by Curt Kovener 
My gender is often disrespected for not being helpful around the home. This column will begin to remedy that by sharing helpful household hints to make our lives easier.
•Have sealed envelope you need opened? Put in the freezer for a few hours, then slide a knife under the flap. The envelope can then be resealed.
•Miz Mary uses empty toilet paper roll to store appliance cords. It keeps them neat and you can write on the roll what appliance it belongs to.
•To remove old wax from a glass candle holder, put it in the freezer for a few hours. Then take the candle holder out and turn it upside down. The wax will fall out. But you may need to pry with a knife or screwdriver the stubborn ones. However, one should avoid using a hammer on anything glass.
•Crayon marks on walls? A damp rag, dipped in baking soda comes off with a little elbow grease.
•Whenever you purchase a box of S.O.S Pads, take a pair of scissors and cut each pad into halves. After years of having to throw away rusted and unused and smelly pads, this is a much more economical way. Now a box of S.O.S pads last me indefinitely. In the bargain the scissors get sharpened as well.
•Blood stains on clothes? Not to worry! Just pour a little hydrogen peroxide on a cloth and proceed to wipe off every drop of blood.
•Use vertical strokes when washing windows outside and horizontal for inside windows. This way you can tell which side has the streaks.
•Straight vinegar will get outside windows really clean. Don’t wash windows on a sunny day. They will dry too quickly and will streak.
•Spray a bit of perfume on the light bulb in any room to create a lovely light scent in each room when the light is turned on.
•Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers and your clothes will smell freshly washed for weeks to come. You can also do this with towels and linen.
•Candles will last a lot longer if placed in the freezer for at least 3 hours prior to burning.
•To clean artificial flowers, pour some salt into a paper bag and add the flowers. Shake vigorously as the salt will absorb all the dust and dirt and leave your artificial flowers looking like new.
•To easily remove burnt on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stove top.
•Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and there won’t be any stains.
•Don’t throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces. (I do not know if this works because we never have any left over wine.)
•Ants, ants, ants everywhere … Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. So, get your chalk out and draw a line on the floor or wherever ants tend to march.
•When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, and then pull it off. Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.
