Oily Rag: Some shower power

Oily raggers offer some helpful tips on cleaning the shower on a budget.

We had a big response to a question from Jim O from Torbay who asked for help cleaning shower glass.

Catherine B from Auckland says: "We have found that Chemco with a Silver Lady cloth works wonders on shower glass. It's not that expensive and Chemco lasts for a long time."

Kirsty from Southland has this tip. "Heat a cup of vinegar in the microwave until hot (not boiling), put in an empty spray bottle and add 1/2 to 1 cup of dish soap and shake gently to mix. Spray all over shower glass, walls, wherever soap scum and water marks are. Leave for as long as possible - preferably overnight, but an hour or so will do. Scrub gently with a non-scratch scourer then rinse off."

PB from Auckland writes: "To make a good general purpose cleaner, that would probably help with cleaning shower glass, take a spray bottle, put into it 50ml dishwashing liquid, 100ml lemon juice, and fill with white vinegar. Shake well and spray on liberally. Let stand for a few minutes and clean off. Ingrained dirt may require scrubbing."

Bernie from Christchurch has this idea for food dehydration. "There's no need to invest in an expensive food dehydrator - you already have one parked in your driveway. Yes, that's right - you can use your car.

"To make the most delicious sun-dried tomatoes you've ever tasted, you need firm, ripe tomatoes, salt, dried basil, a metal oven tray with a lip, and a cake rack that fits inside the oven tray. Cut tomatoes in half from stem to the bottom. If large, cut in half again. Remove any tough bits around the stem area. Use a spoon to remove seeds and give them to the chooks. Insert cake rack into oven tray. Place prepared tomatoes on the rack cut side up and fairly close together as they will shrink as they dry. Sprinkle with salt and basil. Put the tray on the dashboard of your car (or on the rear window sill if it's wide enough). Roll up all the windows and park in a sunny spot. Start first thing in the morning and bring the tray inside at sunset. It may take two days for them to dry properly. When ready, they should be flexible like a raisin, leathery not brittle. Cool to room temperature then package in 100g lots in plastic bags, excluding all air, and store in the freezer.

"When you are ready to use them, you will need to pack them in oil first - just take out one bag at a time and layer the tomato slices in a small sterilised jar with a bay leaf, 3 peppercorns, a whole peeled garlic clove and a red chilli. Pour in sufficient extra virgin olive oil to cover the tomatoes. Cover tightly with a lid. Store in refrigerator and wait at least three days before using. Use within two weeks."

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-Frank and Muriel Newman are the authors of Living Off the Smell of an Oily Rag in NZ.