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Check Your Toilet for Leaks
To check for leaks in your toilet tank, open the lid and pour a packet of dark-colored Kool-Aid into the reserve tank. Let it sit for 30 minutes. If the liquid in the bowl changes color, then water is leaking from the tank into the bowl.
Dye Unfinished Wood
Kool-Aid can stain small pieces of unfinished wood for craft and home projects. Simply add three or four packets of your favorite color of Kool-Aid to a bowl of water, stir until the powder dissolves completely, and submerge the wood in the mixture overnight.
Dye Yarn
Handy DIYers can dye any light-colored yarn with Kool-Aid. To begin, stir a packet of the colored powder of your choice into water until it’s dissolved. Transfer the solution to a pot, and completely submerge the yarn in the liquid. Bring the water and yarn to a boil, take the pot off the stove, and let it sit, covered, for at least 30 minutes. Rinse the yarn in warm water and allow it to dry.
Clean Your Coffee Maker
You can rid your coffee maker of hard water stains by running a batch of Kool-Aid Lemonade through it. Dissolve a packet of lemon-flavored Kool-Aid in two cups of water. Add it to your coffee maker’s water reservoir, and run the appliance through a brew cycle for a squeaky-clean finish.
Related: 10 Things a Coffee Maker Can Do—Besides Brew Coffee
Get Rust Off Concrete
Don’t fret if you find rust stains on your concrete. For an easy DIY solution, mix a packet of Kool-Aid Lemonade with just enough water to form a paste, and apply it to the stain with a stiff brush. The paste should loosen the rust enough for you to rinse it off with the garden hose.
Dye Easter Eggs
No Easter Egg kit? No problem. You can dye eggs just as easily by dissolving a packet of Kool-Aid into 2/3 cup of water and using it as you would any other egg dye.
Clean Your Dishwasher
If your water has a high iron content, you probably have rust stains inside your dishwasher. Get the appliance sparkling clean again by putting a packet of Kool-Aid Lemonade into the soap dispenser and running the dishwasher on a hot-water cycle.
Related: Over a Dozen Things You Didn’t Know You Could Clean in the Dishwasher
Clean Pots and Pans
The citric acid in orange- or lemon-flavored Kool-Aid can effectively break up stubborn gunk on pots and pans. Simply mix a packet of the beverage with a teaspoon or two of water. Use the resulting paste to scrub the pan clean.
Clean Tarnished Silverware
There’s no need to buy silver polish if you have a spare packet of Kool-Aid Lemonade in the pantry. In a large container, mix the powder with two quarts of water and one cup of sugar. Soak the silverware in the Kool-Aid liquid for 10 minutes. Then take it out, wipe with a cloth, and rinse before carefully drying.
Make Paint
Entertain the kids by whipping up some watercolor paint with packets of Kool-Aid. Dump each pouch in a small container or dish, mix with a tablespoon of water, and let the creativity flow!
Clean the Toilet
In a pinch, homeowners can clean the toilet bowl with a packet of Kool-Aid Lemonade. Sprinkle the powder into the bowl and scrub as you usually would with your toilet brush. Flush the toilet, and watch those hard water rings wash away.
Refresh Your Routine
Bring a little color to big cleaning day when you add these clever tricks to your routine. Once you’ve finished your chores, why not treat yourself to a sweet drink. You don’t have to reach for a Kool-Aid—but you could!