M., via email

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? —

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. —

Felt pads Melissa Heloise

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.”

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. Coffee is such a universal drink, and I have numerous hints and recipes in my Heloise’s Flavored Coffees and Teas pamphlet. To order one, go online to www.Heloise.com, or send $3 and a long, selfaddressed, stamped (68 cents) envelope to: Heloise/Coffee, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001.

Try placing felt pads on all of your heavy kitchen equipment for easier movement on the counter. —

Heloise 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 wide-toothed 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

P.S. Mom and I read your column in the Waco (Texas) Tribune-Herald.

Tighten buttons

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 still sewn securely. Reapply as needed. No more loose buttons. —

Kathy M., via email