Grannymar

I used it today!

“Why?”  I hear you ask.

Well let me explain and then I will show you……

I know I told the world to vacuum the iron every so often to clean out the dry rusty deposits.  Well between use and the moist damp weather in these parts my iron never had the chance to dry out properly in the past fortnight.  It does have a ’self-clean’ mode and I decided to use it.  To do this you need to fill the water chamber.  Sitting on the counter at the time just happened to be my spray bottle of Vinegar.

Hmmm, I thought add a splash to the water.  I added three splashes and proceeded to fill the water chamber.  Plugging in the iron I left it to stand on end at full heat for a few minutes. Three minutes became five before I came back to the iron.

Holding the hot water filled iron over the sink I began the process of self cleaning.  The grunge that came out the spray holes in the sole-plate was unbelievable.  Once empty I took this photo to show you.  That looks like a crusty lime deposit. We are not in an area for furry deposits on the elements of the kettle or coffee maker.

It was not easy to remove once the iron cooled.  I used an old toothbrush (never throw them out when you replace them in the bathroom) it was just right for the job.  When I was happy that I had removed all the deposits,  I refilled the iron with clean water and repeated the process.  The wash through was cleaner but to be sure I did it a third time and cleaned the sole-plate once more.

Now I am all set to iron the Roman blinds from the kitchen, since I took them down and washed them the other day.

Did anyone see that ladder?

Forty weeks down the line… long enough to produce twins! :roll:  Today there is a little suprise in store.  I have a date with some Toyboys so while I am playing, I am letting you do all the work.

Now you have the chance to come up with 5 handy hints….. just like that! 

I am thinking of a change of topic for a Wednesday.  The household hints have run their course.

Make the soles of new shoes slip proof by scraping the soles along the pavement a few times.

To keep beetroot and cabbage red while cooking, add lemon juice or vinegar to the water.

For stainless steel and chrome, use a moist cloth and dry baking soda to make it shine like new. Rinse and dry. On stainless steel, rub in the direction of the grain.

Do you find eating tacos a little messy?  Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods

Now toyboys, why spend money on expensive aftershave? A little apple cider vinegar dabbed on freshly shaved skin will keep it disinfected and looking good,

Summer is the season of grass stains.  To remove grass stains from clothing, brush some white non gel toothpaste into the stain with an old soft toothbrush, then rinse and launder in the usual way.

With holiday time here once more, trips to the beach or the mountains for a picnic or hiking may be on the cards.  Pack a couple of bandannas.  They carry no weight but could prove very useful as facecloths, napkins, bandages or even as a sling for an injured arm.  Worn foreign-legion style under a baseball cap will save the back of the neck from sunburn.

If you intend going hiking, tell someone where you are going and ETR (estimated time of return).  Make sure your mobile/cell phone is charged, but allow for the loss of signal and bring a good whistle.  A brightly coloured t-shirt will make you easier to find in the case of emergency.

Timely reminder of ICE Numbers… You have forgotten the Podcast I made back in September ‘06.  It is worth a listen it only takes two minutes and it might save your life!

How do you choose a lemon?  Feel the weight of it.  If it is heavy then there will be plenty of juice.  If your lemon is light and seems dry, then boil it for a few minutes and you will get more juice from it.

Right, I mentioned ice and lemon, I am off now to add them to my gin!  Cheers!

Keep salt moisture free. Put two grains if rice in the shaker. It will absorb moisture.

Need a spectacle cleaner? Vinegar diluted in water rubbed on the lens and then polished off with a soft lint free cloth. Voila! Like new again.

Easily reduce ashtray smell. Keep a small amount of baking soda in ashtrays at all times.

Anyone tried this tip to stop cabbage odours? Throw a couple of walnut kernels in pot while cooking.

When you need soft butter quickly…. If your butter is frozen or very solid, grate it.

This week we begin with some great advice from Maxine!

If you have difficulty removing a stubborn screw, I often heard to pour Coke on it. But now I have a new solution and that is to heat the screw with a soldering iron for a few seconds first, and then it will untwist easily.

Has your pet lost its appetite? Try giving it a saucer of beer. It is known to perk up the appetite.

Are your pets pestered with fleas?   Put a foam rubber pad in the pets bed and the fleas will abscond mighty fast they hate foam.

Do you have stubborn staples stuck to a dry cleaning ticket on the inside of your clothes? . An old nail clippers will work well to remove the staple.

No complaints now please…. the vinegar has gone on holidays!

So how many times do I mention the V word this week……?

To keep a burn from blistering, spray with or steep in vinegar.

When you buy chips/French Fries from your local take away do you ask for salt and vinegar with them?  They might be tasty, but I wonder what it does for your stomach since salt and vinegar make a really good copper cleaner.

Do kitchen stools slip or slide on your tiled floor?  Try putting rubber ferrels or tips from crutches on bottom of legs.

Are cooking odours a problem. I have mentioned before to light a candle while cooking, but if you do not have one try boiling a hand full of cloves in water for 30 minutes. All odours will disappear.

We had a debate the other week about slicing onions under water.  Nancy if the bath is in use, I have another idea try freezing the onions before slicing them.

How about a Nancy pin-cushion?    Since Nancy only had one bar of soap and needed it in the bath, why not try using steel wool to fill your pin cushion, it will keep needle points sharp.

Wash sweaters inside out and leave them that way until finished ironing.   Place a layer of muslin or an ironing cloth smoothly over the item to be ironed.  For machine washing - use the wool cycle only.

You can use certain fragrances to deter moths. Dried lavender blossoms in cotton bags or Cedar wood blocks hung in wardrobes or placed in drawers will do the trick.

Did you ever try cutting a hot or warm cake? Use a thread or dental floss, hold both ends tightly and lower through slowly.

Does peeling onions make you cry? Peel them submerged in a bowl of water. The ONIONS Nancy, not you!

Week 33.  How I wish I was ‘Turty tree’ again!

Once again I have five more handy hints for you:

When cooking if you over-salt food, add a spoonful of honey or drop a chopped potato or two into the pot.  As the potato cooks it absorbs the salt.

Over ripe bananas that you don’t want to waste?  Mash and freeze for making cakes and biscuits.

To remove coffee or tea stains from cups, fill with very hot water and a splash of white vinegar. Leave to stand for at least 20 minutes, or overnight.

To lengthen life of wooden clothes pegs. Place them in an old saucepan, cover with water & a spoonful of salt bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and leave in a single layer on an old towel to dry.

Do you need a neat string dispenser? Nail a funnel to wall and pull string out of bottom of funnel.

We have all done it - struggled to find the opening end on the roll of sticky tape.  Problem solved.  Use a small coin or a paper clip placed on the roll side just before you cut the tape, when the cut end falls back to the roll the end is always visible.

Do you want to remove pilling knots on sweaters?  Just rub a piece of sandpaper over the sweater.

When roasting poultry truss it with dental floss, it will hold the legs in position and not burn.

To keep potatoes from sprouting store them in the dark or with apples in the same container.

Tired of coating food with plain old bread crumbs? Why not substitute the bread with crushed crisps/potato chips, cereal flakes or pretzels. I also use the dust from my muesli.