All projects.co.uk

Speed up the ironing

When you iron clothing, much of the iron's heat is sucked up by the board itself. To speed up the process, place a piece of aluminium foil under the ironing board cover. The foil will reflect the heat back through the clothing, allowing you to smooth away creases more quickly.

Clean your iron

Do you have a build-up of spray starch on the iron that is causing it to stick? To remove it, run the hot iron over a piece of aluminium foil.
[top page]

Roast a juicy chicken

If your roast chicken tends to emerge from the oven tough and dried out, try this trick. The next time you roast a chicken, stuff an apple inside the bird before placing it in the roasting dish. When it has finished cooking, remove the apple and enjoy a delicious and juicy main course.

Keep cakes fresh

Extend the shelf life of a cake by storing it alongside half an apple. It will help the cake to maintain its moisture considerably longer than popping it in the fridge or in a cake tin.

Absorb salt in soups and stews

It is too easy to overdose on salt. If you’ve been heavy-handed with the salt shaker when cooking, simply drop a few apple (or potato) wedges into the pan. After cooking for another 10 minutes or so, remove the wedges which will have absorbed the excess salt.

Make decorative candleholders

Add a country feel to a table setting by creating a natural candleholder. Use an apple corer to carve a hole three-quarters of the way down into a pair of large apples, insert a tall decorative candle into each hole and surround the apples with a few leaves, branches or flowers.
[top page]

Clean glass stove doors

Mix some ashes with a bit of water, and apply them with a damp cloth, sponge or paper towel or simply dip a wet sponge into the ashes. Rub the mixture over the surfaces of the  doors. Rinse with a wet paper towel or sponge, then dry with a clean cloth.

Use as plant food

Wood ashes have a high alkaline content and trace amounts of calcium and potassium, which encourage blooms. Sprinkle the ashes around plants such as clematis, hydrangeas, lilac and roses in spring (avoid rhododendrons and azaleas).

Repel insects

Scatter a border of ashes around the garden to deter worms, slugs and snails. Sprinkling small amounts of ashes over garden plants will also deter soft-bodied insects.
[top page]

Slip off a stuck ring

Do you find that rings frequently get jammed on your fingers? Try this. First lubricate the ring area with a generous amount of baby oil. Then swivel the ring around to spread the oil underneath it. You should be able to slide the ring off with ease.
[top page]

Soothe sunburn

You can temporarily cool sunburn by gently patting the area with a baby wipe. Baby wipe can also be used to treat cuts and scrapes. Although most wipes don’t have any antiseptic properties, there’s nothing wrong with using one for an initial cleansing before applying the proper medical treatment.

Remove makeup

It is one of the fashion industry’s worst-kept secrets: many models consider a baby wipe to be their best friend when it is time to remove stubborn make-up from their faces, particularly black eyeliner. Try it and see for yourself.
[top page]

Keep track of your child

The inexpensive floating helium-filled balloons sold in many shopping centres can be more than just a treat for a youngster; they could be invaluable in locating a child who wanders off into a crowd. Even if you keep close tabs on your kids, buy a little peace of mind by loosely tying a balloon to your child’s wrist on a weekend shopping trip.
[top page]

Soak out fish smells

Get rid of a strong fishy smell by soaking the raw fish for about an hour in the fridge in 2 tablespoons bicarbonate of soda in a litre of water. Rinse the fish well and pat dry before cooking.

Use as yeast substitute

If you have run out of yeast when making dough, you can use powdered vitamin C (or citric acid) and bicarbonate of soda instead. Just mix in equal parts to in the same quantity as the yeast required. Ad a bonus, the dough does not need to rise before baking.

Deodorise the dishwasher

Eliminate odours inside the dishwasher by sprinkling 100g bicarbonate of soda on the bottom of the machine between wash loads. To freshen it fully, pour in 200g bicarbonate of soda and run the empty machine through a complete rinse cycle.

To remove residue on the inside of a Thermos

Mix 50g bicarbonate of soda in 1 litre water. Fill the Thermos with the solution – if necessary, scrub with a bottle brush to loosen things up – and let it soak overnight. Rinse clean before using.

Clean the fridge

To get rid of smells and dried-up spills inside the fridge, remove the contents, then sprinkle some bicarbonate of soda on a damp sponge and scrub the sides, shelves and compartments. Rinse with a clean, wet sponge. To keep the fridge smelling fresh, place an opened bow of powder inside when you have finished cleaning.

Freshen a sponge or towel

When a kitchen sponge or dishcloth starts to smell sour, soak it overnight in 2 tablespoons bicarbonate of soda and a couple of drops of antibacterial washing-up liquid dissolved in 450ml warm water. The following morning, squeeze out the remaining solution and rinse with cold water. It should smell completely fresh.

Remove stains and scratches on worktops

If a kitchen worktop has become covered with stains or small knife cuts, use a paste of 3 parts bicarbonate of soda to 1 part water to “rub out” most of them. For stubborn stains, add a drop of chlorine bleach to the paste. Immediately wash the area with hot, soapy water to prevent the bleach from causing fading.

Deodorise your rubbish bin

If something smells “off” in the kitchen, it is most likely to be coming from the bin. But some smells linger even after you dispose of the offending rubbish bag. Give a kitchen bin an occasional cleaning with a wet paper towel dipped in bicarbonate of soda (wear rubber gloves to do this). Rinse it out with a damp sponge and let it dry before inserting a new bag. You can also ward off bad smells by sprinkling a little bicarbonate of soda into the bottom of the bin before inserting the bag.

Deodorise rugs and carpets

Freshen up carpets or rugs by lightly sprinkling them with bicarbonate of soda, let it settle in for 15 minutes or so, then vacuum up.
[top page]

Disinfect rubbish bins

Take the bin outside and flush out any loose debris with water. Then add 100ml to 200ml bleach and several drops of washing-up liquid to 4 litres warm water. Brush the solution on the bottom using a long-handled scrubbing brush. Empty, rinse and let it air-dry.
[top page]

Swallow pills with ease

If you have difficulty getting pills to go down, try rolling them in a small amount of butter or margarine first. The pills should slide down your throat far more easily.
[top page]

Use as kindling and logs

Turn toilet paper tubes and paper towel tubes into kindling and logs for the fireplace. To make logs, tape over and pack shredded newspaper inside. Then tape the other end. The tighter you pack the newspaper, the longer your log will burn.
[top page]

Enhance the effectiveness of a vapour rub

For pain in a knee and other sore spots, massage in some vapour rub and wrap the area with cling film. The cling film will increase the heating effect of the vapour rub. Make sure to test on a small area first to make sure your skin does not burn.
[top page]

Bake a round loaf

Use small coffee cans to bake perfectly cylindrical loaves of bread. Use your favourite recipe but put the dough into a well-greased coffee can instead of a loaf tin. For yeast breads use two cans and fill each only half full. Grease the inside of the lids and place them on the cans. For yeast breads, you will know when it is time to bake when the rising dough pushes the lids off. Place the cans, without their lids, upright in the oven to bake.

Make a dehumidifier

If your home suffers from damp, try this easy-to-make dehumidifier. Fill an empty coffee can with salt and leave it in a corner where it will be undisturbed. Replace the salt at monthly intervals or as needed.
[top page]

Make bookmarks

Recycle envelopes by making them into useful bookmarks of different sizes. Cut off the gummed flap and one end of the envelope. Then slip the remainder over the corner of the page where you have stopped reading to make a quick placeholder that won’t damage your book.
[top page]

Make modelling clay

Keep children busy with some homemade modelling clay. Knead together 600g flour, 50g salt, 200 ml water, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 or 2 drops food colouring. If the mixture is sticky, add more flour; if it’s too stiff, add more water. When the “clay” is of a workable consistency, it can be stored until needed in a self-sealing plastic bag.
[top page]

Remove gum from clothing

Get rid of stuck-on chewing gum on a child’s trousers with an ice cube. Rub the ice on the gum to harden it. You can then scrape it off with a spoon.
[top page]