Save wear-and-tear on hands, home

• “I love to work in the yard, and I always wash my hands before coming in. I put a bar of soap inside a piece of mesh from a potato sack and tied it with a string. I tied the string to my water faucet outside, and now I can easily wash my hands with soap before coming in. The sack kind of works as a scrubber as well.” — F.A. in Texas

• “When I take the kids to the pool, I bring my cell phone with me. I have started putting it in a zipper-top plastic baggie, and now I don’t have to worry about it getting wet accidentally. I can see through the bag to check messages or the time right out of the pool; there’s no need to dry my hands off.” — Y.W. in Missouri

• “I found a really great fix for my basement stairs. It’s a bright, reflective, nonslip tape. I used a long piece across the end of each riser, and I am much more sure of my footing when going downstairs — especially when carrying a laundry basket. And it’s easier to see where the steps are if the lights are dim.” — N.M. in Ohio

• Here’s a great conversation piece: Get a big, shallow bowl or box, fill it with loose snapshots and set it on your coffee table. People can’t resist photos.