Handy Tips and Tricks

1. Decorative Candles collect dust just like anything else in your home but how do you clean them and get the dust off without damaging the candle well get yourself some old clean stockings and put your fingers and hand in there and dust gently away and I prefer to use black stockings as you can see a whole lot of dust in a white colour on the stockings. What’s left is nice shiny candles.

2. Speaking of candles if you have had wax drip on surfaces like wood for eg. To safely remove it without damaging the wood itself or any surface for that matter get your hair dryer out and on minimum setting angle it over the wax and when the wax softens lift it off and out with a plastic spatula that every kitchen has. It will be like it never happened.

3. Here is a tip for you teddy bear collectors and lovers alike. They collect dust therefore dust mites but you don’t want to risk ruining them by washing them or sticking them in the washing machine. To remove those pesky dust mites place one at a time or more if you have the room over night in your freezer and wake up and take your teddy bear out and put it back into it’s beloved position.

4. Some shops love to put stickers on underwear or clothes. To remove the glue residue from clothes take a cloth and some eucalyptus oil and gently wipe the glue away and it leaves no damage to the garment. To get rid of the eucalyptus smell place the garment in the washing machine with washing powder and fabric softener or hand wash the smell away yourself.

5. After time your electrical kettle starts to look black inside and to turn it back to the way you first bought it get a lemon and fill the kettle up with water. Slice the lemon in half and place it in the kettle and let it boil a couple of times. Voila

6. The old lemon trick also works in cleaning the inside of your microwave if you have a spill and can’t get rid of that one stubborn stain. Get a glass bowl filled with boiled water from a kettle then place half a lemon in it and cook it for a couple of minutes in the microwave. Then wipe the stain away the natural way and it also makes your microwave smell yummy. I like to use this trick to deodorise my microwave.

7. Another use of lemons that my best friend put me onto due to me being allergic to silver ( no I am not a werewolf or neither high maintenance ) is when your silver jewellery starts to blacken or needs some polishing place some lemon juice in a bowl along with your jewellery and clean with a cloth and it’s just as pretty as the day your best friend gave you that silver necklace.

8. Have an ant problem inside your house? , especially in the hot weather and keeping your kitchen clean and dishes washed and put away still doesn’t work, I know your plight. I discovered this great product called ant rid but can’t seem to find it anymore so here is a tip that I find works. All you will need is eucalyptus oil diluted with water and wipe the counters down with that and if any ants do come they eat the stuff up, so don’t be surprised if heaps more ants start coming after you wipe the counter it means it is working better then expected, as after they have filled their little bellies they will eventually leave to their ant burrow killing the colony. Apply when the ants start coming back again to the required areas.

9. Speaking of Eucalyptus oil I find when I have a cold, cough or chest infection eucalyptus is a great remedy for this. I place a few drops in my hanker chief or tissue and when I need some relief I breath in the eucalyptus of my hanky. At night place it in a bowl of hot steaming water and place a towel over your head and stay under there for as long as you can stand it ( grab a torch and catch up on the fashion magazines to pass the time ) as it will help you to get some sleep and get that phlegm of your chest.

10. This one is for all my fellow hiccup sufferers who have tried many things to get rid of those nasty hiccups like drinking cold water, drinking water upside down on the bed ( it’s a very difficult task but quite humorous to the husband ) , someone screaming boo at you ( not only does it not work your heart takes hours before it slows down to your normal beat and also scared that some other idiot may do it to you again ) and the old holding your breathe routine ( it didn’t work for mother as a child and it certainly doesn’t work as an adult ). My hiccups are very loud ( which amuses people whilst out and till this day hubby too) but it isn’t funny as they last a long time the longest for me is 1 hours and 48 minutes as I didn’t have water on me at the time and they are quite painful and my whole chest spasms. Then I came upon a trick and I hope it works for other hiccup sufferers it’s soda drink as I am allergic to most soda drinks other then kirks lemonade by accident I found out that a few sips of that and the hiccups are gone. It may have something to do with the bubbles perhaps? Who cares it works for me and I hope it works for you.