Life Hacks

lifestyle Life Hacks

BAR-B-CLEAN

BY STEVE TOLMIE

2. An onion, you say? An unlikely cleaning saviour, an onion attached to a fork. Whilst there is still heat in the grill, attach half an onion to the end of a fork and use it to rub over the hot bars. The water in the onion steams away any stuck-on food and uses its natural antibacterial properties to remove impurities.

September often gives us a final few chances to invite friends and family round for a barbecue, so hopefully it’s not time to pack all the equipment away just yet.

As such, the team at Home Essentials reveal five top tips for how best to clean your BBQ, including using ketchup to remove build-up of rust, and why you should replace good old fairy liquid with…beer.

Whilst your BBQ should be given a basic clean after each use, it turns out we should be performing a deep clean on our BBQs at least every three months. With this in mind, these top tips should come in handy for next year as well.

1. Get steamy: A clever cleaning trick for your barbecue grill is to steam it using a sheet of slightly damp newspaper. Once the barbecue has cooled down slightly, spritz some water over a sheet of old newspaper and lay it on top. Put the lid of the barbecue on top and leave it for half an hour to work its magic.

The heat from the barbecue and the water from the newspaper will produce a steam to get rid of any grime caked on the grill itself. 3. Is there anything coffee can’t do? Believe it or not,

you can use coffee as a cleaner. Try soaking your grill and utensils in coffee (boiling water and coffee grains) for those tough stains that won’t budge. The acid in coffee will loosen up any dirt.

4. No beer fear here! If you have some left-over beers after your barbecue then pour half a bottle over the warm grill and scrub using a bristle brush or some old newspaper. Wire brushes have received some bad press lately over the wire bristles falling into the barbecue and ending up in your food so make sure you chose your cleaning tools carefully.

5. Ketchup! Not only does ketchup spice up our barbecue burgers, it also is a great way to prevent rusting on your barbecue. This hack is ideal for barbecues left out in the garden exposed to the elements. All you do is a apply a small amount of ketchup to any areas of rust and leave for a few minutes then wait to see your results!

For more information see homeessentials.co.uk

LONDON CALLING

We all know that we don’t have to venture far out of Bromley borough to find some beautiful countryside with wonderful views (see this month’s Final Thought article for proof!) but, if you fancy a change, why not find the time to take in London’s skyline?

With 281,014 posts on Instagram for hashtags such as #londonskyline, Mobile Phones Direct looked at some of the best spots to take in the capital’s skyline:

• The Shard – With 360-degree views of London, The

Shard is home to some of the tallest views of the city – there's even an open-air sky deck at the top access to the garden is free, you can pay to take part in yoga sessions against the stunning backdrop, or stop for a bite to eat or drink

• Emirates Air Line cable car – Not only can you

see the city around you as you travel 90 metres above the Thames, but you can move between Greenwich Peninsula and the Royal Docks to explore different sides to the river

• Alexandra Palace – For those scared of heights,

Alexandra Palace is a great way to view the skyline with your feet firmly on the ground. Situated in North London, the area offers views of some of the tallest buildings in the city but from a distance. When you’ve taken in the amazing view, there’s plenty to do with the local ice rink and the constant flow of events on at Alexandra Palace

• Primrose Hill – Set a bit closer to the inner city, this glorious hill close to Regents Park and Camden offers spectacular views of the capital’s skyline. While it’s a perfect spot for a picnic on a sunny day, there are also plenty of bakeries and eateries around once you’ve finished looking at the spectacular view