I thought I was so smart to wash the rubber floor mats from the car in the dishwasher. It worked so well that I found myself looking around for other stuff I could send through that little washing station, as well. I tried my boys' baseball caps by setting them on a coffee can, adding detergent, and sending them through a wash-and-rinse cycle. Stunning results! Footwear, however, never crossed my mind as a likely candidate for the dishwasher.

CRUDDY CROCS. When my daughter's Crocs (foam sandals) get grimy, with dirt inside and out, rather than work at scrubbing them, I simply put them in the dishwasher and use the power-scour setting and the usual amount of detergent. The Crocs don't melt or deform (as Tupperware does for me), even when I put them on the bottom rack. Her sandals come out clean and sanitized, ready for another day of play. -- Bina, Washington

QUICK CUT. To cut cherry tomatoes (or grapes) quickly and uniformly, you need lids from two jars that are the same size. Place one lid on the counter, and add the fruit to be cut. Then place the second lid on top. You can hold the top lid firmly with a flat palm while running your knife between the two lids. The result is uniformly cut halves of the items, without having to slice them individually. -- Lisa S., e-mail

PERFECT PIZZA. I have discovered an amazing way to reheat leftover pizza. Put it in a skillet over the stove on medium-low heat for a couple of minutes. It leaves the crust perfect, not soggy, as it is when it's cooked in the microwave. -- Heather P., Ontario

INVENTIVE DISPENSER. I've found a unique way to store those plastic grocery bags that serve multiple purposes. Take a clean gallon milk or water jug and, using a wide kitchen knife, make a 3-inch cut into one side of the jug. Then cut across that line to form a crosscut. Presto! You have a holder for those bags. Push them in, and when you need one, they pull out just like tissues in a box. The best part is the gallon jug is compact, which means you can hold the handle of the jug while pulling out the bags you need. -- Steve K., Florida

BIRTHDAY REMINDER. Turn your cell phone into a PDA by adding your contacts' four-digit birthdays after their names. At a glance, you can see your friends' birthdays as their names pop up. Mine, for example, is: Kaye 0910. -- Kaye K., North Carolina

MOVING TARGET. When using a cutting board, place a wet paper towel underneath it. The wet towel will stick to the counter and the cutting board, and the board won't move when you're using it. When you're finished, use the towel to clean up any debris. -- Joanne G., New Jersey

Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can e-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. Mary Hunt is the founder of DebtProofLiving.com and author of 17 books, including "Debt-Proof Living" and "Tiptionary 2." To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
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