Hints And Tips

Bright Tips December 1985

Shiny Again - During really wet weather, even stainless steel cutlery appears dim. Lightly wipe over with a cotton cloth, dipped in a little plain white flour and see how they shine. Mrs Mitchell, Tain.

Late Roses - A small spoonful of sugar added to a vase of roses helps to feed them and makes them last longer. Mrs Parker, Ayrshire.

Scruffy Shoes? - A little egg white rubbed on the toes of leather shoes, conceals scratches, leave to dry and polish well. Mrs Robertson, Lerwick.

Bright Tips November 1985

New Socks? - Are children's white socks dingy? Give them a new look. Pop them into a pan of water with two teabags and a little vinegar. Bring to the boil, simmer for a while, rinse in cold water. The socks become a lovely cream colour. Mrs Millar, Perth.

Fruit Salad - Run cold water over sliced bananas. They'll keep their colour in the fruit salad, even to the next day. Mrs E. Stewart, Glasgow. Read more......

Bright Tips with Vinegar

Icing - Put a pinch of salt into icing sugar. This will keep it smooth when it sets. Chocolate icing will not turn dull if a tiny piece of butter is included in the mix. Mrs Macleod, Mallaig.

Add vinegar - Add a few drops of vinegar when you boil white fish. This improves the texture and keeps the fish a good colour. Mrs Millar, Perth.

Shiny Brass - Keep brasses shining by pouring vinegar on a duster, rubbing well and polishing with a dry cloth. Once a week does the trick and no dirty hands. Mrs Parker, Kilwinning.

Your Rubber Gloves 1928

The life of a pair of rubber gloves can be greatly prolonged by proper care. Wash and rinse thoroughly after each using, dry by patting with a soft towel while on the hands, and dust with talcum powder to remove the last traces of moisture. Then turn wrong side out, and again dust with talcum to absorb all traces of moisture due to contact with the hands. Any tears or cuts should be mended immediately with patches of adhesive tape applied to the under-side. Read more......

How to Darken Grey Hair 1928

Mrs M.D. Gillespie, a well known beauty specialist, recently gave out the following statement regarding grey hair:- Anyone can prepare a simple mixture at home that will darken grey hair, and make it soft and glossy. To a half pint of water add 1 oz of Bay Rum, a small box of Orlex Compound and ΒΌ oz glycerine. These ingredients can be purchased at any chemist at very little cost. Read more......

Lemons for Beauty 1928

  • Equal parts of lemon juice and glycerine will soften and whiten rough hands.
  • Plain lemon juice cures warts, cleans the nails and removes stains.
  • The juice of half a lemon in the rinsing water but one, brightens the hair and checks dandruff.
  • A tablespoon of lemon juice strained into a pint of rosewater is a cheap sunburn lotion.
  • Unsweetened lemon juice drunk in hot water before breakfast often cures a bilious headache.
 Read more......

Washing Hairbrushes 1928

Hairbrushes should be washed frequently, and the correct way to do this, so that the backs of the brushes are not damaged, is to fill a basin with cold water and add a little baking soda or ammonia. Tip the basin sufficiently to allow the brush to be swished up and down in the water without wetting the back. Rinse in clear water, shake vigourously, and stand on its side on the sill of an open window to dry. Never wash in hot water or allow to lie on the back when drying. Read more......

Rose-Tinted 1953

If you wear spectacles with plastic frames you can rim the frames with nail varnish to match your colour schemes or make-up. Apply the nail varnish and leave overnight to dry. Wipe off the varnish with remover. Read more......

Polishing Brown Shoes 1953

I seldom use shoe polish for brown shoes. I take a banana skin and rub them with the side next to the fruit. This also removes spots or dark marks. I learned about the banana method in 1903. We got banana's at 9d a dozen then, and a fellow home from Jamaica gave us this tip. Read more......

Bright Tips 1978

Perfect Pudding

When making a rice pudding sweeten with demerara sugar as this gives a lovely caramel flavour. Perfect Boiled Eggs and Save Fuel:- Economy tip for boiling eggs. Boil water in pan, add eggs, when water is boiling put on a well fitting lid and leave (off the heat) for 6 minutes for a perfectly cooked egg. Read more......