Lots more Sneaky Ways to save the pennies

VfM4meplse

Crafty_Lisa_Hampshire wrote: »

I was doing this the other day and I wondered whether this was a tip that anyone else would be interested in. I descale my kettle using white vinegar but instead of just using it the once and pouring it away, I pour it into a jug to descale my shower head and then after that I poor it into a bottle to then use in the washing machine as fabric conditioner. It seems to work okay and saves a few pennies on having to keep replacing the white vinegar.

Me too - but I store it where the cleaning stuff is under the sink, with a note taped to it saying "Not for consumption!!!". You would never know it has been used from appearances, but it has - and often.

gt568

How do you descale with white vinegar please? My water is mega hard.

quoia

gt568 wrote: »

How do you descale with white vinegar please? My water is mega hard.

Pour it in - switch it on

quoia

VfM4meplse wrote: »

This makes the case more interesting. My cup is 400-450ml - does that make a difference? And I make up a HWB quite often.

Is that the amount of water you put in it, or the actual capacity of the mug?

I generally use a mug (that I consider to be "oversize" to the "norm") that will just hold 450 ml IF I fill to the very brim.

250ml of water plus milk + coffee + sugar comes up to within an inch of the top which I think is just right.

Most of our other mugs (375 ml or 400 ml brimmed) I think are TOO FULL by the time the milk etc. has been added - definitely have to very careful when carrying them - and especially delicate when stirring the contents if it's only 375.

Perhaps I like a little bit more milk than most :eek::rotfl:

As for a HWB - still use a kettle.

And if you want one - saw they were £30 in B&M yesterday

quoia

VfM4meplse wrote: »

I've never taken to either, Coffeemate tastes sweet and oily, and milk powder different so its gotta be fresh moo juice for me - which is a bit weird considering where it comes from!

Keep some standby milk "on ice"
Fill an ice cube tray with milk and stick it in the freezer.
Will keep for many weeks (even though whilst frozen it goes a "weird" colour)
Every so often just use it up and replace it to keep it "fresh"

VfM4meplse

quoia wrote: »

And if you want one - saw they were £30 in B&M yesterday

Thanks :beer:

For that price, I'll have a wander in that direction at the weekend and give it a thorough once over.

And in response to the rest of your post, I think its probably 300ml of water to 125ml milk (latte) / 390ml / 40ml (tea). Yes, I like my hot drinks big and mugs full to the brim. Am often accused by others of over-filling their mugs - but what can I say? I must just have a steady hand

quoia

happydays89 wrote: »

We have fitted a lock on our tumble dryer,we are fed up of high electric bills.Our sons have a habit of putting things in the dryer and turning the dial on full then disappearing for hours,something that might need minutes to dry is left tumbling for hours.:eek:
They have been told to wash their clothes and put them on the radiators in the evening,we have the key to the dryer so we have total control over it use.:j

Made me smile too

A newspaper tip I saw the other day suggested you should, IF possible, remove 3 items (the larger the better) from the load you are about to tumble dry, find an alternative drying method and just do the rest for the minimum time.
Estimated cost saving of around 50%

IF you must tumble dry - there is a cheaper alternative.
It's a little less flexible as to where you can site the drier but not an issue for me, had it in 2 locations in my kitchen.
NOT electric but GAS

Works brilliantly and running costs are a :j fraction :j of electricity

VfM4meplse

quoia wrote: »

NOT electric but GAS

Works brilliantly and running costs are a :j fraction :j of electricity

I had no idea that such things existed, but I now want one when I have my kitchen overhauled. Show us what you've got, please?

quoia

VfM4meplse wrote: »

I had no idea that such things existed, but I now want one when I have my kitchen overhauled. Show us what you've got, please?

Well I've got 2 actually, a spare stored in the garage in case the active one fails - but it never has (other than a very simple fault that I fixed myself for just a couple of quid - an easier job than swapping them over).

They are both White Knight, almost identical, both bought secondhand about 20 years ago.

The "spare" was the first one I got for £40 I think and used it for maybe 2 or 3 years, then I came across the 2nd one by accident on eBay.
At the time they were relatively rare to find secondhand and it wasn't too far away and at a good price.
It differed from the first being "HIGH SPEED" - 2 heat settings whereas the other had only one. It also reverses the drum direction periodically - something I don't think that the other one did.
Anyway picked it up for £60 and been using the newer one ever since.

Both have flexible "rubber" hoses with bayonet push and twist connector so can be "moved" if required

Katiehound

I've been descaling kettle with white vinegar for a while but I think that citric acid is even better as you can make the solution as strong as you like! Once the kettle is sparkling the solution goes down the loo.

(IF you want to laugh I tried the "clean the loo with cheap cola' last night.:eek: ermm loo is now very brown, as the cola colour has attached to the limescale . I won't try that trick again!!) The citric acid is there now......( and may be over night)