Now Here’s a Tip – April 11, 2023

#MiddleburyCT

• Rub hands with lemon slices to get rid of onion or fish smells. Afterward, you can put the lemon slices down your garbage disposal unit with a few ice cubes to get rid of smells there, too.
• Here’s a great way to get a longer life out of a bar of soap: Press the plastic top of a pop bottle into the side of a wet bar of soap. When you set the bar down in your soap dish, put it plastic side down. This way, the bar doesn’t sit in any residual water and turn into a goopy mush. The plastic top comes out easily if you need to remove it. – Y.P. in Illinois
• Nylon stocking strips are great and work really well in the garden. If you have a pair that has a run, chop them up into pieces. You can use them to tie up staked plants, as they are strong but gentle enough to not cause any harm. – E.S. in Wisconsin
• Reduce your energy costs of drying clothes by hanging heavy items (think towels, throw blankets, jeans, sweats) for a few hours to air dry before popping them in the dryer. You can cut the drying time by as much as two-thirds, and still get that tumble-dried softness. – M.N. in Missouri
• Keep a kitchen timer near your phone so you can limit the length of long-distance calls. They can add up quickly if you don’t watch it!
• Renew your paintbrushes with this trick: Heat vinegar to boiling. Pour into a tall, narrow container that won’t melt. Add hardened brushes, bristle side down. Stick a pencil through the hole in the paintbrush handle and balance it across the top of the container. It keeps the bristles from bending in the bottom of the container. Let brushes soak until vinegar is cooled. Use a wire brush to clean.

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