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Home & Garden readers might also want to read Keep it Green, a gardening column by Michael Womack.

Saturday, October 6, 2001
Outside the box

SCENTED LIGHTBULBS
   In lieu of potpourri or store-bought air fresheners, scent a room by dabbing a little perfume onto a cold lightbulb in one of the room's lamps. When the light is on, the warmth of the bulb will release the scent.
   MASS MAILINGS
   If you want to create party invitations with an unusual size or shape, first find envelopes that fit and find out whether they'll need extra postage. If you have a lot to send, ask the post office ahead of time whether your mailing will qualify for a bulk-rate discount. You can do the same with holiday cards.
   COMPOST EXERCISE
   If weather permits, turn compost piles once a month during winter to maintain moisture, provide essential oxygen and help heat things up. If regular turning isn't possible, cover the pile with a thick sheet of clear plastic. This will help to heat the pile and prevent the nutrients from leaching out.
   CEDAR SCENTS
   When storing clothes during the winter, deter moths but avoid the smell of mothballs by using cedar-scented mothballs, chips or blocks. (If you use plastic containers to store clothes, however, don't use mothballs.)
   PERKY PLANTS
   To prevent container-grown plants from drying out too quickly, choose a container that retains moisture. The materials with the lowest evaporation rates are: plastic, fiberglass, metal, glazed ceramic and terra cotta. Materials with the highest evaporation rates include: unglazed ceramic or terra cotta, wood and concrete.
   POSTAGE CHECK
   Trying to figure out how many stamps you'll need on a letter? Make your own postal scale using a pencil, ruler and some quarters. Simply lay a pencil on a flat surface and place a 12-inch ruler across the pencil, centering it on the 6-inch mark. Then stack five quarters on the 3-inch mark and center the letter on the 9-inch mark. If the letter outweighs the quarters, you'll need to add more postage. (The secret: five quarters weigh exactly 1 ounce - the same as the maximum weight of a first-class letter mailed with a single 34-cent stamp.
   SORE THROAT RELIEF
   For sore throat relief: Steep 1 teaspoon dried thyme, or 2 teaspoons fresh, in 1 cup of hot water for 4 minutes. Discard the thyme and sip warm. For congestion, add 1 teaspoon of dried peppermint while steeping; for stress, add 1 teaspoon of dried chamomile while steeping.
   HOMEMADE POLISH
   To make your own wood furniture polish, combine 1 cup boiled linseed oil, 1 cup turpentine and 1 cup vinegar in an airtight container. Cover and shake the mixture and apply it to furniture with a soft cloth, wiping off excess moisture. Wipe it again with a second clean, soft cloth. A cautionary note: Buy linseed oil that has already been boiled; if you boil your own, there will not be the same result.

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