General Household Hints and Tips

[The March Hare]

Long drill bits are now relatively inexpensive up to about 2 feet (600mm) long, which is well over the thickness of most house walls including the cavity. Don't botch the job of getting a cable to an outside light or doorbell push by coming round a window or door frame - drill straight through the wall instead. It is a very good idea to put a slope on the hole upwards from outside to inside so that water will not flow into the hole but seal up the end with silicone or similar just to be sure.



When sawing soft woods, instead of drawing a line with a pencil/pen, score the wood with a sharp craft knife e.g. Stanley knife. This cuts the fibres in the wood and makes it easier to start the saw.

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When drilling wood, particularly into hardwood end grain, spray the drill bit with silicone spray before drilling - This prevents the drill from getting blocked up.

[The March Hare]

Put any dirty turps (turpentine) into a screw top jar and leave somewhere safe in a shed etc. The colour will eventually drop to the bottom of the container leaving clean turps on the top - this can then be used again.


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To paint railings etc. use a car mitten. Put paint on mitten, take off surplus then grip railing with mitt and run hand up and down railing. Easy, quick and much less tedious than using a brush.


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If you have to paint pipes which are fixed to a wall, cut out a piece of cardboard, place this behind the pipes to be painted and then paint in the usual way. This will prevent any paint getting onto the wall behind.

[The March Hare]

To prevent wood splitting when hammering in a nail, either use a very small drill to make a guide hole or, alternatively, blunt the end of the nail first.

If you rub soap on the thread of a screw before use it will always be easy to remove at a later stage.

To avoid having to wash out paint trays after use, place tray inside a plastic bag before pouring in the paint. When the job is finished simply remove the plastic bag and discard. The tray is ready for next time.

When pointing brickwork use a small length of old garden hose - this will give a nice clean finish.

[jj]

Pampers as an absorbent! Remove stains from the carpet with club soda, and a pamper to absorb. Wine stains, pour on the Morton salt and watch it absorb into ! the salt.



To remove wax - Take a paper towel and iron it over the wax stain, it will absorb into the towel.



remove labels off glassware etc. rub with peanut butter!

[jj]

If you get your shoes or boots wet inside, stuff them full of crumpled newspaper. Change the newspaper a few times to absorb it all. This is also good treatment for shoes in hot weather, to absorb perspiration and odors.

[jj]

If the snaps on your clothing won't stay snapped, you can sometimes flatten the 'ball' part slightly to fit more snugly into the other half. Just tap it gently with a hammer, but don't over do it!

[jj]

Use old panty hose to hang onions for storage. Just put in an onion, tie a knot, add another onion, etc. The flow of air will make them last longer, and when you want to use one, just cut it off below the knot.

[juicyjude]

Just make sure when you put your tights on that you don't have 2 lbs of spanish onions resting in the backside otherwise you will look a bit "odd" ;D

[jj]

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Good one Jude ;D

[The March Hare]

GLASSWARE

As I receive a lot of enquiries about cleaning glassware I have decided to add a new page on the subject.

Use the bartenders method for speedy stemware washing. Holding the base, pump the glass vigorously in hot soapy water, then quickly pump it in hot clear water (cooler water may shatter the glass). Dry it upside down on a cotton towel.

Alternatively, glasses can be dried by rotating them in a dry tea towel (preferably linen or plain cotton without pile). A damp cloth drags a cold surface and could pull out a piece of the rim. Hold stemmed glasses firmly by the bowl as the stem is easily broken. Remember to remove all diamond rings during washing as they could scratch the glass.

For extra shiny streak free glasses, add a little vinegar or borax to the final rinse water.

If glasses have hard water stains rub them with a scouring pad dipped in vinegar.

Never use hot water, harsh soaps, ammonia or washing soda on silver or gold rimmed glasses.

A well lathered shaving brush cleans deeply etched or textured glass especially well.

The action of a dishwasher and detergent will etch and dull the surface of lead crystal. Ideally they should be hand washed singly in a warm solution of washing-up liquid, rinsed in a bowl of water and dried whilst warm. If, however, the damage has already been done it may be worth trying one of the following -

1: Rub them with a scouring pad dipped in vinegar.

or

2: : Soak glasses in a mixture of water and liquid detergent into which a few drops of ammonia have been added. Make sure you rinse the glasses well before use.

If eggs have dried on your patterned glass tableware rub off the residue with a slice of lemon.

Handle glass ovenware very carefully. Avoid hard knocks and sudden exposure to heat or cold and keep it away from water (even moist kitchen top) while warm.

If glass hob safe cookware remains stained after washing, boil a solution of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water in it for about 20 minutes

[The March Hare]

Troubleshooting

Chipped rims - provided the chip is shallow and the glass if valuable enough, have the rim ground down but it will be shorter than the rest.

If two glasses are stuck together - fill the inner glass with iced water and repeatedly dip the outer glass in a bowl of warm water. Gradually increase the temperature of the warm water until the outer glass has expanded sufficiently for the two glasses to be separated. Warning - increase temperature gradually otherwise the glass may break.

Decanter stopper stuck - wrap the next of the decanter in a fairly hot, damp towel and use the handle of a wooden sthingy to gently tap opposite sides of the stopper. Or pour two or three drips of cooking oil around the decanter's rim and leave in a warm place.

Stained decanters - to remove stains in the base of a decanter half fill with warm, soapy water and add 2 tablesthingys of rice (uncooked of course!!). Swirl the mixture round several times over thirty minutes and then pour it out. Rinse thoroughly and stand upside down to drain dry. I have been told that crushed egg shells will also do the trick.

To remove the remains of sticky labels. This does depend on the type of adhesive used on the label as some are impervious to water and others are not, however, I have found it is usually a case of trial and error to see what works. Here are a few things to try -

Rub with a cloth dipped in methylated spirits.

or

Sprinkle on talcum powder and rub with your finger.

or

(I know this sounds disgusting) but a little saliva on your finger rubbed over the offending label often does the trick.


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In response to this page I have received the following from a company who have been in the antique business for more than 20 years, I thought it may be of interest -

"Further to your hints on how to clean the inside of vessels, we have been in the antique business for more then 20 years and have heard lots of stories of lemon juice and lead shot, egg shells and vinegar even bleach to clean the insides of sick glass. But to tell the truth, many of these things are only a short term fix and once the glass is stained it can never be right by swirling substances inside.

The other cure is prevention, do not put the sachets to keep flowers alive in crystal vases or leave alcohol in decanters for long periods. We put glassware on mechanical brushes and remove the inner skin of the glass. As with all repairs there is a small risk but this is normally only if the item is cracked of chipped. All items cost £20 plus p&p to clean up to the size of a large decanter and the results are amazing. We also repair glass when chipped and supply a wide range of specialist services only available from a handful of companies worldwide

[The March Hare]

To measure a cylindrical object easily, take a piece of string or paper, wrap around the object marking where the to ends meet, lay out flat and measure with a tape measure or rule.

When drilling a hole to a specific depth, place tape around the drill bit at the required depth and when the drill reaches the marker tape you know you have reached the desired depth.

When drilling holes in walls hold a dustpan or even an open envelope underneath to catch the dust - saves a lot of clearing up.

[jj]

You won't have to make crumbs for toppings and fillings if you save the bread crumbs from the bottom of the bread bag. Empty the bag onto a clean counter, and put the crumbs into a freezer container. It won't take long to have enough to top a casserole or use in a meat loaf or dressing. Cracker crumbs take longer to accumulate this way, but why throw them out?

[jj]

Don't throw away a plastic coated table cloth. Although it may not be good enough for your table, you can still use it for picnics, or drop cloths when painting. Or cut it up and make placemats from it, or bowl toppers. Just sew a length of elastic around a circle cut from it and you have a reusable cover for bowls or plates.

[jj]

Instead of trying to find ways to keep latex paint from forming a scum due to too much air in the container, put leftover paint in a jar or other container that's the right size to just hold it without allowing a large mass of air.

[marmaris98]

or you could put a plastic bag over the top of the paint , (inside) and this stops the air getting at it

[The March Hare]

Where is that string when you need it - try this -

Get a small plastic funnel and fix it to the wall so that it stays in an upright position. Place the ball of string in the top of the funnel threading the loose end through the narrow bottom, hey presto, string always to hand.

Save sawdust as this can be used as a wood filler by mixing with PVA glue.

Tint wood filler with a matching woodstain after it has dried to match it to existing wood.

When choosing woodfiller ensure you choose the correct type for the job in hand i.e. interior or exterior and also check it can be used with wood stain if this is required. Some fillers are very fast setting and durable, however, they are not compatible with wood stain.

[The March Hare]

Use a comb to hold small or short nails steady when hammering them in - prevents many a sore thumb!



Save any spent matches as these can be used as rawl plugs, tile spacers, hole fillers etc.



Golf tees are the perfect shape and size to "cork" the inputs of air powered tools to prevent dirt and dust building up when not in use

[jj]

'Soup bones' that you find at the grocer any more don't have much food value at all, but you can boil them and crack them to get the marrow, if you can find them cheaply enough. Mix the marrow into the boiling liquid and use this a base for soups. If you add barley or wheat to your soup along with the marrow, it will taste like a meat stew.

Kitty litter will soak up oil and other car fluids from your garage or driveway just as well as those more costly products.


Use rice in almost any dish that calls for pasta. It's cheaper and the mild flavor goes well with hearty, tangy flavors. For a quick lunch, pour a can of unreconstituted cream soup of any kind over a couple of cups of rice.

[The March Hare]

LATEST TIPS

When installing new domestic appliances -

Fit the hoses BEFORE placing appliance into space; this is not only easier to do but ensures it can be easily removed for servicing.

Ensure that all new white goods are given a coat of WAX polish before use - this prevents rust.



Blu Tac can be used to solve many different problems e.g. to hold telephones on tables; keeping grills in place and a small bit placed on the top of a screw makes it easier to hold in place when working in an awkward position.



Before attempting any DIY project, first assess the situation properly, sit down and go thru the whole procedure in your minds eye. Involve your whole family in the decision making process and make sure your wife knows the amount of mess this project will cause. When you have completed all these suggestions ask everybody for their feedback, when the arguments have subsided take the Yellow pages out and GET A PROFESSIONAL TO DO IT!