Self Help

However you organize your shelves, you’ll want to line them with an easy-to-clean liner. Use linoleum! You can buy it in smaller pieces at places like K-Mart. Less expensive than linoleum is Con-Tact paper. It is self-adhesive and lasts years. Drawers and cupboards are a pleasure to wipe out with a damp cloth.

If you’ve never used Con-Tact paper, you may find it a little difficult to handle at first. Cut to size first, leaving backing on. Tear off backing in one corner about three or four inches in diameter. Being careful that the corner is turned up so it does not adhere, fit the sheet exactly. Then place that corner down. Now the paper won’t slip.

Start at opposite side and carefully peel off backing. Be sure sticky sides do not touch each other. Slowly slide your hand around so the paper spreads out and in place. Now lift the other end up - including the stuck corner - and remove the rest of the backing. Smooth paper into place.

Many people have difficulty with their first attempts at laying Con-Tact paper, but with practice you can become adept. If you have a kitchen cabinet with an open space above it, be sure to cover it. It will become really dirty and greasy, but the linoleum or Con-Tact will clean more easily than wood surfaces.