HANDY HINTS (Kitchen/Home etc)

• SydneyLibrarian

  25 Jul 05, 10:09

  Thought it might be a good idea to start a thread where people can post tips & hints they have in the kitchen/home.
  
  I'll start with a few:
  
  If your flowers are dying, put a panadol or some sugar in the water..
  
  Once you have opened a packet of chips, instead of putting them in a container, you can put them in the freezer. Just fold the bag over. They don't freeze & stay nice & fresh!
  
  
• kalangkabo

  25 Jul 05, 10:14

  anybody knows how to keep cut apples from turning yellow?
  
• InnoHippo

  25 Jul 05, 10:17

  Originally posted by kalangkabo:

  anybody knows how to keep cut apples from turning yellow?
  

  soak in salt water?
• InnoHippo

  25 Jul 05, 10:19

  put charcoal in cabinets to remove bad smell ......
• kalangkabo

  25 Jul 05, 10:19

  Originally posted by InnoHippo:

  soak in salt water?

  cannot leh...
  still turn yellow...
• the Bear

  25 Jul 05, 10:22

  can't... oxidation happens...
  
  in other news, use crumpled up newspaper to clean windows and they'll be streak-free
  
  

  Originally posted by kalangkabo:

  anybody knows how to keep cut apples from turning yellow?
  

• SydneyLibrarian

  25 Jul 05, 10:27

  Oh... forgot to add my mum's favourite... Sprinkle a little salt in your wok / frying pan to get rid of food that's stuck to the bottom, before washing. This'll make it MUCH easier to clean (no need to scrub like a maniac )
• Rhonda

  25 Jul 05, 10:46

  Originally posted by SydneyLibrarian:

  If your flowers are dying, put a panadol or some sugar in the water..
  
  

  Actually, I keep my roses and flowers blooming very long when I used to buy flowers and keep them in the vase at my office cubicle.
  
  Every morning, give the ends of the flowers a gentle wash to get rid of the slimy 'scum' there. Then, whilst placing the ends of the stems under running water, or just underwater, snip a bit of the ends off each stalk.
  
  Next, put in a pinch of sugar to the water in the vase. I used to put in 2-3 stirrer-spoonfuls of sugar. Then, place your flowers gently into the vase.
  
  Do that everyday and your flowers will stay fresh much longer, especially if you place them in an air-conditioned room.
  
  My flowers used to be the 'talking point' at my ol' workplace, whenever folks find a little free time on their hands.
• TehJarVu

  25 Jul 05, 10:48

  Originally posted by SydneyLibrarian:

  Oh... forgot to add my mum's favourite... Sprinkle a little salt in your wok / frying pan to get rid of food that's stuck to the bottom, before washing. This'll make it MUCH easier to clean (no need to scrub like a maniac )

  this is the reason why i bought an expensive non-stick sauce pans set from Target to save me time and hassle.
• The man who was death

  25 Jul 05, 10:52

  Originally posted by TehJarVu:

  this is the reason why i bought an expensive non-stick sauce pans set from Target to save me time and hassle.

  Dun get from teflon or u might get cancer
• TehJarVu

  25 Jul 05, 10:53

  if your cups are stained by tea or coffee, place a little baking soda in the cup with a little bit of water, and you can instantly wipe off the stain using a sponge or kitchen paper.
• TehJarVu

  25 Jul 05, 10:55

  place a cup of baking soda in the fridge, it absorbs odor.
• Rhonda

  25 Jul 05, 10:57

  Place unripened fruits into a brown plastic bag to ripen it.
  
  Wrap vegetables in newspaper before putting them in a fridge to absorb excess moisture and keep them fresher.
  
  
• the Bear

  25 Jul 05, 12:59

  from tv.. right now..
  
  house plants like dumb cane, the leaves can be shined up using a banana peel
  
  a crystal wine decanter which is stained to heck can be cleaned out using vinegar with rice.. fill half of the decanter with vinegar, drop a tablespoon of uncooked rice, and shake it vigourously.. rinse and see it sparkle
• neuros

  25 Jul 05, 14:16

  Originally posted by kalangkabo:

  anybody knows how to keep cut apples from turning yellow?
  

  try squeezing some lemon juice over it? heard it works but i never tried before...
  
  my mom soaks in salt water. tat works for us leh...
• seow

  25 Jul 05, 22:41

  Originally posted by neuros:

  try squeezing some lemon juice over it? heard it works but i never tried before...
  
  my mom soaks in salt water. tat works for us leh...

  Soak in salt water, when serving. slice off the yellowed part?
• elindra

  25 Jul 05, 22:42

  White toothpaste acts as a really good cleaner/polish for silver
• The man who was death

  26 Jul 05, 10:57

  Originally posted by elindra:

  White toothpaste acts as a really good cleaner/polish for silver

  Good for scalding too soy sauce also good but i'd rather use toothpaste
  
  
  Note from Rhonda :
  
  NOOOooo!! Never ever put toothpaste, or anything else, if you have just burnt / scalded yourself!!
  
  The proper thing to do is to run to the nearest tap and hold the scalded area under a running tap for a while, letting the cool water remove as much of the heat as possible.
  
  If you put toothpaste or any other creams or ointments on a burnt / scalded area immediately after you get burnt / scalded, you will be 'trapping' the heat with the creams and making the injury worse.
  
  This is what the doctors have told us. I was also told this when I was on my A&E posting and saw quite a few burn / scald cases.
  
  
• Gedanken

  26 Jul 05, 11:51

  Originally posted by elindra:

  White toothpaste acts as a really good cleaner/polish for silver

  Uh, it actually speeds up the tarnishing process.
• Gedanken

  26 Jul 05, 11:52

  Before doing any grimy work without gloves, scrape a bar of soap with your fingernails. The soap will catch all the dirt and rinse off easily when you wash your hands.
• bismarck

  26 Jul 05, 11:54

  Originally posted by Rhonda:

  Actually, I keep my roses and flowers blooming very long when I used to buy flowers and keep them in the vase at my office cubicle.
  
  Every morning, give the ends of the flowers a gentle wash to get rid of the slimy 'scum' there. Then, whilst placing the ends of the stems under running water, or just underwater, snip a bit of the ends off each stalk.
  
  Next, put in a pinch of sugar to the water in the vase. I used to put in 2-3 stirrer-spoonfuls of sugar. Then, place your flowers gently into the vase.
  
  Do that everyday and your flowers will stay fresh much longer, especially if you place them in an air-conditioned room.
  
  My flowers used to be the 'talking point' at my ol' workplace, whenever folks find a little free time on their hands.

  sounds like u are 'feeding' the flowers.
  
  i suppose that keeps them alive longer?
• Rhonda

  26 Jul 05, 16:16

  Originally posted by bismarck:

  sounds like u are 'feeding' the flowers.
  
  i suppose that keeps them alive longer?

  Yeah, I guess that could be it.
• Rhonda

  26 Jul 05, 16:18

  Originally posted by Gedanken:

  Before doing any grimy work without gloves, scrape a bar of soap with your fingernails. The soap will catch all the dirt and rinse off easily when you wash your hands.

  Hmm... this sounds like a really handy tip! Once grime gets under your nails, it's almost impossible to wash it off and it remains unsightly for days.
  
  
• Rhonda

  26 Jul 05, 16:20

  Originally posted by kalangkabo:

  anybody knows how to keep cut apples from turning yellow?
  

  Actually, keeping the cut apples in soaked in salt water helps. I think you might not have added enough salt in your water? Even restaurants use this method for their cut apples, pears and other fruits.
• TehJarVu

  26 Jul 05, 16:25

  Heard that if you put onions in the fridge, when you take them out to cut, you will not tear so much.