INSIDE & OUT : NITTY-GRITTY

* Avoid holes in interior walls. Use a hot-glue gun to hang pictures, sconces and other objects. When ready to remove, use a blow dryer to soften glue.

* Need to reopen a sealed envelope? Place letter in microwave for about 20 seconds to soften the glue. Flap will peel away easily.

* Wash louvered doors with a two-inch brush that has been dipped in a mild household cleanser. Rinse and repeat on other side.

* When storing woolens, stash a bay leaf in storage container. Clothes will smell sweeter and moths will be discouraged.

* Maximize lighting in a room by placing lamps in corners where the light will reflect off two walls.

* Clean the roller brush of vacuum cleaner or carpet sweeper with a seam ripper. The hair and string removed from the brush will enable the appliance to work more efficiently.

* In the garden, sprinkle sawdust or cat litter between leafy perennials in damp, shady areas that attract slugs. Do this now, before new growth becomes infected.