Notabilia

Miscellaneous

Nifty Knacks

351 through 375

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

  1. Storing batteries.
    Batteries are sold in packs of two or more, but your alarm clock probably takes only one. Stick the spare battery on the back of the alarm clock with sellotape and you will always know where it is!

  2. No more creased clothes.
    When you put clothes away at the end of a season, don't fold garments made of sythentic fibre, roll them up. That way you will not have to contend with creases that are very difficult to get out.

  3. Keep biscuits crisp and crunchy.
    Store biscuits in a metal box with a few cubes of sugar in it and they will stay crisp and crunchy.

  4. Stand cut flowers in a vase.
    Use a large potato to hold cut flowers in a vase (use an opaque vase)! Make holes in the potato and push the stems into the holes.

  5. Remove traces of egg from silverware.
    You can remove traces of egg from silverware by rubbing with wet salt.

  6. No more rusty tools.
    A few moth balls in the tool box will stop your tools going rusty.

  7. Descale the washing machine.
    Descale your washing machine by running it through a complete cycle without any clothes in it. Instead of detergent, use four (4) litres of vinegar.

  8. Get salt marks off shoes.
    You can get salt marks off shoes in winter if you rub them with a soft cloth dampened in a solution of one dessertspoonful of vinegar to a cup of water.

  9. Shiny silverware.
    Your silverware will stay shiny and won't tarnish if you put a piece of chalk in the box when you put it away.

  10. Protection from falls.
    Sew old shoulder pads inside the knees of your children's trouser legs to give them extra protection against falls.

  11. Look after sewing needles.
    Sewing needles should be kept in a wooden or plastic box. If you keep them in a metal box, the resultant, slight tarnishing will make the points blunt.

  12. Keeping vegetables fresh.
    Line the vegetable drawer of your fridge with newspaper or absorbent kitchen paper and your vegetables will stay fresh longer.

  13. Treat cracks in furniture.
    The tiny cracks that appear in furniture disappear if you rub them with almond oil.

  14. Make shampoo last longer.
    Shampoo and shower gel lasts longer if it is transferred to liquid soap dispensers.

  15. Cutting delicate fabric.
    Dip your scissors in hot water and wipe quickly before you cut delicate fabrics. They will glide more easily.

  16. Find your sheets easily.
    It will be easier for you to find the set of sheets you need if you put card between the sheets when you put them away in a drawer.

  17. No more lumps in icing sugar.
    Icing sugar that has gone lumpy will regain its original, powdery state if you leave a slice of fresh bread in the packet for a few hours.

  18. Keeping white cheese fresh.
    White cheese stays fresh in the fridge after opening if you leave the packet upside down.

  19. Boiling cauliflower.
    Cauliflower doesn't smell awful when boiling if you put a slice of stale bread in the saucepan.

  20. Keep cut onions fresh.
    A cut onion will stay fresh if you spead butter on the cut surface and wrap it in aluminiom foil. It will keep for a few days in the fridge and will not make the fridge smell.

  21. For a fragrant bathroom.
    Spray a little purfume on the lightbulbs in your bathroom when they are switched off, and the room will smell nice when the lights are on.

  22. Tubes of toothpaste.
    When the cap on the tube of toothpaste sticks, hold it under the hot tap for a few minutes and it will open easily.

  23. Toothbrush tumblers.
    Toothbrush tumblers stay clean if they are washed once a week in lukewarm salt water.

  24. Boiling frozen vegetables.
    Pour boiling water over frozen vegetables before cooking. They will seem more like fresh vegetables.

  25. Storing olive oil.
    Olive oil stays fresh longer if you put a sugar cube in the bottle.