h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: 42 Time-saving Tips - A28808742
Author: LizzyVee - U3750777

Hi - I'm submitting this for peer review. I'm also working on a second piece on 42 money-saving/green tips.

<> On polished wood or tile floors, tying dusters to your feet and skating around helps as well

<> Unless you microwave the potato that is

<> Leftover wine? - and just when does that happen

Fascinating read, Lizzy.

I've heard many of them before, but there's always a few that I'd never thought of!

OK, the first thing that concerns me is copyright. Can I ask where you got these from, as I'm sure that some of them will have been published elsewhere. I think the Daily Telegraph publishes household tips, as do others.

Icy

This is great. It's a top example of what h2g2 can do that other online encyclopedias can't. I'll have a proper spelling and punctuation check later, but for now this looks great.

I wouldn't recommend watching telly while in the bath - it's not a good idea to have electrical appliances in the bathroom.

Market opportunity for wind-up TV then.

On second thoughts, TV winds me up enough as it is.

Re copyright - a valid concern. I worked on some Hints and Tips publications in the past, so have a mine of this trivial information in my head. Most of these tips can be found in various places, as there seems to be only a finite number around, but in this article the wording of each tip is all mine.

I gave the article the 'time-saving' angle to make it somewhat original, as the tips it contains are indeed well worn. But I think people always enjoy reading them. I am, however, living testimony to the fact that knowing them doesn't mean you put them into practice.

Re Microwaved potatoes - my understanding is that potatoes done in the microwave don't have a crisp skin, so doing them in the oven is to many people preferable, even though it does take much longer. I'm happy to take that tip out though.

<> No I'm quite happy for it to stay in - it was just a safety caveat

That's good enough for me!

Icy

This is a fantastic entry. My only suggestion would be changing the title to "42 Time-saving Housework Tips" or something similar, as I was expecting something more general.

On an (mostly) unconnected note, did you know that Einstein sat down and worked out how much time an average person spends putting on and taking off socks in their lifetime, and decided it wasn't worth it? Never wore socks again.

Does tip 16 work? We store all our food in old coffee jars because if we leave stuff like sugar in its bag we get infested with variety of bugs ... Unfortunately grating no longer option due to sugar being stuck in jar, but might be tempted to freeze next bag of brown sugar we get...
kinda cool, due to lots of other stuff getting harder in the freezer, rather than staying soft.

IN Tip 8, a cheaper alternative to not-very-expensive-cotton-gloves-but-nonetheless would be to put old holey socks you no longer wear on your hands and use those as gloves instead.

vp

This is good, but I've still got some nitpicks:

>>>12. Sticking a metal skewer through a potato will speed up the baking time.<<<

Unless of course you microwave potatoes, in which case pierce them copiously but don't leave any metal in them...

>>>23. Can't get a tight lid open? Slip on a rubber glove to improve your grip then try again.<<<

If this fails, try tapping the edge of the lid against a hard surface. This alters the shape of the lid slightly, thus making the seal weaker.

>>>27. Pin pairs of socks together with safety pins before they go in the wash. This could save hours hunting down lost socks.<<<

Is this really a good idea? What if the pins come off?

>>>39. If you're banging in a small nail, push the nail through a piece of card first, then hold the card, not the nail.<<<

--> a thin piece of card (else you'll never be able to get the card off the nail)

Hope this helps.

Alex

I've taken in some of the suggestions mentioned:

Title - I'm made them Time-saving Household Tips, as that's what they are, instead of just Time-saving Tips.
Tip 8, using socks as an alternative to gloves - good idea.
Tip 12 - made it clear this applies to conventional ovens, not microwaves. I'm aware that microwaving potatoes in itself cuts down cooking time, but microwaved potatoes are different to ones cooked in a conventional oven (not crips). So I think the tip as it stands is still valid.
Tip 39 - Made this a 'thin' piece of card, as suggested.

I did not add anything to Tip 23 (tight jar lid) as there are lots of other methods for tackling these. The rubber glove is just a quick easy way to do it. Obviously, the easiest solution is to give the jar to someone else.

That's all - are there any more comments for me? I'll get cracking on the 'green/money-saving' companion piece now.

And I might also look up how to spell the word crips, sorry, crisp.

I liked the idea of this, lots of useful hints & tips, but I'm not sure they could all be described as time-saving.

I like it, some of these things will be very useful to me, and since I don't read papers a fair number of them are new to me.

I'd just move no.11 into the kitchen section.

I've moved Tip 11 as suggested.

I've also put 42 Money-saving Household Tips in Peer Review, in case anyone would like to take a look at it.

"Keep a plastic bag near the telephone" - as long as it's out of the way of any children

"Pin pairs of socks together with safety pins before they go in the wash" I don't think I agree with this one - the pins will rust and stain the socks. Also they may come off in all the rumble tumble.

Good entry - I wanted to add one more about clingfilm and paint, but I think you've got 42 for a reason.

I put pairs of socks in a little net bag to save them from the sock

The single socks ..... well .... I let them take their chances and sometimes they come back as a pair.