As a follow-up to our last post, here is another sampling of Consumer Reports 101 Consumer Secrets. I think many of these tips share a common trait: that we have forgotten common sense, old-timey “home remedies” in favor of the constant need for something to be NEW and IMPROVED! Hey, I’m in marketing. I get it. Anyway, here are some tips. As they say, your mileage may vary.

• Refrigerator: The area around the vent is the coldest, the shelves on the door are warmest, so store accordingly.
• Rice: May contain arsenic. So cook it twice the amount of time the package recommends.
• New and Improved? Maybe not. Moldy oldies like Pine-Sol and Fels Naptha are still tops among cleaners.
• Coffee: Clean coffee pots with dissolving denture tablets. Weird!
• Carpets: That super-low setting is great for getting out dirt and sand. For regular use, however, it will really wear out your carpet.
• Fire! That fire extinguisher under the sink has an expiration date. Learn it!
• More fire! There are 2 types of smoke detectors – ones that detect fast-moving flames and ones that detect slow-smoldering fires. You might need both, but at least be sure what you are getting.

Of course, not all common sense solutions are created equal. I remember one such piece of advice: “Did you know Coca-Cola will clean your toilet just as well as Comet?” The part they left out: “Did you know Coca-Cola is about 3 times as expensive as Comet?”

More tips at the original article, so check it out. And have a great weekend!