NOW HERE'S A TIP

By JoAnn Derson

¥ "Fill a quart-size zip-lock bag with water and double-bag it, making sure there is no air in the bag. Place it inside the toilet tank, on the opposite side from the pump. Secure it there, if you can. This will displace some of the water when you flush, and you will use less water as a consequence." -- E.S. in Florida

¥ If you have a stained porcelain sink, try using it to soak your stained garments. The presoak can do double duty on the stained sink and washables alike.

¥ To make your own breadcrumbs without a chopper or blender, place dry bread pieces in a plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to "roll" them into crumbs.

¥ Save water in the shower by using your kitchen timer, set for no more than 5 minutes. If you can find a digital one, you will know better how much time you have left. After a little while, you almost don't need the timer.

¥ "If you seal your jelly jars with wax, here's a good tip: Place a small piece of string into the wax before it hardens. Then, you'll be able to pull on the string to remove the wax when you're ready to enjoy your homemade goodies!" -- U.L. in Maine

¥ Laundry stain removers can be good to remove stains from concrete drives. For instance, my relatives' car was leaking, and I was able to get the stains from my pavers by using a spray-and-wash stain remover I borrowed from the laundry room. It worked very well. -- S.E. in Arkansas

Send your tips to Now Here's a Tip, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475 or e-mail JoAnn at heresatip@yahoo.com.

(c) 2011 King Features Synd., Inc.