Money Saving Expert Views

1. Keep wet boots in shape Roll up a couple of old magazines and use them as boot trees inside a pair of damp knee-length boots. The magazines will help the boots maintain their shape as they dry.

2. Make low-cost freezer storage Reuse clean, sturdy margarine and other plastic containers to freeze measured portions of soups and stocks and to break up leftovers into single servings. A 1kg container, for example, stores the perfect amount of sauce for 500g of pasta. Hint: before freezing, let the food cool just enough to reduce condensation.

3. Separate toes when applying polish Get the comfort of a salon treatment when giving yourself a home pedicure. Just place marshmallows between your toes to separate them before you apply the nail polish. Make sure your feet are completely dry though or they may get sticky!

4. Condition your hair Massage mayonnaise into your hair and scalp just as you would an ordinary hair conditioner. Cover your head with a shower cap, wait several minutes and shampoo. The mayonnaise will moisturize your hair and give it a lustrous sheen.

5. Boost the flavor of corn on the cob This is a simple way to make corn on the cob taste sweeter and fresher. Add 50g powdered milk to a pan of boiling water before you put in the corn.

 6. Remove ink stains from clothes To remove ink stains from colored clothes, an overnight milk bath will often do the trick. Just soak the affected garment in milk overnight and launder as usual the next day.

Repel mice from garage or shed Don’t let mice spend their winter holidays with you. Place a few mothballs around the garage and the mice will seek alternative accommodation. To keep mice out of a potting shed, put the mothballs around the base of wrapped or covered plants.

 8. Clean a computer monitor screen If you’ve run out of glass cleaner, a strong, alcohol-based mouthwash will work as well as, or better than, glass cleaner on a computer monitor or TV screen. Apply with a damp, soft cloth and buff dry. Remember to use only on glass screens, not liquid crystal displays as the alcohol can damage the material used in LCDs.

9. Make a facial mask Pat your face with mild yellow mustard for a bracing facial that will soothe and stimulate your skin. Try it on a small test area first to make sure it will not be irritating.

10. Protect outdoor taps for winter To prevent damage from ice and cold temperatures, make sure you shut off the valve to each tap and drain off any excess water. Then insulate each tap by wrapping it with a few sheets of newspaper covered with a plastic bag (keep the bag in place by wrapping it with gaffer tape or a few rubber bands).

11. Stop a run in your tights It can be a helpless feeling, realizing that a small run in your tights is about to turn into a big embarrassment. Luckily you can stop runs permanently and prolong the life of fragile stockings with a dab of clear nail varnish. Simply apply polish to each end of a run (no need to remove the tights) and let it dry. This invisible fix stops runs and lasts through many hand washes.

12. Stop a windscreen crack from spreading If a small crack has developed in the windscreen, working in the shade, brush the crack on both sides of the glass with nail varnish to fill it well. Move the car into the sun so the windscreen can dry. You will eventually need to replace it, but this repair will give you time to shop around for the best estimate.

13. Remove paint from hair If you’ve got almost as much paint in your hair as on the walls when decorating, you can easily remove it by moistening a cotton wool ball with some olive oil and gently rubbing it into your hair. The same approach is also effective for removing mascara; just be sure to wipe your eyes with a tissue when you have finished.

14. Clean grimy tile grout lines Make a full-scale attack on grubby grout. First, make sure you have plenty of ventilation – it’s a good idea to use an exhaust fan to suck air out of a small bathroom. Put on rubber gloves and spray oven cleaner into the grout lines. Wipe the cleaner off with a sponge within five seconds. Rinse thoroughly with water to reveal sparkling white grout lines.

15. Use a paper bag to ripen fruit Many fruits, including avocados, bananas, pears, peaches and tomatoes, will ripen more quickly when placed in a paper bag. To hasten the ripening process of any fruit, place an already ripe apple or a banana skin in the same bag and store it at room temperature. To ripen green bananas, wrap them in a damp tea towel before placing them in the bag. Once the fruit has started to ripen, you can halt the process by putting them in the fridge.

16. Keep bread fresh If your kitchen tends to be hot and steamy, your bread will stay fresher when stored inside a paper bag rather than a plastic one. The paper’s ability to ‘breathe’ will keep the crust crisp while allowing the center of the loaf to stay soft and moist.

17. Strain grease from broth Use a paper towel to absorb the fat from a homemade broth or stock. Place another pot in the sink. Put a colander (or a sieve) in the new pot and put a paper towel in the colander. Pour the hot broth through the towel into the waiting pot. You’ll find that the fat stays in the towel, while the broth streams through. Wear cooking mitts or use potholders to avoid burning your hands with the boiling-hot liquid.

18. Eliminate fishy smells If you are trying to eat more fish for health reasons, but hate the smell that stays in the house after you have cooked it, try this trick. Put a good-sized dollop of peanut butter in the pan when frying fish. The peanut butter will absorb the odor instead of your carpet, curtains and furniture.

19. No more shampoo tears Don’t buy special no-tears shampoo for your child. Petroleum jelly is a far cheaper solution. Rub a fair amount into your baby’s eyebrows. It acts as a protective shield and will stop shampoo and suds running down into his eyes.

20. Keep squirrels away from bird feeder Feed the birds, but not the squirrels. Keep them off the pole of a bird feeder by greasing it with petroleum jelly. The squirrels will slide straight off, leaving the birds to eat in peace.