Clever uses for household bits & bobs
Whether you keep your household bits and bobs in a utility room, garden shed or a drawer in the kitchen, there’s plenty of fabulous clever uses for items around the home you may never have realised.
Here’s a few of our favourite clever uses for household bits & bobs.
Sharpen scissors with sandpaper
If your scissors are no longer as crisp as they once were, try cutting through a piece of fine grit sandpaper a few times. It will sharpen the edges and help make your scissors as good as new.
Hang Christmas lights and garlands with zip ties
This trick is just in time for the festive season. You can keep Christmas lights, garlands and wreaths in securely place without damaging your trees or railings. When it’s time to take them down, it’s as easy as using scissors to cut the zip ties open. The humble zip tie was first invented in 1958 to help organise wires on aeroplanes while they were still in construction. Today, you can find them just about anywhere and the good news is that you can buy biodegradable ones!
Protect important documents with silica gel bags
Important documents like birth certificates, marriage licences and social security cards can be prone to fading and damage if they’re exposed to moisture. Try putting them in a large envelope with a packet or two of silica gel to keep them safe over time.
Catch flies with duct tape
A piece of duct tape is an easy way to catch flies instead of swatting. Let a piece of duct tape hang from a cabinet or wall, or, even better, wrap your fly swatter in duct tape (sticky side out) and use it to catch flies.
Clean jewellery with Windolene
You can brighten up metal and gemstone jewellery with Windolene and an old toothbrush. Spray the piece, scrub lightly, then rinse. The ammonia in window cleaner makes it a great jewellery cleaner – except for soft, porous materials like opal, turquoise and pearl.
Clean your keyboard with sellotape
Sellotape also works brilliantly to pick up dust and crumbs from your keyboard. This is most easily done when the computer is off. Fold a piece of sellotape in half, sticky sides facing outwards, then press between the keys or around any other areas where you find dirt and dust.
Fix your glasses with a paperclip
A loose arm on a pair of glasses can be troublesome and often requires special tools. Instead of a small screwdriver, you can use the end of a paperclip to tighten the screw.
Give your waistline some breathing room with a rubber band
If you have a pair of jeans or trousers that are fitting a little snugly, loop an elastic band through the button hole and then loop the other end over the button instead. The elastic band will hold your trousers shut but provide a little extra stretch so you can breathe and sit down more comfortably.
Make your own stamps with wine corks
This is especially good for anyone with grandchildren to entertain during the school holidays. You can create your own homemade stamps by cutting designs into the top or bottom of a wine cork. Then cover with paint or even marker, and stamp onto paper.
Make a bird feeder with a plastic bottle
Old plastic bottles can also make brilliant and simple bird feeders. Take two small wooden spoons, and poke holes in the plastic bottle for the spoons to slide through. Fill with seed. Secure some twine around the neck of the water bottle, or if you have one, screw in a small eyebolt and attach the string to that. Then, it’s ready to hang on a branch in your garden.
Prevent slip with old rubber gloves
Speaking of adding grip, you can prevent bowls and cutting boards from slipping by creating a mat with an old pair of rubber gloves. Remove the fingers and cut along the arm of the glove to open up into a square. Trim it into whatever shape you want. To use, place it down on the countertop and put your bowl or cutting board on top – the glove below will add extra grip and keep your bowl or board from slipping.
Carry nails and pins with an old tennis ball
This useful trick is perfect for doing odd jobs around the house and garden. Cut a slit in the tennis ball and then squeeze it open. You can put in nails and pins and other small items. When you stop squeezing the ball will close. To open, simply squeeze again.
Paint the handrail with mismatched socks
If your handrails need a fresh coat of paint this simple trick can make the job all the easier. Get a rubber glove to protect your hand, then wear a sock like a mitt. Dip the sock in paint and then get to work – you can quickly and easily cover each rail by closing your hand around it and working from top to bottom.
Keep the loo brush fresh with Zoflora
Put some Zoflora in the bottom of your toilet brush container to help disinfect between uses and keep the loo brush smelling fresh.
Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor
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