Citrus fruits have a fresh, tart taste that can balance out the sweetness in a recipe. If your dish is too sweet, squeeze in a little fresh juice to counter the excess sugar. It’s best to start with just a small amount, such as a teaspoon, so you don’t run the risk of making the food too tart instead of too sweet.  Lemon or lime juice works best when you want to balance a savory recipe that’s overly sweet. It’s a good idea to squeeze your citrus fruit into a cup or bowl instead of directly into the pot or pan. That way, you won’t accidentally let any seeds or pulp fall into your food. If citrus juice is too liquidy to add to your dish, lemon or lime zest can also add some tartness. Like citrus fruits, vinegar is an acidic ingredient that can add tartness to a dish to help balance the sweetness. However, unlike fruits which can go bad quickly, you can keep a bottle of vinegar in your pantry for years, so you’ll always have it on hand if you add too much sugar to a dish. Start with just a splash or teaspoon and taste, so you can ensure that the recipe is balanced. You can always add more if necessary. Virtually any vinegar can help correct food that’s too sweet, but white, red wine, white wine, and apple cider usually work the best. Adding a splash or teaspoon of wine to your recipe to balance the sweetness is similar to stirring in some vinegar because both are acidic and alcohol-based. However, wine has a higher alcohol content, so if you don’t want alcohol in your dish, bring the food to a boil to evaporate the alcohol. You can use cooking wine to help counter excess sweetness, but any wine that you would drink will work just as well.

Summary: Stir in citrus juice. Add vinegar. Mix in wine.


Catheters are used for a variety of conditions, so ask your doctor if there are any alternatives available for your specific medical issue. Sometimes, long-term catheter use is necessary and there are no alternatives. If this is the case, proper care and cleaning of your catheter can help prevent UTIs. Long-term catheter use greatly increases the risk of recurrent UTIs. Wash your hands and wet a clean washcloth with soap and warm water. Hold the catheter tube and carefully wash the end near your vagina or penis. Take care not to tug it as you slowly clean down the tube away from your body, then dry it with a clean cloth.  Always wash the catheter away from your body. Cleaning it from the bottom toward your body increases the risk of infection. Wash your hands again when you’re finished. Wash your hands, wet a clean washcloth with soap and warm water, then gently wipe the area where the catheter enters your urethra. If you’re a woman, wipe away from the urethra from front to back. If you’re a man, wipe from the tip of the penis down the shaft.  Continue to wipe your groin area with the soapy cloth. Rinse the soap away with a stream of water or wet washcloth, then dry yourself thoroughly with a clean cloth. Wash your hands again when you’re finished. Open the bag’s spout or clamp and pour the contents into a toilet or the receptacle your doctor or nurse provided. Clean the spout with a cotton ball or swab soaked in rubbing alcohol, close the spout, then attach the bag to your leg fastener.  Keep the bag below your waist at all times. Be aware of the tube’s position as you pour, and make sure it doesn’t twist or tug. Take care not to get urine on your hands as you pour. Wash your hands after draining the bag. Attach the drainage bag to a leg fastener, and never hold it above your waist when you’re emptying or cleaning it. Holding it above your bladder level can cause urine to re-enter your urinary tract.

Summary: Talk to your doctor about minimizing catheter use. Clean your catheter twice daily if you have one. Clean the skin around your catheter at least once a day. Empty the bag every 8 hours or whenever it’s half-full. Keep the catheter bag lower than your waist at all times.


Run down to your local pharmacy and pick up a pack of dissolving denture cleaning tablets. Most denture tablets contain sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) as an active ingredient, which fizzes when the tablets are added to water. They are designed to eliminate stains from artificial teeth as they soak, which means they’re perfectly safe to use for objects that you’ll be putting in or around your mouth.  A pack of denture tablets will only run you a few dollars, providing many uses in cleaning your well-used flask. The dissolving action of denture tablets also has an antibacterial effect, sterilizing the flask as they clean. Fill your empty flask to about the halfway point with warm or hot water. The higher the temperature of the water, the faster it will begin to loosen the hold of troublesome stains. Allow the flask to soak for a few minutes before moving on to the next step. Swish the water around inside the flask to make sure it’s completely wet throughout. This will help the sodium bicarbonate react on all parts of the flask’s inner surface. Drop a couple of denture tablets into your water-filled flask. The chemical reaction will cause the water to bubble and foam up, so it’s best to do this in the sink, outside or somewhere you don’t have to worry about making a mess. Don’t cap the flask—this will cause pressure to build up inside. A good general guideline is to use one tablet for every two cups of the flask’s volume. Walk away from the flask while the tablets do their thing. As they dissolve, the effervescent action will also disintegrate the buildup on the walls of the flask. Allow the flask to sit for up to half an hour, until the effect of the tablets has begun to diminish.  Denture cleaning tablets are one of the safest and most effective ways to clean a dirty flask or thermos. All you have to do is wait. Once the reaction has died down, you can go over the inside of the flask with a bottle brush for a more thorough clean. Pour out the water that the denture tablets dissolved in. Run fresh water in and out of the flask a few times to clear away whatever traces are left behind. While the flask is drying, keep it right-side up with the cap off. Afterwards, it will look as good as new! Putting the cap on your flask while it’s still wet will encourage bacteria to set up shop inside.
Summary: Buy a package of denture cleaning tablets. Fill your flask with water. Add one or two denture cleaning tablets. Let the flask sit for awhile. Rinse repeatedly.