INSIDE & OUT : NITTY-GRITTY

Patch a leaking cooler: Melt paraffin wax and allow it to cool slightly. While the wax is soft, plug hole inside and out.

* Clean window screens: Remove screens and lay them on a flat surface. Mix a solution of three parts water to one part ammonia in a bucket and scrub with a bristle brush. Rinse with a hose and rap screen with your hand to remove excess water. Let screens dry in sun.

* Keep ants away from the house: Inspect the exterior foundation for anthills. Pour one to two cups ammonia down the center of the nest. Place whole cloves of garlic around the house entrances and inside cabinets to repel the pests.

* Remove grease from the electric can opener: Run a paper towel through the appliance as if you were opening a can. The towel will absorb the grime.

* Extend your clothesline with several feet of chain and hang wash-and-wear garments on hangers hooked through the links.

* In the garden, thin out vegetable and flower seedlings when they’re a few inches tall. If you pull weaker growth, the stronger plants will have more room to develop; a few rigorous plants will yield a better harvest and more blossoms.