Have A Loose Screw? That’s Easy To Fix

If you don’t want to have a screw loose, take to heart these tips from the folks at Ace Hardware:

If a screw you’re trying to insert is meeting with resistance, try lubricating its threads with soap or beeswax.

Drill a pilot hole slightly smaller than the screw diameter before installing the screw.

If it’s a loose screw that’s plaguing you, fill the hole with a matchstick or toothpick, then insert the screw.

If you’ve got a wobbly drawer knob, paint the screw with fingernail polish or dip it in glue or putty, then reinsert it.

For screws that keep coming loose on home appliances, dab shellac under the heads before tightening them.

Can the odors

Does your kitchen stink? A new product called MagiKan has a 76-foot-long continuous bag liner. You can dispose of leftovers and tear off and take out a just-big-enough plastic bag. This eliminates the smelly stuff and the need to waste a full-sized trash bag. Call (888) 259-7772 for information.

Wallcoverings with ease

Used to be that if you wanted an authentic William Morris-style wallcovering, you had to go through an interior designer. No more, no more.

V&A: Art & Decor is Eisenhart Wallcoverings’ fifth collection of wallpapers and borders to feature designs inspired by works in the famed Victoria & Albert Museum in London, including one by Morris, a star of the British Arts and Crafts movement.

Incorporated into the pattern are swirling, bold acanthus leaves overlaid on a background of delicate vine tendrils full of tiny leaves and miniature flower clusters. Other historical patterns are also available.

Suggested retail: $24.99-$32.99 per roll, paper; $32.99 per yard for coordinating fabrics. For more information, call (800) 931-9255

‘60s going on ‘90s

If you missed the chance to live in a commune in the ‘60s, you can do so now. Reflecting a yearning for closer-knit neighborhoods, so-called cohousing communities that emphasize interaction are being formed. “The cohousing phenomenon is still in a very embryonic stage,” says Don Lindemann, editor of the Cohousing Journal in Berkeley, Calif. “It started as a trickle, gradually adding numbers, and by the end of next year, there will be at least 50 completed.”

California dreamin’ again

Speaking of California, the state had a 19 percent increase in the number of households moving in last year, according to Atlas Van Lines’ annual tally. Atlas said 1997 was the second year in a row that California had more people arriving than leaving. The Golden State had trailed the rest of the nation in recovering from the 1990-91 recession.

A cleaner sweep

Is the vacuum cleaner bag half-full or half-empty? Whatever your point of view, a bag that’s half-full can substantially reduce the vacuum’s suction power, Good Housekeeping magazine reports. For better performance, change the bag more frequently.

Hot off the grill

Are you a serious backyard barbecuer? There’s a new product you might want to check out. It’s the gas-powered, 6-by-6 Ole Hickory Pit grill with convection fans and a power burner. The price tag: $12,000.

A household pole

Forget lawn statues. For something truly distinctive, how about a genuine red, white and blue all-American barber pole? You can get one from the only commercial manufacturer of barber poles left in the Western Hemisphere: William Marvy Co. of St. Paul, Minn.

Watchin’ the hours tick by

If you’re a clock watcher, one of the most interesting clocks to watch these days is the CountDown clock from Branco International. In addition to keeping current time, it has a digital read-out inset of how many hours, minutes and seconds remain until the year 2000.

The clock comes in two styles - one with photos of the Earth, moon and sun with the words “count down to the future,” and one with three color spheres representing the Earth, moon and sun with “the third millennium challenge.” Each is $69.95, plus shipping and handling, from Branco at (800) 528-7445.

You might also consider using the clock as an invitation to join you on New Year’s Eve 1999. Give it now and the clock will be a constant reminder of good things to come. The clocks can also be set to count down to other dates, such as a wedding or a retirement.

Tastefully decorated

A house that looks good enough to eat? Yes: As part of its 100th anniversary celebration, Nabisco is holding a contest for the best house made out of Nabisco products. For information on the “Edible Architecture” contest, call (800) 433-2622.