Don't "Beat the Clock"

Other type of counterclockwise.

More than 50 years ago TV's famed 'Beat the Clock' first aired. Contestants had only 60 seconds to do something difficult to win a prize. This program is long gone but many people still play "beat" the clock when their aging timepieces begin to make noise. Got an electric clock that's begun to whir and whine? When an old electric clock starts making noise because years of wear has caused goop and gunk to accumulate on the gears (and you can't open it up to clean them off because the one piece outer case is sealed tight), try turning it upside down. Let it run for a few hours or days. Often gravity will fix the problem by redistributing the grease, goop and gunk that has accumulated over the years. And that's the On The House tip for today.

See more tips in the Appliances category!