What tip have you heard about and been incredulous when it actually works?

[hiredandsqueak]

I saw on Twitter that filling a ziplock bag with water and a few coins and hanging it in a doorway/placing it on the doorstep will keep flies out. It seemed such a bizarre suggestion that I thought I would try it and can confirm it works. I've also hung one near the bins and there hasn't been any flies around for a week.
Are there any other tips that I should know?

I read somewhere that the bag full of water with coins in it looks like a wasps nest and that deters the flies.

Don't use washing powder to get crud off aluminium pans!!!!!

It is great at cleaning stainless steel (along with cola) but totally messes up aluminium and turns it black. I found out the hard way.

@Meckity1

Don't use washing powder to get crud off aluminium pans!!!!!

It is great at cleaning stainless steel (along with cola) but totally messes up aluminium and turns it black. I found out the hard way.

Aren't aluminium pans banned now as they can cause Alzheimer's?

I'm not sure I get what the tip is, is it buy one more tin of paint than you know you need or do you mean you paint you whole house the same colour and have one extra tin

The poster means don’t chuck what’s left in the used tin at the end, keep it and use it for touch ups.

Alternatively you can buy a tester in the same colour, you just paint over the mark and it’s good as new again,

@StCharlotte I didn't know that! I went for stainless steel around 2005, spent a fortune, and have only just replaced them with some non-stick.

mix 1 part bleach and 1 part bicarbonate of soda
Never mix anything with bleach. You could knock yourself out!

My tip is to use toothpaste to clean silver jewellery.

Aren't aluminium pans banned now as they can cause Alzheimer's?
No, it was a theory based on plaques of aluminium being found in the brain, but was disproven.[[https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/risk-factors-and-prevention/metals-and-dementiainfo here]]

If dogs pee on your wall spray it with a mix of vinegar and biological washing liquid. It breaks down the urine smell which stops others gathering at your wall to leave their mark and the vinegar repels them.

I've never needed the more extreme version of this which involves some chilli powder as well...

Trying the coin trick later!

You can sometimes get dodgy switches and controls on electrical items to work properly by spraying WD40 into them - it cleans away dust and dirt that's lodged inside. You'd think spraying an oily liquid into electrical things would be a total no-no, but apparently it's a pretty standard fix.

Burying a cat in the foundations of a new house brings you luck

Would that be a live or a dead cat, OP?

grey12 when I worked on Customer Service telephones we were told in training to "smile when you dial". We used to then add "and grin when you sin".

If anyone has a way to get sunblock yellow stains out of white sheets and pillowcases, without using expensive stain removers, please share

Rub neat Domestos into the stains and then put the sheets into a hot wash. Don't worry if the treated area immediately turns blue or purple, as that will come out. Works a treat for pure cotton, but I'm not so sure about mixed fibres like polycotton.

Dry cornflour dabbed on any fatty spill soaks up the fat and removes the stain. Might work on WD40 too.

We use it on laundry (dip a finger in corn flour and dab both sides of the stain) but it also works on leather and painted surfaces. If the item is very dark in colour corn flour can leave a chalky mark so have a plan for how to remove the excess (a soft brush usually works). I brush off as much as I can before I put clothes in the washer, and add a drop of laundry liquid on the stain if it isn't completely removed the first time.

It helps to check what will remove the specific stain you're working with. The composition of the stain is important, protein and fat respond to different things.

For hiccups I drink water from the wrong side of the cup.
Get a cup of water, lean over it (do this over the sink!) tip the cup backwards to the normal way of drinking it so you're tipping it into your mouth upside down, works a treat.

@Harriedharriet @Happynow001 hot water, squirt of washing up liquid and a small cap of fabric conditioner. Wipe over windows and squeegee off for sparkly windows.

If dismantling furniture (that you no longer have the instructions for) for moving etc put a piece of masking tape on each piece and label it clearly - top, left panel, top shelf etc. Makes life so much easier to rebuild it.

Re scratched glass never tried it but i was told toothpaste can remove small ones say from spectacles

@puzzledpiece

Boiling water (what's left over in the kettle after you've used it) poured onto the weeds/grass etc, inbetween your paving slabs, kills off the weeds in a couple of days. Saw this in a gardening program and it really works. Chemical free too.

wow if this works you may have saved me an absolute fortune in weed killer

How to clean silver
Line a shallow glass, ceramic or plastic dish with crumpled up foil, sprinkle on bicarbonate of soda, put your silver in, pour on boiling water and watch the magic happen!
Leave for about 30 to 60 seconds as all the dirt fizzes out, then rinse with cold water and dry with a cloth.
I’m off to make some afternoon entertainment for myself!

Toothpaste removes scratches in the bath from toys.

Hair spray and baby wipes gets biro marks off clothes.

I use the 'boiling water on weeds' and find it works best when the ground is dry. Good for ants' nests too.

I was keen on trying the boiling water weeds tip until I thought about the little creatures like ants and worms suddenly getting scalded

Does anyone have any tips for cleaning the drawer, inside of the glass door and the rubber door seal of a washing machine? I've tried everything including bicarb and its still a bit manky and that festering rubber smell ways seems to be there. My DH is a stove fitter so it sees a lot of soot, grit and mastik.

Also...where does everyone buy their white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and bicarb from? I found small boxes of bicarb and spray bottles of white vinegar in Home Bargains, but never in any decent quantities. Amazon?

Clean jewellery by popping in a cup with some boiling water and a steradent tablet. Cheap as chips and they come looking like new, especially if you give a very quick brush over with a tooth brush. Sooooo shiny.

D I just run a dry two pence piece over the taps?