The New Encyclopedia of Household Tips and Hints: Advice for Keeping an Efficient and Ecologically Sound Home

Arlene Gryfe is a Toronto-based professional nutritionist and home
economist.

Marjorie Harris has been a confirmed environmentalist since the 1960s.
She and her family buy food in bulk, avoid overpackaging, and generally
reduce, reuse, and recycle—much like her parents did during the
Depression and World War II.

In her earlier writing days, her editors discouraged her from writing
“depressing” articles about the environment, but today
environmentalists applaud her actions. In this encyclopedia, there are
more than 500 household tips, from accident prevention and unsticking
zippers to the best way to remove wallpaper and how to deal with mice as
pests or pets. Wherever possible, Harris avoids recommending the use of
harsh chemicals and toxic substances and highlights ecological
treatments with a small house symbol beside the hint.

The hints are listed in alphabetical order with key words at the top of
each page. As well, there is an extensive index with many
cross-references. The book is printed in green type in easy-to-read
fonts. Wide margins have small illustrations scattered throughout and
allow for personal notations.

Harris has gathered these hints from friends, neighbors, books,
magazines, and experience, and they likely will prove useful as a first
attempt to solve a problem. The publisher advises that “none of the
topics is dealt with in sufficient depth to cover all possible
eventualities,” and “if the advice is not working, then the reader
should seek the assistance of an expert.”