ecobites

Global. Healthy. Lifestyle.

These everyday items can solve common household dilemmas...

STALE BREAD A gentle rub with stale bread will remove grubby marks from your walls. Half a slice of stale bread in the bottom of the grill pan absorbs fat and prevents smoking. A thick slice is good for picking up small pieces of broken glass.

TEA BAGS Cold tea can be used to clean varnished floors -- the tannin brings out the color of the wood. Cheap cuts of meat can be tenderized by marinating in tea (without milk!). Lukewarm used teabags (chamomile especially) make a great eye mask when placed over tired, irritated eyes.

TEA LEAVES Fill a couple of old socks with dry tea leaves, tie the ends and leave in your shoes overnight to absorb nasty odours.

BANANA SKINS When liquidized, banana skins can make a fabulous paste for shining silver. Also good for polishing brown leather shoes -- it keeps them supple.

CHALK Put a stick in your silver drawer to absorb the moisture so as to prevent silver tarnishing. Ants hate chalk so won't cross a chalk line. If you have an infestation, locate where they are entering your home and draw a chalk line across it.

POTATO Half a spud dipped in baking soda makes an excellent scourer, especially good at removing rust. A potato (clean and dry) in the bread bin keeps your loaves fresh.

HALF A LEMON Squeeze and rub over your chopping boards and let sit for 20 minutes to remove stains.

VINEGAR A cupful poured in the dishwasher or washing machine will keep them clean. It can also be used to clean taps, as a kettle de-scaler (mix with equal parts water, bring to the boil, leave overnight, rinse). A tablespoon of vinegar added to fat just before frying stops the food absorbing too much grease. Douse insect bites with cotton wool dipped in vinegar to relieve itching.

VEGATABLE OIL Smear a little amount on your cheese grater to make it easier to clean after use.

COFFEE A paste of instant coffee and beeswax can cover up scratches in furniture. Used coffee grounds make for a good exfoliate when rubbed on hands. Throw a couple of cups of strong instant coffee into the rinse cycle of your laundry to revitalize faded black lingerie.

ELASTIC BANDS Place a couple around each shoulder of a coat hanger to stop garments from slipping off.

USED DISPOSABLE RAZOR Drag gently across woollen jumpers to get rid of those annoying bobbly bits.