Sunday, July 6, 2003
Dear Heloise: I recently read in your column a reader's tip for differentiating between clean and worn clothing in the closet. He suggested turning the hanger hooks in or out to show clean or not. I would strongly advise against that.
One of my former students (a volunteer firefighter) once asked if I made sure all of my hanger hooks were facing the same direction. This is important in a fire. Sometimes firefighters can save clothing by grabbing whole sections of clothes off the rack. This is impossible if the hanger hooks are mixed. Apparently, after saving people, firefighters work on saving belongings, too! April from Texas
The first thing firefighters are concerned about is saving lives; property (including clothes and books) takes second place. However, if it's safe for them to go back in, having all the hooks in one direction would help. Heloise
P.S. A big Heloise salute to all firefighters, full time and volunteers, who risk their lives to help others. Readers, why not bake some cookies and drop them off with a personal thanks?
Dear Heloise: Have old CDs from computer programs (or musicians) that no longer serve you well? Or do you receive a zillion in the mail each year from companies trying to get you to sign up for their Internet service for free hours?
Well, what do you do with the old CDs?
My favorite place for them is under my candleholders. They save my furniture, and the light shines more brightly.
Use them under any type of can in the bathroom. They stop me from having to clean rust spots on the tub or shelves.
When the discs get too full of candle wax or rust, I just throw them out! And I always have other ones to use in their place. Maria, Via Fax
There are always other uses for these discs. Please be sure that the candles are in approved and safe holders. Here is one of my "new" uses: Put a piece of tape over the hole and it's a perfect cover for my cup of hot tea or coffee, which keeps it hotter longer. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I love blackberry jam but cannot eat all the seeds. I put some jam in a microwave-safe container and heated it for 15 or 20 seconds. That made it runny, so I strained it through a tea strainer. After it cooled and re-set, it was delicious jelly -- no seeds. M.T., Baytown, Texas
Dear Heloise: It used to be that coupons lasted long enough so if you didn't get to the store every week, you could still use them. Now, some of them don't even last a month. In my case, I end up throwing them away and buying a competitor's product or the store brand. I really feel that these early expiration dates hurt manufacturers, and perhaps if they read about it in your column, they might do something about it. Bernie C., Via E-mail
XSend a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, Fax: (210) HELOISE or E-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate