150 MAY 2017
ASK THE AUSTRALIAN
WOMEN’S WEEKLY
Q
Do baking soda and
baking powder last
indefinitely? How can
I tell if mine are still okay to use?
A. Russell
No, they don’t, although baking
soda lasts much longer than
baking powder. Add lemon juice
or vinegar to a little of your
baking soda: if it fizzes strongly, it’s
good. Add boiling water to baking
powder: if it doesn’t bubble up
immediately, get a new packet.
A great yarn
If you find it difficult to join
without twisting when casting on
with circular needles, cast on and
knit the first few rows on straight
needles, then transfer to circulars.
Use the yarn tail to sew up the tiny
seam at the start.
Eggs-cellent solution
Need to poach eggs for a crowd? Do it in the oven:
preheat oven to 180°C, add 1 tablespoon water to
each cup of a muffin tin, crack an egg into each
cup and bake for 11–13 minutes, when the whites
should be set and the yolks runny.
Oh sew easy
Hang a cork bulletin board on the wall behind
your sewing machine – it’s the ideal place to pin
small cut-out pieces and semi-constructed quilt
blocks, plus instructions and pattern envelopes.
Bathtime bliss
Prevent mould from forming inside kids’ bath toys
by plugging the hole with hot glue.
Reader’s tip A quick, effortless and efficient way to clean grubby,
non-wooden venetian blinds is to hang them on the clothesline, scrub with a bucket
of soapy water and soft-bristle brush, then rinse them off with the hose. Leave on
the line to dry. R. Dunn.Home hints
To keep cut
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RWKHUGD\Don’t squeak of it
Fix perennial squeaks in wooden
floorboards by dusting baby
powder liberally over the floor,
brushing it into the cracks, then
sweeping up the excess.Soap star
If your kids dispense too much
liquid soap from a pump
dispenser, wrap a rubber band
around the shaft below the
nozzle, to limit how far it can
be depressed with each push.Cord sorter
Magnetic herb containers
with transparent lids (from
homewares stores) are the
perfect size to store charger
cords, ear buds and so on,
to keep them handy.The caddy’s cactus
Line a hanging metal shower caddy with felt,
weed cloth or coconut fibre and use it to grow
a small vertical display of succulents.Use your noodle
To prevent line marks when drying a jumper, cut
and slit a pool noodle and slip it over the bar of
your drying rack, drape the jumper over noodle.SHARE YOUR DOMESTIC SECRETS
Send your handy hints or questions to: Home
hints, The Australian Women’s Weekly, PO Box
92512, Wellesley Street, Auckland 1141, or email
[email protected] with “Home hints”
in the subject line. While every effort is made to
ensure the efficacy of each hint, we cannot take
responsibility for individual results.Georgina Bitcon gives clever tips on keeping flower arrangements fresh, getting
squeaks out of floorboards, drying woollens and more.
[ D-I-Y tips ]
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ISTOCK.