London - Whether your glasses are loose or the sole’s come off your stiletto, don’t be tempted to ditch your favourite accessories when they get damaged - there’s often a clever quick fix you can use to repair them in a flash...
Ink splodges on handbags
Don’t panic - there are several ways you can tackle those inevitable ballpoint pen marks on your handbag.
To clean the fabric lining, spritz the pen mark lightly with hair spray. The solvent in the spray should start to dissolve the ink and make it easier to remove. Dab the damp stain with a clean cloth or paper towel, and keep lightly spritzing and blotting (don’t soak the mark with hairspray or the stain will spread) until the ink is removed.
To remove a pen mark from the leather exterior, first try a baby wipe. The mild detergent and moisturiser in the wipe can often help to fade a fresh mark.
If that doesn’t work, try rubbing it gently with a tiny amount of cuticle removing gel on a cotton ball. (You should test the gel on an area that doesn’t show first, to see what the final result will be).
Most cuticle gels are highly alkaline, which means they can dissolve a very fine top layer of the leather and hopefully take the stain with it. Remove the gel with mild soapy water on a clean cloth and wipe over with clean water as soon as the mark fades.
You may need to restore some shine with a leather treatment once the bag is dry. If you can’t remove the mark, try covering it up with a leather repair touch-up kit.
Loose clip-on earrings
Your clip-on earrings may have become loose, but you don’t have to bin them, say the costume jewellery experts Eternal Collection in Pitlochry, Scotland.
Remove the tongue section of the clip from the back of the earring by squeezing either side of it to release it from its hinge. The three prongs on the clip should be aligned if the earring is to clamp on to the ear firmly.
If the middle prong has become raised - which often happens when clip-ons get loose - place the clip on the back of an upturned fork, so that the two outside prongs are sitting on the back of the fork tines and the middle prong is over the gap between them.
Using the back of a cutlery knife, gently press down the middle prong to align with the others. A quick squeeze to pop the clip back into its hinge, and your earrings should snap closed and fitsnugly.
Squashed hat
If your favourite wool or felt hat gets squashed, it’s easier than you think to repair it, says milliner Rosie Olivia of rosieolivia millinery.com.
Steam your hat with a handheld steamer or hold it in the steam of a boiling kettle - taking care not to scald yourself - for 30 seconds. The steam will soften up the ‘size’ - the stiffening agent used to give wool and felt hats their shape.
Reshape the hat with your hands while it is still damp. Place the hat on a blown-up balloon or stuff the crown with tissue paper. As it dries, it will stiffen up.
Glasses slipping off
Constantly taking a favourite pair of glasses or sunglasses off and on or - even worse - wearing them on the top of your head, can all too quickly loosen their fit. If your glasses are starting to slide down your nose, follow these simple tips for tightening them up.
First, try tightening the tiny screws that keep the arms attached to the glasses, using a small specialist screwdriver from an optician or chemist.
If the glasses are still loose, optician David Hutchfield from online retailer glassesdirect.co.uk says you need to gently bend the arms.
Plastic and metal arms will need a little heat to make them flexible enough to mould into a new shape, so heat one of the arms, halfway along, for only 20 seconds with a hot hairdryer.
Once the arm has warmed up (not so hot you can’t touch it), gently bend it a little, holding it in its new position for a few seconds as it cools to set the new shape.
Try the glasses on, and if they are still loose, heat the opposite arm and bend it in the same way. Repeat until you have the fit you want.
Tarnished silver jewellery
You can use this clever, but oh-so-simple chemistry trick to remove tarnish from silver jewellery.
Line a deep, heat-proof glass bowl or ceramic casserole dish with a sheet of aluminium foil. Place your tarnished items on top of the foil.
Sprinkle over a tablespoon of baking powder then pour in a litre of boiling water (the boiling water will froth up, so it’s best to do this in the sink), and the tarnish will start to disappear.
This works because tarnish is created by silver sulphide forming on the surface of the silver.
Aluminium has a greater affinity to sulphur than silver, however, so when the hot baking soda solution is applied, the sulphur on the silver transfers itself to the aluminium foil. Lightly tarnished items should be clean and sparkly in a matter of minutes. Heavily tarnished items may need a second treatment. Then rinse your jewellery and buff with a soft cloth.
Shoe soles come unstuck
You don’t need to spend a small fortune at a cobbler’s to fix a loose rubber sole on your stilettoes.
Clean the two surfaces that need to be stuck back together to remove dust and grime, then apply a layer of strong, flexible, waterproof glue.
Most importantly, you need to clamp the sole to the shoe while the glue ‘cures’ for 24 hours, so stuff the shoe with newspaper and place two elastic bands around the sole for a long-lasting repair.
Tangled necklaces
To untangle the seemingly impossible knots in a necklace, lay the chain on a plate and pour a little vegetable oil over the knotted area.
Place a pin in the centre of the knot, then swirl the tangled chain around. The oil will swiftly lubricate the links and allow them to loosen their grip on one another.
As the chain starts to untangle, you can use your fingers to finish the job. Wash the chain with soap and warm water.
Stiff zips
Got a stiff zip on your handbag or purse? Rubbing the graphite end of pencil, lip balm or wax crayon along the teeth should lubricate the zip, reduce friction and make it much easier to open and close.
Start with the zipper pulled up and rub the pencil, balm or wax on the closed teeth, just below the zip, as you inch the zipper down.
If you lose the tab on your zip, a paper clip makes a handy emergency replacement. Long-term, a small charm or keyring is a more decorative yet practical solution.
* ALWAYS test these techniques on a small, unobtrusive area to check they’re right for your particular item.
Daily Mail