Do Just One Thing

Every time you deposit a load of freshly washed clothing in the dryer, make it a habit to empty the lint trap. This one simple act actually improves the efficiency of your dryer by .5%. While this may not seem like a lot, it does help you save both a little money and time. A clean lint trap means a more efficient dryer, which takes less time to get your clothes dry. It also makes your appliance safer, as full lint traps can be a fire hazard. Remember: Lint can be tossed right into the compost bin if the laundry consists of all-natural fibers like cotton, linen, wool and hemp.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

When packing a lunch to take to the office or for your kid to take to school, try this hack to keep your food chilled: Throw in a frozen container of yogurt. It will function as an ice pack to keep your other food cool while also keeping your yogurt cold until it's lunchtime. Yogurt is the perfect food item to freeze; freezing a juice container or thermos of water may work, but both are slow to thaw out. Dairy items like yogurt freeze hard, but thaw quickly. By lunchtime, it'll be the perfect creamy consistency you love.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Wax paper can do more than just wrap food. Use it to give spotty bathroom fixtures a shine; the residual wax will buff the metal and create a barrier to prevent new spots from forming. You can also use it to unstick a zipper: Just rub waxed paper right over the zipper to lubricate it. And save used waxed paper to use as a fire-starter. The paper-and-wax combo is perfect for creating a slow burn so your fireplace or grill will ignite in no time flat.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION