Coffee filters make packing dishes easier

Give old unused round coffee filters a second life by using them to separate small dishes and bowls when packing for a move. They are inexpensive, already cut to size and cleaner to use than newspaper. Joanne Brown, Charlotte
BY ROLAND WILKERSON

The winner: Give old unused round coffee filters a second life by using them to separate small dishes and bowls when packing for a move. They are inexpensive, already cut to size and cleaner to use than newspaper.

Joanne Brown, Charlotte
Use shower water for drought relief

We place a 5-gallon bucket in the shower to gather the water so it doesn’t just go down the drain as we wait for it to get warm. Between the two of us, there’s enough gathered to water all the house plants and the outside tomato and herb garden.

Janie Jones, Charlotte

Try foil instead of dryer sheets

A palm-sized ball of aluminum foil is a fine substitute for dryer sheets and can be reused repeatedly. This tip (which gets lots of mentions online) came from Scott Tube Free toilet paper in a shameless appeal to suggest their product is also clever.

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Read more: K-cup coffee capsule filters