- Scrub away stains in a toilet bowl.
Pour a packet or lemon or orange flavored Kool-Aid into your toilet bowl and scrub away the stains with a toilet brush. The citric acid and the abrasive texture of the powder help break down and dissolve stains. Plus, citrus Kool-Aid smells a whole lot better than chemical cleaning solutions!
- Transform unfinished wood into colorful decor.
Add color to wooden picture frames, clothespins, and any other unfinished wood item with Kool-Aid. Add three to four packs of Kool-Aid to a container of water to make the dye super pigmented. Then, set your wooden item into the solution and let it absorb the dye overnight.
- Remove rust, gunk, and buildup inside a washing machine.
The citric acid in lemon or orange Kool-Aid helps break down the buildup in your washing machine. Run 1/4 cup lemon or orange Kool-Aid in a regular wash cycle—without clothes—and repeat as needed.
- Dye all-natural yarn on the stovetop or microwave.
It’s important to use 100% wool or yarn that has no synthetic fibers—the dye sticks better this way.
First, wash yarn in gentle baby shampoo. Then, dissolve any color Kool-Aid mix in a small container with water. A general rule of thumb is to use one to two packs per ounce of yarn. Add yarn and dye solution to a pot of water, making sure there’s enough liquid to cover the yarn completely. (The amount of water won’t affect the color since the color is dependent on the amount of dye you use.)
Heat the water until it’s almost boiling. Cover the pot, turn off the heat, and let the yarn sit for about half an hour. Stir occasionally to check the color.
After half an hour, you’ll see that all the green color in the water gets absorbed into the yarn, leaving the remaining liquid a milky white. Rinse the yarn gently in warm water (using cold water may cause the yarn to felt). Dry the dyed yarn away from sunlight, and use as normal.
To dye yarn in a microwave, combine water, yarn, and Kool-Aid solution in a container and microwave for two minutes. Let yarn sit for two minutes, then microwave again for two additional minutes. Repeat this process until the desired color is achieved.
- Remove rust stains from concrete.
Mix together a few drops of water with a packet of lemon-flavored Kool-Aid. Use a brush to scrub the stains away. The abrasive paste plus the citric acid can do wonders for your driveway or patio.
- Dye hard-boiled eggs.
Pour one envelope of each Kool-Aid color and 2/3 cup water into separate glasses, stirring to dissolve the drink mix. Use a spoon to place a hard-boiled egg into each cup. Keep eggs submerged until the desired color is reached.
- Check for toilet tank leaks.
Remove the tank lid and pour in a dark-colored Kool-Aid packet. Wait about 30 minutes without flushing the toilet. If any of the colored water appears in the toilet bowl, there’s a leak. You may just have to replace the flapper, or you may have to investigate further.
- Make window clings from scented, colored glue.
Pour Kool-Aid into a bottle of school glue and mix thoroughly using a thin, long utensil like a chopstick. Use glue regularly, create art on canvas or paper, or try making designs on stretched plastic wrap (tape down the sides and remove creases) that can be dried and used as window clings.
Tip: When using more than one color per gel-cling design, allow each color to dry first; otherwise, the colors may run together.
- Sanitize a dishwasher.
Fill your empty dishwasher’s detergent compartment with lemon Kool-Aid and run a normal cycle. The citric acid will help remove buildup.
- Create scented play dough.
Mix the following in a medium pot:
1 cup flour
1/4 cup salt
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 Kool-Aid packets
3/4 cup water
Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring until the dough clumps together and reaches play dough consistency. Repeat the process for each color.
- Make flavored lip gloss.
Put a cup of Vaseline into a small microwavable bowl and microwave for about 30 seconds (don’t let the Vaseline turn into liquid). Sprinkle in Kool-Aid mix and stir well. Transfer lip gloss to a small, portable container (a clean spice container works well) and enjoy!