TIPS YOUR GRANDMOTHER WOULD HAVE GIVEN YOU

• Spray a straw handbag with fabric protector to prevent it from getting dingy.
• To freshen up dry-clean only clothes, toss them in the dryer with a dryer sheet and a damp washcloth for about 10 minutes.
• If you are on your way out the door and are having static problems, just grab a metal hanger and rub it between you and the article of clothing. The hanger will remove the static electricity.
• The reason the edges of steaks curl up when cooking is that the fat around the edges tightens up as it cooks, thus forcing the meat to curl up. If you want to avoid this problem, cut slits in the fat all the way around the meat before cooking.
• Clean dirty pencil erasers by sanding them on the side of an emery board.
• Dry wet mittens by pulling them over the bottom of a small jar. Place the open end of the jar over a heat duct.
• Use hairspray on the sticky residue left on a bottle or jar from a label. Wash with warm, soapy water. Repeat if necessary.
• If you hate it when bacon curls up in the pan, try dipping the bacon in cold water first. This should make the pieces turn out nice and flat.
• To keep flannels soft, add a teaspoon of olive oil to the wash. The oil helps keep the materials soft.
• Make a cake glaze from a potato by boiling it and mixing with 1/8 cup confectioner's sugar and vanilla.
• Hang on to the corks that you are leftover from wine bottles. They can be used to clean and shine the blades of kitchen knives.
• If you are doing a project that may get your shirtsleeves dirty, try this tip: Cut the elastic part off a pair of socks and pull them up over your shirtsleeves.