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Annoying and unsightly: Your cutlery comes out of the dishwasher dull and rusty. Even the stainless steel knife seems to be rusting. The aluminum foil trick can help.

This is how the aluminum foil trick works

You can use the aluminum foil trick to prevent rust film. You take a piece of aluminum foil, crumple it into a ball and put it in the cutlery basket of the dishwasher. Then you do the dishes as usual. After washing, your cutlery will shine like new.

Why this works: The rust film settles on the aluminum foil, which oxidizes more easily than stainless steel. It attracts the rust film, so to speak, and your cutlery is spared.

Of course, aluminum foil can’t work wonders for older, scratched cutlery on which the rust has already really set in. But you will certainly see a certain shine effect. You can also use rust magnets as an alternative to aluminum foil

Alternatively: What to do against rust film?

You can do this to prevent rust film: If you want to avoid rust film, you must not put anything in the dishwasher that can rust. Unfortunately, this is only partially possible. Even the smallest parts, such as rivets on the handle of a stainless steel pan, are enough to cause rust.

Incidentally, the dishwasher itself can also rust on crockery baskets or if the covers are damaged. It is therefore best not to leave your dishes damp in the dishwasher for long. Moisture accelerates the setting of the rust film. If you can, always unload the machine immediately after rinsing. Or at least leave the door of the machine open so the dishes dry and the steam can escape.

Many people don’t exactly go into raptures at the sight of a spider. Her first thought goes to the vacuum cleaner to suck up the spider. But what happens then?

This is what happens when you suck up a spider

You sit comfortably on your couch and look at the ceiling, lost in thought. Suddenly you discover a spider above you. If spiders are not one of your favorite animals, then you will quickly think about how best to get rid of the creepy crawly. In such a situation, it is not uncommon for the vacuum cleaner to be the only quick solution. But what happens to the spider when you vacuum it up?

Whether the spider initially finds its way into the vacuum cleaner bag more or less unscathed depends on the one hand on its constitution and size. What is more important, however, is the suction power you have set on your vacuum cleaner. Depending on the set wattage, the spider is sucked up at a speed of 100 to 140 km/h. suck For example, when you choose the level at which you gently vacuum your curtains or blinds.

Chances of survival in the vacuum cleaner bag

So if you only sucked up the spider with a low suction power, there is a chance for the spider to get into the vacuum cleaner bag alive. But here the next challenge awaits. Because whether the spider survives in the vacuum cleaner bag and thus perhaps even finds its way back or dies after all depends essentially on whether the bag is empty or already full when it is vacuumed up.

An empty vacuum cleaner bag does not bode well for the spider. Because it is thrown in at a speed, albeit a lower one, without damping. On the other hand, if the bag is already filled with dust, hair and other soft material, the spider will land more gently. If she survived all that, theoretically she can’t crawl out.

Alternative to the vacuum cleaner

It doesn’t matter whether it’s high or low wattage, an empty or full vacuum cleaner bag – the spider will never be comfortable if you suck it up with your vacuum cleaner. It’s definitely not animal friendly. Therefore, there are also more suitable methods of escorting the spider out of the apartment, especially alive. If you don’t trust yourself because you are disgusted or even afraid of spiders, it might be helpful to ask your partner. Or you look around in your close circle of friends to see who can quickly help you. Maybe you also have nice and animal-loving neighbors.

Whether help is near or you take matters into your own hands, a jar and a piece of paper are usually enough to remove the spider alive from the apartment. To do this, simply place the glass over the spider with the open side facing the wall or ceiling and carefully slide the piece of paper underneath. The jar is closed and the spider cannot crawl out. Then you go with the glass to the window, balcony or in your garden and release the spider into freedom. Here she can continue to do her very useful work.

The dishwasher is generally intended for washing pots, plates and the like. But all kinds of other things can also be cleaned very well in the dishwasher.

Which 5 things can you still wash in the dishwasher?

Your dishwasher can do much more than make glasses shine.

These items also get clean again in the dishwasher:
Caps and Baseball Caps: Caps are making a big fashion comeback this year. They are also particularly practical if you don’t feel like doing your hair in the morning. However, unsightly sweat marks quickly form. The caps cannot be cleaned in the washing machine because the visor will snap off. A wash cycle in the dishwasher is therefore suitable. Just leave the dishes out and your headgear is nice and clean again.
Rubber boots, bathing shoes, flip-flops: Even shoes made of plastic or rubber can be ideally cleaned in the dishwasher. Flip-flops or bathing shoes can be washed in the upper compartment, while rubber boots fit perfectly in the lower compartment. Again, you should leave out the dishes.
Hairbrushes and combs: Over time, a lot collects in hairbrushes and combs. Tallow, hair dandruff or dust: Regular cleaning is a must. If you don’t feel like doing it by hand, you can simply put the brush and comb in the dishwasher. However, the objects should be made of rubber or plastic.
Toys: Even the toys of children or pets get really clean again in the dishwasher. However, the toy should be made of plastic and even then it is important to pay attention to the temperature setting.
Shower head: Is the shower head calcified or dirty? No problem: off in the dishwasher. Without chemicals and scrubbing, it gets nice and clean again. Incidentally, this also works with attachments for taps.

Joints don’t get nicer over time. Whether in the kitchen, bathroom or laundry room. Either dirt collects or mold forms due to moisture. You can find out here which trick you can use to get your joints clean again.

With this secret trick, joints become clean again

At some point it is enough and you can no longer bear the sight of dirty joints in the kitchen, bathroom or laundry room. Whenever you look at it, the question pops into your head as to how you can get the joints nice and bright and clean again. A wide variety of advice, tips and tricks are circulating. White wax is supposed to help: After cleaning, simply rub the joints with a white candle to give them impregnation protection and preventively help to give them a new shine. However, caution is advised here. At the latest with the next hot shower or when washing the dishes in the kitchen, the wax melts, dissolves more difficult than right and, in the worst case, clogs the drain. The rest that does not come off usually remains as a sticky gray mass and is difficult to remove without leaving any residue.

The trick with the baking powder is a lot more promising: simply dilute a packet of baking powder with a little warm water to create a spreadable paste. With a few dashes of lemon you can improve the effect if necessary. In any case, it smells even fresher. Brush the paste onto the grout with a (preferably discarded) toothbrush. Wait about 20 to 30 minutes and let the mixed baking soda paste work. In the case of stubborn dirt, you can scrub a little with the toothbrush and finally rinse everything off with a little water. Finished!

Baking powder usually contains baking soda, which, when combined with e.g. citric acid (hence the dash of lemon), becomes an active so-called raising agent. If there is no baking soda in baking soda, it is usually other acidifiers, such as tartaric acid. Baking powder also contains a release agent, such as cornstarch. Together with moisture and heat (therefore ideally use warm lemon water) carbon dioxide is released. When baking, the tiny CO2 bubbles ensure that the dough rises. Using this to clean your grout will loosen deep-seated dirt and unhealthy mold. To clean your grout, you better use baking soda instead of a chemical club for the sake of the environment. This is an effective, cheap and, above all, much healthier alternative.

Dirty joints – how to prevent

Tiles and joints belong together and are usually laid where it gets wet and damp. As a rule, it can hardly be avoided that dirt or water gets on and into the joints. However, there is something you can do to stop discoloration and mold from forming.

As a preventive measure, you should always keep the area around the tiles clean and rub dry after showering or using the sink, for example. Regular airing of the rooms also helps. This way you can delay the baking soda cleaning that will eventually be necessary.

A power failure due to natural events, crises or technical faults is also possible with us at any time. We will show you how you can cook without electricity and what you need to do it.

In the event of a power failure: cook like in the old days

We can no longer imagine everyday life without electricity. But our ancestors lived like this and cooked with fire. You can still do that today: find a spot outdoors with sufficient distance from combustibles and the forest.

Pay attention to a suitable, non-combustible surface, preferably earth or sand. Dig a small hollow for the fireplace or place a ring of stones. Alternatively, use a fire bowl. You can place a grill grate over the embers and put a pot on top. Put out every fire again, for example with sand.

However, making a campfire requires wood and a little practice. Because of the risk of fire, open fire is also prohibited in many places, especially during dry periods. It is generally not possible in residential areas. Maybe you have a charcoal grill at home, the modern version of the campfire. Not only can you roast vegetables, meat or fish on the grill, you can also heat your kettle or soup.

camping stove

The easiest way to cook without electricity is with a camping stove. Various models are commercially available: one-flame cartridge cooker, two and three-flame larger devices. There are also various accessories such as stands for pots and pans and even attachments that you can use to bake. As a rule, these stoves burn with gas cartridges, which you can get at any hardware store. Gasoline stoves are also occasionally offered. There are also special Esbit pocket stoves with solid fuel tablets. These mini stoves are particularly light and therefore suitable for outdoor tours. Because of their size, they are more likely to be emergency cookers, but they are useful for a cup of coffee or a ready-made soup.

You can cook a real meal with the classic one-flame gas cartridge cooker. We recommend dishes that you can prepare in just one pot, such as soups and stews. Gas stoves hardly smell and do not smoke or soot. Nevertheless, the manufacturers recommend using them only outdoors for safety reasons. You should make sure that the stove is stable and cannot tip over. Always turn off the gas immediately after use.

Cooking with solar energy is also an alternative. You can buy solar cookers, portable folding grills, or solar ovens. They are equipped with a reflective material that catches the sun’s rays, focuses them and thus generates heat. Solar ovens are particularly environmentally friendly and you don’t have to buy any fuel. However, they only work outdoors and in sunshine. The cooking time is longer than other ovens. You must therefore plan your time well in order to have enough sun.

indoor solutions

Fire bowl, grill and gas cooker are suitable for cooking outside. And inside? You can also prepare your food with a fondue set or table grill. This works wonderfully in the apartment. You can use fuel paste as a heat source. It consists of denatured alcohol (ethanol) and a thickener. In gastronomy, it is often used to keep food warm. It gets very hot and is also suitable for cooking.

If you don’t have a fondue set, you can build your own construction: place the grill grate from your oven over some bricks. You can also use flower pots, tin cans or preserving jars (no plastic!) as a substructure. Put your pot on it. Place the container with the fuel paste underneath on a fireproof, heat-resistant surface, such as a porcelain plate. Your construction must be stable and must never be left unattended.

If you don’t have fuel paste, you can also heat it up with tea lights if necessary. You can boil water, but it takes a long time and you need a lot of tea lights. The best ones with a longer burn time. Proper cooking with tea lights is tedious.

Prepare accessories, food and fire extinguisher

Cooking without electricity is not that difficult. Stock up on the necessary accessories and suitable food. Also don’t forget that you will always need matches or a lighter (except for the solar oven). Almost all methods presented here cook with flame. So pay attention to your safety and fire protection. Don’t leave your cooking area unattended. You should always have an extinguishing option (fire extinguisher, extinguishing spray, fire blanket…) at hand.

Hanging up laundry in the apartment is considered a health hazard for many people. Why is that and is it really true?

After washing: Why you shouldn’t hang up laundry in the apartment

Hence the supposed health risk of letting the laundry dry in the apartment. Mold spores are toxic and if inhaled they can cause respiratory problems, allergies or asthma. If the mold has to be removed from the apartment, high costs can also arise.

That’s why it’s best to hang the laundry outside – especially in winter or when it’s freezing. But what to do if you have no other way to dry your laundry? With a few tips, you can prevent mold from forming when you dry your laundry. Basically, the apartment should be aired regularly to avoid excessive humidity. The best thing is to ventilate the room, i.e. open windows and doors completely for about ten minutes. A draft between the open doors and windows is also useful.

The laundry should also be hung up in a suitable room, for example in the bathroom. The bathroom is already designed for humidity, but it can take a little longer here for the laundry to dry, since the humidity is generally higher, for example when you take a shower. Alternatively, a room that has at least one window is also suitable. Bathrooms – especially in smaller apartments – usually have no window, only ventilation. This should be cleaned from time to time and the filter replaced.

Prevent mold: tips for hanging laundry in the apartment

Even when doing the laundry, you can ensure that the humidity in your home does not rise as much. Depending on the type of laundry, you should select the highest possible spin speed. As a result, more water is “spun” out of the laundry and it is less wet when it comes out of the machine.

You should also be careful when hanging them up: If there is more space between the individual items of clothing, the air can circulate better. It can also be useful to hang things directly on hangers. The plus point: the laundry dries faster.

If you want to be on the safe side, you can also measure the humidity before and after hanging up the laundry. So-called hygrometers are available from around ten euros in hardware stores or online.

It is also advisable to ask the landlord for tips, after all it is also in their interest that the apartment is not too damp. There may even be an empty room in the house that could be used as a drying room. And if all the tips don’t help, there are still dehumidifiers to avoid mold growth from drying laundry.

Clever household tips for storing bananas properly and making them last longer. You will also learn tricks for peeling bananas and the versatile use of banana peels. Because these can be helpful for cleaning, skincare, and in the garden.

Proper use of bananas and banana peels

Bananas are delicious and very healthy. Because they contain vitamins such as vitamins A, C, K, and B6. It also contains minerals such as magnesium and potassium. And these are important for the function of our muscles and nerves. They are also important for energy production. And you will also find nutrients such as phosphorus, iron, calcium, and zinc here. That sounds like a super fruit. Although it is not one of the usual superfoods, it and especially its banana peel are versatile. In the following we have collected the most important tips and tricks for recycling:

1) Store bananas properly

Since bananas are tropical fruit that quickly continues to ripen and spoil at room temperature, the most important thing after purchase is the correct storage of the food. So there are two things you can do to make those delicious fruits last longer. For one thing, you shouldn’t store bananas with apples. And on the other hand, you should divide the banana tree. Consequently, place the fruit individually in a fruit basket. Then the yellow fruits do not spoil so quickly and stay fresh longer.

2) Make bananas last longer

There are many tips for making food last longer. The simplest form is to put the bananas in the fridge. Because it’s dark and cool there. And a lower temperature and lack of light protect the banana from ripening. It can also help to hang up the bananas or wrap the stalk in cling film.

3) Use banana for a delicious smoothie

In many recipes for making smoothies you use the banana. Because this gives the smoothie a nice and creamy consistency. You can also bring in a great sweetness by using very ripe banana fruits. SO it’s a good way to use up slightly older bananas.

4) Banana peel for a headache?

Some people swear by banana peels as a home remedy for headaches. Then put the bowl on your forehead and try to relax. If you want to get a better effect, the bowl should be cool. Or put a cold compress over it. However, you have to try it yourself to see if it works for you.

5) Use as a home remedy to whiten teeth

Many dreams of sparkling white teeth and are meticulously looking for ways to whiten their teeth. One possibility is to use the banana, more precisely all of its skin. To do this, you need to rub your teeth regularly on the inside of the shell. However, there is insufficient scientific evidence and the high acid content is suspected of damaging teeth.

6) To treat insect bites

If you suffer from skin irritation, itching, or nasty insect bites, you can relieve the discomfort with the peel of a banana. Accordingly, to relieve insect bites, place the inside on the affected area for a few minutes. Itching and swelling are then reduced. So it’s a great way to recycle old banana skins.

7) Reduce blemishes with banana peels

Banana peels are also said to work well for treating blemishes like acne. It helps in particular with acne symptoms because it contains valuable iron, zinc, vitamins, and antioxidants. So wear it inside out on your skin and watch how you see improvement and beautiful skin after a few weeks.

8) Use as a natural anti-aging agent

The banana is also used in dermatology, as already mentioned in the point above. The vitamins and antioxidants in particular ensure that the skin remains young and firm. So if you want to use banana peels as a clever anti-aging remedy, rub the inside regularly around your problem areas, such as your eyes and forehead.

9) Banana peel helps remove warts

At the same time, you can use the banana peel to remove warts. Accordingly, you must leave the peel on the wart overnight for at least a week. Then the enzymes contained help to fight this nuisance. It is best to cut a small piece out of the shell and attach it to the wart with a plaster.

10) Clean shoes with banana peel

The empty skin of the banana is an inexpensive, ecological and effective shoe polish for smooth leather shoes! So just rub the inside of the banana peel on your shoes and let it soak in for a moment. Then you have to polish the shoes with a clean and dry cloth and you’re done. The oils and potassium contained in the banana peel care for smooth leather shoes and give them a great shine! Cleaning shoes has never been so easy.

11) Polish cutlery and jewelry with banana peels

You can just as well use the leftover shell to polish cutlery or jewelry. You can use it to clean chrome, stainless steel, and silver in particular. So you can clean sustainably and do without chemical cleaning agents. Please also note our tips for cleaning cutlery and jewelry.

12) Repel aphids with banana peels

There are many tricks to get rid of aphids. One of them is the use of banana peels. To do this, cut the peel of the banana into small pieces and spread them around the affected plant. In the best-case scenario, other pests can also be kept away in this way.

13) Use as a natural fertilizer

At the same time, you can recycle old banana peels by using them as a natural fertilizer. This is particularly useful for caring for indoor plants. To do this, put the bowl in the watering can fill with water. Then leave her in it. Consequently, valuable nutrients are released from the shell into the water. However, you should change the shell regularly so that no mold develops.