Notabilia

Miscellaneous

Nifty Knacks

526 through 550

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

  1. Separate dried fruit easily.
    Before using dried fruit that tends to stick in lumps (dates, raisins, etc.) leave it in a warm oven for a few minutes. It will separate much more easily.

  2. Relieve tension.
    Help yourself relax by placing two fingers on your ankle, right on the bone. This pressure point gives relief to all those parts of the body which suffer from tension.

  3. Relaxation for hands after using a computer keyboard.
    After a whole day spent working on a computer keyboard, try this exercise to help your hands relax. Spread your fingers and stretch them as much as you can so that you can feel the tension. Hold for ten seconds. Then curl your fingers up and keep them curled for a few minutes. Repeat the exercise and don't forget to take slow, deep breaths while you are stretching your fingers.

  4. Relief from headaches brought on by stress or tension.
    For relief from a headache brought on by tension or stress, gently press with two fingers along the base and back of the neck and then relax. This brings relief to muscles that soon become tense with the pressure of everyday life.

  5. When you feel tense at bedtime.
    When you feel tense at bedtime and cannot sleep, contract every muscle group in your body for ten seconds and then relax. Start with the muscles in your feet. This is a relaxing exercise and prepares the body for sleep.

  6. Give your home a hint of fragrance.
    Give your home a light fragrance by dampening pieces of cotton wool with essential oils and putting them behind radiators. The rooms will smell lovely when the radiators are on.

  7. Sharpen your scissors.
    Cutting through four layers of aluminium foil for one minute will sharpen your scissors.

  8. A lightly scented air-freshener.
    Make a lightly scented air-freshener by simmering one glass of lemon juice, one glass of water, three nutmegs and a stick of cinnamon.

  9. Remove adhesive price labels.
    Adhesive price labels will come off more easily if you rub them gently with any natural vegetable oil.

  10. Get glue off your fingers.
    Glue comes off your fingers if you rub it gently with nail polish remover on a piece of cotton wool.

  11. So tops keep their shape when washed.
    Before putting high-necked sweaters and other tops in the washing machine, button them up and they will not lose their shape.

  12. Give court shoes a party look.
    You can give plain court shoes a party look by fixing a pair of earrings on them.

  13. Discoloured underwear.
    Don't discard underwear just because it is discoloured. Soak it overnight in weak tea and then you will have cream underwear.

  14. So pins and needles don't go missing.
    Keep a small magnet in your sewing box. You can use it to pick up pins and needles.

  15. Cool fragrance for the home.
    Give your home a cool fragrance. Dampen a towel with a little fabric softener and drape it on a warm radiator.

  16. Banish unpleasant smells.
    Put a few sprigs of rosemary or lavender in the bottom of the dustbin to banish unpleasant smells.

  17. Fold sheets up single-handed.
    If you need to fold sheets up when you are alone, use a drawer. Fold one end of the sheet, put it in the drawer and shut the drawer so that it holds the sheet. It will then be easier for you to fold the other end.

  18. No fold marks in clothes after ironing.
    When you have ironed clothes, let them cool down before folding them up and putting them away. That way you won't get fold marks in them.

  19. For clothes that smell lovely after ironing.
    Put a couple of drops of essential oil of lavender in the water in the steam iron and your clothes will smell lovely.

  20. Check buttons on clothes.
    When you buy new clothes, make sure that the buttons are sewn on firmly. That way you will not risk losing one and having to buy a whole new set to replace them all.

  21. Fast drying.
    A damp coat or jacket will dry out more quickly if you hang it from a curtain rail and put a hot water bottle full of hot water inside it. The heat it releases will speed up evaportion.

  22. So soap doesn't stick to the wash basin.
    Press a beer bottle top into the middle of one side of the bar of soap. Then it will not stick or slip on the wash basin.

  23. Stop paint running down the handle of the brush.
    Stop paint running down the handle of a paint brush by putting a few elastic bands round the point where the bristles meet the metal part of the brush.

  24. So you don't leave marks on the walls.
    Wrap old socks round the ends of the ladder when you are painting walls or hanging wallpaper and it won't leave marks on them.

  25. Nourishing water.
    Plants love starch. Save water that has been used to boil potatoes or pasta. Let it cool and then use it to water plants.