HOME HINTS

READER’S PRIZE HINT

Instead of keeping them in the laundry, store packets of concentrated fabric conditioner in amongst your linen – the smell permeates the linen and lasts a long time. Replace them as you use them for washing. S. Morrissey, Newstead, Qld

Tiny trick

Put a little ball of Blu Tack on the tip of the mini screwdriver when you’re trying to replace the screw in your glasses – you can pick up the screw and direct it right into the hole.

Clean lift-off

When peeling masking tape away from a painted surface, if you heat the tape gently for a couple of seconds with a hairdryer, it will prevent the paint from being removed as well as the tape.

Sweet solution

If you run out of brown sugar, make your own: for every cup of white sugar add 1–2 tablespoons of molasses (for light brown sugar) or ¼ cup (for dark brown sugar). Combine in a food processor or just mix it in with the other ingredients.

Home grown

Small, flat-bottomed ice cream cones make perfect biodegradable starting “pots” for seeds. Once sprouted, plant the whole cone in the ground.

Avoid melting moments

To soften hard butter without melting it, pour boiling water into a heatproof glass or small bowl, pour away water and invert the glass over the butter for a few minutes.

Tighten the screws

Wind a little steel wool around a loose screw before putting it back into a hole. The steel wool will tighten it up and keep the screw in place.

Out with a bang

If you constantly stub your toe on a bed frame that is concealed by bedding, cut a piece of pool noodle to fit around the offending part.