Chris Barnes

The Real Story Behind 'The Golden Girls' House (PHOTOS)

2013-05-29T08:39:11-04:00

Everyone knows and loves "The Golden Girls." But who knew that a television show about three widows and a divorcée would leave an indelible mark on American pop culture? For almost thirty years, the adventures of Blanche, Dorothy, Sophia and Rose entertained us. Most people can even sing the theme song. But what do we know about the house that the series was set in?

We do know the address: 6151 Richmond Street, Miami, Florida (unfortunately, no such address exists in the real world.) The house was originally owned by Blanche. Then, Dorothy and Rose moved in after replying to a "roommate wanted" ad that Blanche left at a grocery store. Finally, Sophia moved in after the Shady Pines Retirement Home burnt down, and the rest is history.

The exact layout of the house was never made clear, though several people have come up with varying ideas of the floor plan based on descriptions of the house from the series itself. Though this can be subject to debate, what we can all agree on are how the rooms inside looked.

The one that we're probably most familiar with is their huge, iconic living room. It has to be bigger than most Manhattan apartments! During an episode in the third season, it was used to host a press conference with Soviet Union officials honoring Rose's plea for nuclear disarmament. Unfortunately for Rose, they thought she was a preschooler. The furniture is made of wicker and there are loud floral prints everywhere. Hey, this was Miami during the 1980s!

The other main room was their kitchen, which was pretty small by comparison. There were only two important pieces of furniture in it: a small circular table with seating usually for three and a kitchen island. The kitchen set might be familiar to some people; it was used for the short-lived sitcom "It Takes Two" which served as a big break for actors Anthony Edwards and Helen Hunt. For the first season of "The Golden Girls," the kitchen windows looked out into a Chicago city background, a leftover prop from the set's "It Takes Two" days. But by the second season, it was replaced with a more appropriate Miami background.

As for their sleeping quarters, Blanche had the master bedroom. It was her house after all, and she did have the most visitors (wink). Not to mention, she constantly alluded to there being a mirror over the bed (wink again.) It's commonly believed that Sophia's bedroom was fairly close to the kitchen, since the late-night discussions held there usually awakened a certain cranky Sicilian. Dorothy and Rose's rooms were fairly unremarkable.

The outside of the house is interesting in its own right. For the first season, the exterior shots of the home were taken at a real house in Brentwood, California. According to several blogs like LA Snark and Miami Beach 411, the house is in a quiet neighborhood.

From the second season onward, exterior shots were filmed at Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios. They built an exact replica of the house in Orlando. Vacation-goers can actually see the house as a park attraction, where you would be taken on a tram tour of "Residential Street" which features other house exteriors.

A look at the home on the Disney set. Flickr photo by RunTimmy.

Right next door to "The Golden Girls" house was the house from "Empty Nest," which was fitting since that show was a spinoff of "The Golden Girls," chronicling the life of their widowed pediatrician neighbor Harry Weston (played by Richard Mulligan) and his daughters. This show in turn spun off the sitcom "Nurses," which also featured appearances by the ladies from "The Golden Girls." Now, "The Golden Girls" and the "Empty Nest" façades were torn down in 2003 and replaced with the "Lights Motor Action!" attraction.

Still, Dorothy, Blanche, Sophia and Rose will always be our favorite neighbors.

For a real-life look at how celebrities live off-set, check out this slideshow.

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Do you have a home story idea or tip? Email us at homesubmissions@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)

Recyclage dans la maison: 5 nouveaux usages domestiques et utiles pour les serviettes de bain (PHOTOS)

2013-05-24T13:45:48-04:00

Avez-vous des serviettes en trop? Tout le monde en a toujours quelques-unes qui ne servent pas à grand-chose, sont épuisées, rapeuses... et dorment dans un placard.

Une bonne excuse pour vous en offrir de nouvelles: recyclez-les!

En effet, les serviettes de bain et de toilette sont très utiles dans plusieurs usages domestiques, dont voici quelques exemples. Laissez-nous vos commentaires ci-dessous!

D'autres idées inspirantes:

Repurposing Ideas: Five New Uses For Seltzer

2013-05-20T14:19:45-04:00

Though I tried giving up drinking soda in favor of seltzer, I'll be the first to admit that I failed. About a week into the process I learned something: I really don't like drinking the carbonated substitute. That said, I did find several new uses for seltzer around the house. Here are some of my favorites.

1. Counter Cleaner
Seltzer's mild acidity makes it a great counter cleaner -- especially if you're concerned about using stronger chemical sprays. The beverage's acidity is just strong enough to help break down dirt and grime on your kitchen counters, stainless steel fixtures and even porcelain sinks.

Photo by Shutterstock

2. Hair Cleaner
This trick is especially useful in the summer months, as the chlorine in pools and the saltwater from the beach do some damage on our hair. Rinsing your hair with seltzer (using either half a cup or a full cup depending on how long your hair is) after a day at the beach or pool will help remove any buildup on your follicles.

Photo by Shutterstock

3. Waffles/Pancakes
Swap out the water for seltzer when you're making waffles and pancakes. The carbonation produces light and fluffy breakfast staples. This works especially well when you're using a waffle maker.

Photo by Shutterstock

4. Stain Remover
Did you wind up spilling food on your clothes while at the office? Don't worry. Go to the vending machine and get some seltzer and pour directly onto the stain; the carbonation and mild acidity will help break down the blemish. After a gentle scrubbing, it will be as good as new!

Photo by Robert Hruzek/Flickr

5. Newspaper Preserver
Take Care Of Your Stuff shares a way to preserve newspaper using only seltzer water and milk of magnesia. This is a great trick for home archivists or genealogists. And if you end up with any leftovers you can keep the mixture around to remedy stomach aches.

Photo by Shutterstock

To check out our previous installments of Chris Barnes' "5 Uses For...", click through the slideshow below.

An Easy Way To Dry Damp Clothes Quickly

2013-04-03T08:48:32-04:00

Here's a laundry problem that everyone has encountered at one point: That small load of laundry that you did the night before emerges from the dryer still wet. What to do?

Obviously, you can put it back in the dryer, but that might take too long. There is a way that you can speed up the process without being late for work, or pillaging from that "I think it's clean" pile of clothes. All you have to do is throw a dry towel into the dryer with the damp clothes.

See, the towel helps absorb the excess moisture in the clothes as they tumble in the dryer, helping the load dry twice as fast. (This tip also works on fresh-from-the-wash laundry, as well.) The only downside is that this can often create static cling, so you might want to throw a dryer sheet into the mix.

What tips do you have for speeding up laundry day? Share them in the comments, and make sure to click through out slideshow of other cool tricks.

Chris Masters, Former WWE Star, Saves Mom From Burning House

2013-03-21T11:44:29-04:00

Outdoor lawn ornaments and shrubbery are usually just decorative, but former WWE star Chris 'The Masterpiece' Masters was able to use a tree to rescue his mother! TMZ reports that Masters' mother was being held against her will by a neighbor in her own home.

Masters, whose real name is Chris Mordetzky, tried to reason with the neighbor to let his mother go. Things escalated to the point where the neighbor tried lighting the house on fire. Masters reportedly uprooted a tree and used it to break through a window to rescue his mother. The police came and the fire was extinguished.

As for Mama Masters, her son posted "mom's resting comfortably with me at my place" on his Twitter account. We learned two things from this incident: first, garden decorations can be lifesavers. And secondly, we now know how awesome of a son Masters is to his mother.

To learn more celebrity real names, click through our slideshow below.

Dishwasher Flooding Repair You Can Try Before Calling A Plumber

2013-03-17T09:46:32-04:00

Picture this: You walk into your kitchen and your dishwasher is flooding the floor with water and suds. What should you do? Well first, don't panic. If your appliance is backed up, there are a few things you can do to fix the problem before you call a plumber.

Before you get started, make sure you unplug the dishwasher's electrical cord or turn off the circuit breaker. As we all know, electricity and water don't mix well at all.

After removing all the dishes and the washracks, check the floor of the machine for the drain grate. Sometimes the smallest particle of food debris can back up the whole thing. After that's cleared out, wait for half an hour to see if the water is draining.

If not, that means you need to check the hose that connects from the bottom and back of the dishwasher to your kitchen sink that drains the water for blockage. At this point, you should use a bucket or a large plastic tumbler to scoop as much water out of the washer as possible. This will make it much easier to deal with when you pull the washer out.

Lastly, check the hose for blockage by running water through it from your kitchen sink. Once you've ensured it's not blocked, reassemble everything and hopefully your hard work resolved the problem. If not, then you won't feel bad having to call for help.

Be sure to check out Chris Barnes' "5 Uses For..." repurposing tips for the home by clicking through the slideshow below.

Bill Moody, 'Paul Bearer' Dead: Here's A Look Back At The WWE Legend's Home (VIDEO)

2013-03-06T10:18:23-05:00

Professional wrestling fans were saddened this morning to find out that Bill Moody, best known as the Undertaker's rotund, high-pitched and generally spooky manager Paul Bearer died on Tuesday night.

Before joining the WWE, Moody had made his name in the southern wrestling promotions as the over-the-top characters Percival Pringle III, a super-rich manager who feuded with the "good guys" of the area. In early 1991, he made his debut in the WWE drawing on his real-life job as a licensed mortician in the role of urn-toting Paul Bearer who seconded the newly debuted living dead man the Undertaker. Bearer was inseparable with the Undertaker, working alongside and feuding against him until being written out of storylines in the early 2000s.

What made the character work was just how ghoulish Moody made it. As an adult, one of my favorite appearances of Paul Bearer was this house tour that originally aired on WWE programming. At the time, it was completely frightening to me. Remember, seeing this as a 10 year old, it was terrifying to even consider the fact that someone -- even someone as creepy as Paul Bearer -- would live in a funeral parlor!

And that's what makes this video work so much is that how appropriate everything in Paul Bearer's house was...it's nearly pitch black on the inside, all the furniture is really old and drab, and that there are skeletons and coffins just strewn about. It's almost like a parody of where a mortician would live. Credit goes for Moody, because throughout this he acts like there is nothing out of the ordinary.

Watch the video below to see inside Bearer's home and click through our slideshow to see photos.

Household Repurposing Ideas: 5 Clever Uses For Vinegar

2013-02-22T15:01:09-05:00

Vinegar may stink, but not when it comes to repurposing around the home. It's cheap, incredibly versatile and non-damaging to most surfaces. And you probably don't need to even buy a new bottle, as we all have an ancient bottle gathering dust in a cabinet, only to be brought out for the occasional recipe. (Or in my case, bought once for dyeing Easter eggs, then left to gather dust.)

I thought about clever uses for vinegar when my dishwasher was acting up. The problem partially was that I hadn't physically cleaned the appliance in months, mostly because it's hard to do. And to be honest, most of us never think of this chore. But, the dishwasher was backed up at the inconvenient hour of 10 pm. Knowing that the acetic acid in vinegar makes the stuff great for cleaning, I decided to pour it into the dishwasher cleaner reservoir. And, I'm happy to say, it worked.

Read on for my other favorite uses for vinegar -- and for previous installments of "5 Uses For..." in the slideshow below.

Salt Remover
Salt is a very important tool in the war against snow and ice during the winter. Unfortunately it leaves a residue on your footwear as you trudge along through the muck. So how do you get rid of the salt stains on your shoes? Mix vinegar with equal parts water to make a cleaning solution. Lightly dampen a washcloth with the solution and gently wipe away the salt stains. Your shoes will be left nice and clean. (Always do a patch test before applying a cleaning product --even homemade -- to any material.)

Rug Cleaner
Do you have some light traffic stain-age on your carpet? Before you go to the store and invest in some heavy duty spot cleaners, try mixing one part vinegar to one part water. Liberally douse the area with the solution and blot with a wash rag. This will help take care of some of the milder stains.

Clean Your Wiper Blades
If your windshield wipers leave streaks on the glass, it's time to clean the blades. Just take a cleaning rag soaked in vinegar and wipe the blades down. You don't have to be worried about using too much vinegar. Then turn the wipers on to distribute any excess vinegar. The good part about this is that the dispersed vinegar leaves a coating that makes it harder for frost to accumulate.

Dishwasher Cleaner
If the inside of your dishwasher is getting a little greasy (or, if you have hard water that's leaving deposits), a cleaning is in order. Yes, you can use a storebought cleaner, but you probably already have vinegar on hand. Just fill the "dishwasher cleaner" reservoir with vinegar or, simply fill a cup with vinegar and let it run through the cycle. Another tip is that vinegar does a great job of breaking down bubbles. So if your dishwasher has became overrun with suds, just douse some vinegar around the inside. It'll burst their bubbles!

Disinfect Cutting Boards
A wooden cutting board can be hard to clean, as you don't want to warp the surface or fear that a conventional spray cleaner left chemicals lurking. Instead, fill a spray bottle with one part water and one part vinegar. Spray down the cutting board and wipe it off with a paper towel. No warping, no weird chemicals, no germs.

To check out our previous installments of Chris Barnes' "5 Uses For...", click through the slideshow below.

Billy Corgan Wrestles For A Hysterical Walter Smithe Commercial (VIDEO)

2013-02-21T08:58:11-05:00

Billy Corgan is best known for being the frontman of the alternative rock band Smashing Pumpkins (and, of course, for being an all around cool guy.) But now he's upping his celebrity by appearing in this amazing television commercial for Chicago furniture retailer Walter E. Smithe, which is the greatest thing to happen in the world of furniture advertising since a certain Sammy Stevens danced and rapped his way into our hearts.

The spot has Corgan playing musical chairs with the Smithes in the ring at a Resistance Pro wrestling event. What's Resistance Pro? It's a wrestling promotion that Corgan operates in the Chicago area. It turns out he's been a fan of professional wrestling longer than we've been jamming out to the "Gish" album. Anyway, the game gets ugly once Corgan gets eliminated and he sends out Resistance Pro's finest to battle the Smithe boys. The whole fighting sequence is very campy, looking like something out of the 1960s "Batman" television show.

Corgan breaks up the fight as he can't bareto see a nice bar chair--conveniently purchased from Walter E. Smithe--get destroyed and the melee ends with everyone being friends again. And that makes sense, since everyone knows that quality furniture can solve any problem. That's why they call it the negotiation table.

What makes this very silly commercial work is the combination of extreme absurdity (furniture salesmen playing musical chairs at a wrestling show) and the awesome sense of humor that Corgan brought to the ad. I think that's what the world needs now...more musicians who don't take themselves seriously and understand the value of fine craftsmanship in their homes.

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Do you have a home story idea or tip? Email us at homesubmissions@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)

Recyclage dans la maison: 5 nouveaux usages domestiques et utiles pour le chocolat (s'il vous en reste)

2013-02-18T11:40:38-05:00

Avec Pâques, on est (presque) sûr d'aboutir avec un surplus de chocolat.

Pour ceux et celles qui ne veulent pas élargir leur tour de taille, il est important de se débarraser de cette tentation de chaque instant.

Mais, évitez de jeter votre chocolat: recyclez-le! Voyez 5 idées ci-dessous pour le réutiliser de manière intelligente.

Photo: l'utilisatrice de FlickrSiona Karen

Du baume à lèvres
Vous pouvez créer un soin pour les lèvres littéralement extraordinaire avec du chocolat! Suivez les instructions (faciles) de Food.com (en anglais). Ce baume «maison» fera un cadeau parfait pour vos ami(e)s accros au chocolat.

Un masque hydratant
Prenez la moité d'une tasse de chocolat et faites-la fondre dans le micro-ondes afin d'obtenir une pâte épaisse, puis laissez-la refroidir. Ensuite, appliquez-la sur votre visage préalablement nettoyé. Laissez agir quelques minutes puis otez-le à l'eau et séchez votre visage comme d'habitude. Votre peau sera tout hydratée grâce aux antioxydants contenus dans le chocolat, sans oublier qu'elle dégagera une odeur sensuelle!

Du savon
Le beurre de cacao est utilisé depuis longtemps dans les savons. Pourquoi ne pas faire les vôtres? Le site Adventures With The Sage (en anglais) donne les instructions pour faire ses propre savons «maison»... qui sentent bon.

De quoi faire de la sculpture
On nous a toujours dit de ne pas jouer avec la nourriture. Mais, en fait, on peut vraiment faire de la sculpture avec du chocolat! On peut, par exemple, créer un centre de table original... puis laisser les invités le dévorer à la fin du dîner! Suivez les instructions sur le site Instructictables (en anglais) pour vous transformer en artiste de la table.

Un cadeau sophistiqué
C'est vrai, offrir du chocolat n'a rien d'original. Mais il peut devenir un cadeau sophistiqué si vous l'offrez en compagnie d'un bon vin. Essayez de délicieuses combinaisons et impressionnez vos hôtes la prochaine fois que vous êtes invités.

Repurposing Ideas: 5 New Uses For Beer

2013-02-01T12:45:08-05:00

The big winner isn't San Francisco or Baltimore this weekend -- it's a beer! According to the Nielsen Company, the Super Bowl is the eighth highest beer selling day of the year. So chances are you'll probably have an extra bottle (or five) around the house this weekend. Here are some of our five other uses for beer besides drinking, of course.

Stain Remover

Coffee may be the cure for too much beer consumption, but reversely beer comes in handy for removing coffee stains. Just pour some beer on the recently stained carpet or garment and rub the spot. You'll be surprised at how effective it is. Just make sure that you rinse the excess beer off afterwards.

Photo by Fricke_K

Inside Plant Fertilizer

Did you know that plants like beer just as much as people do? Well they do, but for different reasons. The starches and yeast in beer help feed plants. Just pour a little bit of what is left in your bottle or glass into your house plants' pots. Your fern will thank you!

Photo by iriskh

Foot Soak

Drinking a beer may be one way to deal with a problem, but you can soak your feet in beer to help soothe your aching feet. According to Philly Beer Scene, you can make a great foot soak out of beer, vinegar and acidophilus sachet (which you can get from the local health food store) that will help soothe your stems. Best of all, this treatment takes care of dry skin.

Photo by salpics32

Rust Remover

If you have old hardware that is starting to get a little too rusty, let these tools sit in some beer for a bit. The carbonation and the alcohol help beak up the rust. This is especially helpful for rusty bolts; just douse the item in question in a brew.

Photo by frankenstoen

Meat Tenderizer

Ok, this might not be a household tip per se, but it's a great use for your beer. You can use it to tenderize your meat, thanks to the acidity in beer. Just let your roast soak in the fridge in a beer bath for a few hours and you are all set.

Photo by ShutterStock

To check out our previous installments of Chris Barnes' "5 Uses For...", click through the slideshow below.

Repurposing Ideas: 5 New Uses For Towels

2013-01-29T15:43:22-05:00

Do you have some extra towels lying around? Everyone usually has a few, because we buy new ones when they become a little drab and frayed. But don't throw them out; they are still useful! Towels--especially old towels--are very helpful to have around. So much that the importance of these linens has permeated our pop culture. So whether you're following the advice of South Park's Towlie or the words of wisdom Douglas Adam wrote in The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, make sure you have a towel!

Disposable Mop Pads

Whether you are doing it to save money or to be environmentally friendly, try using an old dish towel (or even cut up pieces from a bath towel) instead of the store bought pads for your Swiffer or other push broom. These will do a great job of removing dust, dirt and debris from your floors. When you are done, you can either throw out the rag or wash it so you can use it again another day.

Photo by firepile

Baby Bibs

If you have a baby in your life, you know how important it is to have extra bibs around at all times. So if you even have the slightest bit of sewing skills, you can make great baby bibs out of old towels. There are several instructions online; we really like the one over at Instructables. These are great because they're very soft and baby friendly.

Photo by abbybatchelder

Car Rags

It's always good to keep an old towel (or two) handy in the car at all times. Whether you have to wipe some mud off your headlights like in this photo or someone spilled a beverage, you'll be glad you had that extra rag on hand.

Photo by BetterThanEveryone

Pet Bedding

Cats and dogs aren't picky; you can always turn your old towels over to them. Whether the towels are used to line their crates or for bedding materials, your pets will thank you. If you don't have a pet, you can donate your older towels to an animal shelter for the same purpose. Just check with the shelter to make sure they are accepting them.

Photo by mikebaird

Dog Toy

Dogs really get the best uses out of old towels. Real Simple shares this really simple set of instructions on how you can make a rope toy out of some old towels you have around the house. Trust me, your dog will thank you.

Photo by _tar0_

To check out our previous installments of "5 Uses For...", click through the slideshow below.

Cinq nouveaux usages domestiques surprenants pour la vodka

2013-01-15T11:52:43-05:00

La vodka peut faire plus que de vous accompagner le temps d'une soirée. Elle sait se rendre utile. Voici comment:

Photo Flickr par Karola Riegler

Pour enlever des étiquettes: Un prix, une étiquette, ou tout autre truc collant vous énerve? Vite, appliquez un peu de vodka avec une éponge ou du tissu sur le méchant petit morceau de papier ou résidu collant... et le tour est joué.

Pour faire briller vos appliques en chrome: Retrouvez le brillant de vos appliques (ou robinets) en chrome en une seconde, en les frottant doucement avec un peu de Vodka sur un chiffon doux. Ça marche aussi avec la porcelaine et le verre!

Comme parfum d'ambiance: Remplissez une bouteille avec un ratio égal de vodka et d'eau et vaporisez-le dans l'air. Vous verrez, votre salon ne sentira pas l'alcool, et les vilaines odeurs auront disparu.

Pour préserver un bouquet de fleurs: Changez l'eau souvent est une chose, mais il faut parfois un petit coup de pouce. Comme de la vodka dans l'eau de vos fleurs.

Pour nettoyer votre douche: Vaporisez le bain, la douche - sans oublier le rideau de douche - avec de la vodka. Sans produits chimiques et efficace contre les moisissures!

Recyclage dans la maison: 5 nouveaux usages domestiques et utiles aux bouchons de liège

2013-01-15T11:46:58-05:00

Il y a fort à parier que, durant le temps des Fêtes, vous ouvrirez de nombreuses bouteilles... et que vous aurez ainsi beaucoup de bouchons de liège sur les bras!

Que faire avec ceux-ci? Ne les jetez pas, car il existe de nombreux usages alternatifs aux bouchons de liège. En voici quelques-unes ci-dessous. Et donnez-nous vos idées et suggestions dans les commentaires!

Photo Flickr par Sam Howzit

Une couronne du temps des Fêtes
Vous pouvez facilement créer une jolie couronne décorative en arrangeant les bouchons en forme de cercle, en alternant leur direction. Tout ce dont vous avez besoin est de la colle forte pour les tenir ensemble. Vous pouvez faire une couronne de la grosseur que vous voulez, selon le nombre de bouchons à votre disposition.

Un panneau pour laisser des notes
C'est aussi une bonne façon de recycler ces cadres dont le panneau de verre est manquant ou brisé. Disposez les bouchons autour du cadre. Vous pouvez, bien sûr, créer un style. Puis collez-les ensemble. Vous aurez ainsi un superbe panneau pour épingler vos notes, laisser des messages, etc. dans votre cuisine ou votre bureau.

Un paillasson
Le site Fine Craft Guild nous montre à quel point il est facile de construire un petit tapis (ou paillasson) fait de bouchons de liège. Original, il sera parfait pour les chaussures mouillées dans votre entrée.

Un dessous de plat
Les bouchons de liège étant très résistants à la chaleur, ils sont parfaits pour servir de dessous de plat. De la même manière que pour le panneau (voir ci-dessus; utiliser un cadre plus petit), construisez un dessous de plat original pour éviter que vos casseroles ne brûle votre table.

Des jouets pour enfants
On peut faire plein d'adorables petits jouets pour enfants avec des bouchons de liège! Lucy Ravenscar nous donne la marche à suivre. Si le crochet n'est pas votre truc, vous pouvez aussi habiller le bouchon en dessinant dessus avec des markers et le décorer à votre guise. Voilà une bonne activité à faire avec des enfants!

Recyclage: 6 nouveaux usages domestiques pour les pommes de terre ou comment réutiliser les patates dans la maison (PHOTOS)

2013-01-15T11:37:52-05:00

Les pommes de terre sont partout dans notre diète, dégustées quotidiennement par des millions d'entre nous.

Mais il n'y a pas que les salades de pommes de terre et les frites! Ce sympathique tubercule réserve bien des surprises... et sait se rendre utile dans une maison.

Voyez nos suggestions pour donner une seconde vie à vos patates. Et partagez les vôtres ci-dessous.

Photo Shutterstock

Pour enlever une ampoule cassée
Ça vous est déjà arrivé de vous blesser en enlevant une ampoule brisée d'une lampe? Pas de panique: la prochaine fois que vous avez affaire à ce genre de situation, pressez une pomme de terre dans le bulbe cassé. Votre main est ainsi protégée du verre brisée, et vous pouvez utiliser la pomme de terre pour dévisser le bulbe. Une fois l'opération terminée, n'oubliez pas de jeter la patate.

Comme étampe
Vous pouvez utiliser une pomme de terre pour faire votre propre étampe. Coupez-la en deux et creusez la fome désirée. Puis trempez-la dans de la peinture ou de l'encre: vous pouvez ainsi décorer n'importe quelle surface! C'est très simple à faire et vous permet de créer des formes texturées, et offre aux enfants la possibilité de s'amuser à peu de frais.

Comme nourriture pour plantes
Si les pommes de terre sont nourrissantes pour les êtres humains, elles le sont aussi pour les plantes et les fleurs. Utiliser des patates dans le jardin est un vieux truc (les géraniums en raffolent, paraît-il). Quand vous plantez vos fleurs dans le sol, placez des petits morceaux de la tubercule autour de la racine. Quand ils se briseront, les nutriments seront absorbés par le sol et par la plante.

Pour enlever la ternissure sur l'argenterie
Prenez la moitié d'une pomme de terre et trempez la partie sans peau dans du bicarbonate de sodium avant de la frotter doucement sur votre argenterie. Le bicarbonate de sodium enlève la ternissure et la patate l'absorbe! Voyez ici tous les détails ici (en anglais).

Comme compresse, chaude ou froide
Les pommes de terre gardent très bien la chaleur ou le froid. Alors, selon ce dont vous avez besoin, vous pouvez vous fabriquer une compresse «maison» en plaçant une patate dans le congélateur ou dans le micro-ondes selon vos besoins, puis en l'utilisant sur la partie douloureuse de votre corps.

Pour dessaler une soupe ou un ragoût
Jetez tout simplement une pomme de terre dans la casserole de soupe trop salée: elle absorbera le surplus de sel! Jetez-la après usage.