Little Problems, Big Solutions
28 ways to put an end to life抯 small annoyances

While we often meet life’s big problems with fortitude, it’s the little things, like wax dripped onto our best tablecloth and stickers melded to glasses, that drive us crazy. Try these simple solutions to make life run more smoothly.

Kitchen Smarts
1 Make friends with your can of vegetable oil spray. Among its uses: Spray it on measuring spoons, and sticky foods like honey or molasses will easily slide off. Use the oil on knives before chopping dates or dried apricots, and spray it onto graters before shredding cheese.

2 Remember, eggshell attracts eggshell. If you drop a piece of shell into whatever you’re cooking, the fastest and easiest way to fish it out is to use another piece of eggshell: It acts like a magnet.

3 Discover the power of the potato. Too much salt in the soup? Drop in a peeled potato to absorb the excess. (Throw away the potato before serving.)

4 Wipe out garlic. If you hate the smell of garlic on your hands when you’re cooking, rub them on a stainless steel bowl after peeling the cloves. The smell will disappear.

5 Cake mix equals no-stick. When a cake recipe calls for dusting the pan with flour, Robbie Haferkamp of Englewood, Ohio, uses a bit of the dry cake mix instead. When the cake is served, there won’t be white flour on the outside to mar its appearance.

6 Fight fat. Reduce the amount of fat in homemade soups and gravies by refrigerating them. The fat will rise to the top and can be easily spooned off before reheating.

7 Stock up on standbys. Always have a box of instant mashed potatoes in your cupboard to thicken sauces and stews. The flakes will take on the flavor of whatever you’re cooking.

8 Say goodbye to wax. To remove candle wax from a tablecloth or carpet, place a paper towel over the wax and quickly run a warm iron over the spot, which will cause the wax to adhere to the paper. Continue moving the paper around until all the wax is gone. If a stain remains, use dry-cleaning solvent to take it out.

9 Dried beans can clean. Clean a narrow-necked container, such as a vase, by pouring in a handful of uncooked rice or dried beans. Add a small amount of dish soap and water and shake.

10 Spill some salt. According to the Salt Institute (yes, there is such an organization), salt is good for absorbing spills in ovens and on stovetops. Simply sprinkle the spill with salt, then wait until the stove is cool to sweep up the mess. If you’re trying to clean up a spill inside the oven, make sure it’s turned off.

11 Take hints from the barber shop. Use a shaving brush to dust the tops of books.

12 Shower curtain SOS. Clean shower liners and curtains by sticking them in the washing machine and hanging them back up to dry.

13 Blot out lipstick murals. Have the kids discovered how to make lipstick drawings on your walls? Take the advice of the Maids International, a professional cleaning franchise. Scrape off the excess lipstick with a soft spatula, then mix one part white vinegar to two parts water and gently blot the stain away.

14 No more sticky situations. Remove stickers from glass by rubbing with a bit of cooking oil.

15 Give bubble gum the deep freeze. The best way to remove chewing gum from a surface is to freeze it, then scrape it away with a knife. Rub an ice cube on the item if it’s too large to stick in the freezer.

16 Picture-perfect organization. Organize your negatives by storing them in a ma-nila envelope glued to the back page of each photo album.

17 Pack it up. If you don’t have enough room in your home to store all your off-season clothes, many dry cleaners will store them for the cost of cleaning.

18 Tuck it away. Keep sets of bed linens together by folding the top and bottom sheets and one pillowcase, then tucking all of them into the remaining pillowcase.

19 Stop wasting time. Put folded, unused trash bags at the bottom of each wastebasket. They’ll be ready to use next time you empty the garbage.

20 Throw it out. Barbara Hemphill, author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever, practices what she calls the “Art of Wastebasketry.” Control clutter by asking the following questions about each piece of paper in your house: Does it require action? Can I identify a specific use for it? Is it difficult to obtain again? Is it recent enough to be useful? Are there tax or legal implications if I toss it? If the answer is “No,” ask: What is the worst possible thing that will happen if I throw this away? If you can live with your answer, toss it or, even better, recycle it.

Clothing Ease
21 Smooth sailing. Rub a candle stub along the teeth of zippers to make them glide more smoothly, says Alice Sessions of Spearfish, South Dakota. (This trick can also be used on windows that stick.)

22 Add polish. When you buy a new garment, put a touch of clear nail polish on the center of each button. This will seal the threads.

23 Save on softener. Mary Hunt, moneysaving guru and editor of www.cheapskatemonthly.com, saves money on clothes dryer sheets by making her own. Mix equal portions of regular (not concentrate) liquid fabric softener with hot water in a spray bottle. After add-ing clothes to the dryer, give a washcloth several spritzes with the mixture and toss it in.

24 Rub out lint. Use rubber gloves to remove lint from clothes.

Make Your Life Easier
25 Bag it. Don’t have someone to care for your plants while you’re on vacation? Many plants can be left for up to a week without water if they are put into plastic bags, where evaporation from the leaves is recycled inside the sealed bag. To do this, tent plants inside a large plastic bag by using wiring from an old lampshade, and make sure the plastic isn’t touching the plants’ leaves. Also be sure to cut small ventilation slits in the bag.

26 Minute manicure. If you snag a fingernail and don’t have a nail file handy, head to the nearest bathroom with tiled walls. You can smooth the rough spot by rubbing your nail back and forth across the grout between the tiles. You can also use the rough side of a matchbook.

27 Cool candles. Store candles in the freezer before using. They’ll burn longer and drip less.

28 Stock up. Don’t wait until a holiday or birthday to buy gifts. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, Ph.D., author of The Well-Ordered Home: Organizing Techniques for Inviting Serenity into Your Life, recommends establishing a “gift cupboard” where you can store items you find throughout the year. This will allow you to buy gifts on sale and before you need them.