THURSDAY TIPS

* Yet another use for a microfiber cloth: Keep one in your vehicle to dust the dashboard or remove smudges from your windshield.

* Bring a binder clip and a zip-top plastic bag with you on a flight, and you can put your phone in the bag and clip it up on the seat in front of you for easy viewing. A gallon-size bag, two binder clips and a small bungee work for a tablet.

* “Our family loves to make our own pizza, and we purchase dough from a pizzeria. On pizza nights, I pick up the dough first thing on the way home from work and let it sit in a bowl in the car while I pick up the kids and drive home. It takes about 45 minutes, so it’s risen nicely while we’ve been on the go.” — E.F. in New York

* If you have stainless steel appliances, you might want to try a simple furniture polish to get those surfaces shiny and smudge free. You can use most any commercial spray-on polish, applied with a clean, lint-free rag.

* Peg racks mounted low on the wall near an entranceway can make a swell shoe rack. Hang shoes from pegs by the heel. It’s a great way to keep your daily walkers up off the floor!

* “Plastic containers with a serving spout can be used for more than fruit juice and sweet tea! Mine fit a full bag of flour or sugar, and if I open a hole in the bag right where the spout is, I can pour what I need out without even removing the top. Admittedly, it works better for sugar than for flour, but it still makes baking goods easy to store.”

— T. in Arkansas

* A dryer sheet can be used to safely clean dust from your TV screens.

“When traveling, let your host or hostess know of any serious health problems or allergies you may have, and what to do in case of an emergency.”

— M.W. in Saskatchewan, Canada

Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.