Postcard mailers have become a popular – and somewhat annoying – marketing tool. They’re something else you have to recycle.

But there’s one way those postcard ads you don’t want can be helpful. Their thin, somewhat sturdy edges make them perfect for squeezing into thin openings  – like the little tiny space where your countertop meets the side of your stove.

No matter how carefully you are preparing food, crumbs still drop in there. You can’t get them up with a sponge and even one of those little hand-held vacuums usually won’t pull them out.

But that postcard mailer will! Starting at the back of the stove, insert one edge into the crack between the stove and the countertop, and drag the mailer down and out towards you. The crumbs will fall out onto the floor where you can easily vacuum them up.

Here are more ideas you’ll find helpful:

• How to grab things off high shelves
• Make doorknobs easy to open
• Switching between apps on your smartphone