Useful Hints in the House – How Do I Remove a Wine Stain, And More

Chewing Gum – To remove chewing gum from any type of fabric, saturate the area with vinegar and watch the gum dissolve. If you heat the vinegar slightly it will work even faster.

Fruit for Thought – When baking cakes or muffins with fruit or choc chips, shake them in a plastic bag with a dash of flour first so they don’t sink to the bottom.

Mushrooms – To retain the freshness of mushrooms and prevent them from becoming slimy, always refrigerate them in a brown paper bag, never plastic. Paper allows the mushrooms to breathe while holding in the humidity that keeps them fresh.

Unwanted Smell – The fastest way to clear the air of unwanted smells after using the bathroom is to light a few matches. Allow them to burn for a few seconds in the bathroom, and soon, any offending odor will disperse.

Shiny Jewellery – Return your old gold jewellery to its original shine by stirring one tablespoonful of tea leaves into hot water till yellowish. After cooling, put all your jewellery into the solution and leave overnight. The next day, soak in tamarind juice for four hours. Rinse with water and wipe with a clean cloth.

Fresh Air Supply – For a free air freshener, save the peel from half an orange and fill it with salt. It will absorb odors and give off a lovely fresh citrus scent that lasts for months.

Soap Saver – Put all your leftover pieces of soap in a blender with a little hot water. Then pulse and pour the mix into a plastic dispenser for liquid soap at no cost.

Tender Meat – Tenderise tough meat by cooking it with a piece of fruit. The fruit contains softening enzymes and imparts a nice flavor too.

Perfect Eggs – When boiling eggs, place a spent match in the saucepan to prevent them cracking.

Clean Pets – During the rainy season, it’s sometimes difficult to bathe your pets. Use baby wipes to clean their hair and toes to reduce germs.

Crisp Crackers – When storing crackers in an airtight container, sprinkle one or two tablespoonfuls of sugar to preserve the crispiness and aroma. This method can also be used to avoid unpleasant or musty odors in unused teapots or jars that are kept for long periods of time in kitchen cabinets.

Wine Stain – If you accidentally spill red wine on your carpet, here’s an effective way to remove the stain. Apply a dollop of shaving cream on the stained area and leave for about 20 to 30 minutes. Then blot away with a cloth.