New Uses for Old Things

Slice Cheese with Dental Floss

A clever way to repurpose an everyday item.Original purpose: Cleaning teeth and gums.

Aha! use: Slicing soft cheese, cake, and hard-boiled eggs. (Or try it as a substitute for kitchen twine to truss a chicken.) It's hygienic, neat, and cheap. Unwaxed works best, and of course you know better than to mix mint-flavored with a vintage Gorgonzola.

Reward: Neater food, fewer cavities.

WD-40

Original purpose: Greasing a squeaky wheel.

Aha! use: Removing crayon from almost any surface: plastic, metal, TV screens, freshly painted walls. Just apply a small amount and rub away with a clean cloth.

Rubber Bands

1. Open jars with ease. When a small lid won’t budge, wrap a rubber band around it several times to give you a better grip.

2. Decorate Easter eggs. Arrange rubber bands in a pattern around hard-boiled eggs, then dip them into dye. Remove the bands when the eggs are dry.

3. Bring order to your dishwasher. Tether stemware and other delicate, wobbly items to the rack.

4. Wrap a gift. Use multiple colored rubber bands instead of ribbon to add modern flair to a small present. (Particularly handy when you can’t find the tape.)



Extract from Real Simple

Uses for everday items

TOOTHPICKS

1. Label meat. Are these burgers rare or well-done? They all look the same on the outside. Identify just-off-the-grill meats with different-colored toothpicks and they won’t get mixed up.

2. Find the end of the roll. When you’ve finished using tape, wrap the end around a toothpick so you can easily locate it the next time.

3. Glue beads and sequins. Use the sharp ends to apply teensy items to a craft project.

4. Sew a better button. Place a toothpick between the button and fabric so it doesn’t go on too tightly and end up tough to fasten.

5. Press a gadget’s Reset button. What fits perfectly into that tiny hole? You guessed it.


Extract from Real Simple