There have been lots of tips for a reader who asked for help to clean the underside of an iron that had grown a black sticky residue on its soleplate (which, by the way, is likely to be residue from a build-up of melted synthetic fabrics). Emma from Auckland says, "Nowadays I use a detachable Teflon sole plate, not cheap but they last a long time and nothing will stick to them! Before that, I used to do the old salt trick. Spread a layer of table salt on a sheet of newspaper. Move warm iron back and forth until clean. Discard salt and repeat with clean salt if necessary. Wipe iron on clean, damp cloth, tapping on ironing board to dislodge any salt in the steam holes. Finish by rubbing a candle stub over the plate and iron over clean newspaper until all traces of dirt and grease are gone. Never use abrasives (like sandpaper) to clean!
Mary G from Auckland has this rather cheeky tip. Each week Mary helps herself to a few extra free sachets of salt and pepper while frequenting fast food outlets. She says it soon adds up. (So too does the cost of going to the fast food outlets, Mary.)
Jan from Whangarei is eggscited about this eggscellent tip. "When you have a few extra eggs freeze them. Just beat a couple together and put in small jar or container and into the freezer. Use for baking or scrambled eggs and particularly useful for Christmas or birthday cakes."
Caroline from Wanganui has this tip to use what most consider a problem in the garden. "Often our favourite chives die down in the winter and we miss that yummy flavour in our meals. So why not use onion weed instead? It's a similar but different flavour, yummy yet mild - and prolific in winter. Most people have it in the backyard and treat it as a nuisance weed. Enjoy it in your meals instead. Anywhere you'd use chives, you can use onion weed, finely chopped.
Here's a few suggestions for a quick winter meal: in scrambled egg or omelette, with grilled cheese on toast or in a cheese and onion sandwich, in egg sandwiches, in mashed potatoes, on hot toast with avocado and lots of black pepper, in scones.
MT from Dunedin has this idea to make starting fires easier. "Blue gum trees shed bark as they grow. Collect, cut into suitable lengths with loppers while moist, allow to dry, and use a few pieces on top of paper. Just as good, if not better, than pine cones."
We have received great feedback from the column about frugality and home ownership. Many have said "well said", which was nice, and a few remain of the view that home ownership is an impossible dream. It is impossible if one does not save and, for most, saving means giving up the things we can do without: like smoking, drinking, gambling, flash cars and so on. It's no coincidence that smokers and drinkers are usually the people who have the least money. Save and invest $50 a week and within 14 years a person will have $50,000 for a house deposit. A couple could do it in eight years. If people don't want to give up something then, yes, they will forever have to rely on others to provide their housing.
Do you have a favourite winter tip you would like to share? Send it to us at www.oilyrag.co.nz or write to Living Off the Smell of an Oily Rag, PO Box 984, Whangarei.
