10-Minute Life Fixes

I’ve never written to a magazine, but at age 83, I had to let you know that I’d been battling the charred bottom of my favorite pot and was about to give up. I’ve gone through so many “this will do it” fixes, but boiling a dishwasher tablet in the pot is the one that finally worked. I’m so grateful

for this small paragraph in your magazine.

—Pat Iliff

Forest, Virginia

Your method to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit will give a rough conversion. Go one step further for more accuracy: After doubling the Celsius temperature and adding 30, count the number of tens above or below 50 in the result and respectively subtract or add that number to find the Fahrenheit equivalent. So: (0°C × 2) + 30 = 30; 30 + 2 = 32°F. Or (100°C × 2) + 30 = 230; 230 − 18 = 212°F. With practice, you’ll convert in your head faster than the display at the bank can! —David Miller

San Jose, California