Useful Tips

Mother used to make one sachet of White rain shampoo do the whole family, she put it in an old cup and diluted it with warm water. The water for hair washing was rainwater from the butt boiled on the gas stove, mother swore it was kinder to our fine hair.

After the torture of Vim on the nethers, we'd have been SO grateful for sliver of pumice....

If only we could have had Vim.............. we had to make do with the shavings off a pumice stone.

I remember Gumption

Not really, I made that up . We had to make do with a sprinkling of Vim...

You had SOAP?..................................................................?

And we only had carbolic soap...

yes, AND they probably wash with a wussy sponge, not like wire wool in our day! Even then you got the posh ones who had a Brillo...........

Wusses Gally

These days they are told to put a cup of milk in the bath water with a squirt of tea tree oil Just saying......!

Yes, we were told to use salt in the bath.

I don't remember that sal however I do remember the tubs of salt in the maternity ward bathrooms. I have also have a strong memory of a thing called (I think) a Closimat.....................

Yes Phoenix, newly delivered mothers were told to use soda crystals in the bath.

Going back to soda crystals, as used instead of bicarb for the silver soaking tip, someone said that they would not fancy putting their hands in a solution of it? I've used it for various things and never had a problem.

Just the other evening there was a particularly grim looking pyrex dish amongst the washing up. It had contained Mr P's special macaroni cheese, which we had for supper then bunged the same dish in the oven the next day to heat up the remainder for lunch, so the hard residue was twice baked!

I ran some very hot water, a squirt of washing up liquid and a couple of tablespoons of soda crystals and left it to soak for 10 minutes. Came up brilliantly, no scouring or scrubbing!

It works out much cheaper than things like Fairy Power Spray.

Also am I right in thinking that the bath salts many of us used years ago were just scented and coloured soda crystals anyway?

I use dettol mould and mildew remover and am going to do the shower room and bathroom with it before DD1 arrives. Then I will have to hide it as I am not supposed to use any chemicals apparently.

The plumber said that using hair conditioner encouraged mould.

Here it is!

www.gransnet.com/forums/product_reviews/1201825-Dettol-Mould-Mildew-Remover

Dettol mould & mildew remover. I recommended it before and a GN'er wrote a review thingy saying how good she had found it.

I have a tiny bit of mould in a corner of my shower unit. Any bright and cheap ideas for removal?

As well as toothpaste, Listerine is very good for cleaning baths and sinks. Apparently it was first developed for that purpose!

After using it once, I can well believe that

As well as toothpaste, Listerine is very good for cleaning baths and sinks. Apparently it was first developed for that purpose!

When DH eventually came out of hospital after his transplant, my MIL came to stay for a couple of weeks as I had to get back to work. I was initially bemused when she got me to take her to John Lewis so that she could buy silver polish etc as I felt that if she wanted to be useful while I was out () there was an ironing pile, an underused hoover etc etc. After the first week DH developed a fever and was rushed back into hospital in London and I found out that her way of dealing with stress, rather than gin or pills, was to clean the silver. She admitted that she found it the best way of dealing with worry (and God knows we had enough at the time) . I may have had other problems, but the family silver was in perfect condition!

Jane, thanks for the painting trellis with gloves idea, I am going to try it this year to do the top of my fence. I have been putting it off for 2 years, now I have no excuse.

anno try brown sauce.

Lemon juice or vinegar? Try Googling it.

I have a large, round Indian brass tray which makes a coffee table when on its legs. It's easy enough to polish, except for the raised pie-crust edge which takes an age. Any tips?