Money saving and useful tips, contact lenses, health and cosmetics

YET MORE GOOD IDEAS
AND MONEY SAVING TIPS

CONTACT LENSES

If your contact lenses fall on the floor, darken the room and slowly and methodically shine a torch or small lamp back and forth across the floor area. The light should make the lens glint, even in a deep pile rug.

If you don't want to scratch them while feeling for them, use a piece of bread and dab it on the floor. The lenses will stick to the bread and there will be no scratching.

Thank you "snugglepie"

Alternatively, cut a small piece of fabric from an old pair of stockings or tights and fix securely over the end of a vacuum cleaner pipe. DO ENSURE IT IS FIXED PROPERLY OTHERWISE YOUR LENS WILL END UP INSIDE THE CLEANER. Methodically "vacuum" the area in question and the lens should by trapped by the fabric on the end of the pipe.

This was also sent in by Elaine Brown

TOOTHPASTE

To save wasting toothpaste, place a clothes peg on the bottom of the tube and wind the tube over it.

SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER

Add water to shampoo and conditioner to make it go further - this won't reduce their effectiveness.

Simple solution to prevent shampoo bottles slipping in less able hands is to slip a stretchy athletic wrist-band over the bottle and VOILA! No more slipping.

Contributed by Kathy Green

When using powder paints if you put a very thin coating of petroleum jelly on exposed areas of skin the paint will be a lot easier to remove when you are finished.

Thanks to Loretta M. Byrd

In order to prevent wastage, cut plastic tubes (toothpaste, ointments etc.) open before disposal. They can be reclosed by using a paper clip.

Thank you Neville Crocombe.

To prevent pedestal mats which lay on carpet from making for the door, buy half a metre of adhesive backed Velcro, about 1 1/2 inches wide. Cut in half, detach one half of the Velcro and fasten it to its other half. Stick the adhesive side of the Velcro to the underside of the mat down the left and right hand sides. Remove the backing from the Velcro and carefully place the mat in position on the carpet and press down.

No more bending down to put it back!

Thanks to Stan Saunders for this tip.

Everyone is familiar with those soft round blocks used in your cistern, and how annoying they can be when the seem to end up a soft lump. We have found those nets one gets in washing soap tablets a handy hint. Simply place one hanging in your cistern and use them for the 'blue blocks'. If hung from the top fittings they can easily be used to shuffle the block should it dissolve into a lump, no more reaching to the bottom of the cistern. They also make it easy to replace the blocks.

It works for us and may be handy for those browsing your website.

Jane Brittain

To prevent a mirror from fogging, take a little shaving cream and spread onto the mirror. Wipe well and ... no fog.

Do not throw out the tiny sliver of soap, they can be reused by:-

Placing them in a pump style liquid soap container. Add a little water and just a drop of glycerine. Now you have a liquid hand soap.
Place them in an old stocking, hang it from the shower head. Now you can use this to scrub your back.
Push them into a yoghurt pot and press down hard then leave to dry, this will make them into a large block of soap.

Thanks to Rebecca May

Melt in an old saucepan and reshape into bars.

Margaret Reeve sent in this contribution

Before you go out gardening lightly scrape your fingernails over the soap end. This will prevent dirt from getting under your nails and what little does, it is easily washed away when you wash your hands.

Courtesy of Nancy Stead - thanks.

When using expensive creams or ointments from tubes, especially at the start, don't squeeze the tube. Just hold it in your hand and the warmth will cause the cream to expand out of the tube. This saves waste and will make the cream last a lot longer.

Courtesy of Mr. Geoff Chippendale

A solution of baking Soda (bi-carbonate of soda) can be used to soften ear wax: just use it as you would a commercial pharmaceutical ear wax softener, but at much lower cost.

My GP suggested it, and I have been using it successfully for several years. However, not all GPs approve of it!

John Mihaljevic

WARNING - be very careful when putting anything into ears. Check with your own GP for advice first.

Thanks to Mr. Robert Hartle for this next tip:-

If your hands are dirty, squeeze some washing up liquid into the palm of one hand, add a teaspoon of sugar and then rub your hands together. When the sugar has dissolved, rinse well and your soft white and delicate hands will be restored.

One for the men!
The best wet razor to use is the double spring bladed variety. Warm skin beforehand in a shower or bath or with warm towels or face cloths to make the bristles stand proud of the skin. Always shave in the direction of the bristles.

To remove unpleasant odours, strike a match and allow to burn for a few seconds.

Contributed by Brenda Young

Spray perfume onto your hair to avoid skin rashes.

For a good skin avoid tea, coffee, spicy foods, alcohol and tight clothes - that's Saturday night out of the window then!!!!

Apply hand cream before putting on rubber gloves to do the washing up. The heat from the water will help the cream soak into your hands and leave them nice and soft.

To strengthen fingernails, dip them into a salt solution (2 teaspoons of salt to a glass of water) for 2/3 minutes.

To relieve eczema, put some dry oats into a disposable dishcloth (like J-Cloths) and make into a parcel. Hang under the hot tap whilst filling a bath - the water will now be very soothing.

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