3 life hacks for the kitchen

A few tricks are often enough to make our housework easier. We'll show you how to give every tube a new lease of life, give your cutlery a new shine and defrost the freezer compartment in no time at all.

Frau braucht Hilfe in der Küche© iStock
We could all do with a little help in the kitchen!

Put an end to waste

It's annoying when there are always leftovers in tubes that you can't get out without exerting yourself. The easiest way to do this is to roll a rolling pin over the tube. Alternatively, you can roll up the tube and secure it with a hairpin. This will push the remaining contents to the front.

A new shine for good cutlery

Place tarnished silver cutlery in a bowl covered with aluminum foil and add a teaspoon of salt, then pour hot water over it. The silver reacts with the aluminum, causing the dark layer on the silverware to peel off.

Defrost the freezer compartment more quickly

Hard crusts of ice often form after a while, making defrosting quite a lengthy process. It is quicker to sprinkle normal household salt on the ice. Allow to work briefly, scrape off and wipe well with a little vinegar water.