Butterflies are important pollinators, so anything you can do to help them thrive in your garden is a step in the right direction. If you ever see a butterfly that is slow-moving or helpless due to a torn wing, you can actually help it. A tiny piece of transparent tape can help repair a torn wing, enough to mend it and enable the butterfly to fly again. This will add a few extra days to its lifespan, which could be enough for it to reproduce. You can also leave a dish of diluted sugar water out to help give butterflies an energy boost.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Spare change that accidentally ends up in a load of laundry seems like no big deal, but the reality is it can cause serious damage. The centrifugal force that washing machines use to draw water out of wet clothes can turn a few pennies, nickels and dimes into destructive projectiles inside the machine, causing damage to your machine’s mechanical components. Make it a habit to check all pockets so every wash is a coin-free one. This one step can help prevent your washing machine from breaking down.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

It can be almost impossible to remove an ink stain from clothes when a ballpoint pen explodes. Here's a resourceful way to treat the stain and make your clothes look as good as new: Cover the stain in hand sanitizer. Clear, gel-based hand sanitizers are loaded with alcohol, which helps lift the stain from the fibers of clothes. Saturating the stain makes it easy for the stain to be removed when washed. Just allow the hand sanitizer to penetrate for at least 10 minutes before washing.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION