Topic: Uses other than cooking for your microwave... Good Housekeeping Institute

[Common_Clay]

I found this on the Guardian website and thought I'd post it on here:



You use your microwave to cook? How passé . . .

Thursday January 25, 2007

Guardian

Environmental engineers at the University of Florida report in a new study that zapping damp sponges and dishcloths for two minutes on full power in a microwave kills more than 99% of harmful bacteria. We asked the experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute to come up with 10 further novel uses for your oven.
1 Get more juice out of lemons and limes, by softening them on high for 15-20 seconds.

2 Sterilise garden soil to make it fit to plant seedlings. Spread 400g soil on a flat dish and heat on high for 90 seconds or until steaming.

3 Get extra life out of a dried-up mascara stick by heating for 30-40 seconds on high - with a cup of water in the microwave beside it for safety's sake.

4 Dye up to 225g of material. Wearing rubber gloves, stir a packet of Dylon natural fabric dye with 200ml cold water in a bowl, add 400ml more water and immerse the fabric. Put the bowl inside a plastic bag in the microwave on high for four minutes. Remove, tip away the dye, and rinse the fabric in cold water. Wash in hot water, then dry away from direct heat or sunlight.

5 Dry herbs, on high for around 40 seconds. Wash them first and spread them on kitchen paper, with more kitchen paper on top.

6 Melt wax for removing leg hair, on 80% power for 10 seconds, assuming it's a full pot. Beware: it doesn't need to boil!

7 Zap fresh breadcrumbs to make them dry enough to coat food for deep-fat frying.

8 Warm plates - though not if they've got metal edges or decoration. Sprinkle each one with water and pile them up. Heat on high for around 30 seconds.

9 Sterilise jars for jam-making. Put up to six in the oven with about an inch of water in each. Heat for 1½ to 2 minutes, until the water comes to the boil. With oven gloves, remove from microwave, tip out the water and they're ready.

10 Make jelly faster than normal, by putting jelly cubes in a bowl or mould with four tablespoons of water on high for 60 seconds. Stir, then add the rest of the water, cold.

[sally_cinnamon]

How about drying your undercrackers when you're late for work? :P

I've never done that, of course

[tim]

On the same day, they report the number of accidents from microwaves!!

[tim]

Well - I did warn you!! This is today.

[Mrs Ava]

I have sterilised compost in mine before...don't know what came over me!  The house smelt of wet, cooking compost for days after!

[vegging out]

A quick zap will soften squash skin to aide  peeling. :)

[Blue Bird]

EJ done similar with mole hill soil - smell as terrible for ages but it did work  ;D

[gardenqueen]

I thought that was a stupid idea. sterilising one's dishcloths in the microwave! Just put them in the washing machine, together with tea towels, on a hot wash!

[Henny Penny]

My son decided he would try to "soften" some dried up black polish in the microwave.
Cost him £40 to replace it!

[artichoke]

My grandchildren decided to warm the gel handwarmers I had given them for Christmas in their mother's microwave, and they haven't been able to afford to replace it ater the explosion....

[vee]

My OH warms HP sauce bottles in the microwave to get the last drops out. It works! The sauce goes runny and then comes out easily, but lay flat and take the top off. (The bottle, not you ;D)

[Jeannine]

Apart from scrambled egg,my number 1 use of my microwave is to zap my grain filled Magic Bag to put on my aches and pains....sheer heaven. XX Jeannine

[artichoke]

HP sauce bottles.....that should work for those annoying skin creams that stick inside their plastic containers. Hitherto I have cut them in half with scissors and scooped out the last bits, but now I'll try the microwave.....

[emmy1978]

Wow Artichoke- so glad I'm not the only person who does that!!

[Common_Clay]

Apart from scrambled egg,my number 1 use of my microwave is to zap my grain filled Magic Bag to put on my aches and pains....sheer heaven. XX Jeannine

Scrambled egg in a microwave??

[artichoke]

Emmy! I am equally pleased not to be alone! Can't bear to throw away a still heavy container of anything.

[Jeannine]

I just had to answer this one, scrambled eggs in a microwave? I have been asked about this before. This is my number 1 reason for owning one.If you have never tried it trust me and have a go,you will never use a pan again....Break 2 or three eggs into a microwavable bowl, season if you wish and add a thingy of butter, microwave on high about 30 seconds,have a look, it will have formed a ring of semi solids with liquid in the middle, stir it and break up the ring,miscrowave again 30 seconds,repeat the stirring but don't mush it, I like mine in fairly decent chunks.Depending on how soft you like your eggs do this a couple more times perhaps dropping to 15 seconds,don't overcook it,it goes quite fast towards the end.Stop when they are the way you like them. You can cook more at a time but not less than two unless you watch it more closely. Soak the bowl in water as soon as you remove the eggs otherwise the remains will stick to the bowl. You can add cheese instaed of butter or do them without the addition of either. They will not blow up I promise. I would never use a pan again,this is so easy and makes perfect scrambled eggs,and they are done by the time the toast is buttered. Actually it is the only thing I actually cook in the microwave, we use it for re heating. Trust me and have a go. XX Jeannine

[manicscousers]

scrambled egg, porridge, baked potatoes, beautifully cooked fish..I think that's all apart from heating up and defrosting  :)

[Marymary]

All the above plus baked beans, frozen peas, white sauce & custard - oh yes & melitng chocolate.

[Marymary]

PS at work people put dishclothes in the dishwasher.  Mine came with specific instructions not to so I don't.  :)