photo by Robert Brook

In my house, my husband is the master jar and bottle opener. Sometimes, I don’t even have a chance to try to open one. If he sees a jar on the counter that I’m about to use, he’ll just open it for me. I like the first tip for those times he’s not around to be my jar- and bottle-opening hero.

BOTTLE GRIP: I sometimes have trouble opening plastic soft-drink bottles. I’ve found that wrapping a wide rubber band around the bottle cap two or three times makes a good jar wrench. And it’s easy to carry a rubber band in my purse or have one handy in my desk drawer. (It does need to be a wide rubber band; the thin ones don’t work.) — Eileen Hogan, Texas

TRAP DISPOSAL: If you don’t want to deal with a snap trap with a mouse in it, put the mouse trap in a small paper bag to begin with and then toss the bag, trap and dead mouse all together. — Russ, Michigan

NO-SLIP HANGERS: I was looking for a way to fix my hangers so my shirts wouldn’t slide off at the shoulders. I bought a 1/4-inch roll of weatherizing tape that is used to go around doors. The tape is like a gray spongy material with a peel-off sticky side. I proceeded to cut 3-inch pieces and stick them to the outer edges of my hangers. It keeps my clothes from sliding off. — Jackie Frasier, Michigan
Sara’s note: Thick rubber bands will work, too. Just wrap them around the two ends.

CUT GREASE: Cola works wonders to cut grease in the laundry. My ex-husband worked in the oil industry years ago, and I purchased many products for greasy clothes. Someone told me to pour a can of cola in with the detergent, and it cut the crude oil completely. Sounds strange, but it works! — cmitch1961, e-mail

REUSE FORMULA CAN: Keep toilet paper dry when camping by putting it in an empty baby-formula can. It fits perfectly in the can. Maybe not the big rolls, but regular rolls do. — Sarah, Illinois

DRYER MAINTENANCE: Many dryers fail because the heating element burns out due to high temperatures or even fires. I’m sure everyone has cleaned out the lint trap, but you may not have noticed that you should wash it with warm water regularly, too. There is an invisible film (the greasy feeling on your fingers after cleaning out the screen) that blocks the screen and can lead to a less efficient dryer and possible fire. — Devin, forums

FREE WORKSHOPS: Home Depot has great free workshops for kids ages 5 to 12. They’re held on the first Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Some of the projects include making a picture frame and birdhouse. — Claire L., Texas
Sara’s note: They have DIY workshops for adults, too. There are even workshops geared specifically for women. They call them the do-it-herself workshops. Call your local store for details. Lowe’s holds workshops, too. https://www.lowesbuildandgrow.com/

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