Now here’s a tip

By Jo Ann Derson

• Keep the yolks in hard-boiled eggs from crumbling by wetting your knife between slices.

• “Save plastic bags that cannot be recycled, and use them to collect food scraps that cannot be composted or flushed.” -- B.M. in New York

• “I use double-stick tape to hang lighter items on my walls, since it does not leave a hole, and I am a renter. You can also use it to reduce noise from vibrations. For instance, I used it in my car to keep the carpet lying flat in the trunk.” -- J.T. via email

• “To soften butter without melting it, warm a bowl that is bigger than the but- ter stick and invert it over the butter on a plate. It’s nice before a meal because it makes a hard stick of butter easier to spread on bread rolls, but not so soft that you use too much.” -- T.G. in Indiana

• “That time of the year is almost here. You know, the time when running the heater gives the whole house the zaps. To keep our carpets from giving us static shock, we fill a water spray bottle with 1 part laundry softener and 4 parts water. Give the air and carpet a spritz, and it kills the zaps.” -- A.O. in Canada

• “Hard-water stains in the toilet are no match for denture tablets. Simply drop one in the toilet and let sit overnight. A quick scrub and a flush in the morning should do it.” -- P.S. in Washington