Effects of Smoking

Responsible for the deaths of around 100,000 Britons per year, including around a third of all cancer deaths per year. There is no safe dose of nicotine.

Smokers use up caffeine much faster than non-smokers. Stop smoking and blood cafeine levels go up by as much as 250% even when coffee consumption stays the same; these high levels are maintained for at least 6 months. Ex-smokers with coronary heart disease can face added risks as caffeine is a stimulant and can greatly increase the work of the heart. So when giving up smoking, drink decaffeinated coffee, preferably starting some weeks before trying to quit..

Smokers have a 5% more chance of developing an allergy if smoking when first exposed to a particular allergen.

Various sources - no dates.

Backache

If you suffer from some back pain (especially if this eases during the day), it may help to do this exercise before getting out of bed.

Stretch to full length, then scrunch up into a tight ball and squeezing. Repeat gently several times.

Lifespan, issue Spring 2016.

Washing Machine Smells?

A build-up of grease, detergents and fabric conditioners can cause unpleasant smells and moulds in your washing machine, especially if you use low-temperature washes and colour detergent, which contains no bleach.

To get rid of these deposits, use a washing machine cleaner to banish smells, flush out stagnant water and dislodge limescale.

To stop deposits from building up infuture, it's a good idea to run your machine empty once a month at 60C or hotter; adding soda crystals to the drum or bleach to the dispenser drawer will help.

Keep things fresh by wiping round the rubber door seal after every few washes to remove grime, and leave the door ajar when the machine is not in use.

Good Housekeeping, date not noted.
GH recommended Glo-Care Service-It Washing Machine Cleaner

Potato and Tomato Blight

Potato and tomato plants can be affected by blight, so what can you save of your crop? Here is what Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall does.

Potato blight. When browning on leaves first appears, don't act immediately. When it affects more than half of the leaves, cut down the foliage just an inch or so above the ground. Remove the cut foliage and dispose of it (either bury under a deep layer of compost or burn it). Leave the developing potatoes in the ground, harvesting as needed for at least 10 days but not more than 20 days (fewer if waether conditions are wet).Then lift remaining potatoes on a dry day, store them 'dirty but dry' (i.e. don't wash them) in wooden or cardboard boxes, covered, in a cool place.

Tomato blight. Don't plant tomato plants too close together, especially if grown in a greenhouse. If blight strikes, it is fast and usually devastating. Strip off all the foliage. Pick the biggest ripe and unripe tomatoes, and a few more may ripen on the plants before they die. Unripe tomatoes can be ripened indoors. 

END

Test Oil Temperature

There are several ways of testing whether oil is at the right temperature - scraps of bread crust, or a drop of the batter you are going to cook - and here's one more.

If you want to deep fry, drop a couple of popping corn kernels into the oil, then heat. When the corn pops, the oil is ready (about 170 C).

In Good Housekeeping, October 2015