We’ve collected hundreds of home tips throughout the years to make life a little easier for our readers. Here are some of the best ones you need to know. Small bags of fancy coffee have heavy-duty ties to keep them airtight. The ties are handy for securing small coils of electrical cable and rope. They’re usually fastened to the bag with just a dab of glue, making them pretty easy to pull off. — reader Joe Gemmill Plus: Quick and Clever Kitchen Storage Ideas.
Synthetic wine corks are great for sealing partially used tubes of caulk. Drill a 5/16-in. hole into the cork about 1 in. deep. The cork fits perfectly and makes an airtight seal. — reader Susan Claussen Plus: Tips for Caulking.
Six-pack cartons are useful for storing and transporting items like spray paint, lubricants and caulk. — reader Gerald Fitzgibbon Plus: 51 Brilliant Ways to Organize Your Garage.
My house has round ceiling registers for the air-conditioning system. In the winter, we’d get cold air falling from the registers. Rather than put up with the drafts,
I sealed the registers with those clear plastic saucers that you put under flowerpots. I temporarily glued them in place with White Lightning SEASONSeal Clear Removable
Weather Stripping ($10). It’s a rubbery sealant that you apply with a caulk gun and peel off in the spring. — reader James Herrrenknecht Plus: Stop window and door drafts to save energy.
