Homes

Home hints: Ironing, paint and personalised labels

Georgina Bitcon has a variety of tips and tricks that will make household tasks a little easier.

Ask The Australian Women’s Weekly

Q: My children’s white sports socks never look really white after washing. Bleach just makes them yellow. Do you have a tip? J. Beetson

Put ¼ cup Lux soap flakes in a large pot with half a lemon and the dirty socks, add enough water to cover, bring to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes, then drain. Now toss the socks in the washing machine and wash as usual.

A paintful issue

To prevent excess drips from clogging up the rim when you open a new can of paint, use a hammer and large nail (or an electric drill) to make a few “drain” holes around the inner rim before you start. They will seal when the lid is replaced.

Opening gambit

If you struggle to open zip-up bags, cut a “V” in one side only of the top strip (don’t cut into the sealer) and you’ll find it much easier to pull the two halves apart.

Photo ID

If you have taken a holiday photo of a statue, painting or landmark that you can no longer identify, open Google images, upload your photo and Google will search the net for the same image – chances are someone else will have snapped it and identified it for you.

Baby bath helper

A plastic laundry basket makes a good “bath within a bath” for a baby or young toddler: it’s less slippery and all the toys stay near at hand. Do not leave the child unattended at any time.

Cooler freshener

Wipe out your chilly bin with a few drops of vanilla before storing it, or dry it carefully and throw in a couple of unused teabags – no nasty odours when you open it for

the next use.

Personalised labels

Give your homemade jams, pickles and marmalades a professional look by printing your own sticky labels from free templates that you can find on the internet.

Iron with ease

Make ironing easier – put 1 litre of water and a teaspoon of lavender oil in a spray bottle, spritz over dry, wrinkled clothes, leave on coat hangers for 30 minutes, then press.

Scratch protection

Keep your non-stick pans scratch-free for longer by popping a paper plate into each one before storing another saucepan on top.

Non-stick grating

Place your grater in the freezer for 15 minutes before using it and food will be less likely to stick. You can also give it a quick spray with oil – especially good for cheese.

Share your domestic secrets

Send your handy hints or questions to: Home hints, The Australian Women’s Weekly, PO Box 92512, Wellesley Street, Auckland 1141, or email [email protected] with “Home hints” in the subject line. While every effort is made to ensure the efficacy of each hint, we cannot take responsibility for individual results.

Words: Georgia Bitcon

For more from The Australian Women’s Weekly, follow us on Facebook or Instagram.

Loading the player...

Related stories