Bright Tips 1963

Remove Marks – If coat collars or felt hats become marked with grease, rub them with eucalyptus oil. M Murray, Lockerbie.

Soft Rubber – When filling a hot water bottle for the first time, add a teaspoonful of glycerine to the water. The rubber will then remain soft. Mrs Milne, Aberdour.

Dripping Tap – A piece of string tied around a dripping tap will allow the water to run down it quietly into the sink. Mrs Coyle, Mauchline.

Clean “Specs” – Use eau de cologne to clean spectacles. It quickly removes spots and grease from the lenses and keeps them from steaming up. Mrs Robertson, Lerwick.

Fresh Vegetables – To freshen stale or frost-bitten vegetables, soak for two or three hours in very cold water to which a teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda is added. Miss Jack, Banffshire.

Pudding Tip – When making a pudding with a sponge batter over fruit, place a thin slice of bread between fruit and sponge. The bread cannot be detected and the batter isn’t soggy. Mrs Hutchison, Glasgow.

Headache Cure – To relieve headaches, add a clove to the teapot when making tea. Mrs Turnoch, Edinburgh.

Jelly Tip – A hot cloth wrapped around an aluminium mould makes the removal of a jelly or blancmange simpler. Mrs Ireland, Lockerbie.

Quick Pastry – For quickly made pastry, butter a few slices of thinly cut bread and dip them in milk. Put over a dish of fruit, butter side up, and sprinkle thickly with sugar. Bake in a moderate oven until top is crisp and brown. Mrs Stephen, Cults.

Lentil Soup – Add a teaspoonful of vinegar to lentil soup when it is boiling. It improves the flavour. Mrs Finch, Lockerbie.

Thermos Stains – To remove stains from thermos flask caps, shake in a little dental powder, fill with warm water and leave for a time. Rinse in cold water. Mrs Power, Morayshire.

Match Saver – Cut waxed bread wrappers or cereal packets into one-inch strips. Wind strips at an angle round a steel knitting needle, beginning at the knob end, and twist at the point to stop unwinding. Heat gently at the fire and slide the paper off quickly to make easy to light tapers. Mrs Gray, Oldmeldrum.

Try Vinegar – A little vinegar to stewing prunes greatly improves the flavour and lessens the quantity of sugar required when cooking them. N.N., Fife.

No Sticking – To prevent egg sticking to the pan, add a teaspoonful of flour to hot fat before frying. Mrs Thompson, Shetland.

Dusting Mitts - Use old bath towels to make mitts for dusting venetian blinds. Mrs V. Smith, Inverbervie.

Leather Gloves – When washing leather gloves, use a hair shampoo containing lanolin to restore natural oil. Mrs Stephen, Aberdeen.

Fresh Suitcase – To remove the musty smell for old suitcases, place inside a piece of cotton wool soaked in lavender perfume, and leave shut for a few hours. Mrs Penman, Dunfermline.

Gooseberry Jam – When making gooseberry jam, put the fruit through the mincer. The jam sets firmer and there are no coarse skins. Miss Brockie, Eyemouth.

Warm It – When emery paper becomes limp, place it in a warm oven for a few minutes. It will become stiff and easy to handle again. Miss A. Mitchell, Campbelltown.

No Peg Marks – To prevent peg marks while hanging out washed collar, sew buttons along an old collar, peg it to the line and button washed collars to it. Mrs J. Rice, Rutherglen.

Lettuce Tip – To separate the tight heart of a lettuce without tearing the leaves, make a deep cross-wise cut in the stalk. Pull it gently open and hold under fast-running water. Mrs Borland, Glasgow.

Easy Ironing – Rub a hot iron over occasionally with a soft rag sprinkled with talcum powder and it glides on even the silkiest material. Mrs Law, Edinburgh.