Deconstructing Christmas made easy through organization

My decorations still are up and probably will stay up for a few more days while I catch up on my sleep. But when it's time to put it all away, I have learned a few tricks I'd like to share.

When you are first setting up your real tree, place it on top of a strong tarp or plastic sheeting. When you are finished removing the lights and ornaments, you can just wrap it up on the spot and take it outside for collection, cutting way down on the normal fallout of needles.

When putting away decorations, store all of the items for specific areas together in the boxes. For example, I put all of the decorations for the front door in one box, the lights from the backyard in another and the decorations for the tree in another set of boxes. This makes it easy to get to these in stages. This year, we decorated the outside of the house before we were able to get to the tree, but didn't have to get all of the boxes out at once to find what we needed. (This made my husband very happy!)

Store your lights on a reel. If you have a long string of them, like you might for your hedges, store them, still hooked up end to end, on one large reel. Use a smaller cord holder for the others and, again, leave them hooked together if there is more than one strand that is normally used. You can buy these holders or make your own from scrap wood, cut into an "H" shape.

Ornaments can be stored in boxes in which plastic or paper cups have been placed - one ornament in each cup. If the boxes is large enough, you can put a piece of cardboard over one layer and stack more layers on top.

If you buy fresh-cut trees, make sure you clean and dry your stand thoroughly and lubricate the screws so they will work again next year.

If you have a fake tree, you can leave it decorated if you want. Just try to find a bag that it will fit into, and carefully store it in a closet.

You even can store cards and wrapping paper until next year because you probably won't need them until then - at least, we hope you don't.

If you do it right this year, it will be a lot easier to do next year - I promise. Cheers and Happy New Year!

Magnets and spills

We all make mistakes, and I'm no different. Just yesterday I dropped a jar of tacks on the floor and they scattered all over the place. But I didn't panic. I just grabbed a bar magnet that I had in the garage and used it - in one swipe, I might add - to pick all of the tacks up off the floor. Then I held the magnet over the open jar and swept them all in. The whole scene was over with in just a couple of minutes. Just don't tell anyone, OK?

Crazy for cable ties

Cable ties are the new bungees! I really think they are great, and I use them for tons of stuff around the house and shop. I use them to bind my electrical cords and hoses. I also use them to corral my sockets. When you need to get at these items, you just use scissors or wire cutters to cut through the cable tie. I realize that you have to discard these after each use but, for things you don't need on a regular basis, it's a great way to store them.

Super hints

• When it comes to getting the lid off a jar, there are several ways to do it, and some are a little risky. But if you wrap some sandpaper around the lid and get that extra traction, you usually can do it without any mess.

• We recently bought a new ladder to reach our higher ceilings. I noticed it was a little unsteady, so I tried to find a good way to secure it to the wall so that it wouldn't fall on top of my car - or me! I had an old screen-door spring, so I attached this to the wall with a couple of eye hooks. I just disconnect one side to put the ladder under it and reattach it. This works great and didn't cost me a dime. Even if you don't have a spring, you can buy one for only a couple of bucks.

• If you've ever had trouble getting candles out of the holders you put them into originally, try lubricating them with cooking spray first. The candles will slide back out when you need to remove them.

Q. I am trying to get my glass shower door clean. How the heck are you supposed to get those water spots off the glass? I've tried scrubbing with soap and water, and they won't come off. What would you recommend?

A. Household vinegar works the best of any product you can buy. Warm it up first. Wear gloves to protect your hands, and use a plastic scrubber and/or razor scraper to remove the spots. This really does work, and it's very inexpensive to do. Once clean, just use it once a month to keep the glass clear.

Q. I decided to replace my water heater when it started to leak. I knew to drain it first, but even with the tap open on the tank, it still won't drain. What is the problem?

A. There are two things that might be causing the problem. If there are a lot of mineral deposits inside the tank, they could be blocking the exit. Try sticking a wire into the opening to see if it is blocked. As with most other similar systems, adding air will allow for better draining. Either disconnect the water supply, after turning it off first - or open the T&P valve. Even turning on a nearby faucet might help.

Q. I've tried to re-use spray paint and found that, more often than not, the sprayer just won't work after that first time. I guess it gets clogged easily. Is there any way to clean these or store them so they will work again?

A. Before stopping for the day, turn the can upside down and give it a couple of quick sprays. This is a good way to clear the valve. Also, wiping it down before storing it also can prevent clogging. If you have a spray tip that is already clogged, you also can go after it with some paint thinner. This usually works pretty well.

Reader tips

• I got sidetracked after my last paint job. I left a couple of brushes and a roller in the paint tray, and they were hard as a rock when I finally discovered them. I just threw away the roller but decided to try to clean up the brushes. I poured vinegar into a jar and stuck the brushes in it. I checked them after a day and could see that the vinegar was working. I let them soak a couple more days, and they came clean. They look like new again. I promise to be more careful next time.

• We have mice! We also have a dog and a couple of cats, so using poison is always a huge risk. I discovered I could make a small hole in the lid of a coffee can, put some poison inside the can and glue the lid on. This way, the mice can get in and eat the poison but our pets can't. It works great and is much safer to use this way.

• My son and I drove to my mom's house over the holidays and had some trouble along the way. We stopped for breakfast, and our car wouldn't start afterward. There was a guy there who helped us get back on the road with a jump. He noticed there was a lot of corrosion on our battery terminals, so he just poured a soda on them before using them. The soda just melted the corrosion off. It was amazing. My dad told me how to fix it permanently when we got to their house, but I still was amazed by the other fix. I just thought I would let you know about it in case you ever need such help.

• We have an older home and have made some pretty good improvements over the years. The one thing that we just can't manage on our own is the bathtub. It would be a huge deal to get it out and put another one in. I wanted it to look nice again, so I covered the surface with a couple of old towels and then poured a 50/50 mix of bleach and water into it. I had to leave the window open to get rid of the fumes, but after a couple of days, it's white again. I applied a wax coating to the surface to protect it and make it shiny again. It looks new.

• I just painted the trim around my windows. I thought I had masked it pretty well, but I ended up with some paint spots here and there anyway. I just used window cleaner and a putty knife to clean off the paint. It worked very quickly and easily.

Shoptalk

• If you have done a good job of weatherproofing your home, it will be sealed up tightly. This will save energy but may, in some cases, create a mildew problem. Mildew not only looks and smells bad but it can ruin walls, carpeting and just about any surface it gets on. Learn how to rid your home of this problem once and for all. We've put together a pamphlet called "Mildew Around Your House" and it is full of tips on how to get rid of mildew and how to keep it from coming back.

• If you want the look of a skylight without the expense and/or hassle of installing one, take a look at the Pixi from Luminare. The Pixi is an LED light, for superior energy savings, that is super thin and fits flat on your ceiling. It looks just like a skylight but is way better. The light is great and the look is sleek and modern. Take a second look at pixi-lighting.com or see them, in person, at your Home Depot store.

• If you would love to have paneling in your basement but fear the constant threat of moisture, you need to check out PlastPro Planking. It's pre-finished, moisture- and rot-resistant, and virtually maintenance-free. It comes in two colors, or you can paint it yourself to match your room. It's easy to install and has a decent warranty as well. To find out more about the product, as well as the tough doors they make, go to www.plastproinc.com and get details as well as the name of a local dealer.

• Write to Kelly Carrell in care of the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006 or visit online at thesuperhandyman.com.

© 2015, Cowles Syndicate Inc.