HOME HINTS: clever tricks and handy tips

READER’S PRIZE HINT

Instead of using plastic wrap to prevent a cut avocado from going brown, store it (with its seed) in a sealed container, skin-side down on top of a few slices of raw onion. It really works! B. Kerslake, Tilba, NSW

Kettle clean up

If the inside of your kettle or electric jug is looking gunky, boil it for a few minutes with a few lemon slices in the water.

On the carpet

To make musty carpets smell fresh, thoroughly mix 10–20 drops of a citrus essential oil into 500g bicarb soda and store in a sealed jar. Shake mixture over the carpet, wait 5–10 minutes, then vacuum up.

Pillowcase repurposed

Make a garment bag out of a pillowcase by snipping a slit in the centre of the closed end and slipping the hook of a coathanger through.