HELPFUL HINTS

DEAR HELOISE: It’s easy enough to clean the blades on my small pocketknife with multiple- tool attachment, but through the years, gunk has gotten inside the knife at the base of the blades. What is the best way to clean my knife?

— Melissa M., via email DEAR READER: Fill a bowl with warm water and a small amount of soap. Hold the knife with both hands and dip the gunk- filled base in the water. Open and close each tool and blade to get the water and soap into all the spaces. If there still is some gunk left, grab a cotton swab and some denatured alcohol ( which evaporates faster than rubbing alcohol) to remove any remaining stubborn dirt and grime.

Once dry, apply a drop ( just a drop!) of light oil to all the hinges.

DEAR READERS: Here are two more reader responses about how to safely make a coffee maker slide on the counter:

Julie P. in Springfield, Ohio, wrote: “I placed small furniture felt pads under mine.”

Shirley L. in Farmingdale, Maine, wrote: “I am surprised that no one suggested using felt pads.”

Well, you both — along with many other readers — did suggest the felt pads, so I thought it was worth mentioning, because it is a great ( and safe) hint. Try placing felt pads on all of your heavy kitchen equipment

DEAR HELOISE: I used a rag to apply dark- brown liquid fabric dye to the scratches on our wooden kitchen table. I let it dry for several hours, wiped off the excess, then applied a coat of paste wax. After the wax dried, I buffed it with a dry cloth until shiny. It looks like new. This was a very inexpensive fix using two items that I already had.

— Myra E., via email

DEAR HELOISE: We gave our parents a handwoven table runner with fringe on both ends. Mom keeps a wide- toothed comb in a drawer to straighten the fringe when it gets messy. This is a hint that can be used for pillows and rugs as well. — Eleanor and Beth,

via email

DEAR HELOISE: Sewing buttons back on a shirt after the thread comes loose is one of my least favorite things. Solution: Put clear nail polish on the thread while it’s sewn securely. Reapply as needed.

— Kathy M., via email

Send a money- or time- saving hint to Heloise, P. O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279- 5000; fax to ( 210) 435- 6473; or email Heloise@Heloise.com