HOME HINTS

Stain shi f ter

For grass stains o sports clo thes, mi equal parts water vinegar, cloudy am and liquid laundr in a spray bottle liberally on the leave for 10 m then wash a on x up , white mmonia y soap e, spritz e stains, minutes, as usual.

D-I-Y Tips

Home hints

EDITED by GEORGINA BITCON

READER’S PRIZE HINT

Your sandwich press is a quick and clean way to grill summer vegetables, such as eggplant, zucchini, capsicum and asparagus. Health hackH l hh k Smart swap Give up plastic cling wrap his year –substitute stretchy licone covers, beeswax food wraps, reusa ble plastic/glass ontainers or waxed paper andwich wrap. S G th si w co sa

Clean load o prevent lint from clinging o your clothes in the wash, ut a couple of pairs of old antyhose in with the load. C To to p p

abel free Using a citrus-based goo remover or nail polish remover, clean the printing from PET containers used to sell salad leaves, w ash and dry, and repurpose for food gifts. La

Get crafty

Kids bored? Let them paint smooth, rounded or flat pebbles in shades of green, then dot with white ‘spikes’ and patterns, and stand them in a pot to create an instant cactus garden.

Ask THE WEE K LY

To prevent thread from tangling when hand-sewing with double thread, knot each end of the cotton separately. C. Bebb, Kenwick, WA.

ve an vasion of mealybugs on my moth orchid (phalaenopsis). What can I do to get rid of them without damaging the plant? B. Chung, Mooloolaba, Qld A: Mix ¼ cup methylated spirits with 1 cup of water and either dab it directly on the bugs with a cotton bud or spray it on. SHARE your D O M E ST I C SECRETS I

Send your handy hints or questions to: Home Hints, The Australian Women’s Weekly, GPO Box 4178, Sydney, NSW 2001, or email openline@bauermedia.com.au. We pay $75 for the reader’s prize hint each month.

Avoid a trip If you’re camping this summer, slit pool noodles along their length and wrap them around the guy or awning ropes of the tent to make them more obvious and prevent tripping.

Sweet sensation Don’t throw away overripe bananas – chop roughly and freeze until solid, then whizz them in a food processor until smooth and creamy, and either eat immediately or freeze again to use as a healthy and delicious alternative to ice cream.

Boredom buster On a long journey, if your child is sitting near the window in a car, plane or train, a set of reusable gel stickers will provide instant entertainment and can be easily removed from the glass.

Get extra pop Soak popcorn kernels in water for about efore popping –this results in far fewer unpopped kernels. 1