Ways to get rid of gum and get more from batteries

It takes all sorts of tidbits of information to keep your household in the best shape possible. With these tips, you can get rid of gum stains and add some life to your batteries.

These are things you can do to maximize battery life and avoid disappointment or inconvenience.

• Always buy your batteries from outlets that have a high turnover, to assure the best chance that they've been recently manufactured.
• Don't be tempted to buy a large amount of batteries to keep in storage — they can degrade over time. Just keep a few of each type and replace your spares as you use them.
• If you have batteries that you don't plan on using for some time, put them in a zip-lock plastic bag. Store them in a dry place at room temperature until you need them.
• If you have a device that runs both on batteries and electricity, take the batteries out and store them, as above, while you're using electricity.
• Don't let batteries touch anything metal while they're in storage. This can drain their power.
• Don't keep any battery-operated device in too warm a place, as this will reduce performance.
• Never mix new and used batteries.
• If you use rechargeable batteries, don't mix different mAh (milliampere-hour) ratings. This indicates how long the battery will last on one charge.

The trick for getting rid of chewing gum is to act promptly. If you find gum, you should:

• Try cold: For a carpet, scrape off as much of the gum as possible, then apply ice cubes in a plastic bag. Scrape until it's gone. For clothes, seal in a plastic bag and deep freeze until stiff. Scrape carefully.
• Try heat: Blast with a hair dryer for two minutes, then put a clear plastic bag over your hand and remove the gum.
• Try blotting: Put one teaspoon of mild detergent in one cup of water and blot. Alternatively, apply a dry-cleaning solvent.
• Try oil: For chewing gum in the hair, work in olive oil to soften the gum before pulling it out with a piece of kitchen towel. Shampoo and rinse.

There's all sorts of little ways you can keep your home well-maintained. Take care with your batteries and have some patience with stubborn gum stains. That way, you'll get more from one and have a lot less of the other.