Even during these uncertain times, your local food bank is actually discouraging the donation of food to help fill their shelves. The reason is donated food is often expired, contaminated or just unsafe to give away. Sorting through donations also takes time, which could be used instead by volunteers to help those in need. What they really need is cash donations. Food banks and pantries have relationships with wholesalers, and this means a single dollar can be turned into about nine cans of food. Cash donations enable them to get a lot more product to help people, and they can control the inventory to get what's really needed in the community.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Running a fully loaded dishwasher is the most energy- and water-efficient way to wash dishes. But it's key to load it properly to get the cleanest results. When loading utensils, don't load them all in the same direction. Spoons should not "spoon" each other; some should face up while others should face down. Make sure dirty dishes face the center, so the sprayer arm can most effectively get them truly clean. And don't add an extra detergent tablet to the machine; the little packets are powerful enough for a whole load, and adding extra just causes a soapy film to be left behind.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Burning citronella candles is a popular and natural way to repel annoying insects from invading your back porch or yard. The floral-smelling smoke works by covering up both the carbon dioxide and scent of human lactic acid that our bodies emit, which attract bugs. But many people burn citronella candles improperly, placing them at table height, which means the smoke does little to protect your legs and bare feet. To correct this, burn the candles on the ground, using sturdy and heavy buckets or glass-enclosed candles, so the smoke rises from the ground up for full protection.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION