Now Here’s a Tip – Jan. 7, 2020

#Middlebury

• Mayonnaise can stand in for cooking oil in a recipe. Use in an equal amount. It works especially well in brownies.
• “When flossing, cut a length of floss, then tie the loose ends together. Now you have a circle and can hold it open with your fingers rather than wrapping the loose ends around your fingers and cutting off the circulation. All it takes is a little tension on the circle to keep the line taut.” – C.E. in Kentucky
• “If you have to wash dishes by hand, here’s a tip for rinsing utensils: Clean silverware together and toss into a colander. Then you can rinse the whole thing together instead of each fork, knife or spoon. This will save time, and water.” – M.V. in Ohio
• Apply car wax to shower walls to keep soap scum from hanging around. Petroleum jelly can be used in shower-door tracks to lubricate them, since it won’t wash away easily.
• “I like to use metal cans for storage in my shop. To make them safer, I file the rims and dip them in a shallow disk of melted wax. When the wax hardens, it fills in all the potential jagged edges that might lead to a small cut.” – F.J. in Florida
• Here’s a fun plumbing trick: Use a wad of soft white bread (centers only) to plug up a pipe you are working on. The bread disintegrates quickly but will stop up any trickle of water long enough for you to seal two pipes together.

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