Lisa Katayama > Quotes

“WHY THIS WORKS: Cats like to scratch at anything that has a satisfying texture. Rope, stringy and rough, can be easily molded into any shape, including that of table legs. You can also use corrugated cardboard, which is not as malleable but is equally satisfying to your kitty.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“SOLUTION: Make it a habit to give your jacket a quick cleaning every time you eat a banana. Leave the banana peel out to dry overnight. When ready, rub the inside of the peel against the surface of the leather. Follow up by buffing the jacket with the outside surface of the peel for a finishing polish. WHY THIS WORKS: The average banana peel contains 30 to 40 percent tannin, the stuff used in commercial leather cleaners. When dried, the peel makes a natural leather cleaner, and the outside of the banana peel contains wax, giving leather a perfect top coat. -HOW TO- KEEP YOUR SHIRT CLEAN”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“WHY THIS WORKS: Trousers and other things fall off your hangers because of two factors—imbalance and slipperiness. When you cross one pant leg over the other, you are solving the imbalance problem with evenness on both sides. Also, the friction between the two pant legs prevents slipperiness, allowing your pants to stay put and hanging.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“Think Scotchgard, but a more informal version.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“You’re on an important mission in the treacherous jungles of Malaysia, but you realize you forgot to bring a compass. It’s still light out, so you still have a few hours to get to your destination, but how can you tell which direction is south? SOLUTION: As long as you have an analog wristwatch, you’re going to be OK. Point the hour hand toward the sun and locate the exact midpoint between it and the 12. That midpoint, no matter what time of day it is, will point you south. WHY THIS WORKS: In the northern hemisphere, the sun is almost always south of the east-west line, so every time you’re pointing toward the sun, you’re looking due south. This is accurate up to twenty degrees, depending on the time of day—it’s the most accurate at high noon and less so during the early morning or the late afternoon.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“WHY THIS WORKS: All that nastiness will get caught up in the gaps between the rubber-band rings, ridding your carpet of these unwanted bits and pieces once and for all. The stickiness of the elastic, plus the static, keeps the junk from falling out.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“MAKE A HOMEMADE SCRATCHING POLE FOR YOUR CAT”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“SOLUTION: Wrap lengths of rope tightly around the table legs, and tie them at the top and bottom so they don’t loosen and fall off.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“SOLUTION: Sprinkle some baby powder at the nucleus of the tangle and watch your necklace—and your temper—ease out of its tension-filled mess.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“Prefer to use a penny? Copper is also a natural fungicide and can prevent bacterial growth on the stems, thus prolonging plant life.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“SOLUTION: Add a few grains of salt to your cold cup and nuke it in the microwave for a minute. You’ll notice that your coffee tastes almost as good as when it was freshly brewed.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“Your new car has all-wheel drive, winter tires, a V-8 engine, and a ski rack. It’s perfect for going up to the mountains on winter weekends, except the damn doors keep freezing shut overnight. SOLUTION: Before you head up to the winter wonderland, spray the rubber gaskets between the doors and the car body with nonstick cooking spray. This is most effective when applied to a dry surface, so remember to do it before you plunge into the snowstorm. WHY THIS WORKS: Nonstick cooking spray is oily, and the thin film lubricates the surfaces, preventing water from collecting on the rubber and the metal and freezing them together. It’s kind of like coating the surface of a pan with oil—once you do that, when you sprinkle the pan with droplets of water, they’ll just bead up. -HOW TO- BOOST A CAR BATTERY”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“WHY THIS WORKS: Baby powder is usually made of ground talc or cornstarch, both of which are supersoft and fine and can fit in almost any crevice. It acts as a lubricant that reduces the friction causing the knots, softening kinks and loosening tangles.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“SOLUTION: A few drops of bleach work as well as that plant fertilizer they give you at the flower shop. If you don’t have bleach, copper can do the deed: just drop a penny in the water instead.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“WHY THIS WORKS: Most cassette tape is made of ferric oxide and cobalt. In fine powder form, ferric oxide is often used as the finishing polish for jewelry and glasses—in other words, it’s great for magnetic storage but also an effective shine enhancer. The stockings are made of nylon, which is sturdy and keeps the tape material in a solid bunch without interfering with its cleaning skills.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“Avocados are delicious in salads, but they’re also excellent skin-smoothing agents. Just cut the avocado in half, scoop out the insides, and rub the inside of the rind against your rough spots for a few minutes. Repeat as often as desired for maximum effect.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“DILEMMA: You’re going out of town for a week and taking your two kids, your dog, and your cat with you. But who’s going to water the basil plant? SOLUTION: Your baby’s disposable diapers are useful for more than just absorbing poop and pee. Soak one of the butt-huggers in a tray of water and place the plant pot on top of it to create your own auto-watering device.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“your favorite aluminum pot, and now it’s turning black and crusty inside. SOLUTION: Cut a couple thin slices from an apple and put them in the pot with just enough water to cover the grime. Bring the apple water to a boil and let it simmer for ten minutes. When that’s done, wipe the stains off clean with soap and a sponge.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“SOLUTION: Pour a small cupful of mouthwash in the toilet bowl. After fifteen to twenty minutes, dip a toilet brush in the water and give all surfaces a quick wipe. Just one flush and you’re done.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“DILEMMA: You thought it would be romantic to take your date hiking off the beaten path. It didn’t occur to you that your path was unbeaten because of the abundant poison ivy bushes beyond the “Do Not Enter” sign until you were red and itchy all over. SOLUTION: Spray or slather old-fashioned white shoe polish on the problem areas and you’ll feel its soothing effect in no time. Plus, you’ll be shiny and white like a pair of new kicks.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“DILEMMA: You store your work pants on cheap plastic hangers, but they keep slipping off every time you’re browsing your wardrobe. SOLUTION: It’s all about placement. Instead of folding the entire garment over the hanger, cross one pant leg over the other.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“SHINE A BLACK LEATHER JACKET”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“SOLUTION: Don’t let your new T-shirt meet the same fate. Before you wear it out, spritz some adhesive spray on the inside of the armpit and iron the area from the outside. Your pits will stay free of yellow stains.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“DILEMMA: Wiper fluid is good for clearing up most of the windshield, but it always leaves the edges even dirtier than before. SOLUTION: Remove the tape from a cassette—if you still have any around—shape it into a ball, stuff it into the foot of an old stocking, and tie the tip closed. You’ve just made your very own window wiper that won’t leave streaks and stains all over the place.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“SOLUTION: Stick the dying soap in the microwave and watch it grow back into a usable size.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan

“DILEMMA: You got a new puppy, and now your once beautifully green lawn has bare brown patches all over it from dog pee. SOLUTION: Pour some beer on the problem areas, making sure the foam’s covering all the naked spots. The grass will be greener in no time.”
― Lisa Katayama, Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan