Home
- Colour code similar keys around the house (set of cabinets, etc) by using 2 sets of of plain multicoloured bindis. Stick one on the key head and the other of the same colour on the door of the corresponding closet. Use for fevicol or glue for lasting effect.
- Use unpeeled potatoes wherever possible, the skin carries a lot of nutrition. Use peeled skins to Rub mirrors, and then wipe with soft moist cloth for a shine. Or place over face for a few minutes Like a pack, remove, wash with tap water for a fresh clean feel.
- Oil substitute - If you donot have any oil at hand when doors and hinges begin to squeak, you will find that a smear of butter or margarine is a good substitute.
- Wipe cane furniture with a cloth soaked in extra warm water, to which salt has been added, to keep the firmness of the cane meshing intact. About 2 tbsp. to a bucket is ideal.
- Rub outside of halved coconut shells with sandpaper to smoothen surface. Apply varnish. Use as containers to grow small cactii and other plants for decorative effect.
- If you cannot get hold of diwali diyas (lamps), make your own by mould out of ordinary wheat flour dough, about a week ahead, dry well and paint.
- Instead of discarding extra roses from bouquets dry them and prepare a bouquet garni, a pot pourri of fragrance in a net sachet. Or dry, grind and mix powder with gramflour, store in a jar. For a refreshing bath scrub, to 1 tsp. mixture, add 1 tsp. curds, 1/2 tsp.honey. Scrub and wash. Use daily for a glowing skin.
- To access bindis easily, put them in a small photo album, like photographs. They will be not fall about and can be located very fast.
- Rub surfaces lightly with sandpaper before applying a coat of paint. This will give the paint coat a much better finish.
- If you find it hard to make diwali rangoli designs with hand, use a small nozzled funnel, control the flow of the filled rangoli with thumb or middle finger, and make desired designs easily. Do not use pure colours without rangoli in this way because they will not fall through easily.
- Use tops of carrots to make fabric prints or prints on handpaper etc. for decorative effect. One may carve seal impressions on them too before pressing them in paint and onto fabric.
- Place some soda bicarb open in a small shallow dish in the fridge. This will disallow odours of one dish mixing into another. Eg. milk and guavas.
- To patch grazing stains on wood polished furniture, apply a similar shaded slightly darker shoe Polish to affected area, brush vigourously with a soft shoe brush. Finish off with polishing Flannel. If the stain is too old or obvious, first scratch the area smooth with fine sand paper.
- Make the life of new paintbrushes much longer, by soaking them in linseed oil for 10-12 hours before using. This will not only make them last longer, but will also ease cleaning later on.
- Use a small plastic funnel to make rangoli designs, if you find it hard to do so with hand.
- To remove cellotape stuck on walls, etc ( eg. for posters) without removing the paint, hold a warm iron over it for a few seconds, then peel off slowly.
- Pin a 4" x 4" square plastic near your dresser, or bathroom to hold your bindis while not in use. This way your dresser furniture and bathroom mirror will be free of bindi gum, left behind after Removing bindi from there. Replace plastic after it gets gummy enough!!.
- Always iron hand painted fabrics from the wrong side. The paint will not spoil and will look brighter.
- Fix candle in a container. Fill half the container with water before lighting the candle. This way, the candle lasts longer and the overflowed wax is easier to remove from the water. The container becomes easy to clean too.
- Wipe clean, glass of showcases, cars, windows etc. with a soft cloth dipped in the following: A strong solution of salt made by dissolving 2 tbsp. salt in 1 cup warm water.
- Mix together a big pinch of salt in any cold cream or even plain white petroleum jelly and Apply on face. Scrub smoothly with palms for about 3 minutes, to exfoliate skin, and remove Dead cells. Wash off with mild soap, and warm water, to leave a fresh, clean, tinglin skin.
- When your shower curtian turns mouldy, soak it in a bucket of water with 1/4 cup of bleach to 10 litres of water overnight. Bingo!! All the mould out! wash as usual.
- If grilled doors or windows start getting rusty, scrape off the rust carefully and paint the area immediately. You can also use a metal primer instead of paint.
- Make a lovely potpourri by drying your favourite flowers, herbs and leaves between layers of paper napkins. Make sure not do burn them. This may not last as long as the ones made by the long traditional process.
- Hang khus mats over windows, spray water from a spray bottle and keep moist, so that the breeze that comes in is automatically cooled. This is a natural, non-electricity dependent way of cooling room spaces, and cheap too!.
- Apply colourless nail varnish to names on switches, jars, etc. to avoid there rubbing off with repeated use. Take care to apply a very thin even layer.
- Immerse nails in hot water for a while before nailing into the wall. This will keep the surrounding plaster from coming off.
- Rub cutting boards with 1/2 a lime, cut side down, to rid of garlic, onion and other veggies odours and light discolouration.
- Scrape coconut shells clean with sand paper. Make their surfaces smooth by rubbing Sand paper, and make decorative bowls, ladles, etc. by painting, varnishing and Decorating with beads, shells, etc.
- Instead of folding and hanging delicate organzas and tissue sarees, request you dhobi to roll them on a textile roll Wooden stick. This way they will not cut or tear at the folded creases for long unused sarees.
Font Size: