What other commonly known stuff should I know, but don’t?

[Lolabear38]

I found out maybe 6 months ago that you should clean out the filter in your tumble dryer on a regular basis, as it gets full of fluff and lint and is a fire hazard. I had no idea. I’m an educated woman, generally reasonably intelligent and practical, I just had no idea you were supposed to do this. I don’t know how. My friend mentioned it in relation to something and I immediately told my husband who looked at me like some kind of moron - turns out he’s been doing it for years!

I’ve been thinking about it recently and I’m starting to wonder what other commonly known stuff you’re supposed to be doing in day to day life that I’m just not. Any ideas? Can be household related or just general life stuff really. I’m starting to wonder what I might be missing out on/ putting us in danger of.

Now that’s useful!

Prunes are dried plums…..but not all varieties of plums can be dried into prunes.

I have had a corned beef tin key on my keyring for years. I also have a coin token. The advantage of the Cbtk is that it slides into the horizontal lock and then easily comes out again. It can then be safely put back on the keyring for next time. Plus i can then hand the trolley to the next person who is invariably grateful for not having to faff about with coins. I
I dont usually have a pound coin as i often just pop to the shop with only my phone and keyring in my pocket. And i have lost countless coin tokens over tge years but my Cbtk remains. 😁

You use corn flour to thicken the sauces

(peaked teaspoon in half glass of water)

Ps. We don’t know what you don’t know 😁

But use arrowroot flour instead of cornflour if you need a glossy sauce.

I don't eat corned beef but because of this thread was thinking of buying one for the key

then realised my local supermarket has trolleys where you have to insert the £ in a slidy compartment to the left that you push in. not inserted from the front

does it work for that type? I guess not.

Like this top picture here https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/1702426/tesco-trolley-shopping-hack-without-1-pound-coin-ifl

which also has a tip about 2 x 20p coins stacked working but never tried it.

does a corn beef tin key work for this sort of trolley?

The Czech Republic is also known as Czechia. Actually, I think this is the preferred name now.

Bumblebees nest in the ground.

@HunkaMunkasslipper whaaaaaat??????

Quite a few bees are ground nesters - mining bees, too.

@BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn yes!
@Yogachick I am always amazed that people don't know this but I think it comes from childhood cartoons/books depicting bumblebees flying up to nests (hives) in trees?
Yes Winnie the Pooh, I'm looking at you.
Be careful not to disturb them while gardening!

Surely the bees in WtP were hunny bees?

I had a brilliant book as a small child about a queen bumble bee who made a nest in an old mouse hole, I remember it vividly.

I accidentally sat on some miner bees nests (holes? Mines?) recently. They were very polite about it. Just buzzed in a sort of 'I think you might be in my train seat' sort of way until I moved.

@GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut 😂bless them. Yes they would have been honey bees in the context of the cartoon but they appeared like bumbles I think? Fat/round?
I can see why it confuses some people. Not just WTP of course.

See attached photo of my daughter's dishwasher filter. She now uses a dishwasher cleaner every couple of months on a nice hot cycle.

I don't know whether to thank you or curse you. That bit isn't removable in my dishwasher but I did a little feel around . . .

shuddering horror

I've done my best with kitchen towel and spray cleaner, but wonder should I be looking for an exorcist.

I have no trouble changing 3x king sized duvet covers by myself the old fashioned way

Not sure that was mentioned but washing machines have filters that need periodical cleaning out too - occasionally coins sit there!

If your ground nesting bees sting you rub toothpaste on the area. Might work better if it's the type for sensitive teeth.

I'm not sure if this is of use to anyone on a regular basis, but if you get kidnapped and flung into the boot of a car (which is hard to get out of) you can kick out the back lights, assuming your feet are free. This may alert someone to your predicament. I'm surprised the film industry don't use this more often. 😄

@Roxy69 Hopefully never in that situation, but I appreciate this advice.

i hope QI are reading this to get ideas for their future programmes!

Boil a kettle and pour around the filter, it's mostly fat which the water melts.

@Roxy I've seen this in films, in one there were a couple of pots of paint that the kidnapped person poured out of the light leaving a trail for the police.

Thanks sashh, I'll do that.

I saw that kick out the lights thing on Hawaii 5-O - I hope I'm sufficiently obscure that I'll never have to use it.

Dean make sure you squirt loads of detergent in first before the boiling water. Otherwise the fat will just solidify when it cools in the waste pipes and block them. Detergent disperses the fat (lots of washing up liquid the boiling water)

*then boiling water...

Sounds good advice (particularly since I'm the one who has to clean out the outside grease trap). I will also persist with removing as much as possible with a bit of kitchen towel first. There's just that sense of shock from discovering a lurking horror I hadn't suspected - I try not to put too much grease down the sink, but think I need to be a bit more careful about the plates I put in the dishwasher.