Cool Things To Do With Water

Konbanwa sweeties (✿◠‿◠)

Today's #Kawaii365 post is about water. That's right, 水

Water (水) is one of the world's most amazing forces! We will not survive without its nourishing hydration - but it can be harmful to us in other forms, and it takes many forms: ice, hail, floods... so it as an element we must treat with respect. Just ask any sea man.

Here are some really cool things we can DIY with the water from our kitchen taps:

• Wash the dirty microwave by placing a mug of water, with a dishcloth in it, on high for about 60 seconds to create steam. While the cloth is hot and the steam is still present, this is a chemical-free way to clean where food will be.
• You can also use this same method for wiping out food crumbs and spots from inside the fridge.
• If your frying pans have caked on food, try putting 1 inch of water in them and boil the food loose before washing. This works better than it sounds.
• Have wet nail polish on your fingers? Run very cold water over them for 15 seconds to 'set' the polish and harden it. Let the water bead up and gently shake off.
• Have a cold roll-on deodorant? (Brrr!). Run it under very warm water for 15 seconds before applying to under-arms. You'll thank yourself.
• Make a reusable ice pack (or a few) for your 'freezer first aid kit': Take a Ziploc bag, 2 paper towels, folded to fit in the bag, and saturate them with water; do not wring them out. Seal the bag and stick it in your freezer for painful injuries down the line.
• When you're sick and you have a sore throat (and mucus), boil 1 teaspoon honey into a cup of water. This works well without a tea bag.
• If you're very congested, try boiling enough water to place in a large bowl, and sit over it (with a towel acting as a 'tent trap') and breathe in the steam.
• If you're super congested and nothing is helping, try locking yourself in the bathroom and turning the shower on full hot (while you sit nearby) and breathe in the steam for up to 15 minutes at a time.
• You can also use steam in the shower to de-wrinkle clothes when you don't have time to iron.
• Adding 1/2 teaspoon salt to a cup of warm water is a cure-all for many things, including bleeding gums and sore throat caused by viruses or bacteria. You can also use this salty solution to clear out congested nasal passages over a sink. This drug-free way of healing is great for young children or persons with sensitivities to strong medication.
• In the summer months, when it's unbearably hot indoors too, seal up your windows, close your curtains, turn off lights, and fill your bathtub with tepid or cool (not ice cold) water. Get into a swimsuit, grab a cold beverage and a good book and have a 30 minute soak. Don't blame me if you decide not to get out ^_^
• If you want a new experience with pencil crayons while coloring, try carefully dipping the tips of them into a glass of water, and after shaking off the excess water, you will get a nice smooth finish as you color. Experiment with different intensities.
• Do you also hate licking yucky envelopes and stamps? Then take a Qtip (cotton swab) and dip it in water, squeeze out the excess and use it like a proxy tongue. It does the trick, no lick!

What other cool things have you found you can do with water? Let us know in the comments below!