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Miscellaneous
Nifty Knacks
626 through 650
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Relief
for asthmatics and cardiac sufferers.
An oven baked onion placed on the soles of the feet of those who suffer from asthma or
have a cardiac condition provides some relief.
For hair
loss.
Onion juice can be used as a remedy for hair loss.
Invisible
ink.
Onion juice is a well-known invisible ink. Of course you need a pen so that you can write
with it and they are by no means easy to come by in shops. However, if you write in onion
juice instead of conventional ink, it will only be possible to read your letter if it is
warmed in front of a fire or ironed.
Put a
sheen on a bag or belt.
A rub with an onion will restore the sheen to a leather bag or belt.
Fingermarks
on doors and windows.
You can get fingermarks off doors and windows by rubbing them with an onion cut in half. A
cut potato will do just as well.
Fly spots
on brassware.
Get fly spots off brassware by damping down with onion juice, leaving a while and then
rubbing with a rag.
Combating
woodlice.
You can kill woodlice by rubbing the affected areas with half an onion every day for 10 to
15 days.
Stronger
fingernails.
Nails that break easily become a lot stronger if they are given a rub with raw onion every
day.
Banish
the smell of onions from your hands.
When you have been handling onions, you can get the smell off your hands by rubbing them
with saltwater and lemon juice, or with a weak solution of ammonia (2 dessertspoonfuls per
litre).
Antiseptic
dressing.
The thin membrane found between the layers of an onion makes a good antiseptic dressing
for grazes, ulcers, cuts and burns. Place it on the wound and bind with a gauze bandage.
For ears
that buzz.
If you suffer from buzzing ears, you can use a plug of cotton wool impregnated with onion
juice.
Tone up
your circulation.
Ordenine is an extremely useful alkaloid substance found in barley shoots and has an
effect similar to that of adrenaline. Its most significant medicinal property is its
ability to stimulate the circulation, which it does by causing slight contractions of
blood vessels.
Treatment
for bronchial asthma.
Barley ordenine is an effective treatment for bronchial asthma.
An
excellent diuretic.
Malt, which comes from barley, has stimulant, diuretic properties. Barley beverage is also
an excellent diuretic (boil one or two sprigs of barley).
For an
upset digestive system.
The ancient Greeks used the glutinous substances which come from barley to treat an upset
digestive system.
For colds
and fevers.
Barley is good for colds and chesty coughs, and brings down a high temperature.
Digesting
starchy food.
Malt helps the body to digest starchy food.
A
substitute for coffee.
Roasted barley is a light substitute for coffee.
Low-necked
tops.
Wrap elastic bands round the ends of coat hangers to stop low-necked tops slipping off
them.
Remove
sticking plasters easily.
Blow hot air over sticking plasters with the hairdrier for two minutes and they will come
off easily and painlessly. Heat neutralises the adhesive on them and they come off easily.
For tall
slim vases.
Put a few coins or pebbles in the bottom of tall slim vases to stop them falling over.
Banana
skin fertilizer.
Don't throw banana skins away. There is a lot of potassium in them and they are an
excellent fertilizer for rose bushes. Bury them a few centimetres deep in the soil round
your plants.
Keeping
salad plants fresh.
If you leave drained, washed salad plants in a sealed container, the moisture which
remains on the leaves can make them go limp. Line the container with kitchen paper before
putting salad plants in it and they will stay fresh. The kitchen paper will absorb the
moisture.
Looking
after cut flowers.
Cut flowers will last longer in a vase if you don't cram too many in it. The more room you
give the stems, the better the flowers will be.
Vacuum
cleaner bags.
You will need to change your vacuum cleaner bags less frequently if you always put a
handful of beans in them. The flow of air makes the beans move around and they pile up on
the dust, so the bag lasts longer.
17-09-2003