Tips and Tricks
Welcome to our Tips and Tricks page. Hopefully you may find some of these ideas helpful.
If you have any ideas of your own and would like to share them, please get in touch.
IDENTIFYING KEYS
To make it easier to find certain keys more easily, paint both sides of the key head with brightly coloured nail varnish. Â Use a different colour for each key. Â The varnish is extremely durable.
REMOVING GUM
Place a sandwich bag filled with ice cubes on top of the gum and wait about half an hour. Â When the gum is frozen, break it apart and pull it out of the carpet.
REMOVING DENTS IN WOOD
Soak a cloth in water and ring it out so it isn't sopping wet. Â Put the damp cloth on the affected area. Â The water will wick through the wood. Â With the iron on its highest setting, place it on the damp cloth over the affected area, and make small movements back and forth and in circles. Â Press down firmly and continue until the cloth is dry. Â Continue the process adding more water if necessary.
PASTA LIGHTER
If your candles are burning too low and a match won't reach the wick, light a piece of uncooked spaghetti. It’ll reach into those deep candles and burn long enough to light the candles.
FINDING EARRINGS
Put a tight/stocking over the end of a vacuum cleaner to find tiny items like earrings.
CHILLED WINE
Freeze grapes to chill white wine without watering it down
SOAP FILLER
When screws/nails are removed and there is a small hole left. Â Rub an appropriately coloured, slightly softened soap over the top until the shavings fill the gap!
HANGING PICTURES
If you are finding it hard to find the nail/screw to hang your picture on the wall, place a fork over the top (nail/screw lies between fork tips), then hang the wire/cord over the fork. Â Remove the fork!!
CLEAR WINDOWS
In order to get smudge free clear windows, mix some fabric softener and washing up liquid together. Apply to the window (car, house..) and leave to dry. When dry, wipe it off entirely with a clean cloth.
SAUCEPAN STAINS
To remove stubborn dirt stains on saucepans cover the area with baking powder and vinegar. The mixture will fizz but leave to soak for a couple of hours. Wipe off the solution. You may need to leave the solution longer or retry until all the stains have gone.
TOILET CLEANER
Use a bottle of coke instead of cleaners and abrasives to clean unsightly water marks in toilets.
CARPET INDENTATIONS
If you have marks in your carpet/rug where heavy furniture was placed, put a damp cloth over the top of the area and iron over it. You may need to do this several times but the pile should return to normal.
FROZEN LOCK
If you have a frozen lock, smear hand sanitizer over the key. When the key is placed in the lock it will defrost it.
COOKERY MEASURE
If you dont want to use a measuring spoon when adding wet ingredients to dry, mould the back of the appropriately sized spoon into the dry mixture and remove. The hole that has been left is the precise amount of liquid you will need.
APPLE SLICES
Apples go brown quickly so when you have sliced them but dont want to use them straight away, tie a rubber band around them ( keeping the whole apple shape). That way, the apple slices stay fresh until they are ready to be used.
PIPING BAGS
When using piping bags for frosting, tuck them into a glass to make filling them easier.
REVIVING FLOWERS
If flowers arrive in a poor state or need reviving, plunge them into hot water taking care to move the blooms out of the way of any steam. When the water has cooled, trim the sttems and pop them in a vase with some fresh water.
CLEANING BOTTLES
The inside of bottles can be very difficult to clean. However, with a mixture of sand and water the abrasive combination should reach the difficult corners. Rinse throughly with clear water and leave to air dry.
STAINLESS STEEL
To achieve a professional streak-free shine on stainless steel firstly wash with washing up liquid and water. Then polish with baby oil or vegetable oil for an amazing finish.
DUSTING WITH SOCKS
Use old socks like mittens to turn them into dust busters.
WATERING PLANTS
Houseplants can be watered consistently and with little effort by threading a shoelace or piece of wool through the plants soil and into a container filled with water below the pot. The water will flow up the wick to water the plant with just the right amount of moisture. This is particularly useful if you are planning on being away from home for a while.
SHARPEN SCISSORS
Fold a piece of aluminium foil lengthwise several times to get a thick strip of foil. Cut the foil with a full cut so the entire blade is sharpened. Repeat several times. Wipe down and dry.
CARPET DEODORANT
Bicarbonate of soda is a cheap deodorant for carpets and upholstery. It works especially well on pet smells. For even distribtion, use a sift to sprinkle the soda over the area. Hoover off approximately 15 minutes later.
DRYING WET SHOES
To dry wet shoes without harming the outer material, stuff the shoes/boots with newspaper. This will absorb the moisture and keep the shape of the footwear.
CLEANING GROUT
If your tile grout is a little discoloured clean it up using the following solution: 7 cups water, 1/2 cup baking powder or bicarbonate of soda, 1/3 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup vinegar. Mix together, apply to grout, leave for a short while and then wipe off with a clean cloth.
WONDERS OF VINEGAR
Vinegar has a multitude of uses. Undiluted it can remove mildew, clean stainless steel pans, glass lenses, ease sunburn and itching from stings and remove the sticky residue left by some stickers. Diluted it can prevent car windscreen frost, remove smoke odour and remove carpet stains if also mixed with salt.
HOUSE FRAGRANCE
For a beautiful aroma around the house try combining limes, coarse salt, fabric softener and/or cloves. Slice through the lime from the top in 2 places (crossing each other) but not to the bottom so that you have 4 equal pieces. Open the lime up by pulling the pieces outwards and then add into the middle either a) a tablespoon of coarse salt, b) 1/2 cup of fabric softener or c) a tablespoon of cloves. The latter also repels insects. Leave the lime in your chosen room for a few days.
CLEANING HOBS
Sprinkle baking powder onto the hob top and sprinkle on lemon juice. Leave the solution for a while and allow it to fizz. Then lightly buff off the mixture with a clean cloth.
DESCALING
To descale shower heads and taps wrap a bag filled with vinegar around them securely. Leave for a few hours and then remove the bag. Wipe down with a clean cloth.
HARD WATER STAINS
For hard water stains on chrome surfaces soak a paper towel with vinegar and lie over the area concerned. Leave for a while and when you remove it the stains should have disappeared.
REMOVE RUST ON METAL
Apply some baking powder to a cut potato and then rub onto the metal area affected with rust.
HARD TO REACH AREAS
If you have some dirt build up in hard to reach areas such as the bottom of bottles, add rice to the item, add hot soapy water and shake in order to mix thoroughly.
PLASTIC CUTTING BOARD
To remove stains from a plastic cutting board, add baking powder, vinegar and scrub with a cut lemon.
CLEAR IT ALL OUT
If you are grating cheese or measuring a liquid in a container and you often leave some of it behind in the container, spray a little cooking spray into the utensil first. The grater or utensil will be cleared of all ingredients.
CLOGGED SINK
For a clogged sink, add baking powder and vinegar and leave to fizz for about an hour. Add hot water to clear.
MICROWAVE CLEAN
To clean a microwave add a half bowl of vinegar with half a lemon and sit inside the machine. Microwave on full for 1 minute and then wipe the inside clean.
CHEAPEST SPRAY TAP
An affordable and yet functional way to have a spray tap. Insert a skewer into a deflated balloon and nip off the smallest tip. Remove the skewer, place the balloon over the tap and as the water fills you can move the balloon around the sink, just like the expensive spray taps!
AVOID SPILLS
Here is how to prevent any spillage when pouring ingredients from a small plastic bag into another container. Cut the top 2 or 3cm off a screw top plastic bottle but keep the top. Squeeze together the plastic bag opening and insert the screw bottle top over the ends. Fold back the plastic bag in order to leave an opening. Pour safely and easily without spillage. Screw the bottle top back on to use for a later time.
ADAPTED WATERING CAN
Make small holes in the top of an old and empty soda bottle, washing liquid bottle or similar. Also make one down the handle if the container has one. Fill with water. Upturn and leave in the soil of the plant for slow release or use as a watering can. If you have also made a hole in the handle you can cover that whenever you want to and stop the water flow!
BAG DISPENSER
Cut a larger plastic container in half and then in one of the longer sides cut a small opening that resembles a letter box. Put the roll of paper/bags inside the container and pull out one bag through the small letter box style opening so that it can just be seen. If you wish to you can make a hole towards the top back of the container and hang it up for ease of use.