Here you’ll find our best practices, ideas and suggestions on how to do the very best of everything. Okay, that’s a little thick… they’re really just good ideas.
WARM UP: Before you drive off in your car, let it warm up for at least 30 seconds. It gives your oil time to circulate through the engine.
PARKING: When you park the car, engage the parking brake before you put the car in Park. When you use the parking brake, the weight of the parked car rests on your brakes. If you don’t use it, the weight of the car rests on your transmission. Yow!
OIL: Change your oil. If nobody told you this, believe it now. Your car will run right next to forever if you keep your oil changed every 5,000 miles.
SPARK PLUGS: Newer engines don’t require plug changes as often as those in older cars. If your car is getting up there in years and running a little ragged, changing the plugs yourself can save you a ton of money and make it run like new. If you’re new to spark plugs, watch for a post on that coming soon.
SCREWS: If you can’t get the screw or bolt to loosen – it just won’t come loose – try tightening it. What? It may be rusted in place, with no room for it to loosen. When you tighten it, you create a little tiny space. Now when you try to loosen it, there’s room for it to turn!
SCREWS: If it’s a Phillips screw – the slot on top is in an X shape – always try to use the right size Phillips screwdriver. It turns out there are differences between the depth and angles of the slots. While any screwdriver will work somewhat on any Phillips screw, you risk damaging the screw if the screwdriver and the screw head don’t match. Try a couple of different drivers until you find one that fits.
HINGES: If you can’t get the tip of a screwdriver under the top of the hinge post when you’re trying to remove it, try gripping it with a pair of locking pliers. The pliers give you enough grip to get the pin to move, creating a space for your screwdriver underneath. If you’re new to locking pliers, watch for a post coming soon.
FRENCH FRIES: When you fry your fries, let the oil return to 365 degrees before you drop in a new batch. If the oil is cool, it’ll soak into your fries and make ’em soggy. Ew.
TATER TOTS: Make sure to use utensils that are safe for non-stick surfaces. It’s really easy to damage the fry basket in most air fryers. Once damaged, you can’t repair the non-stick surface. Best not to take chances, so use plastic or silicon utensils to stir and serve your tots.
FRENCH TOAST: It really helps if you toast the bread before you dip it into the egg/milk mixture. The toasting helps to keep the middle of the bread from getting soggy.
Skippity Whistles 