When it comes to our homes, we often don’t realize that there are simple solutions to problems that sometimes seem overwhelming. Here are a few examples:

Measuring cup madness

When was the last time that you had to measure out a cup of shortening? How long did it take? And how much mess did you make? First, you forced the fat into the cup and pressed down to try to fit more in, while at the same time the fat that was already in the cup was trying to ooze back out!

Well, try this simple technique the next time you want to measure an unmanageable cup of grease, butter or shortening. First, fill a 2- or 3-cup measuring container with good old-fashioned, cold tap water. If your recipe calls for 1 cup of shortening, simply fill the container so that 1 cup of the measuring container remains empty.

Next, spoon in the shortening until the water line raises 1 cup. Finally, scoop out the lump of shortening and use it in your recipe and pour the water out of the measuring cup and you will be surprised to discover that the cup is clean as a whistle.

Preventing rock and roll

A friend recently gave us a first-aid kit for our car. It really is neat. It’s small and compact and filled with good stuff for emergencies. Rather than the metal or hard plastic container that we normally see, this first-aid kit is packed in a clear, soft-plastic envelope. The packaging makes it easy to view the contents and the soft sides make it easy to store.

We decided to put it in the trunk because it was a tad bit too big for the glove box. What we discovered was that as we drove around, the smooth plastic container slipped and slid all around the trunk. How to fit it, we wondered?

Necessity definitely is the mother of all invention. Here’s what we discovered: There is nothing like Velcro. We affixed two pieces to the first-aid kit and two matching pieces to the side wall of the trunk, and in no time our problem was solved. If things that you carry on a regular basis rock and roll in your trunk (or other parts of your vehicle), try our Velcro solution. It works.

Beware of itching

A front-loading clothes washing machine saves water and, some say, will do less damage to your clothing. Regardless of the manufacturers’ claims, there are some significant differences between front- and top-loading machines that you really need to know about.

Front-load machines do in fact use less water to wash an equivalent load of clothing. And, although less soap is recommended, the type of laundry detergent used also is very important. With front-loading machines, there is a significant chance of flooding when too much of the wrong detergent is used.

Detergent for front-loaders foams less and for that reason will tend not to build up and overflow like the conventional type. Keep in mind that because front-loaders use less water, they also need far less detergent to get your clothes clean.

If you continue to use the same amount of detergent with your new front-loader as you used to use with your old top-loader, you may notice yourself scratching a new itch. A front-loader just isn’t capable of dealing with all of that soap.

So what happens is your clothes end up with a soap residue and, if you are even a little allergic, you can end up with a fierce rash.

Mouthwash

If you don’t have a habit of reading the label on the products you buy, you may not realize that mouthwash is not made to swallow and can make you very sick. Read the label and see.

We aren’t suggesting that you stop using your favorite mouthwash. However, we do think you ought to know that when you do use it you need to be careful. Children under 6 should not use adult mouthwash. And no child should be allowed to use mouthwash without supervision.

Less-expensive painting

If you intend to use your paint roller and roller pan in the near future, then you might want to save a plastic grocery bag or two. Instead of paying for a plastic roller pan liner, simply pull a plastic grocery bag over the pan (like a shirt), pour in the paint, do the job, pour the excess paint back into the can and pull the plastic bag inside-out as you remove it from the roller pan.

You can store the roller inside the bag (overnight in the refrigerator) if you intend to paint the next day, or you can simply throw the bag away, no mess, no fuss, no bother.

For more home improvement tips and information visit James and Morris Carey at www.onthehouse.com or call 800-737-2474 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. every Saturday.