Today's Secret's - Buying second hand or antiques repair and tips to save you money

An obvious one first - If a piece of furniture has little holes in it, it could mean woodworm. If you buy it anyway you may need to get it treated (May is best for this to get the larvae) and quickly as woodworm can spread. It may also reduce the value of the item.

If you want to get an antique look to a piece of furniture mix furniture varnish with soot and rub it in.

Scratches and rings in tables can be removed by using half a walnut rubbed over the scratch or use petroleum jelly on it and leave for 24 hours before buffing in.

To remove ink stains by soaking a piece of cotton in water and placing it on the stain, leave overnight and it will draw it out.

Use crayons of the same colour to fill in scratches or cracks in wood.


Check if handles are original by looking inside the draws to see if there is any extra holes or how new the screws look. Clean Brass handles with lemon juice.

Fabric cleaner with water will clean a gilded plate if left to soak.

Pottery cracks can be filled by heating it slowly to 110 c this opens the crack so you can put in some glue and then let it dry and the crack will seal up.
For hairline cracks boil it in a pan of milk for half an hour and the crack should disappear.

Sniff silver as it has a stronger smell than plate. Learn the difference and you can never be fooled.
To read a hall mark better, breath on it as it will make it stand out or burn a bit of paper and let the soot settle on the hall mark, use tape over it to remove the soot and then place the tape on white paper to see the mark.
To polish silver use your fingers.

Brown sauce can clean brass if you leave it over night.

Brown marks on books can be removed with breadcrumbs.

Almond oil can work a treat on tortoise shell and Ivory.

Remove scratches from your watch face with metal polish.

Denture cleaning tablets popped into a long necked vase will clean it up.

To clean an oil painting just spit on cotton and rub gently, surface dirt can be removed with a piece of bread. Check a small area first as with all these tips.

Real silk will stick to a brick wall. Try it.
Think a designer label may be fake? Check the stitching is even and the lining is of good quality as both will be perfect in an original.

If you attend a car boot sale then get there early as bargains go first.
Never pass up a charity shop some can surprise you.
Try places/sales in early spring as that's when people have a good clear out.
Haggle - it is part of the fun and the only way to get a bargain, if you don't ask you won't get.

Have fun and good luck.

Today's Secret's - 2/03/14 - Clothes cleaning and hints to make them last longer

Ok by special request - Clothing. Washing and mending, hints and tips on making clothes last longer.

If you go out to buy trousers but have no time to try them on then wrap the waist of the trousers (still done up) around your neck, if the ends touch then they will fit your waist. To check socks wrap them around your clenched fist, if the heel meets the toe then they will fit.

I hate static on my clothes and have always used hairspray to stop skirts sticking to my legs or tops to my tummy but you can also use metal, a safety pin put inside a top or skirt that you know gets static filled will eliminate it. Other metal works too.

Put woolies in a pillow case when washing to protect them and keep them in shape, using glycerine in the wash can stop them being itchy and spray them lightly with hairspray to stop them shedding.

Bicarbonate of soda can boost your washing detergent liquid, soften your water and save you using fabric conditioner.
Use slightly less detergent than recommended to stop clothes retaining detergent after a wash and keep them looking newer longer.

Get out blood stains by getting the person who's blood it is to suck on the stain (Yuck!). Their saliva will help remove it.
Use methylated spirits to remove grass stains, for coffee use egg yolk and glycerine and sweat stains can be removed with a soak of vinegar before washing.

Dirty collar's on white shirt's? Oily hair shampoo can help remove the dirt ring. A couple of crushed aspirin in the wash can also help.
For really grubby work clothes (Not white ones) pour a can of coke over them, soak and then wash them.
White socks gone grey? use lemon juice on them, soak them for five minute and then boil them to make them white again.

Turn white t-shirts inside out when washing and dry in the shade to stop them yellowing.

If you use a line to dry your clothes then remember to wash your pegs now and then as they can leave dirty marks on your clothes.

If you iron a piece of clothing and it looks shiny. Dampen a cloth and place it over the shine them steam iron for a short while. Remove the cloth and check the item if it still looks shiny then repeat until it looks better. Still shiny? Dry a little black coffee brushed over them and repeat the above.
To put in a good lasting crease for work trousers put a tiny bit of paper glue on the inside of the trouser leg along the crease and then iron.

If clothes keep falling off their hangers use a rubber band on each end of the hanger to keep them in place.

Worried about damp in your cupboards? Add a few sticks of chalk to soak it up. Moths don't like bay leaves or cedar chips so put a few of those in as well.

Buttons keep falling off? Use a little nail varnish on the thread to strengthen it.
Mend a hem in an emergency with a stapler.
Sometimes jeans get a white line down them, if your in a hurry use a blue felt pen to fill it in. If you have a little longer then use some blue dye mixed with water and brush it on to the white areas carefully.

Treat wigs with fabric conditioner to keep them looking great.

Trying to save money? Don't be afraid to look in charity shops and boot sale's for clothes. Sometimes you can get a real bargain. I hate to buy children's clothes and shoes brand new as they grow so quickly, nearly new sales and other places sell off items that are still in great condition and at a fraction of the cost. Wash all items thoroughly when you get home as although they may be clean you may find you or your children's skin won't get on with what ever washing powder the previous owner used.