After a great evening, it's never a good feeling to wake up in the morning to a sink full of still dirty pots and pans. They've soaked all night and now you get to start your day by finishing them off.

Not with Magic Sheets. These organic, nontoxic sheets are designed to do away with scouring and scrubbing. They are also 100 percent degradable in 21 days.

"I come from a large Italian family and we used numerous pots and pans for our family gatherings," said Maryssa D'Angelo, inventor of Magic Sheets and president of Magic Products, LLC.

"After dinner it was always cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning. I found I was running out of bathroom sinks and even bathtubs to soak all the pans in, so I decided there had to be a better way," she said.

Cooks know that even if you add a lubricant like oil, lots of food particles still end up stuck on the bottom.

With Magic Sheets, just wet the sheet, wipe the item, fill with water and drop the sheet in the middle. Go on with the rest of your dishes and in about 20 minutes, Magic Sheet will have loosened and picked up the debris. Throw the sheet away and simply use a sponge and a bit of dish soap to finish the job.

While designed for indoor use, Magic Sheets are also great for cleaning up a grimy outdoor grill. They not only save you time, they also save you money by eliminating the need for scouring pads and abrasive cleaners.

A package of 40 retails for $6. For more information, call 800-360-6114 or visit www.magicproductsllc.com.

CHOP KEEPER

There's a lot of cooking to be done this time of year, much including chopping, cutting and measuring. Helping to keep these items where they belong is the Chop Keeper from Argee.

"I was tired of having to spend so much time cleaning my countertops after using my cutting board," said Robert Goldman, inventor of the Chop Keeper and president of Argee Corp.

"With the Chop Keeper, now after cutting fruits, veggies, breads or whatever, my counters are always clean. It keeps what you slice or chop where you want it."

The board is uniquely designed with raised sides to keep items in one place. And when you want to transfer them, the board flexes to form a funnel to guide ingredients.

The board is also useful for maintaining dry ingredients when baking. It is dishwasher safe and attractive enough to double as a serving tray.

A set of three trays retails for $13. For more information, call 800-449-3030 or visit www.argeecorp.com.

BE SAFE

In your home, or especially in your car, the 4 in 1 Safety Stick Emergency Tool and Flashlight from SafetyBright is a multifaceted tool that can provide important aid during emergencies.

The Safety Stick includes:

— Powerful flashlight that can be used for many purposes inside and out.

— Nine flashing red LED strobes to alert oncoming motorists of an emergency ahead or neighbors of an emergency inside.

— Seat belt cutter that is sharp and fast, yet designed to prevent injury to the user.

— Steel, hammerlike tip designed to shatter any window with just a tap.

— Magnetic bottom that attaches to vehicles and other metals.

The 4 in 1 Safety Stick retails for $19. It is waterproof and includes two AA batteries. For more information, visit www.safetybright.com.

Maggie Reed may be reached at trocar2000@hotmail.com. To find out more about Maggie Reed, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.