photo by DDFic
I keep salt or de-icer pellets in my garage in a bag or bucket. I’m going to use the first tip to do my front walkway with ease. It’s much easier than my reusable scoop or a large plastic cup. A spreader is great for large areas, but a shaker is handy for smaller jobs.

SALT SHAKER: I live in New England, and, as you can imagine, we get snow and ice. I was thinking about what items I should keep in my car. Obviously, I have my cell phone, a blanket, a flashlight, stuff like that. We always need rock salt. But who wants to carry a huge amount with them? Not me! Use a large, empty grated-cheese container. It’s perfect. It has a sprinkle or pour spout and will fit just nicely inside an emergency kit. — Kristen, Connecticut
Added note: They’re great to hold baking soda, too.

ORGANIZED CHRISTMAS: We included a big empty box when we opened gifts, plus one empty box for each person to put the gift in when opened. It worked so well. There’s no mess to pick up after the gifts were opened. Everyone put the trash in the big box and their gift in their own box to take to their rooms when it was all done. Clean up was fast and easy! — Patty A., Utah

CLEAN LINT TRAP: If you use dryer sheets, take the used one and it will help remove all of the lint from your lint trap. Don’t forget to keep it clean so your dryer will work properly. — Carol, e-mail

REUSE PLANT STAND: I reuse a vintage plant stand on my buffet table during parties. I repainted it, and it holds a stack of dishes, pies, plates of cookies, vegetable platters, etc. It’s three-feet tall, so it doesn’t take up valuable table space. Mine is a vintage wrought-iron spiral stand, but you could use any type with tiers or shelves. The type with shelves would look nice in any room for stacked books, CDs, etc., or in the bathroom to hold towels, shampoo, soap, etc. — Dorie, e-mail

SAVE ENERGY: If you use the self-cleaning option on your oven, do it right after you’ve baked so the oven doesn’t have to reheat. — Sarah, Illinois

FOR CLEANING: I went to the automotive department instead of the cleaning aisle and bought a package of twenty-five 15-by-15-inch microfiber cloths. They’re cheaper there. I use these to clean up spots on the carpet, clean the windows, dust the house, and, of course, you can use them for your car, as well. They last forever because once they get dirty, just toss them into your laundry hamper, wash and reuse over and over. — Michele, Tennessee

NO SPOTS ON WINDOWS: For my big picture window, I have been known to put Rain-X on it, just like I would put on my windshield on my car. It makes the rain bead. — Misti, New Mexico

CLEAN COMPUTER MONITOR: My son scribbled on my computer screen with permanent marker. I wasn’t sure how I would ever get it off. I used rubbing alcohol, and it came right off. Of course, after I admitted what happened to my husband, he said I could have used toothpaste or a pencil eraser, too. Hope this might help someone else. — Kellie J., Indiana

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