Home Improvement : Helpful Hints for House

Around the house:

--Wash dusty glass shelves, fruit bowls, vases, ashtrays and ceramic pieces in dishwasher to renew their sparkle. Delicate objects should be washed by hand.

--Thaw seafood, meat or poultry in refrigerator or use the defrost setting of your microwave. Never thaw these foods at room temperature because it will promote the growth of bacteria on the outside of the product even if the food remains frozen inside.

--Paint every other step of a staircase. This will enable you to climb the unpainted steps as the wet surfaces dry; finish the rest of the stairs when first phase of painting is dry.

--Mark canned goods with date before putting away. Rotate the most recent canned items toward the back, moving the oldest purchases toward the front.

--Keep fabric-softener sheets in hamper, wastebaskets, dresser drawers and under humidifier vents to eliminate musty smells.

--Plastic grocery bags can be recycled as “diaper pails,� rain bonnets and counter-top garbage bags for things like potato peels, eggshells and empty cat-food cans.

In the garden:

--Save stalks, leaves and other leftovers from the summer harvest for the compost pile. Compost enriches soil and increases its ability to hold moisture. Do not compost diseased plant matter.