Life is too short to waste precious time untangling a necklace or plucking individual strands of animal hair from your sofa.
Fortunately, Expert Home Tips has compiled some ingenious household hacks to make arduous everyday tasks that little bit easier – and less time consuming.
From a nifty way to clear up a sudden spill using a tampon, to using a coffee filter to get your spectacles sparkling, read on to discover tips and tricks that could revolutionise the way your household runs.
PICK UP PET HAIR
Use a pair of washing up gloves to collect pet hair around the house by gliding your hand over surfaces
Thought your trusty Marigolds were just for doing the washing up? Think again.
If your house is home to a fluffy dog that insists on making itself comfortable on the sofa, those gloves can help you get rid of the pesky hairs left behind.
Simply pop on a pair of rubber gloves and run your hands over the surface of the couch to easily gather the clumps of hair.
This can be used on other spots where the dog has taken up residence, too.
KEEP FLOWERS FRESH
Aspirin can be crushed up and added to water to give cut flowers a new lease of life
There are plenty of ways to extend the life of your fresh blooms – many using everyday kitchen items.
Fold a paper towel into a strip, wet with water, then wrap it around your flower stems. Seal the whole lot with clingfilm, and it will keep them hydrated until you have a chance to arrange them properly.
To give them a burst of life, put a crushed Aspirin tablet in the vase of water then place your flowers in it.
You’ll still need to remember to change the water, but your blooms will last longer.
WEATHERPROOF YOUR POST
Candles can be rubbed over postage labels to act as a waterproof barrier to avoid smudging
With the help of a candle you can weather-proof the address labels on your post to avoid the ink smudging.
Once you’ve written the address, rub the soft bottom end of an unlit candle across it.
It will leave a thin layer of wax that will prevent it from smudging and keep your writing legible – no matter what weather your parcel may encounter on its journey.
EMERGENCY SPILLS
Tampons can come in handy for lots of things, especially when it comes to accidental spillages
If you’ve had a spillage and all you have to hand is your bag, that spare tampon can come in handy.
Simply pull off the string to unravel the material and place it over the spill to absorb.
Tampons can also be used as a bandage or for nose-bleeds.
SPARKLING SPECTACLES
If you don’t have a cleaning cloth to hand, use a coffee filter, the soft material works as a perfect polisher
Fed up of constantly cleaning your glasses? The answer might be lying in the unlikeliest place.
It turns out coffee filters are perfect for cleaning spectacles – the texture lifts dust and dirt without damaging or scratching delicate lenses.
JEWELLERY DE-TANGLER
Use a straw to stop jewellery from getting tangled in the box. Feed the chain through the straw and fasten
There is nothing worse than pulling out your favourite necklace only for it to be in a huge, tangled mess.
To avoid this just simply feed chains through a straw to protect your necklaces and bracelets from getting all muddled up when you’re not wearing them.
PIN CUSHION
If you are in the middle of a needlework project and you need somewhere to store your pins, a cork can come in handy.
The spongy texture makes them the perfect holder for your pins and needles.
GATHER BITS FROM THE FLOOR
If there has been a spillage of small objects that are tricky to pick up -like beads or sequins, place a pair of old tights over the end of the hoover
For crafters or parents with young children, tights can come in handy for helping you pick up little bits off the floor.
If a pot of beads get knocked over during a making session, just slip the tights over the end of the hoover and it will collect the debris.
SAVE HERBS
If you have left over herbs from cooking and you don’t want them to go to waste, dig that ice cube tray out of the freezer.
Chop up your fresh herbs and put them inside the compartments and add water to fill the gaps.
The next time you need some parsley, coriander or thyme, simply defrost the relevant cube.
REJUVENATE OLD VELCRO
By scrubbing an old toothbrush over Velcro that has lost its stick removes dirt that may be clogging it up
Velcro can lose its stick after a while, due to getting clogged up with dirt or becoming flattened.
To keep your little one’s shoes tightly fastened, use a toothbrush. A quick but firm scrub with a toothbrush will breathe new life into the Velcro and have your straps sticking again in no time.