Some clever ideas

"In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different"

Coco  Chanel

On my journey to reduce consumption I have been testing out a few remedies I found for making things last longer and life easier. Here are a few that work...

For Scratched CDs
Rub along the scratch gently with a bit of non abrasive toothpaste, even childrens' toothpaste. Then rinse off with water and dry from centre to outer edge (not in a circle) with a very soft cloth. like an old t-shirt. One site suggested car polish, but toothpaste works well.

Improved Strawberry Fruiting
This tip came from a friend who grows strawberries commercially ... put your strawberry plants in the fridge for 2-3 weeks to help them fruit. This might not help in colder climates, but here in the subtropical North it's a good tip, as apparently strawberries need a frost to set the fruit, and we don't always get that here. Wish I knew this one before I planted my strawbs.

To Make Oven Cleaning Easier
I don't know why I wasn't doing this because it's so easy, and I've only just started. Maybe everyone else was already doing it. While your oven is still hot after cooking something place a pan of water in it and leave it overnight. Next day the oven just wipes clean really easily, although you may need to apply your white vinegar and baking soda to really hard to shift stuff.

Handwashing Dishes
Add a little baking soda with your washing up soap liquid if you have hard water and you will get a little foam. A little white vinegar helps in there too if you are doing a greasy load. This helps if you are using environmentally friendly detergents or Castile soap, which are low sudsing anyway.

Revive Wilted Vegetables
..from our local newspaper's frugal tips page...When vegetables become wilted (carrots, broccoli, lettuce, beets, celery etc) trim the stem end slightly and soak the limp vegetables in warm water for an hour or more. You will find the vegetables become firm and fresh and ready for use.