Dear Heloise: I read your column every day in The Washington Post.
It's easy enough to clean the blades on my small pocketknife with multiple-tool attachment, but through the years, gunk has gotten inside the knife at the base of the blades. What is the best way to clean my knife?-Melissa M., via email
Fill a bowl with warm water and a small amount of soap. Hold the knife with both hands and dip the gunk-filled base in the water. Open and close each tool and blade to get the water and soap into all the spaces. If there still is some gunk left, grab a cotton swab and some denatured alcohol (which evaporates faster than rubbing alcohol) to remove any remaining stubborn dirt and grime.
Once dry, apply a drop (just a drop!) of light oil to all the hinges.-Heloise
FELT PADS
Dear Readers: Here are two more reader responses about how to safely make a coffee maker slide on the counter:
Julie P. in Springfield, Ohio, wrote: "I placed small furniture felt pads under mine. It's safe, and the pot slides easily!"
Shirley L. in Farmingdale, Maine, wrote: "I am surprised that no one suggested using felt pads."
SCRATCH REPAIR
Dear Heloise: I used a rag to apply dark-brown liquid fabric dye to the scratches of wear and tear on our wooden kitchen table. I let it dry for several hours, wiped off the excess, then applied a coat of paste wax. After the wax dried, I buffed it with a dry cloth until shiny.
It looks like new! This was a very inexpensive fix using two items that I already had on hand.-Myra E., via email
FRINGE STRAIGHTENER
Dear Heloise: We gave our parents a handwoven table runner with fringe on both ends. Mom keeps a wide-toothed comb in a drawer to straighten the fringe when it gets messy. We thought this is a terrific hint that can be used for fringed pillows and rugs as well.-Eleanor and Beth, via email
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