A tip for cleaning tricky high ceilings

No special equipment needed

By JoAnn Derson
| 6:22 a.m. February 5, 2015

Winter Park - Maitland Observer
Neighborhood

• Sometimes, despite the cold weather outside, we're still looking for an icy treat inside. In my family's dessert experiments, we've come up with some doozies, but here's one you may not have tried: If you put popsicles in the blender, the creamy result tastes just like yummy sherbet. – JoAnn

• If your lunchbox could be fresher, here's a tip from S.W. in Texas: Spray a piece of bread with vinegar and zip it up in your lunchbox overnight to clear out smells.

• "You don't need to buy a special brush to get at high ceilings and skylights: Simply cover a broom with a pillowcase to clean cobwebs off the ceiling. To clean a skylight, cover a mop with a double layer of paper towels or newspaper, and secure with clips. Spray the paper with window cleaner and heft it up!" – M.E. in Arkansas

• Pinprick hole in your rubber glove? Put the glove on and paint the hole with nail polish. It'll seal up a small hole, making the glove usable again.

• If you have trouble threading a needle because the fibers seem to go in all directions, here's a tip from T.I. in Illinois: Stiffen the end of thread with hairspray before threading a needle.

• "Coat hangers as BBQ skewers? Yep, they're good for that — and s'more. Simply straighten and clean well. Make a ring on the end for easy handling. You might even want to save a set of them." – R.R. (Avoid any coated hangers, and never use a plastic hanger, only plain metal, like the kind you might get from a dry cleaners! – JoAnn)