Notabilia

Miscellaneous

Nifty Knacks

51 through 75

51. Get rid of mice.
    Get rid of mice by spreading daphne leaves in the places where they go.

52. Shiny tiles and ceramic ware.
    Rub tiles and ceramic ware with a cloth soaked in vinegar and they will regain their original shine.

53. Jewellery that leaves marks.
    If your rings or necklaces leave grey marks on your skin, coat the inner surfaces with clear nail polish.

54. Express cooling.
    When you want to cool food or drink in a hurry, put it in a bowl of ice to which you have added a handful of salt.

55. How to get a rawl plug out of a wall.
    If you want to get a rawl plug out of a wall, put a large screw into it and then pull with a pair of pliers. Rawl plug and screw will come out together.

56. Make a hole without making dust.
    To stop dust getting in your eyes when you are drilling a hole in the ceiling, drill through the centre of a plastic bottle cap and leave it on the bit while you are working. That way the dust will fall into the bottle cap.

57. Paint a flight of stairs or steps.
    How can you paint a flight of stairs or steps without making access to your house impossible? Simple. Paint every other step. That way there will always be steps people can use to come and go.

58. Stick self-adhesive plastic properly.
    Self-adhesive plastic tends to shrink after being applied so that gaps form along the seams. You can prevent this by leaving the plastic in the fridge for a few hours before application.

59. Hammer nails in safety.
    If you are in the bad habit of hammering your thumb whenever you try to hammer in a nail, try this trick. Push the nail through a piece of cardboard before you start hammering. Keep the nail in place by holding the cardboard and hammer away with the other hand.

60. No more bubbles under wallpaper.
    Bubbles can be a nightmare when you are hanging wallpaper. Get rid of them by making a tiny cross-shaped incision in the centre of each bubble and then inject a drop more paste behind it using a syringe. Press hard on the cut edges to join them up again and then wipe away any excess paste with a damp sponge.

61. Firmly fixed handles on your hammers.
    As time goes by your hammer head may work loose from its handle. Soak it in cold water overnight. The water will make the wood swell and give the handle a tighter fit.

62. How to remove a rusty screw.
    When you want to remove a rather rusty screw, heat the head of the screw (use a cigarette lighter) before you unscrew it. Alternatively, you can heat the end of the screwdriver and the screwdriver will heat the screw when it comes into contact with it.

63. Dull jewellery.
    Does your jewellery look dull? Dip it in an ammonia bath (a few drops of ammonia to 1 litre of hot water). Brush using a soft brush and rinse in clean water.

64. Stained terracotta plant pots.
    Damp often causes white marks to appear on terracotta plant pots. To get rid of them you need to rub them with wire wool soaked in vinegar and then rinse it off. Unfortunately, the marks do tend to come back so you will have to repeat the process.

65. The smell of bleach.
    Get the horrible smell of bleach off your hands by rubbing vinegar or lemon into them and then washing them in soap like Marseille's soap.

66. Stamps stuck together.
    When damp conditions have made stamps stick together, remember that the freezer can help you separate them. After an hour or so in the cold they will come apart easily.

67. Easy opening.
    When the ring breaks off a ring pull can of soft drink or beer, don't lose heart. You can still open the can easily, and without a tin opener too. Simply press on the opening edge with a spoon handle.

68. For your fire.
    Put new life into a fire dying in your hearth by throwing a handful of coarse salt onto the embers. Use caution, the flames will spring back to life.

69. Bright synthetic fabrics.
    When synthetic fabrics (e.g. curtains) have gone yellow, wash them and put 2-3 dessertspoonfuls of vinegar into the final rinse. They will come out nice and bright again.

70. Hanging out white clothes.
    When you hang white T-shirts or shirts out in the sun to dry, turn them inside out so they do not go yellow. And never dry them on a radiator because the heat will definitely discolour them.

71. Whiter whites.
    For whiter whites, occasionally wash them in very hot water so they stay bright.

72. For shiny leaves on indoor plants.
    To make the leaves of indoor plants shiny, wipe them with a cloth dipped in a weak solution of bicarbonate of soda.

73. For apples and squash.
    When you are stewing apples, put a little bicarbonate of soda in the water. This will stop the apples going brown. If you do the same thing when you boil squash, they will stay bright green.

74. Leather that looks like new.
    Leather goods will always look like new if you occasionally wipe them with a cloth dipped in a weak solution of bicarbonate of soda.

75. Clean your children's soft toys.
    Clean your children's soft toys with cornflour! Rub all the soft toys using a clean, soft cloth and plenty of cornflour so that they are well "floured". Leave them for at least an hour and then brush out well. The dust and dirt will be brushed away with the cornflour and the toys will be clean and fluffy again.