HELOISE Get a handle on lifting scuff marks from floor

Dear Heloise: I can't take credit for this idea -- I'm just recognizing how clever it is.
While visiting an elementary school, a housekeeping tech was removing scuff marks from the floor. The tool? A broom handle with a tennis ball stuck on one end. She told me she cuts two short cross-slits in one section of the ball and sticks it on the broom handle. She puts a slight drop of cleaner on it and scrubs with no bending -- scrubbing is easier using the handle for more leverage.
Wish I'd gotten her name so I could give her credit for this. Sheron Johnson, Oak Ridge North, Texas
Dear Heloise: Before heading out on a road trip, check the road construction or road conditions of your route by calling each state's construction conditions number (I found the numbers listed on the back of my road atlas).
There are also Web sites you can access that will route your trip and tell you all the road construction on the way. A reader, via e-mail
Dear Heloise: Many coasters come with a pretty top and a cork bottom. I think the cork should be turned up so it can absorb the moisture from the glass, thus protecting the table. My sister believes that the cork side goes down so the pretty design shows. Who is correct? Mary Ann Varner, via e-mail
Well, we took a survey here in our office, and the majority thought that the cork should be next to the table. Coasters are made with the cork so they can protect the tabletop. It also keeps the coaster from skating around the surface. Heloise
P.S. I was just thinking about this myself, looking at the coaster next to my computer. I turned it cork-side up to absorb the moisture. Just my thought.
Dear Heloise: My can-opener handle would not turn. Before I tossed it away, I sprayed a little bit of vegetable spray at the point where the handle meets the little gear. That did the trick, and now it's good for another few years! Vivian Morgan, Vine Grove, Ky.
Dear Heloise: This one is for moms who have a child on jar baby foods. A great way to recycle those jars: Wash them really well, then boil to sterilize and rid them of any unwanted baby-food smell.
Paint the tops, tie ribbons around the tops of the jars, and then fill with candy or any favorite sweets. This is good for school parties, or you could give them as gifts from the baby! Tina Drake, Terrell, Texas
XSend a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000; fax: (210) HELOISE; e-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate