR:  Keep charcoal briquets in the refrigerator to sweeten the air.  To refresh them, just heat the briquets gently in a heavy pot; you'll find that the odors they have absorbed will vanish into think air.  If you refresh them periodically, the briquet deodorizers should last almost forever.

SWEETEN THE AIR WITH HERBS AND SPICES: 

Place spare sprigs of fresh herbs directly on the oven rack toward the end of the baking or roasting time.  The aroma will stimulate your family's taste buds and welcome arriving guests to the anticipated feast.

To freshen up the room air, sprinkle some sweet spice such as ginger or nutmeg on the floor.  Then vacuum it from the floor first, before vacuuming the entire room.

Boil cinnamon and cloves in water on the back of the stove to eliminate cooking odors and freshen the air.

BAKING SODA TAKES OUT STAINS:  To remove stains from Formica countertops, make a paste of baking soda and water, apply it to the stain, leave it on for a minute or two, then wipe it off.

A TOOTHBRUSH FOR CLEANING GRATERS:  Keep an old toothbrush by the kitchen sink for cleaning vegetable and cheese graters.  The brush gets into all the nooks and crannies that a sponge can't reach.

DOES YOUR TAP WATER SMELL OF CHLORINE? Try one of these tips to get rid of the chlorine smell in tap water:

Fill a wide-mouthed pitcher with water and let it stand overnight.  Because gas is volatile, the chlorine will escape into the air.

If you're in a hurry, beat the chlorine out by whirling the water in a blender for about 15 minutes.

Add a scant pinch of vitamin C powder or a piece of a vitamin C tablet to a glass of water immediately before drinking it.  The taste and color of chlorine will disappear because the acidic vitamin combines with ehte basic chlorine to form a harmless bland salt.

CHECKING FOR FRESHNESS:  You can tell whether eggs are fresh or not by placing them in a deep pan of water.  Any floaters should be thrown away; as an egg gets old it shrinks, and air fills the pocket that's been left, enabling the egg to float.  The eggs lying on the bottom are fine to use.

Rx FOR RELUCTANT POPCORN:  If your popcorn won't pop, you can remedy the problem by putting the popcorn in an airtight jar or container, adding a little water, and then refrigerating it overnight.

SALT SUBSTITUTES:  Keep a pepper mill filled with whole mustard seed near your range.  A few grinds of mustard as you're cooking add some zing to dishes, without an overpowering mustard flavor.  Other spice seeds work as well, and you can even blend a few to your own taste.  They make excellent salt substitutes.

DESLATING THE SOUP:  If you have oversalted your soup or stew, simmer a cut piece of apple or potato in it for a while.  Then remove and discard teh apple or potato; it will have absorbed some of the salt, and you will have saved the supper.

MEAT TENDERIZERS: Want to tenderize a tough piece of meat?  Choose a recipe that has fruit in it, particularly pineapple, crab apples, bananas, papayas, figs, or kiwi fruits--all contain tenderizing enzymes.  Moist cooking is best; never dry-cook (i.e., roast) tough cuts.

You can also tenderize meat by marinating it in lemon juice for several hours in the refrigerator before cooking.

DEODORIZING COOKING OIL:  To remove food flavors (except fish) from cooking oil, slice and cook a raw potato in it.

FOR A LIGHTER WHOLE WHEAT BREAD:  To make a whole wheat bread rise higher and feel lighter, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the dough as you're mixing it.  The juice will add lightness but will not influence the taste.

CAP THAT BLAZE:  If you're heating fat and it catches fire, slide a cookie sheet over the top of the pan or block all the air with a lid.  Capping the flames works better than sprinkling with baking soda or even using a small handheld fire extinguisher.  (Extinguishers and soda can cause the fat to splash and burn someone standing nearby.)

STUBBORN JAR LID?"  To pen a jar lid that won't budge, try placing a wide rubber gand around the rim, then turn it.  You'll find that the rubber band helps your hand get a good grip and should make opening the top much easier.

You can also get a better grip on a tight-fitting jar lid by putting on a rubber glove before you try to unscrew it.

BAKING SODA SCOURING MIX:  A combination of dishwashing liquid (not automatic dishwasher detergent) and baking soda works well as a non-abrasive cleaner for appliances, Corning ware, and sinks.  Use a squirt of the liquid and a sprinkle of the soda, rub, and rinse.

SALT CLEANS UP OVEN SPILLS:  Ordinary table salt cleans up messy oven spills.  Let the oven cool, then wet the spill.  Sprinkle on the salt, let it work for a few minutes, then scrape it away and wash the area clean.

LUBRICATION FOR KNOTS:  The next time you have trouble untying a stubborn knot, try lubricating it with a dusting of talcum powder.

LOCK MAINTENANCE:  To protect locks from dirt, rust and unnecessary wear, spray them occasionally with a silicone aerosol.  After treating the lock, turn the key to spread the lubricant.

PROTECT OUTDOOR LOCKS FROM FREEZING:  To keep precipitation from freezing up the padlocks on outbuildings, cut a piece of inner tube (measuring roughly 6 inches square) and nail it over the lock as a flap to shed water.

OVERCOMING RUST:  When you are confronted with a mechanical part that's rusted solid, tie a cloth around the affect part and saturate it with penetrating oil such as WD-40.  Allow the cloth to remain in place overnight before attempting to loosen the part.

REMOVING MARKS, SCRATCHES AND SPOTS.  To remove white spots or water marks from a wood tabletop,, rub the ring with a rag or sponge dampened with denatured alcohol or mineral spirits.  Then, simply polish or wax the area to restore the shine.

Rub broken pieces of pecans or Brazil nuts into scratches to darken them.  Alternatively, try rubbing the scratches with a little raw linseed oil, or use commerical crayonlike stick shellac of the proper hue.

TIGHTENING A CANE-SEATED CHAIR.  When the caning in a a cane-seated chair loosens, it can be tightened easily if the caning isn't broken.  With a sponge and hot water, give the chair seat a thorough soaking nad rubbing, using a little detergent if the chair is dirty.  As the caning on the chair dries, it will tighten up.

REMOVING THE OLD.  Wallpaper is typically removed by wetting it down or steaming it.  But the water won't penetrate if the papered wall has been painted.  To remove painted wallpaper, scratch though the paint with very coarse sandpaper or a wire brush; slash a grid of cuts into the surface with a utility knife; drag an old handsaw blade sideways across the walls; or use a wallpaper scratcher made for the purpose (available at hardware stores)

Before scraping off old wallpaper, spray it with a solutio of hot water and about a tenth as much clear (distilled) vinegar.  Use a plant mister with a big, comfortable squeeze handle.

WE HOPE THESE KITCHEN WISDOM TIPS HAVE BEEN HELPFUL