HOUSEHOLD TIPS NOT FOUND IN WOMAN'S WEEKLY

[Stanley]

If cleaners miss turning up just go to bed for a couple of hours..... I expect them today.
Don't wear too tight jeans. Reports this morning of a woman who collapsed and had to spend a couple of days in hospital because her jeans damaged blood flow and nerve function in her lower limbs. Can you remember when they were blamed for a drop in fertility in young men?

[Tizer]

I seem to recall that warning for men was about tight underpants. They raised the ambient temperature of the testicles, which was bad for sperm production.

[Stanley]

You're right Tiz. Bad news because their sperm count is already lowered due to Oestrogen contamination in the environment from contraceptive pill. So today's household tip for young lads, don't laugh at your old dad, his sperm count could be higher than yours!

[Cathy]

Our health advisors are now telling us that men's shirt collars and ties can create a lack of ventilation under the collar. Starched collars and tight ties can be too restricting, because they lock in head and neck muscles , resulting in not enough movement.

[Stanley]

i'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT cATHY. tRY WORKING HARD IN TIGHT CLOTHING.... sAM EFFECT WITH A TIGHT BELT, THAT'S WHY BRACES ARE BEST, AIR CAN CIRCULATE PAST YOUR WAIST. (Bigger caps lock....)

[Stanley]

Every now and then have an audit of how you run your house. It may be that your habits can be changed with good effect. I say this after a tidy up in the back yard which has 'just growed' since I moved in 15 years ago. Much better, can't understand why I didn't do it years ago!

[Tizer]

i'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT cATHY. tRY WORKING HARD IN TIGHT CLOTHING.... sAM EFFECT WITH A TIGHT BELT, THAT'S WHY BRACES ARE BEST, AIR CAN CIRCULATE PAST YOUR WAIST.

And tight trousers make you speak in capital letters!

[Stanley]

'Bigger' should have been bugger.... I hate Caps Lock!

[Stanley]

Pick a piece of litter every day......

[Cathy]

That one made me laugh Stanley - my Cat has a litter - tray
But yes if any paper rubbish drifts into my front garden/path/road, I pick it up.

[Stanley]

Cathy, when I was house sitting for Martha in Northfield I had two house cats to deal with. I learned about 'clumping'. Not my favourite job...... Amazing how much they produced in a day!

[Stanley]

Not a subject that is generally discussed in 'polite society' but during my long association with Cystitis my doctor, Arthur Morrison, who knew I had three daughters, advised me to make sure they were taught to wipe their bottoms from the back and not the front as the latter practice could transfer bacteria from the bowel to the urinary tract and this was the most common cause of cystitis. We did it and as far as I know none of them ever got it. How many children are warned against this?

[Cathy]

I was and therefore my daughter has been.
Just reading about all sorts of ways to get a better nights sleep, one allergist says"Pillows and bed coverings advertised as Hypoallergenic ' aren't necessarily worth buying. It just means a product is made out of a substance you can't be allergic to, not that it prevents allergies. Instead, get dust -mite - proof covers for your pillow and mattress."
Another says"If you have allergies, you're probably better off with a feather pillow than one made of foam
Feather pillows are more likely to be encased in a tightly woven fabric that keeps dust mites out. Relatively few people are allergic to feathers. Besides, foam can exacerbate allergies because of its moisture content".

[Stanley]

Good for you Cathy but it's surprising how many people don't know about it.
Very good point about allergy and feather versus foam.... Makes complete sense when you think about it. But when did advertisers let the facts get in the way of a good sales ploy based on fear..... According to the mattress manufacturers my forty year old Vi Spring Elite mattress is full of wildlife! All I can say is that if it is I get on very happily with them..... It cost a fortune but has been worth every penny, still a lovely comfortable bed......
So another tip for the day, buy the best mattress you can afford......

[Tizer]

In my dad's hospital ward they use a steam cleaner to clean the mattress between use by different patients - I suppose it's the only way to do it and prevent cross-contamination as well as removing nasty stuff. I haven't been able to visit my dad again in the hospital because as soon as the cough started to go I got a bad cold and was back to square one - highly infectious! Luckily Mrs Tiz hasn't got it and has been going in to visit him. When she told the nurse why I hadn't come she said "Please thank him - far too many people come in here with obvious infections when they should stay away".

[Tripps]

Further to Stanley's post - these might be useful.

One Direction

[Stanley]

Tiz, the recurrent virus again! Good decision.....
David, thanks for the thought but I shall leave it alone. My maintenance methods have worked for forty years and served me well.

[Stanley]

Hot weather can be dangerous for everyone but particularly the elderly. Don't do any more heavy work than necessary Keep out of the sun. Drink plenty of water, the aim is to keep your pee reasonably clear. Hydration salts are not needed unless you are in trouble. Don't use extra salt, as long as you are eating normally you are getting plenty of salt from your food.

[Cathy]

Slip, slap, slop and sip.

[Stanley]

That about sums it up!

[Stanley]

There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate choice of clothing... I exclude extreme events of course. We complain far too much about weather. In Barlick we should be glad that on the whole we avoid extremes and like this year, have a good growing season in summer. The recent rains have done wonders for anything that grows, the trees in particular are loving it!

[Stanley]

It's always a good day when you discover something new.... I happened to open the cabinet in the bathroom yesterday and noticed a can of Gillette shaving foam lurking in a corner. I can't remember when I last used a wet razor so I decided to throw it out. But it was full, so on a whim I tried washing my hands using it. It must have skin conditioner in it because my hands felt lovely afterwards. So today's tip is after washing your hands with strong soap or hand cleaner, wash them again using a dab of shaving foam. Works like a charm!

[Stanley]

Every now and again, perhaps once a year, it isn't a bad idea to lift the cover on your sewer outlet and make sure it is all clean and free. Hardly anyone does this and they are always surprised when they get a blockage, usually down to fat. A stitch in time could mean your toilet doesn't back up when you flush it. There is nothing that quite compares with the helplessness you feel if you flush and realise it isn't going away!

[Tizer]

The same thing applies on the larger scale, the water companies need to check sewers or else a blockage can be disastrous. There is a sewage pump in a fenced enclosure on the edge of our village which pumps sewage from a low point in the area upwards to the main sewer. The output pipe from this pump goes under the end of a villagers garden. Twice, the house owner has woken to find his garden flooded with sewage bubbling up through the grass. It then results in a big expensive clean-up job for the water company, more expensive than checking and cleaning the sewer. I wish BT could learn that lesson now that they've instigated the policy of not trimming tree branches until they bring down a phone line.

[PanBiker]

The reduction of maintenance on the minor roads with not cutting back the verges has a serious knock on effect on bike riders. You have to ride further out into the road to avoid getting nettled or running into overhanging branches. Inconsiderate drivers passing as close as they can at speed does not help matters and is downright dangerous. On our bike ride yesterday some even did this when there was nothing coming the other way, handlebar camera for the bike maybe?