BY TEDDY WILLSON
Why are your most precious pieces (that stunning chiffon blouse, that silk dress that makes you feel amazing) always the ones to fall to the closet floor? Because there’s not enough friction between the hangers and the buttery-smooth fabrics. Rubber bands to the rescue! Wrap one around each side of a hanger, looping until the elastic is tightly secured. Then hang those pesky garments as normal. The fabric will catch on the rubber, so no more sliding down.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever waged (and lost) a battle with a pickle jar. Yep, thought so. Skip the struggle and wrap a wide rubber band around the lid. The elastic will help you get a good grip and provide a bit more cushioning for your hands. Twist the lid and prepare to be wowed by your own strength. Then crush that kosher dill.
Even the handiest among us can accidentally strip a screw, making it impossible to remove. The fix: Place a rubber band on the screwhead, covering the stripped area. Position your screwdriver over the elastic and twist, applying pressure. The squishy rubber band will fill any gaps and give the screwdriver some extra hold. Not working? Fold the rubber band in half to double the grip.
Licking the spoon after whipping up brownie mix is a universally loved experience. But you don’t want the entire spoon to take a dip in the batter. To keep a too-small spoon from falling into a large mixing bowl, wrap a rubber band around the top of the handle. When you need to step away to grab your next ingredient (more chocolate chips!), rest the spoon against the side of the bowl—the rubber band will hold it in place.
One pump tends to dish out more soap than you need. And a squirt here and a squirt there empties a bottle fairly quickly. Limit how much each pump dispenses by using—you guessed it—a rubber band! Wrap it around the neck of the tube, right where the pump meets the bottle. Press down and about half as much soap will spurt out. Once again, a junk drawer castoff saves the day!
Illustrations by Sunny Eckerle