Other than creating artwork on your driveway in the summer, there are plenty of ways to utilize chalk throughout your home. From cleaning to decorating, read on for some creative and useful household uses for chalk!
1. Preventing musty odors
Do you have a closet in your basement that leaves a musty smell on your clothes? Do your holiday decorations always smell a bit funny when you take them out of your crawl space? Grab a few pieces of chalk and toss them in a small, breathable fabric bag and place them in your closet. The chalk should help absorb some of the stale odor that lingers in your storage spaces.
2. Keep silverware shining
Moisture is the enemy when it comes to your silverware--it causes silver to tarnish. If you keep a small bundle of chalk in the same place as your silverware, you'll reduce the amount of moisture that accumulates and prevent your precious silverware from tarnishing.
3. Grease stains
Grease stains are a tricky situation to handle--you're either lucky enough to catch it in time or they're on your shirt forever. If you do catch it in time, rub some chalk on the stained area and let it sit for five to 10 minutes. The chalk should absorb some of the grease before you toss it in the washing machine.
4. Pewter powder
If you make a paste of ground up chalk and vodka, you can easily polish your pewter pieces. Rub the paste on the pewter, rinse it off and polish the item.
5. Furniture placement
Are you in the middle of moving in and need to figure out where to put your couch? Draw a chalk outline on the floor where you want your
furniture placed. This will make things easier if someone else is waiting for
your furniture delivery while you're at work. Take a few minutes to draw a few squares on the floor and write what goes where inside the square.
6. Even sanding
Working on sanding a surface? If you're worried you might not get an even surface, try this: rub some chalk on the entire area and start sanding. When the chalk disappears, your surface should be entirely smooth!
7. Cover holes in the wall
Much like rubbing a white bar soap over nail holes, this trick will help minimize the appearance of tiny holes in
your walls. If you've got a few knicks and scrapes, find a piece of chalk that matches the wall color and fill in the area. This won't work to fill in large areas, but it should help make those little marks less noticeable.
8. Labeling
If you have a few jars or canisters in your kitchen, updating them with a splash of chalkboard paint will allow you to label and relabel the contents as many times as needed.
9. Repel ants
Do you have an ant problem in your home? For whatever reason, ants really don't like chalk. If you draw a few chalk lines by your doorway, window sills or anywhere else they're gaining entry, you could stop them in their tracks.
10. Keep your screwdriver from slipping
Rub the end of your flathead screwdriver to prevent it from slipping when you're turning a screw. When you're done, toss the piece of chalk into your toolbox to help keep rust at bay.