stylelounge:

Decorating

To make a room brighter, hang a mirror on a wall opposite a window to reflect the light
When painting skirting boards, hold a thin piece of board against the edge to avoid getting paint on the floor
Mask off light switches and plug sockets to keep them clean when painting
Old bathroom or kitchen tiles can be given a new lease of life by painting over with special tile paint
When using gloss paint, use a special gloss roller to avoid drips
To make radiators less visible, you can buy radiator coloured radiator paints to match your walls
When hanging pictures in groups use similar frames to synchronise the look
Use a small amount of brown shoe polish to age gold frames

Add a few drops of essential oil to a water spray and spray onto clothes before ironing as an alternative to expensive ironing waters.
Use srunched up balls of tin foil when you run out of scouring pads.
Brown sauce is great for cleaning up old brass.
To remove stubborn stains from your vases, simply pour in a small amount of white vinegar and a handful of rice, swish around for a bit then rinse well and you glass should be sparkling again.
For cleaning very delicate surfaces try using face or baby wipes, they are much gentler than more household detergents.
Use 2 drops of lemon juice when rinsing glassware to add sparkle and shine
Vinegar can be used to remove limescale
Use "Cif" cleaning liquid to clean marks off stone fireplaces
Use a spray window cleaner to polish glass table tops
Remember to dust lightbulbs as dirty ones can loose up to 30% light
Keep an old pillow case to use for machine washing delicate fabrics in
Rub scrunched up newspaper over window for a smeary free shine
To remove marks left on carpets by heavy furniture, place an ice cube over the dent, as the ice cube melts the moisture will soak into the fibres causing them to plump up again.

Freeze bags of par-boiled vegetables ready for roating in the oven at a later date.
If your microwave could do with freshening up, heat up a bowl of water containing some chopped up lemons for a minute.
Bicarbonate of soda can be used to soak burnt food from pans
For a quick but impressive dessert, layer squares of filo pastry, fill with a spoonful of ready made custard and a few raspberries, pull the corners into a parcel and bake until golden
Keep a vanilla pod in a jar of golden caster sugar for delicious vanilla sugar to use in recipes or sprinkled on deserts
Use a special re-fillable spray bottle filled with oil to lightly coat food before cooking
Freeze any leftover wine in ice cube trays to use in sauces
Slice and freeze lemons for a ready supply for your G&Ts

Store garden tools in a bucket of oiled sand over winter to prevent rust
When shovelling snow, drip melted candle wax over the shovel first to stop the snow sticking
Don't worry too much about clearing Autumn leaves from flowerbeds, the leaves will help protect your plants from Winter frosts
Collect seed heads from your favourite flowers to dry out and plant elsewhere in your garden or give to friends

Tidy away before you go to bed every night so you wake up to a clean and tidy room
Keep free toiletry samples from magazines to put in guest rooms as welcome packs
For fun place settings, wrap small presents in shiny paper and attach name tags

If you have any tips you'd like to share, please email them to us.