YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT.

That’s a lesson our parents have long made clear, but we’ve relearnt it the hard way over the past year as the pandemic disrupted much in our lives. That doesn’t mean you have to accept defeat, however, or even delay. These 37 items are domestic superheroes: they have secret skills and there they sit, minding their own business under your sink, in your fridge, or in a drawer. They look so ordinary. Yet once you discover their powers, they will save you unwanted trips to the supermarket, expensive visits from the handyman, gnashing of teeth, and more.

1. Food & Cooking SUBSTITUTE FOR YEAST

Looking to make a loaf of bread? Mix one teaspoon of powdered vitamin C (or citric acid) and bicarbonate of soda. What’s more, the dough you add it to won’t have to rise before baking.

REPLACE BAKING POWDER

Substitute two parts cream of tartar mixed with one part bicarbonate of soda and cornflour. The cornflour slows the reaction between the acidic cream of tartar and the alkaline bicarbonate of soda, which helps the compound maintain its leavening power longer.

PROTECT VEGETABLES IN THE FRIDGE

Line your refrigerator’s crisper with paper towels. They will absorb the

moisture that causes your fruit and vegetables to rot. When the lining gets dirty, just throw it out and replace with fresh paper towels.

KEEP FRUIT FRESH

Do your berries and grapes get mouldy before you’ve had a chance to enjoy them? Store them in a colander – not a closed plastic container – in the refrigerator. The cold air will be able to circulate through the holes and around the fruit, keeping it fresh for days.

REVIVE SOGGY LETTUCE

Don’t toss those sorry leaves in the compost bin. Add the juice of half a lemon to a bowl of cold water, put the soggy lettuce in it, and refrigerate for about an hour. Make sure the leaves are completely dry before using them in salads or sandwiches.

TENDERISE MEAT

Soaking inexpensive cuts of meat in vinegar for up to four hours doesn’t just break down tough fibres, it also reduces carcinogenic compounds that form during grilling. Experiment with different vinegar varieties for added flavour, or simply use apple-cider vinegar or distilled vinegar. Just be sure to rinse the meat off before cooking.

SAVE A BOTTLE OF WINE

If the cork breaks apart when you open a bottle, no problem. Pour the wine through a coffee filter. It will catch everything but the liquid.

2. Cleaning GET RID OF SOAP SCUM

Spritz that gunk with cooking spray oil and let it sit for a couple of minutes. The scum will come off with just a swipe of a towel. Then wash the surface with soap and water.

RESCUE A RUG

If you’ve spilled coffee or tea on the carpet, there’s another beverage that can clean the mess: beer. Rub a few teaspoons (or more, if you made a really big mess) lightly into the fabric. Flat beer will also polish up your timber furniture.

ELIMINATE GREASE STAINS

Rub chalk on greasy spots on clothes or table linens and let it absorb the oil before you brush it off. If the stain lingers, rub more chalk into it before laundering.

To get rid of ring-around-the-collar stains, mark them heavily with chalk before laundering to absorb the oils that hold in dirt.

REPEL DUST FROM YOUR SCREENS

Because televisions and computers are electrically charged, they attract dust. Fabric softener sheets will get them clean and keep them that way.

DISSOLVE TARNISH ON SILVERWARE

Grab some potatoes and boil them up. Remove them from the water

and save them to eat later. Then place your silverware in the potato water and let it sit for an hour. Remove and wash it. The tarnish should have disappeared.

REMOVE WATER STAINS FROM TIMBER FURNITURE

Did your guests somehow miss the coasters? To get rid of those annoying white rings left by moist glasses, gently rub some non-gel toothpaste on the wood with a soft cloth. Wipe it off with a damp cloth and let the area dry.

UNSTICK GUM

Got chewing gum rubbed into the carpet or on the wall? WD-40 spray lubricant will loosen it. This works on wax drippings, too.

LIFT A SCORCH MARK

If you singe your favourite shirt with a hot iron, wet the area and cover it with cornflour. Allow the cornflour to dry, then brush it away.

3. Home Fixes UNCLOG A BATHROOM SINK – WITHOUT A PLUNGER

Cut off and discard the top third of an old tennis ball. Place the open end of what remains over the clogged drain. Block the overflow hole with a damp cloth and run a small amount of water into the basin to make a seal with the edge of the ball. Using the ball of your hand, plunge down hard and fast until the blockage is clear.

CLEAR A BLOCKED DRAIN

If the tennis ball plunger doesn’t work, pour in half a cup of bicarbonate of soda and let it sit for a few minutes. Then add one cup each of vinegar and hot water. Cover with the stopper for ten minutes, then flush with hot water. Repeat, and plunge, if needed.

FILL A CRACK IN THE FLOOR

Crayons make great fill material for small scratches, gouges or holes in many f loors. Select the colour that most closely matches yours. Melt the crayon in the microwave over waxed paper on medium power, a minute at a time, until you have a pliant glob of colour. Now, with a plastic knife or putty knife, fill the hole. Smooth it over with a rolling pin, a book, or some other flat object. You don’t even need to sand it.

SUBSTITUTE GLUE

Egg whites can act as a replacement when you need to adhere some paper or light cardboard together.

ADD INSULATION

Cut window-sized pieces of wide bubble wrap, then duct-tape them to windows for extra warmth and savings on winter fuel bills. Don’t like the look? Lowering the blinds will make it less noticeable, and keeping them closed once the sun goes down will save on fuel bills, too.

JUMP-START THE FIREPLACE

Dried orange and lemon peels make even better kindling than newspaper. Not only do they smell better and produce less creosote than newspaper, but the flammable oils found inside the peels enable them to burn much longer. Don’t want to wait for the peels to dry out? Put them on a baking sheet in a 100°C oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

RESCUE A DROWNING LAPTOP

You just spilled water on your laptop. Now what? Power down and disconnect any accessories. Open the screen at a right angle, then place the laptop upside down on a dry towel overnight in a warm, well-ventilated place. The next day, blast air into the machine for 15 minutes with a hair dryer set to the lowest heat setting. Keep it about 15 centimetres above the keyboard and move it constantly to avoid creating hot spots.

REPAIR A SCRATCHED PHONE SCREEN

For shallow scratches, first clean the affected area using a fresh, lint-free cloth dipped in water. Wipe it dry with a second lint-free cloth. Then rub the affected area lightly with a clean, soft pencil eraser, following the direction of the scratch. You might need to repeat this several times before the scratch disappears.

FIX A LOOSE BATTERY

Got a battery that won’t stay in place in a torch? Ball up a piece of aluminium foil and put it at the bottom of the cannister.

HALT A WINDSHIELD CRACK

If you’ve developed a small crack in your windshield, stop it in its tracks with some clear nail polish. Working in the shade, brush the crack on both sides of the glass with polish to fill it well. Move the car into the sun so the windshield can dry. But take note:

this fix is only temporary. Try to get the glass replaced within a day or two at most.

MAKE AN EMERGENCY SHOELACE

If you’ve busted a shoe lace, cut off a piece of duct tape that’s as long as you need and rip off twice the width you need. Fold the tape in half along its length, sticky side in. Thread your new lace onto your shoe and tie it up.

CARDBOARD TUBES KEEP EXTENSION CORDS TIDY

The simplest way to keep cords tangle-free in storage is to slip wrapped cords into toilet paper tubes and stack in a box. This also keeps a single cord tidy behind your desk.

4. Gardening FERTILISE YOUR PLANTS

Don’t throw out those old coffee grounds. They’re full of nutrients that your acid-loving plants crave. Save them to fertilise rosebushes, azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias and evergreens.

REPEL INSECTS

Scatter a border of ash from your fire around your garden to deter slugs and snails – ash sticks to their bodies and draws moisture out of them. Also sprinkle small amounts over garden plants to manage infestations of soft-bodied insects. Be warned that because ash is alkaline, it shouldn’t be used on acid-loving plants like azaleas, rhododendrons or hydrangeas.

KEEP FLOWERS FRESH

Cut flowers will stay perky longer if you add a coin made from copper and an aspirin to the vase water. And don’t forget to change the water daily.

5. Health & Beauty DISINFECT A CUT

No antiseptic disinfectant liquid or hydrogen peroxide? An alcohol-based mouthwash

can clean a shallow cut and disinfect your skin. Alternatively, you can dab a few drops of lemon juice directly on the cut.

EASE ACHES

For pain in your knee or other joints or muscles, rub in some warming liniment and wrap the area with plastic wrap. The wrap will increase the heating effect of the liniment. Test on a small area first to make sure your skin does not burn.

RELAX STIFF MUSCLES

If you prefer to soak your sore spots, take a bath in Epsom salts and throw in a few tablespoons of mustard. The mustard will enhance the soothing effects of the salts.

REMOVE A SPLINTER

You can avoid the agony of digging a splinter out with a needle by covering it with adhesive tape instead. After about three days, pull the tape off slowly, and the splinter should come out with it.

SAVE YOUR SHAVE

If you run out of shaving cream, try slathering some soft butter on your wet skin for a smooth, close shave. Baby oil and hair conditioner are other options.

MAKE A DEHUMIDIFIER

A humid cupboard, garage or storeroom can wreak havoc on your health as well as on your clothes. Get rid of all that humidity with homemade dehumidifiers. To make one, just put some charcoal briquettes in a large, clean lidded can and punch a few holes in the lid. Place one or more in humid areas. Replace the charcoal every few months.

REPEL TICKS AND OTHER INSECTS

Going for a walk in the bush? Smear some mentholated chest rub on your ankles, wrists and neck before you leave the house. It might not be your favourite scent, but mosquitoes and ticks hate it, and they’ll go in search of a sweeter-smelling victim.