HOME HINTS:

clever ideas and handy tips

READER’S PRIZE HINT

Not only is micellar water (from supermarkets and chemists) great for cleansing your face, it will also remove make-up and mascara from clothing - just dab it on with a cotton ball. C. Millhouse, via email.

Bug off

To keep strawberries dry and bug-free as they ripen, slit a paper plate to the centre, cut away a small circle, then slip the plate beneath the plant.

Garden smoothie

Even if you have no room for a compost heap, you can treat your plants to a little extra nourishment – simply whiz up a banana skin, empty eggshells, some used coffee grounds and water in your blender, then dilute the mixture with water in a watering can and apply to the garden.

Save your knits

Time to wash and put away your woollens for summer? Use large mesh laundry bags (one knit per bag) when laundering machinewashable knits, to avoid snagging and prevent the knit from being pulled out of shape

On a roll

Instead of folding unfinished work when embroidering or quilting, roll it around a section of pool noodle and pin the edges to secure in

place – it’s much gentler on the fabric and stitching.

Clothing labels

Don’t waste time sewing name tapes. Use a permanent Artline 750 laundry marker to add your child’s name to school uniforms and hats.

Button up

To get a few extra centimetres on the waistband of jeans or pants that are a little tight, loop an elastic hair tie around the button, then take it through the buttonhole and loop it back over the button again – under a long top, no one will know!