Restoring those brass door knobs is a process as easy as 1, 2, 3

Dear Readers: If your brass doorknobs are looking a little lackluster, don't replace them -- refinish them.
Over time, their protective coatings start to peel, and the brass underneath quickly tarnishes. But in many cases, you can restore a doorknob with a simple three-step process.
Before you begin, take off the doorknob, don some rubber gloves and stage a cleanup area outside.
Then start by removing the doorknob's old finish with lacquer thinner. Just wipe it on with a clean rag, and the finish should come off.
Next, polish what's underneath with a mildly abrasive polishing cream specifically made for brass and other fine metals.
And finally, spray on a high-gloss lacquer -- you want two to three even coats. Let it dry, and you'll be in business. Keep in mind, you'll probably have to do it again in a few years, but the shiny outcome will be worth the work. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I always had trouble removing a full trash bag of leaves or grass clippings from my plastic trash can. It created a vacuum, and I had to fight to get it out. So, I drilled a row of 1/4-inch holes around the trash can, an inch or so up from the base. That allows air to come in under the bag, and the bag comes out with very little effort. Julie Clingan, Manhattan, Kan.
Dear Heloise: When traveling, especially abroad, I scan all documents that I might need in case of an emergency, like passport pages, visa pages, hotel vouchers, plane receipts, birth/death/ marriage certificates and also an "in case of emergency" document, and save it all on a flash drive. You can purchase a flash drive almost anywhere now for a small cost, and it is an easy way to carry this information without having to go through tons of paper. I hope this helps frequent travelers! Cali, Huntsville, Texas
Dear Heloise: As a gardener who loses hand tools in the mulch, I use a leftover hanging basket to hold my hand tools, seeds, ant killer, fertilizer, gloves, etc. I hang it from a tree when done or take it in when it rains. It's not as bulky as the ones sold in garden shops, and it is a lot cheaper! No more lost tools! L. Griffin, East Texas slave to the yard
Dear Heloise: Here is a way to remove the labels from the handy spray bottles that window cleaner comes in. Just fill the bottle with hot water, let stand for five to 10 minutes, then just peel off the whole label. Works for me! Pete, via e-mail
Dear Heloise: When you are applying a pad to one of those new floor sweepers, use a plastic tab from a package of bread to push it into the slot. Kay Carr, Battle Creek, Mich.
Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate