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JUDY STARKBriefs and news of note
Stop fighting with caulk
No more cumbersome caulking guns that look like space weapons; no more dried-up, half-empty tubes of caulk or clogged nozzles. GE Caulk-It, a latex formula, comes in a squeeze tube. You unscrew the cap, snap on the offset, angled nozzle, and squeeze away to apply the bead of caulk. When you are finished, remove and rinse the nozzle and replace the cap; the tube is ready for next time. It's priced competitively with other caulks, GE says, and will be available at home centers and hardware stores.
Coolly consider the new fridge
Next time you buy a refrigerator, give some thought to your abilities and strengths, interior designer Mary Jo Peterson suggested at the recent Southeast Building Conference in Orlando. She specializes in universal design, which makes life easier for all of us, whatever our age or stage of life. Test the refrigerator this way: Can you easily and comfortably grasp the handle? (That's a concern for those with carpal tunnel or arthritis.) How tight is the seal - so strong you can't open the door? What about access once you open it: Does the door swing open a full 180 degrees, or do the hinges stop at 130 degrees? Given your size and abilities, think about whether a top freezer, bottom freezer or side-by-side is the best choice for you.
You'll flip your lid . . .
Your days of struggling with the pickle jar are over. From Black & Decker comes the LidsOff automatic jar opener, which unseals everything from tiny baby-food jars to big pasta-sauce jars. Place a jar on the turntable, lower the upper housing to rest on top of the jar, then press and hold the on/off button until the lid is loosened. If you suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome or arthritis, this might solve your problems. It's $49-$59 at stores such as Wal-Mart, Target, the big-box housewares and linens stores, and Sears. Information: www.lidsoff.com where you can watch it work.
- Compiled from staff and wire reports by Homes editor JUDY STARK