Prevent petrified wood putty

To avoid throwing away half-full containers of hardened, water-based putty, attach a 1¹⁄₂ ×1¹⁄₂ " piece of adhesive-backed foam weather stripping to the inside middle of the lid on new putty containers. Add a few drops of water to the sponge material after each use to ensure a damp, putty-preserving atmosphere inside the container.
—Richard Heath, Yorba Linda, Calif.