Kids heading back to school? Keep those backpacks, book bags and laptop cases looking new with a dry-cleaning or soot-and-dirt removal sponge (available at hardware stores and home centers)! Working outdoors or over a garbage can, rub the dry sponge over the soiled surface of the bag to “erase” dirt fast. For heavier stains and grease spots, try using Spot Gone or Grandma’s Secret Spot Remover, following the directions on the bottle.

Even an ordinary dinner can be dressed up with a pair of lighted tapers! Don’t let the threat of spilled wax on your tablecloth stop you from adding ambience to your evening meals – these tips make clean-up a breeze:

1. Let wax drippings cool, then apply a plastic bag filled with ice to the drip to freeze it
2. Use an old credit card to chip away as much of the wax as possible
3. Spread a sheet of brown paper (a brown paper bag will do) over the remaining wax and run a medium-hot iron over the surface
4. When the paper has absorbed as much wax as possible, spot-clean leftover stains with a cleaner like Grandma’s Secret Spot Remover
5. Use a hand-held hair-dryer to dry the fabric