I harbor a little-known secret. I only know a lot of the stuff I know because I've learn it from my kind and sharing readers. And the longer I do this thing I do, the more I learn.

The wealth of knowledge I have gained from you over nearly three decades of this relationship is awesome! And it seems that just about every day, I learn something new.

Dear Mary: I highly recommend De-Solv-It. It is a citrus oil-based degreaser and sticker remover that I have used over the past several years. It is nontoxic. Here is a recent example: I purchased a used soft-cover library book at Half Price Books (a wonderful chain, by the way) that had tape covering the spine and the cover. I put a small amount on the edges of the tape and allowed it to seep in overnight. The next morning, I was able to peel it off pretty easily with no discernible damage to the cover. Thank you for all of the good advice over the years. — Ted

Dear Ted: I raced to get a small spray bottle of De-Solv-It to test before mentioning this find to my dear readers. Wow! You are right about how well it works to remove all kinds of icky, sticky stuff (not that I have a houseful of icky stuff that needs removing or anything, ha!). I should have opted for the better-value 12-ounce size from the get-go. This is exactly the kind of product I need in my arsenal of home rescue products. Thanks for this great recommendation.

Dear Mary: Thank you for recommending Home Chef. We have tried many of the home-delivery meal kits and found that Home Chef is the best tasting and gets high marks from my husband and 9-year-old son. I have also found that it is very easy to stretch a two-serving dinner meal to feed our family of three. I believe what sets Home Chef apart is the delectable pan sauces. There is always ample sauce to feed more than two. Thanks again for your recommendation. — Jennifer

Dear Jennifer: I am so happy to know you are enjoying Home Chef, too. I couldn't agree more that Home Chef is by far the best option out there. It's the cheapest (a good place to start). And you're right about the portion sizes. The food, especially the meat, poultry and fish, is so fresh. You mentioned the pan sauces. I feel like a real chef when I turn those out, and all from scratch! One last thing, and then I'll end this little love fest: Home Chef, unlike the other services, has only a two-meal minimum requirement. Oh, and one more thing (sorry): I love that I can skip a week or even put the service on hold indefinitely with no problem at all.

Dear Mary: Can you recommend a good relatively inexpensive steam iron? Mine has begun to spit water and ends up soaking the fabric when I'm trying to iron. I only use distilled water. — Betty

Dear Betty: The Sunbeam Steam Master is, hands down, my choice for the Best Value steam iron on the market today. This 1,400-watt iron has an anti-drip feature, a nonstick soleplate and an 8-foot retractable cord. While it takes about eight minutes to fully heat up due to the lower wattage, it produces a constant heft of steam, has a good-size reservoir, uses tap water and has an auto-off feature. It costs about $30.

Rowenta DW5080 Focus 1,700-watt steam iron is my choice for Best of the Best. It heats up fast, uses tap water and has 400 micro-steam holes, a high-capacity reservoir, three-way auto-off and a centered cord that makes it ideal for either right- or left-handed operation. I just can't say enough good things about this iron. It's a beautiful thing. It costs about $65.

If you would like resources for the products mentioned above, I've prepared that for you at EverydayCheapskate.com/ickystuff.

Mary invites questions, comments and tips at [email protected], or c/o Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Suite B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com, a personal finance member website and the author of "Debt-Proof Living," released in 2014. To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.