Talc tips

• In icy weather, rub talc on your car door seals to prevent the doors from frosting up.
• Engravings that have become slightly dirty with age can be cleaned with talcum powder. Sprinkle the talc evenly over the surface of the picture. Leave for a few hours. Brush off the powder and delicately wipe the surface with cotton wool.
• If you have problems with rabbits getting into your garden, spread a band of scented talcum powder around the garden border to keep them out. Rabbits don't like the smell and will not cross the powder. It really works!
• Grease on upholstered furniture can be removed by sprinkling talcum powder over the mark. Leave to stand for 15 minutes or until grease is absorbed. Brush off the powder. Repeat if necessary.
• For squeaky-clean crystal glasses, wash them in a mixture of water and talc and dry with a clean tea towel.
• If your car engine is leaking oil and you can't find the source, try dusting the clean engine surfaces with talcum powder. The powder will absorb the oil and you'll be able to follow the oil's trail in the talc.
• Talcum powder can help frustrated golfers to practice putting indoors during the winter months! Dip the golf ball in talcum powder and position the ball so that the club at impact hits the back of the powdered ball. After the putt, examine the club face and you will see the point where you contacted the ball.
• Stop floorboards from squeaking by sprinkling liberal amounts of talcum powder over the area and cover with a cloth. Walk over the area repeatedly to work the powder into the cracks. Add more powder and repeat. This should silence the squeak.
• If you wet the pages of a book accidentally, sprinkle each page with talc and spread it with a soft cloth. Leave the book under a weight for a few days and then brush off the excess talc. The pages of your book will be like new again.
• To keep your scissors from getting sticky when you are cutting a sticky surface, dust the blades with talcum powder before cutting.
• Take a small tin of talc when spending a day on the beach. Sprinkle talc powder onto feet to remove loose sand so that footwear will slip back on without any fuss.
• To make your lipstick stay on longer first brush some talcum powder on your lips, then apply a first coat of lipstick (preferably with a brush) and blot. Now brush on more talcum powder and follow it with another layer of lipstick.
• A sprinkle of talc over your legs before waxing will stop wax sticking to your skin making waxing less painful.
• To remove the remains of sticky labels on glass, rub the glass with a cloth dipped in methylated sprits, or sprinkle on talc and gently rub off the glue with your fingers.
• Don't forget to take some talcum powder with you when you go on a picnic - ants hate it and will keep away if you sprinkle it around your chosen site.
• To ease chilblains, rub them with talcum powder.
• Stop new shoes from rubbing in summer by sprinkling talc onto your feet.
• To give old suede shoes a new lease of life, sprinkle them with talc and leave overnight. Brush clean the next day.
• Add talcum powder to gloss paint for an excellent matt or eggshell finish.
• If you're a keen motorcyclist or cyclist, put talcum powder in your gloves to prevent blisters.
• To repair chipped wall tiles, make a filler by mixing talcum powder with epoxy resin.