Simple Solutions: Kitchen appliance hacks

You use your microwave to heat up food and your dishwasher to wash dishes, but did you know that you could use these kitchen appliances for other things as well?

After a while, your dish sponge will harbor a lot of bacteria. Disinfect it by getting it wet and microwaving it on high for two minutes.

You can also use your microwave to get more juice out of your lemons and limes by zapping them for 20 seconds before squeezing. If you stepped in gum, throw your shoe in the freezer for a couple of hours and it will come off a lot easier. Also, freeze your jeans to kill odor-causing bacteria. This will also keep your jeans from fading because you won't be over washing them. Use your Keurig to make instant oatmeal, ramen noodles, or a cup of soup. Simply running a cycle without a k cup is a lot faster than heating up water.

Hardware like drawer handles and tools become covered with paint and filth over time. Throw them in the crockpot overnight on a low setting. In the morning, the paint and dirt should come right off!

You can use your dishwasher to disinfect toys, brushes, small tools, and flip-flops. Just make sure your items are dishwasher safe.

You can also freeze fresh herbs in ice cube trays with olive oil. Next time you're cooking and your recipe call for that herb, just toss it right in. Finally, if you want to dry your fresh herbs, place them on a plate lined with a paper towel and cover them with another one. Microwave on high for one minute and continue microwaving in 20 second intervals until they are dried out.

Contributor(s) to this news report include: Katie Campbell, Producer; Angela Clooney, Videographer and Editor.