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Global Tips & Tricks

People have been so kind as to send us notes on whatever tips they have gleaned from moms and grandmas - from little bits of paper where someone has hastily jotted down whatever they have been told to do, to old notebooks that qualify to be called parchment, to notes stuck on the fridge with little magnets - we have put them all together for you here.

• As a girl, I was always prone to small burns whenever I indulged in my passion - cooking. Mom used to rush to me with a tube of her favourite Colgate toothpaste (the white one) and apply it as a salve on the burn. It would heal immediately - no question of it getting septic!

~ Maria Joseph, Canada ~

• Suffering from after-flu symptoms of aches and pains? Just mix about a spoon of horseradish in a cupful of olive oil. Keep it aside for an hour and then massage your body with it.

~ Maria Joseph ~

• Do you suffer from ugly toenail fungus? Don`t worry - here`s an easy solution my Mom has for this. Believe me, it actually works! Soak your toes in Listerine mouthwash which contains a powerful antiseptic that will heal your toenails beautifully.

~ Tara Anand, Mumbai ~

• Skin blemishes have an easy home remedy. My grandma would cover my teenage blemishes with a dab of honey which she would cover with a small band-aid. Her theory was that the honey would kill the bacteria and keep the skin sterile which would speed up the healing process. It worked for me - the blemish would be gone in the morning!

~ Viji Raghavan, Chennai ~

• If you have broken a blister accidentally, don`t worry! Simply dab some Listerine on it and the antiseptic in the mouthwash will help heal it immediately. My Mom again!

~ Tara Anand ~

• I remember my Grandma using Quaker oats to relieve her of arthritis pain. She would mix 1 small cup of the oats in 2 small cups of water, warm the mixture and apply it immediately on her hands. She claimed it definitely soothed and alleviated the pain. My Mom does it now too!

~ Saritha Menon, Bangalore ~

• If you can get hold of some Alka - Seltzer tablets you can use them effectively for any urinary tract infections. Simply dissolve 2 tablets in a glass of water and drink it up as soon as you notice the symptoms. You will be surprised at how fast you get cured, though this is not one of its advertised benefits! If you have neglected your condition, then of course you got to visit the doc.

~ Ritu Parekh, Mumbai ~

• Want to know what I have when I suffer from headache? I just drink 2 glasses of the sports drink Gatorade (now available here) and the headache`s gone - with no side effects! My friend who lives abroad gave me this tip and it is really effective. Which is why I thought of sharing it with the Sitagita family.

~ Ritu Parekh ~

• If you have a sensitive skin and are prone to bruise easily, all you have to do is to soak some cotton in vinegar and apply it on the bruise for at least an hour. The vinegar will reduce the blue discolouration and also speeds up the healing. My Mom`s contribution.

~ Viji Raghavan ~

• Here`s a strange use for Coca-Cola which I discovered by accident. No need to buy expensive rust removers - simply soak a steel sponge with Coke and scrub the rusted article and lo! The rust is removed! I also found out how this works - it is the phosphoric acid in the Coke that does the job!

~ Amulya Rao, Hyderabad ~