How to clean your paintbrushes

By JoAnn Derson
| 10:00 a.m. June 2, 2016

Winter Park - Maitland Observer
Opinion

Clean your paintbrushes before you begin that spring-cleaning paint job. Bring a few cups of white vinegar to a boil, and soak brushes in the vinegar for up to 20 minutes. Use a plastic scrubbie to remove stuck-on bits, then rinse in cool water. Use a fine-toothed comb to get rid of what's leftover. The brush should be clean and the bristles nice and soft.
Don't overlook your own garden and yard when putting together a centerpiece for a backyard BBQ or informal gathering. Herbs make a wonderful bouquet.
You can polish metal with wax paper.
To keep your kitchen trash can smelling sweet naturally, put three drops of eucalyptus or cinnamon oil on a cotton ball and drop it into the bottom of the can.
What's the right way to fold towels? So your folded towel uses the depth of the shelf it's stored on. That way, you can store the maximum towels per shelf.
Do you have a large assortment of different colored cupcake liners? Store them in a mason jar. You'll be able to see what you have at a glance, and they fit perfectly inside a wide-mouth jar.
"Bath toys plus glue gun equals no more gross moldy water inside your tub duck. Just use your glue gun to seal up the 'drain hole' on the bottom of most bath toys. I honestly don't know why they do that, as it seems to only suck up water and not drain anything!" – L.R. in Virginia
"Use clear nail polish to 'paint' the bottom of shaving cream cans. Then it will not leave a rust ring no matter where it sits in the tub." – E.M. in Texas
For healthy leftovers, use plastic wrap instead of aluminum foil, experts say. You're more likely to consume items you can see. Stash them front and center in the refrigerator.
Shoes on the right feet? Draw a semi-circle on the soles inside your kid's shoes, so that when they are placed side by side it makes a circle. Now Junior can figure it out for himself!
"Insert a square of cork board (available at office-supply stores) in an old picture frame. You can use it to store and display earrings or necklaces (use pins to hang chains from). You could even use it as an actual corkboard!" – A.R. in Michigan
Need a temporary playpen when traveling? How about a blow up pool? Supervision required, but containment achieved.
Heart-healthy oils like olive oil are a must in any cook's kitchen. However, even if a jar is worthy of display, keep it in a cabinet. Oils break down when exposed to light.