Winter is annoying. My coats are wrinkly and dirty from wet bus rides, and I’ve lost 3 gloves this season. Not to mention my favorite scarf got stuck in a train seat and now has a nasty snag in it. Hrumph. I feel like I can only take small steps to stay tidy during the season, and just wait for spring to come. Something that makes me feel better is to take a few minutes every weekend to clean the salt off my shoes and boots (it’s geeky, I know). The process couldn’t be easier — mix one part white vinegar and one part water in a small bowl, dip into with a terry cloth rag, buff those pesky salt lines off, and let dry. I’ve done this on leather clogs and shoes, canvas boots, and man-made materials and everything came out clean. Try it for yourself. And think spring! — Rebecca F.

I have become my Grandmother. I can remember standing in her kitchen, watching as she washed out Ziploc bags. That she would do this for a disposable item seemed odd to me so when I was 12 or so, I asked her why. In a typical response from someone who lived through the Great Depression, she looked at me and said, “What else would I do with a perfectly good bag?” What seemed quaint or odd to me at the time is now, of course, just a fact of daily living — not so much to save money, but to conserve resources. So yes, I wash out bags when I can. And instead of tossing out new toothbrushes after someone comes down with strep or some other bug, we sterilize them in the dishwasher. For toothbrushes that are past their prime, we mark the handles with a Sharpie and put into use elsewhere in the house. My favorite uses?

1. Microplanes. Before you hand wash, use a clean, dry toothbrush to remove any remaining nutmeg, hard cheeses or vegetables. From there, it’s only a matter of a quick scrub and rinse in the sink.
2. Sink drains. Pour a little vinegar down the drain and use a toothbrush to scrub away all the gunk in the drain and around the finished edge where it meets the sink.
3. Dishwasher. Dipped in vinegar, a toothbrush can remove buildup from around the door hinges and seals. Or dip in a kitchen cleaner to scrub off food deposits from the bottom screen or door seals.
4. Window screens. Try using a dry toothbrush on a dry screen at first. If that doesn’t remove the debris, give the screen a quick spray, then follow with a toothbrush dipped in vinegar.
5. Window frames. Whether dirt, bugs or mold have collected, a small container of soapy water to frequently rinse the toothbrush in is the only other supply needed — besides a little patience and elbow grease.
6. Sink edge or any other caulk line. A slightly damp toothbrush does the trick. Simply follow behind with a soft rag.
7. Coffee maker burner. Take dry toothbrush to the burner and you can easily remove all the burned on spots. Follow with a wet sponge. You’ll be amazed at how dirty a burner can get.

Of course, there’s always the old standbys, too — grout and linoleum, fireplace bricks, lampshades — but let’s hear from you. What’s your favorite reuse of a toothbrush? — Sarah L.

Dishes are my business. Really. I feel like they are ALL I DO sometimes. And at work, where I do the bulk of them, I have to manually wash everything with the “three sink system”, an effective, albeit labor-intensive method. Thankfully, we had the budget to put in a dishwasher when we bought our house two years ago. It helps to alleviate my day to day dish workload immensely, and I can’t even imagine a time where I lived without one, though I did for many years. I know people, though, who own dishwashers and don’t use them, preferring to hand wash everything. As crazy as that sounds to me, there are obviously two schools of thought on this one. So where do you stand? Do you scrub it up with good old-fashioned elbow grease, or do you let technology do the work? — Megan B.

photo courtesy of flickr user Avrene.