HELOISE Nonpublicized address offers more security

Dear Heloise: I noted with interest your comment about lost keys, driver's licenses and the like when you said that using a phone number to ID an item (were it to be lost) makes it easy nowadays for someone to track down an address, thereby possibly compromising your safety.
I solved this problem years ago when I found I would be living alone. My surname is listed in the phone book, followed by my initials -- if you don't know me, you cannot tell whether I am male or female. The best part is, I had my address eliminated from the book. Yes, I have had friends from out of town complain that they couldn't find my address. But that does not occur often, and I feel safer without my address publicized. T.R.B., Dallas
Dear Readers: What common household item found in most pantries can be used to clean dirty hairbrushes?
UBaking soda.
USalt.
UVinegar.
The answers are baking soda and vinegar. Just soak the "de-haired" hairbrushes (nonwood) overnight in a solution of equal parts water and vinegar, or several tablespoons of baking soda in a jar of water. Rinse thoroughly and shake off the excess water before allowing to air-dry. Heloise
Dear Heloise: Ever met a washing machine that in its other life is really a sock thief?
Here's how to put a stop to "But I just bought those, and now I only have one blue sock!"
Safety-pin together each pair when you drop them into the hamper each night. Washed this way, most machines can't swallow two at a time! C.E., Edison, N.J.
This is an oldy-but-goody hint, but here's a Heloise update from a major sock manufacturer: Doing this might tear the socks.
Another idea is to put socks in a lingerie bag so that they all stay together and can't get "lost." Heloise
Dear Heloise: We have a loft in our house where I spend most of my free time. I love living plants, and when they needed water, I used to have to run downstairs to get it. Now I keep a large soft-drink bottle full of water up there in an inconspicuous place. When I go downstairs, I fill the bottle and place it on the stairs.
I also keep a large coffee can to store cleaning products in sample-size containers, such as furniture polish, etc. It surely saves a lot of running up and down the spiral stairs! Joan D. Wilson, Oxnard, Calif.
Sound off: Why must greeting cards be larger and larger? Some people save the cards and keep them in albums, but the large cards do discourage that. A.K., Tiffin
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