Top Tips For Christmas 2012–#5

Don’t just use your head,

use your hair dryer!

There are loads of useful things this tool can do, quite apart from styling your locks for the Christmas party.

Just remember Christmas Elf-and-Safety. Don’t let it overheat, and keep it away from water, and small children.

You can spruce up tired and dusty silk flowers

If the Christmas arrangement you got out of the loft is looking sad, then gently waft it with the dryer to blow away the dust [if possible, hold it upside down!] The flowers can look surprisingly refreshed afterwards [I guess anyone would if inverted and given a blow-dry!]

You can remove sticky price tags

Be gentle, use the warm setting, and just go patiently until one corner can be lifted and then peel away the lot. Remove any remaining residue with a little baby oil or isopropyl alcohol applied on a cotton wool ball.

You can dry your boot linings

Cold wet feet are horrid – and if the lining of your boots gets damp, that's not a good thing. But use a cool setting, and do not put the dryer right inside or it will overheat and cut out. After a good blast from the dryer, stuff with paper to absorb remaining moisture.

You can make your icing glossy

Channel your inner Mary Berry and give added frisson to your frosting. A few seconds with a warm dryer will give an added sheen to buttercream frosting.

Mind you, in this house, cakes are for eating, not admiring. Not sure I’d waste the electricity on this one!

You can shift candlewax spills

This is a time of year when there are lots of candles around. If wax drips on the furniture, then heat it gently and blot away with paper towels. And do remember not to leave candles unattended. They can burn surprisingly quickly and start fires!

You can dry your nail varnish

If you are running late, and need to get the manicure complete before the party starts. Personally I would not advise this shade of Tango Orange. And on the rare occasions when I do paint my nails, I feel it is good for me to sit still for 10 minutes to let it dry thoroughly.

You can speed up defrosting the freezer

Despite my good intentions, I just had to do this myself. The door had been left just slightly open, and the drawer that holds the ice trays was completely frosted up. Five minutes with the dryer and we were back in business!

This will be my last Top Tips for this year – please let me know any good tips you feel are worth sharing.