Before washing dirty curtains, soak them in plenty of plain water overnight before washing. A major part of the dirt will come off and an ordinary wash next morning is sufficient.

• To prevent moulding of papads during monsoons, slip in a piece of blotting paper under the papads in the container.
  
  
• To keep coriander and other leafy greens fresh longer, wrap them in a newspaper and place them in a perforated container in the fridge.
  
  
• After washing infant clothing, soak them in salt water for 15-20 minutes before drying. Baby odours will vanish.
  
  
• Oil stains may be removed by rubbing the area with a piece of lime dipped in salt. Later wash off with soap.
  
  
• Should you by accident put extra salt into any food, add one teaspoonful of brown sugar, and the salty taste will disappear.
  
  
• Use a steel knife instead of iron to cut brinjals, plantains, ladies-fingers and mangoes to avoid blackening.
  
  
• Used tea leaves and residue of coffee decoction can be put in plants instead of throwing out. They make excellent natural manure.
  
  
• Place two - three tablets of camphor in a hot iron vessel to keep the flies away.
  
  
• Dry used lime peels in the sun, grind it with channa-dal to form a bathing scrub. Store the powdered mixture, mix with curd and use daily.
  
  
• Place thin slices of potato over and around your eyes. Relax, lying down with them for 15 to 20 minutes. Wash face with cool water. This helps remove tiredness and puffiness of the eyes.
  
  
• To remove scotch tape from walls (of posters, etc) without damaging the paint - hold a warm iron over it for a few seconds.
  
  
• A tiny pinch of alum add to the milk for making cottage cheese (paneer) will make it whiter, softer.
  
  
• Rub used lime peels all over hands. Rub till hands feel dry. Wash after 10-15 minutes. Kitchen fatigue hands gain back their soft, clean, fresh feel.
  
  
• Put a used lime-peel or two in the pressure cooker when cooking. It will keep the cooker from becoming blackened.
  
  
• At parties, pour tomato sauce into pastry moulds or cake papers and place on guests' paper plates. It keeps the plates clean.
  
  
• If garlic bread is not available, crush a few cloves of garlic to a fine paste, cream it well into some butter. Spread this on slices of bread and toast it. Serve with piping hot soup.
  
  
• Use a clean eye-dropper in the kitchen to measure food colours and flavour essences.
  
  
• Insert a hairpin into grapes to deseed them without cutting.
  
  
• If the milk begins to boil over, quickly sprinkle a little cold water over it and the overflow will subside.
  
  
• Vary your everyday dal dish by changing the seasoning and tempering (Tadka) ingredients. Try boiling the dal with salt, turmeric and tomatoes, tempering it with curry leaves, mustard and onions fried in oil, and finishing with green chillies, sambar masala and 'kokum' pieces.