Knife gunk gets dunked; felt pads make appliances easy to move

Dear Heloise: I read your column every day in The Washington Post.

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

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.—Heloise

FELT PADS 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. It’s safe, and the pot slides easily!”

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

SCRATCH REPAIR Dear Heloise: I used a rag to apply dark-brown liquid fabric dye to the scratches of wear and tear 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 on hand.—Myra E., via email

FRINGE STRAIGHTENER Dear Heloise: We gave our parents a handwoven table runner with fringe on both ends. Mom keeps a widetoothed comb in a drawer to straighten the fringe when it gets messy. We thought this is a terrific hint that can be used for fringed pillows and rugs as well.—Eleanor and Beth, via email