Sensible Fingernail Care Without Cost

Now I am a bloke but I have lovely fingernails and I don't use any chemicals, have never had a manicure in my life and have never had any problems at all with ailments throughout my life. Don't get me wrong, I had always done the housework, vacuuming, dusting scrubbing, hands immersed in washing up liquid etc. It is not as if my nails have been protected from the wear and tear of daily work routines. So why am I writing about nails? It is purely from the fact that I see so much written on nail care but the prime reason is to sell mainly chemical based products that in my own mind aren't needed.

Apart from the fashion side of nail painting (that's another genre) general nail care can do without all this commercial garbage that is thrown out all the time. I put it down to a healthy diet and regular trimming of the nails. It really interests that the vast majority of information about nail care involves buying chemical products to treat fingernails from parties that are interested in profit rather than care.

I have however found some little tips from other that don’t involve buying products that have been marketed to make you think you can't do without them.

• Cut a lemon or lime it in half, squeeze the juices in a cup and rub inside of the lemon/lime onto your nails. This will make your nails stronger. Do this every day and then reduce it after a week or so. Apparently it makes your nails stronger and really works!

• Take clove of garlic cut it in half and rub it on your nails once a day. This is another tip for strengthening fingernails!

• Fingernail care is through a well planned and balanced diet is the best way to get your nails in tiptop condition. The right kind of foods added in your regular diet can easily bring your fingernails to a great appearance. However, remember that nails are made of keratin (a protein) this enables the nails to protect your fingers and toes from injuries. A poor diet will reflect itself in weak and brittle nails.

• Soak your fingers in a bowl filled with mild soapy water this will soften your cuticles. After around 10 minutes, dry your hands and gently push back the skin and cuticle of each fingernail.

• Splitting nails is often traced back to dehydration. It is important to drink plenty of water and regularly to keep your hydration levels up.

• If you trim your nails regularly this will avoid them breaking off. The pointed tip of your fingernail will break off mostly so cut your fingernails in a squared or rounded shape.

Do you need to spend hundreds of pounds on nailcare proucts of go for a manicure once a week/month? If you look after your own health this shouldn't be necessary, but then you may just got for the treat that's fine.

Cold and Flu - Cost Free Tips on How to Avoid Them

Having a cold or flu isn't very pleasant at all, not least is the fact that you will be spreading the germs around yourself no and affecting other people in your environment. Prevention can be practiced that is completely free and is always better than a cure. This is especially this case where there is no known cure for the common cold or flu!

Warding off colds and flu is the best policy, it saves you suffering, other people suffering and of course saving money from medication and loss of work. Getting a flu job from your local general practitioner is a good starting block, it may not be the most natural way of dealing with it, but it is normally free and works. There are many other things you can do to prevent you from getting a cold or the flu, even if you take a few of these on board the risks of infection will be reduced.

Direct contact is the main reason for contracting flu. A sneeze into the hand and a touch on the telephone, the computer keyboard or even a door handle will get you if you follow up with a touch there yourself. Germs can survive on surfaces for weeks. If wash your hands often this will prevent infecting objects. Even rubbing your hands together causing heat from the friction will kill bacteria, so a hand-basin doesn't have to be around all the time.

As mentioned viruses and germs cling to your hands as you invariably muffle coughs and sneezes with your hands. If you feel a sneeze or cough coming on, use a tissue and dispose of it right away, (we throw ours in the wood burner.) If there is no tissue, sneeze or cough away from people (which is courteous as well) or into your hands and immediately wash them. Your eyes, nose, or mouth is where viruses and germ enter your body. If you touch other peoples' faces this is the main area in which people catch colds.

An underrated precaution and something that should be done on a regular basis is drinking water. Water flushes your system, as well as re-hydrating you it detoxifies your system. If you check the colour of your urine and it deep yellow, you need to drink more water until it runs clear. Many people just don't practice this and it is such a simple and effective precaution to take. As well as water, access to fresh air is recommended. It is not always possible, but if you have the means to do so, get some it's important, especially in cold weather. There are so many people who stay indoors with their central heating and air conditioning this generates more germs. Get out and breathe germ-less air.

Speeding up your heart to pump larger quantities of blood can be achieved by doing aerobic exercise, this helps transfer oxygen from your lungs to your blood. You begin to sweat once your body heats up and your natural virus-killing cells will become more active with fighting off any attack of germs or viruses it comes across.

The food you eat makes a difference. The natural chemicals in plants give essential vitamins giving a boost to your immune system. If you eat more fresh vegetables and fruits this will also reduce the risk of infection. Living in Bulgaria I know all about yogurt, the bacteria that makes yogurt can only be found naturally in Bulgaria. Of course it is now cultured worldwide. Yogurt can reduce the risk of catching a cold by up to 25%. Researchers results show that the beneficial bacteria in yogurt stimulate production of immune system that fights diseases such as colds and the flu.

Smoking and drinking are two areas that are causes of colds and flu. It is a well-know fact that if you are a heavy smoker you are more likely to get more frequent and severe colds. The reason is that smoke dries out your nasal passages and restricts the effectiveness of the natural defences designed to keep germs out. Research has proved that just one cigarette smoked can bring down the natural defences from viruses for up 40 minutes. No defence at any time for chain smokers with this in mind. The body's primary filtering system is your liver; drinking large amounts of alcohol will cause germs to remain in your body for longer than usual. Heavy drinkers therefore are likely to be more prone to infections. Alcohol actually takes more fluids from your system. This effectively dehydrates you system. A bit like taking water out of your body. If you do drink, make sure you interweave the drinking with glasses of water to combat this.

The final tip is all about stress. Stress is a common symptom for most people but excessive stress contributes greatly to efficiency of you immune system. If you can teach yourself to relax your immune system will improve. It will increase in the bloodstream and renew your bodies fighting potential against germs and viruses. Find pleasant or calm things to do for half an hour a day and sustain this for six months. Relaxation is something you have to learn is not about doing nothing but doing something that distracts your attention and puts you at ease. There is a difference between being relaxed and being bored. It has been tested and was found that being bored has no affect on the immune system whereas being relaxed does.

All these tips cost absolutely nothing to practise and not only will help prevent you getting a cold or flu but will make you a healthier person as well.

Take Pains with Stains - You'll Save Money

Stains happen, especially in an environment with children and pets, in fact it is common with this scenario. If have a good understanding and knowledge of dealing with stains, in most cases you will avoid big costs on replacing the stained object.

Most stains can be easily removed directly after it happens. Getting in quick makes a big difference between removing a stubborn dried in stain compared to the ease of a fresh one, but not in haste as will be explained. Dealing with a stain in the middle of a social evening with guests may seem a little rude, but you will be very glad you did at the end of the day.

Initially you need to know what stain it is. From this you can find the most effective method to remove it. Stains come under categories, try and work out which category of the stain it is. Sometimes this is difficult, especially if you can't identify the stain. Look closely at the stain before tackling it. Ask yourself questions:

• Is it Oily or Greasy?
• Does it smell?
• It is some sort of food or drink?
• Is it wet or dry?
• Has it been absorbed through the fabric or is it still just on the surface?

You also need to check out kind of fabric the stain is on. This is imperative to judging the correct method of removing the stain.

It is a good idea to always have certain handy stain removal facilities. These can be things like lemon juice, white vinegar, baking soda and bleach. A good supply of kitchen towels is also a good idea to have at hand. Stain removers are available commercially and are specific to dealing with certain types of stains. They are expensive however and money is effectively wasted stocking when many basic household items work just as well. There is one exception; a general dry cleaning product is the exception alongside a spot remover which will deal with carpets and other upholstery.

Initially, use the mildest stain remover; why go in the full attack if a little bit of water on a cloth will solve the problem? You can use more powerful methods if the initial attack has failed. Repetition of the process may be needed bearing in mind that the stronger the cleaning product, the chances of damaging your fabric will increase.

The worse thing you can do is panic! Stains will happen at the wrong time and on the most important fabrics. Be calm and decide a removal plan thoughtfully, then work on it using the correct system. Bear in mind that there are very few instances where hard scrubbing is required. A slow gentle removal is far more effective and certainly less damaging to the surfaces,

There is one exception to the rushing rule and that is dealing with mud. It is best to left until dry, then it can be easily removed by brushed off before cleaning int the normal way. Always check the label on material based products, don't assume that every fabric is washable.

A very common mistake with rushing in to tackle a stain is to not go through the process of a spot-test. Stain removers and solvents can ruin fabrics in some cases as the stain can end up worse. So it is always worth your while to spot-test in an area not seen. This is important if you are going to use a bleach of any sort. Keep a few scraps of carpets and curtains so you can test them before tackling the stain.

A Final point to remember:
Care with the chemicals you are using is a must; they can be very dangerous if misused. Turpentine and white spirit are highly flammable as well as being also poisonous. Bleach products should never be mixed as chemical reactions can turn out to produce lethal fumes. Always check the area is well ventilated and try to avoid inhaling any fumes. In some cases protective clothing and eye gear is recommended. The manufacturers know their products so take their advice and follow the instructions and keep any chemicals carefully locked away and secure out of harm's way, and especially out of the reach of children and pets.