Life Hacks

lifestyle Life Hacks

20 IDEAS FOR WORLD KINDNESS DAY

It’s World Kindness Day on Saturday 13th November. It’s a day where we can all attempt to make the world a better place – whether it’s a random act of kindness, a good deed for someone or just being extra thoughtful. Here are 20 ideas to get you started…

1. Shout someone out on social media 2. Buy flowers and leave them on a bench with a note for a stranger 3. Call a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while 4. Help out at a local charity – plenty of them need volunteers (see the noticeboard pages 8-9!) 5. Lend a hand to a neighbour – offer to cut their grass, put their bins out or do a shop for them 6. Donate unwanted clothes, toys and household items to your local charity shop 7. Give a stranger a compliment 8. Pay for someone’s coffee 9. Donate blankets and food to animal shelters 10. Bake some cakes or cookies for the elderly 11. Volunteer as a litter picker (see page 8) 12. Make a family member breakfast in bed 13. Buy for your local foodbank 14. Thank a teacher with a gift 15. Let someone go in front of you in a queue 16. Call a family member and tell them you love them 17. Buy a book for someone that they’ll like 18. Write a ‘proud of you’ note to your child & put in their book bag 19. Offer to walk your neighbour’s dog 20. Be kind to yourself – read a book, watch a film, take a long soak in the bath

Odd sock hacks:

Seasonal vegetables • Ensure you only wash

Here’s the nation’s favourite socks as a pair - vegetables and their availability sorting our darks from in the UK and Ireland!our lights and colours could mean that one sock makes its way into the wash and another Mushrooms, potatoes, carrots and lettuce: Available stays in the laundry bin. Before you put any socks 365 days in the wash ensure that there are definitely two Broccoli, peppers, onions, cucumber and tomatoes: Travel 1,119 miles min. when out of season going into the washing machine drum. • Use laundry bags - laundry bags can allow you chuck (and keep together) various things in the Avocados: Travels 6,263 miles min. May to August and wash without worrying that you’re doing damage! 3,335 miles min. September to AprilStick dirty socks in a laundry bag as soon as you take them off and you’ll be sure that they’ll all Mushroommiles.comcome in pairs at the other end of the wash. • Clip them together - you can use safety pins, hairbands, or even food ties to clip your socks together ahead of them going in the washing machine. It’s a good idea to hang them next to one another on the line or airer once they’re out the wash too so you know exactly how many pairs you have – and how many you might be missing. • Go odd! If all else fails, why not just wear odd socks, no one can see your feet when you’re working from home!

How to…clean your cleaning equipment

The kitchen sponge/cloth: Throw it in the

dishwasher or leave it to soak in bleach and water for five minutes before rinsing thoroughly. You can also microwave it (put it in a bowl and pour half a cup of water over it.

The vac: Wash the filter and let it dry thoroughly before replacing. Make sure the brushbar is free from dust, hair and thread and give the inside a wipe down while you’re at it.

The dishwasher: Clean the filter and make sure you scrape food off plates before loading the racks. Use a rinse programme regularly and put it on a high temperature cycle with no dishes in every now and then. Once a month use a dedicated dishwasher cleaner for de-scaling and a deep clean. Finally, cut a lemon in half and leave it on the top rack of your dishwasher; it will leave it smelling lovely.

The washing machine: Once a month run the highest temperature wash on an empty cycle. Clean the rubber lining and wipe inside the drum, and clean the detergent and softener drawer as this can get clogged up with old liquids. Last but not least, use a descaler every couple of months.