photo by jams_123

DEAR SARA: How do you handle the mess of winter boots? Ugh, already the entryway is a mess from winter boots dragging in the snow, dirt and mud. I have a small carpet at the door, but it’s not helping much. — Cindy, e-mail

DEAR CINDY: Try keeping a boot scraper, a boot tray and a doormat outside in addition to your doormat indoors. I also use a clear vinyl carpet runner in my entryway during the winter months, and I wipe it down with a towel that I’ve designated for this purpose. A mop would work well, too.

DEAR SARA: I have an icky smell in the house. The house lately just has this horrid odor that’s like smelly feet mixed with the smell of rubber. We open windows and spray perfume, and I washed a huge section of carpet that I thought might be the cause, but that didn’t work, either. Any ideas? — Heather, California

DEAR HEATHER: I can’t say for certain without being in your house, but it sounds like it could be coming from either shoes or your bathroom plunger. I’d buy a new plunger and discard the old one. As for the shoes, you can try a few different methods to get rid of odor. Use crumpled newspaper or baking soda inside the shoes, or pour kitty litter into a spare sock and place that in the shoes. I would put the shoes outside to dry, and air out old shoes, too.

DEAR SARA: If it ever stops raining on the weekends, I am going to have a garage sale. Here’s my dilemma: I have so many videos. When we moved, we sold about 50 of them. I kept about 50 as well. They are favorites of ours, but to be completely honest, we never watch them. I have to put them in the garage-sale box. I know I have to. I just can’t part with them. Help me! Give me some motivation! Even if I sell them for $1 a video, that’s $50. I’m drowning in videos. — Amy, New Jersey

DEAR AMY: Earmark the money you make from selling them for something you want. It’ll give you something to look forward to. Or donate them, and know that someone will enjoy them and benefit from your kindness and generosity. Enjoy your extra space once they’re gone.

DEAR SARA: What type of duster do you recommend? — Arianna, Nevada

DEAR ARIANNA: Ostrich-feather dusters are my favorite. They are light and dust well. To clean them, simply shake them out. I’ve successfully used lambswool and electrostatic dusters and microfiber cloths, too. If you want to buy only one duster, consider one that has an extendable handle to reach ceilings, walls, corners and doorframes. Try to avoid the cheap colored feather dusters. The feathers tend to break and can scratch some surfaces.

DEAR SARA: I read that you use dishrags more than paper towels to clean up your kitchen. I’m thinking of transferring over, but how do you use them? Just water and then you wipe everything down? How do you know it’s really clean? This may sound silly, but for some reason I am very concerned about this. — Hannah, via e-mail

DEAR HANNAH: I got rid of my sponges and converted over to a dish brush, and I use dishrags. I use a bleach-based cleaner on the counters with a wet dishcloth and then dry it with a dry dishcloth if needed, and I launder them after soaking them in a bleach/water container. I use a fresh one daily.

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