Dear Heloise: Once a scatter rug has seen better days, I don’t throw it out. I’ve taken old ones (about 3 by 4 feet) and folded them in half once, then in half again, and used them as a kneeling pad while gardening. They are so soft on the knees and usually bigger than the foam kneeling pads sold at the garden centers.

If they get dirty, who cares? You can hose them off to clean them. — Michelle Balk, via email

AVOID SAVING MASCARA

Dear Heloise: I have worked for a cosmetics company for more than 10 years and have taken a factory tour of our manufacturing facility. The staff who help manufacture and distribute our mascaras has highly cautioned us against saving mascaras. The inside of the typical tube is moist and dark, which makes it prone to fungus. They advised us not to save mascara and to never open the tube. You could get a nasty eye infection.

I love your column. — Barbara Knapton, via email

TRASH HINT

Dear Heloise: I am a senior who lives alone and doesn’t generate enough food scraps to discard them often. Our city wants us to put these scraps in our green barrel, not in the regular trash. So, I keep a plastic bag in the freezer and keep my scraps frozen until I empty the bag once a week on trash day.

Thanks for all the great hints. — Shirley, in Bakersfield, California