Notabilia

Miscellaneous

Nifty Knacks

101 through 125

101. Put the baby to sleep easily.
     A sweet-sounding, comforting voice in the dark will help your baby fall asleep more readily, especially if the voice is your own. Make a recording of yourself reading a story aloud and in the evening, when you have kissed and cuddled your child, turn out the light and turn on the tape recorder. Your child will soon be lulled to sleep without tears or objections.

102. A quick and easy snack.
     Make a quick and easy snack for your child with souvlaki pitta bread or Arabian pitta bread. Spread ketchup on the pitta bread, sprinkle liberally with grated cheese and top with ham and thin slices of cheese. Grill for two minutes, until the cheese is warm and melting.

103. Fragrance for drawers.
     You can make fragrant sachets for your drawers in just a few minutes. You will need a lace doily, a round piece of tulle, slightly larger than the doily, a little pot-pourri (dried leaves, petals and herbs) a length of string and some ribbon. Put the pot-pourri in the centre of the tulle and draw up the tulle to form a small bundle. Tie the bundle tight with the string. Put the tulle bundle in the centre of the lace doily. Draw up the edges to form a cover for the bundle and tie the ribbon round it in a bow. You can make it even more impressive if you stick tiny flower decorations on the ribbon, or use two different ribbons.

104. Unscrew tight-fitting lids.
     If you are unable to unscrew the tight-fitting lid of a glass jar, such as a jar of marmelade, try this trick. It never fails. Get a strong, wide, elastic band and slip it round the lid. Now try again. The elastic band stops your hands slipping and the lid unscrews easily.

105. Cleaning hairbrushes and combs.
     Soap and water is not enough to clean hairbrushes and combs properly and get rid of the residue of all that gel, mousse, hairspray and other products that we "treat" our hairbrushes and combs to, along with our hair! Bleach is the only really effective solution! Soak your hairdressing implements in a weak solution of bleach for 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. They will end up looking clean and shiny, just like new.

106. Sparkling clean vases.
     In time glass vases go dull and a white film forms on them. This is generally a build up of limescale which is found in water. Fill them with hot water and vinegar, add a handful of coarse salt, shake vigorously a few times and rinse thoroughly with plenty of clean water. Your vases will regain their original sparkle.

107. Non-drip candles.
     No more drips running down candles. Dip your candles in salt water or leave them in the freezer overnight.

108. Restore water pressure in the shower.
     Limescale deposits often result in less water pressure in the shower. What really happens is that the deposits block up the holes in the shower head. A short soak in boiling vinegar gets rid of the limescale.

109. No punctures in your hose-pipe.
     A tiny puncture in your hose-pipe is enough to make you, and whoever is near you, wet through. After this quick, minor repair job, the hose-pipe will be ready for you to use again. Rub the affected part with fine sandpaper and then apply a coat of rubber solution (the glue used to patch inner tubes). Let it dry for a while and then tie some very fine string round the affected part. After this, apply another coat of rubber solution.

110. Egg.
     An egg yolk stain can be removed from cotton with hydrogen peroxide. On more delicate fabrics, try cold water with a little ammonia in it, or soap and water.

111. Blood.
     If the blood stain is on white cotton, use plenty of water and hydrogen peroxide. Wash, and then rinse in water with a little bleach in it. If the stain is on coloured or woollen fabric, dissolve an aspirin in cold water and apply to the stain. Leave to dry and then rub off.

112. Aperitif.
     If the stain is on fabric of vegetable origin, rub it with a cloth dipped in water, pure spirits and a little white vinegar. Then rinse. If the stain is on synthetic fabric, spread liquid soap on it and machine wash.

113. Perfume.
     If the fabric is delicate, dab the stain lightly with spirits on a piece of cotton wool. If the fabric is brightly coloured, use a trichloroethylene product and then wash.

114. Varnish.
     Remove as much as possible using the blade of a knife and then put some kitchen paper on the reverse of the fabric. Spread butter or glycerine on the stain and leave for 10 minutes. Remove the grease with absorbent paper and wash immediately.

115. Butter.
     If the stain is on natural or synthetic fabric, use kitchen paper to remove as much of the grease as possible. Sprinkle talcum powder on the stain. Leave to dry and then brush off using a soft brush. Repeat if necessary, and then wash.

116. Milk.
     Dab the stain with a cloth dipped in cold water and ammonia. Rinse with water.

117. Grease.
     Spread butter on the stain and rub carefully. Leave for 10 to 15 minutes and then wipe away all the grease. Dampen the affected area, put detergent on it and wash in the normal way for that type of fabric.

118. Meat juices.
     Dab the stain with trichloroethylene. Rinse off.

119. Perspiration.
     For all fabrics except wool. Rub the stained area lightly with ammonia.

120. Coffee.
     If coffee is spilt on white cotton fabric, rinse it off immediately and then dab lightly with a 50% solution of bleach, or with hydrogen peroxide. If the stain is on coloured fabric of vegetable origin, dab it with a solution of water, spirits and white vinegar (3/4 through 1/4). If the fabric is delicate, put a little glycerine on the stain and rinse off with tepid water. If the coffee stain is on woollen fabric, apply egg yolk watered down with tepid water. Rinse off before washing.

121. Wax.
     Remove as much hardened wax as possible using the blade of a knife. If the wax has penetrated the fibres of the fabric, put the affected area between two sheets of white, absorbent paper and iron with a moderate iron, changing the paper as it absorbs wax. Finish off by washing the fabric to remove any wax residue.

122. Cola (soft drink).
     For cola stains on washable fabric simply dab the stain with a solution of equal parts of water and spirits. Then wash with detergent as normal.

123. Glue.
     If white glue gets on washable fabrics, it is easily got rid of in the wash. Unfortunately, stronger adhesives do not come out.

124. Lipstick.
     If the fabric is hard-wearing, rub with ether, spirits, or trichloroethylene. If the fabric is more delicate, spread a little butter on the stain, rub gently and wash the garment in soap and water.

125. Red wine.
     If the fabric is white, put some white wine or carbonated water on it before washing in the washing machine, and rinse off with water with ammonia in it. Synthetic fabrics can be washed in cold water with a little ammonia added. Never put salt on such a stain. Sodium chloride can make holes in fabric with repeated washing.