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Readers' tips

We asked Consumer readers for tools and gadgets that made life easier - and you came up with some very practical solutions.

Hard-to-undo lids were clearly a bugbear. People suggested various means of attack: coarse sandpaper, non-slip matting or even a nut cracker.

Here are a few other useful ideas:

If writing quickly is difficult, keep a calculator by the phone. When you need to take down a number, tap it out on the calculator and write it down later.
Satin sheets make it easier to turn over in bed.
A magnet on a piece of string is a quick way of picking up dropped pins, keys or other metal objects.
A touch lamp by the bed means you don't have to grope for a switch (it must have an approval number for electrical safety).
Sock pullers are invaluable if you can't bend easily, or if you have difficulty pulling with your fingertips.
"Universal" bath or sink plugs are easier to pull out - or you can attach a curtain ring to an ordinary plug.
Kitchen tools with thick, chunky handles are easier to grip.
"Finger-hole" plugs on appliances are quick and safe to release.
An electric can opener makes a practical gift.