Notabilia

Miscellaneous

Nifty Knacks

201 through 225

Back to where you came from. The same text in Greek.

  1. Make cut flowers last longer.
    Cut flowers last longer if you half fill the vase with water, top it up with Sprite and add half a teaspoonful of bleach.

  2. Sore throat treatment.
    Grandma says that if you have a sore throat you should dissolve some coarse salt in warm water and gargle with it.

  3. For cellulite and localised fat.
    Put 10 drops of rosemary, lavender and wild cypress oils in 100 ml of almond oil and rub on cellulite and localised fat.

  4. Relaxing and restful.
    A few drops of lavender, geranium and sandalwood oils are relaxing and restful. You can also put a few drops of essential oils on bath sponges, in creams and lotions, or natural oils, depending on what effect you would like to achieve.

  5. Room fragrance.
    5-10 drops of eucalyptus and wild cypress oils in the essential oil burner, bring a breath of country freshness to closed spaces.

  6. Inhaling for easier breathing.
    For easier breathing, put 8-10 drops of eucalyptus oil on a piece of cotton wool or in an essential oil burner.

  7. Gargle to combat bad breath.
    A few drops of bergamot in a glass of water combats bad breath.

  8. A compress for tired skin.
    Put a few drops of lavender oil in a bowl of lukewarm water to revive tired skin.

  9. Your own personal perfume.
    Put a few drops of ylang-ylang, jasmine, rosewood or myrrh in alcohol and water to create your own personal perfume.

  10. Tips on using essential oils.
    Essential oils should not be used directly on the skin, but should be put in oil or cream. Do not use essential oils during pregnancy and always keep them in a cool, dry place in dark glass bottles with tight-fitting lids.

  11. Buying honey.
    Always buy a recognised brand that is in a sealed container, preferably a glass jar that is completely full and airtight so that you can see the colour of the honey and how clear it is, but also to exclude the possibility of the honey spoiling through contact with the air.

  12. Which honey to avoid.
    Avoid honey sold in jars that are exposed to bright light or strong sun because it will have lost its natural value. Also avoid honey that has crystallized.

  13. Restoring crystallized honey to its natural state.
    Leave the jar in a bain-marie at a low temperature (104 degrees) for a long time and never let it come into direct contact with a heat source.

  14. About hive honey, or flower honey.
    Hive honey, or flower honey, crystallizes more readily than tree honey. Therefore, it is a good idea to buy only small quantities that will be consumed within a short time.

  15. Storing honey.
    Re-seal jars of honey tightly after each use and store them in a cool, dry place, far away from strong smelling foodstuffs.

  16. Washing vegetables.
    Wash vegetables in a colander placed in a bowl of water. Afterwards, simply lift the colander out of the bowl and all the peel will be in it.

  17. Carrying lots of bags.
    Do you come out of the supermarket holding lots of bags? Thread another bag through all the handles and tie it up. You will find it much easier to carry them this way.

  18. Large oven gloves.
    If your oven gloves are so small that you burn your hands whenever you take things out of the oven, sew two old towels together and make them into a "custom made oven glove" that is big enough to cover the whole oven dish.

  19. Find negatives easily.
    Have you got some photographs ready to put in an album? Slip the negatives under their matching photographs. That way you will never have to search for them when you want reprints.

  20. Practical little pots.
    The round plastic dispensers that come with detergent make practical paint pots for use when children want to use water-colours. The water does not go everywhere, even when they are knocked over.

  21. Frozen food bags.
    When you open a bag of frozen food, cut it close to the top edge. That way you will be able to close it again so you can put it back in the freezer.

  22. For would-be burglars.
    Make a recording of household sounds; conversations, a dog barking, laughter, the television, the radio. Leave it playing when you go out and would-be burglars will think you are at home.

  23. Luxury fragrances for your linen.
    Give your linen a luxury fragrance. Put any samples of perfume given to you free in the last rinse when you wash your linen.

  24. Washing trainers.
    If you have any left-over upholstery cleaner, dab some on canvas trainers before you put them in the washing machine as usual. They will come out cleaner and fresher than ever before.

  25. For knitwear that doesn't shed fibres.
    Your angora sweater won't shed fibres if you give it a short shot of hairspray.