HOUSEHOLD TIPS NOT FOUND IN WOMAN'S WEEKLY

[Tizer]

Because we live out in the sticks our shopping always has to be done by car. We keep a thick old blanket (it happens to be Mrs Tiz's blanket from when she was a child!) in the car boot and use it to wrap around the bags of food on our return journey. It insulates well, keeps the frozen food frozen and the chilled food chilled. And it's always there if we got stranded in cold winter weather.

[Tripps]

I just don't worry about it. Take it home and put it in the freezer. Never had a problem.

[Stanley]

Live 100 yards from the shops.....

[Stanley]

I found a good spray leather treatment yesterday and gave my A2 flying jacket some TLC. Wonderful improvement, it was easy to apply and buffed up well. When you consider the price of a coat like this it makes sense to give it a bit of attention! (Handbags as well!)

[Tizer]

Being keen watchers of birds and aircraft etc we have several pairs of binoculars. I have an old pair of small bins that I keep by my desk for spotting things from the window. The optics and mechanical bits are good but the plastic body has gone sticky. I looked on the web for any cures and found many but they either don't work or are not worth the time and effort. These included cleaning the surfaces with a wide range of solvents or scraping off all the surface plastic. But one approach got my eye and it works even though it needs repeating now and then. Simply put talcum powder on your hands and rub it onto the sticky plastic, taking care not to use too much and not letting it go into the workings or onto the lenses; just treat the bits that you hold in your hands when using the bins. I wouldn't want to put talcum on new bins but it's a way of keeping an old but trusty pair comfortable to use.

[Stanley]

I had the same problem with my hair clippers and the talcum powder cured it.
I was sharpening milling cutters in the shed yesterday and reflected how putting a good edge on a tool transforms scrap into a new cutter. Same applies to your kitchen knives. A new edge is magic...... Set them on a stone and maintain with a good steel. These are expensive but a good long term investment. That's why butchers and fishmongers use them!

[Stanley]

Never forget that a bit of oil on door and window hinges and locks works wonders.

[Stanley]

It's about time I vacuumed my mother board out and I realised this morning that there is another use for my air compressor. It will be just the thing for cleaning the fans out!

[Stanley]

Something that struck me yesterday was how satisfying it can be to hold the recycling back until the bin is full to the top. It takes me about 3 months to do it and absolutely no problems with smells. Same with the grey bin. I always used plastic pedal bin liners and can't understand people complaining about fortnightly collections..... Perhaps it's because I don't throw food away, only peelings.

[Stanley]

Quality is always worth it. A while ago I stopped getting my usual Fairtrade ground coffee and tried Taylor's beans, more expensive but very good coffee. I only have one mug a day in the morning and I am enjoying it. A small extra expense but worth it I think.

[Stanley]

I don't know if this is a household tip but this morning Janet Geldard comes to get my approval for the registration of my Lasting Powers of Attorney to go forward. I think it does qualify as all my household tips are aimed at improving my quality of life. Getting arrangements like this finalised is just as important for peace of mind as bleaching the sink and the lavatory!

[Stanley]

Never trust your editor to get the sequence of articles in the paper right! This week should have been an entirely different piece but he has flung us into housing!

[Tizer]

Perhaps he judges housing to be a higher priority at the present time?

[Stanley]

No Tiz, they moved office and he lost track. No matter, the missing one isn't time critical.

[Stanley]

If something is nagging you, do something about it! See Shed Matters.......

[Stanley]

It worked! I am a happy bunny now.....

[Stanley]

Reading Tiz's report of the 'stacks' of pills to relieve stress reminded me of the old snake oil salesmen famous in the American Frontier. Advertising is littered with Cunning Wheezes to persuade us that we need the latest Gee Whiz product. Think air fresheners, anti-germicidal products for everything from the lavatory to the kitchen work surfaces and miracle washing products to make your 'Whites Whiter'. Do you really want to be brainwashed by a bunch of smart kids?

[Stanley]

Don't forget the pan on the stove when you get engrossed in doing something else!

[Stanley]

We're into September now and in Barlick this means that the weather will worsen. If there are any outside jobs you have been putting off, now is the time to do something about them!

[Stanley]

I don't know if it is a product of advancing years but when I tidy up storage areas these days I find it more easy to throw stuff out I have hoarded for years!

[Tizer]

It might be because the older we get the more stored stuff we have and the more we realise we haven't been using it! We've got a large garage but don't keep the car in it (and we've only one car), which means that stuff tends to get left there rather than thrown away. It got particularly bad after my dad died and Mrs Tiz' parents went into a care home. We ended up with three of everything. Gradually we've been clearing it but when you have a big space it's too easy to leave stuff. I have a relative whose parents and sister died and she has ended up with a barn full of furniture etc. I think it's still all there.

[LizG]

I find it very difficult to throw things away when they are perfectly good. Thank goodness one of my sisters was ruthless when we were cleaning up at Mum's house. I've still got boxes of things that still need another home but it's a lot less than there could be.

[Stanley]

That could be right Tiz! One problem I need to address is the redundant computer equipment I have. No actual computers but more peripheries and cables than you can poke a stick at!

[Tizer]

Invite Pluggy to take anything he wants then dump the rest except for one of each type of useful cable that might be needed in the future.

[Tripps]

"except for one of each type of useful cable that might be needed in the future."

Unfortunately there are some of us who think that they all fall into that category.