Home hints: handy tips

Georgina Bitcon gives advice on ridding the house of doggy smells, cleaning a tricky ceiling, making the tub sparkle and more, plus a reader’s prize hint.

ASK THE WEEKLY

QAfter recent prolonged rain, my house and furniture now smell of wet dog, although we bath the dog frequently. Any remedies?

J. Martin, Turramurra, NSW. In damp, humid conditions, it’s best to use a hair dryer on a wet dog, if possible, to get him completely dry and prevent bacteria growth. To remove residual smell, wash and dry removable upholstery covers, sprinkle bicarb soda liberally over the carpet overnight, then vacuum up next day – and spritz any non-washable fabrics with a 2:1 solution of water and apple cider vinegar.

Dishwasher sparkle

Put your ceramic toothbrush holder and soap dish in the dishwasher every so often – both will emerge sparkling clean.

Ceiling solution

To clean an acoustic “popcorn” ceiling without knocking down pieces of it, roll a damp, high-nap paint roller over it, picking up dust and cobwebs as you go.

Hung out to dry

If you peg wet items across parallel lines on your clothesline, you can fit considerably more things in the same space. Try it!

Best for zest

Instead of throwing the peel away when you squeeze a lemon, put it in a ziplock bag in the freezer and keep it for when you need to grate lemon zest.

Keep bath toys tidy

Hang a tiered fruit or vegie basket from the showerhead or bath rail to store plastic bath toys after use.

Knitting knack

When knitting, instead of trying to estimate how much yarn you’ll need for a long-tail cast-on, use a second ball or work from both ends of one ball: using both strands, make a slip-knot (does not count as a stitch), cast-on required stitches, then cut one strand, leaving a tail to weave in. Knit across row with remaining strand; drop off slip-knot.

Clean tub, no rub

If you suffer from a bad back, try cleaning the bath with a squeeze mop – it’s much easier.

No more spills

To pour paint or other liquid without a funnel, hold a chopstick, long-handled spoon or even a pencil vertically across the mouth of the pouring can while you tip it – the liquid will follow the free end of the chopstick into its new container.

Whip into shape

For perfect whipped cream without a whisk or beaters, tip cold thickened cream into a large jar, screw on lid; shake vigorously for a few minutes.

SHARE YOUR DOMESTIC SECRETS

Send your handy hints or questions to: Home Hints, The Australian Women’s Weekly, GPO Box 4178, Sydney, NSW 2001, or email openline@ bauer-media.com.au. We pay $75 for the reader’s prize hint each month. While every effort is made to ensure the efficacy of each hint, we cannot take responsibility for individual results.

Use your inflatable wading pool as an indoor playpen for a sitting baby. It’s portable, comfortable, stainproof and the soft sides mean no banged heads.