THANKS TO TRAC FOR THOSE HOUSEHOLD TIPS.

A favourite of mine, I love visiting Trac over at WELCOME TO OUR WORLD who just recently has been giving out tips on the alternative uses of various cleaning products/household goods - SALT and VINEGAR has uses other than putting it on your fish and chips? Who would have thought it!

Anyway one of her latest posts took a look at an astringent for oily skin - it seems that the following is an effective 'remedy':

Combine 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons vodka, 1 tablespoon distilled water and 1 teaspoon witch hazel. Apply with a clean cloth or cotton balls to skin, then rinse. Do NOT use this on broken skin as it will sting! This will keep in the refrigerator for a week. - Trac.

Which made me think of a household tip of my own ........

Husband dearest likes a tipple of whisky every now and then and the sister-in-law is a jeweller. "So, the connection being?" I hear you ask. Well ...... Many moons ago said sister-in-law informed me that whisky was a good cleaner for my diamond engagement ring.

Wonderful! I poured a tipple into a glass, put my ring into it and left a note informing Hd that I had done so. Safety first, I didn't want him drinking the whisky and swallowing my ring.

Anyway the next morning there was such a scene.

"What was that your ring was in?" demanded enquired Hd.

"Some of your whisky," I replied, "S says it's good for diamonds."

"Which whisky exactly?" spoken as if he was talking to a particularly unintelligent 2 year old.

"I don't know, it was just the first one that came to hand."

"(Exasperated) The first one that came to hand! Do you have any idea just how much that whisky cost?"

(Shakes head) "No." (By now I'm almost wishing he had swallowed said ring.)

"No, I didn't think so. It was only ?????"

(Gulps) "Oh dear" - or words like that.

The moral of this story being inexpensive whisky works just as well when used for this purpose - save the good stuff for it's intended purpose.