Clothes Dryer:
Save money when using your baby’s clothes especially, dryer by removing the lint after each use. The clothes will dry faster and the dryer will use less power, as lint reduces the flow of air.
Freezer:
To stop ice-cube trays sticking to the freezer
Hair dryer:
Prevent overheating in your hair dryer by regularly sucking out fluff and dust around the vent holes with a vacuum Cleaner to ensure sufficient air circulation at all times.
Light bulbs:
Always dispose of a used light bulb in the packet of there placement light bulb to avoid accidents. Remove a broken light bulb from the socket by holding the broken glass with a thick, large rubber sponge. Make sure the power has been turned off.
Sewing machines:
Affer olling the sewing machine, remove any surplus oil bysewing through a piece of blotting paper.
BATHROOMS
Mirrors
To prevent the bathroom mirror steaming up, rub it over with a cloth dipped in glycerine. Polish off with a clean, softcloth.
Scales:
To prevent scales going rusty, polish them with floor wax so that any water that is spilt over them will not beabsorbed.
Shower
To prevent the shower curtain slapping around you whileyou are in the shower, screw a plastic-coated curtain rodto the bottom of the shower box. Sew curtain tape on tothe bottom of the shower curtain. Clip plastic hooks from the tape on to the curtain rod.
For shaving in the shower attach a mirror tile to the shower wall.
Hang wet raincoats in the shower on adhesive hooks attached high on the wall.
To prevent hair from blocking the shower drain, place apiece of nylon net, wire mesh or plastic mesh over the drain hole. When the net or mesh is dry, hair will come off easily and the net will be ready to use again.
Soap To economise on soap:
• cut the feet off an old pair of pantihose. Place one footinside the other and old scraps of soap into the foot. Tie aknot at the ankle and you will have an excellent scrubberfor feet and knees.
• keep all scraps of soap in a jar with a small amount of water in it. When you have enough, put it all through a food processor for half a minute to get liquid soap. Pour into an old hand-cream or soap-pump dispenser. Put scraps of soap inside steel-wool pads.
Tooth brushes: To freshen your toothbrush, soak it for several hours in a mild solution of salt and water. Toothpaste: To get the most out of a tube of toothpaste:
• put the end of the tube through the slit in a woodenclothes peg and wind up the tube with the peg:
• warm up the tube under the hot tap before you squeezeit.
BEDROOMS
Hanging clothes To stop unfrocks and wide-necked garments slipping off the coat hanger:
• Wind rubber bands around each end of the hanger, so that the clothes will grip on to them;
• Attach foam rubber to either end of the hanger.
To hang skirts and trousers, use a normal coat hanger with two large bulldog clips, one attached at either end. This is very strong, and cheaper than a skirt hanger.
To hang long dresses:
• screw a long cupboard handle (about 15 cm long) to the celling of your wardrobe. Place your long dresses on coat hangers and hang them through the handle.
• sew loops at the waist on the inside of the dress. Turn the dress inside out and hang it from the loops, as you woulda skirt.
Hotwater bottles: Protect the rubber of a new hotwater bottle by putting about ¼ cup glycerine in the water the first time it is used. To make hotwater-bottle tops turn more easily, grease them with petroleum jelly before using.
Pillows : Protect pillows by covering them with a towelling’underslip’. Grease from hair and skin will not penetratethrough to the pillow and the underslip can be easilywashed.
To re-cover a pillow when the cover is wearing thin, put it inside a pillowcase and sew up the end.
Spare bed To stop a bed becoming musty when not in use, put a bar of unwrapped soap between the pillow and the sheet.
Wool underlay: Make a wool underlay for your bed by gluing pieces of sheepskin on to a sheet. Leave enough of the sheet uncovered along the four edges to tuck under the matter. This will be much cheaper than buying a regular sheep skin underlay.
CHINA, CRYSTAL AND GLASSWARE
China To cover up fine cracks in china, simmer the piece in a pot of milk for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. The milk should seal the cracks. Crystal To smooth a small nick in the rim of a crystal glass, gently file it with an emery board. This also works with ordinary glass.
Glasses To separate two glasses which have stuck together, fill the top one with cold water and dip the bottom one in warm to hot water.
Vases
To mend a cracked vase:
• fill crack with a melted crayon of matching colour. Hold the pointed end of the crayon above the crack and with the other hand hold a lighted match underneath, allowing the crayon wax to drip into the crack. Any excess wax can be scraped away after it has cooled.
• cover the inside of the crack with a thick layer of melted paraffin wax and allow it to dry. It should last a long time.
Cupboard doors If a cupboard won’t stay shut, stick about 4 or 5 round-topped drawing pins along the top of the cupboard door.
Door steps To stop doorsteps becoming icy and slippery in frosty weather, add ½ cup methylated spirits to water when washing them.
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