HELOISE Hint helps get last toothpaste out of tube

Dear Heloise: I know you have lots of tips for getting the last bit of toothpaste out of the tube. When the tube gets less than half-full, I lay the tube down on the counter and use the back part of the toothbrush to squeeze the toothpaste to the top of the tube.
Two or three scrapes and it's all pushed up, without any gadgets or rolling the tube. Repeat in a couple of days as you use up the rest of the contents. David Hall, San Antonio
Dear Heloise: How can I clean my curling iron to get off stuck-on hair spray and other hair products? Maria Crowder, Via E-mail
First, make sure the curling iron is unplugged and completely cool. Next, wet a clean, terry-type cloth with rubbing alcohol and rub the wand. You might need to use a little elbow grease, but the curling iron should come nice and shiny-clean again.
Do this cleaning occasionally so you won't have to deal with a hair-product buildup in the future. Heloise
Dear Heloise: After presoaking a garment in hot, soapy water, rather than waste the water, I use it to wash things that do not necessarily need fresh water -- such as the cat box, the vinyl siding on the porch, etc.
Voil & aacute; -- several cleaning jobs from one bucket. K. Flanders, Manchester, N.H.
Dear Heloise: The daughter of a good friend is having her first baby. My sister-in-law and I wanted to give a shower for her, but she already had several. So, we decided to have something different.
We invited guests to a "Drop-In Frozen Food Shower" where they brought a food item (casserole, spaghetti sauce and noodles, soup) that was ready to be put into her freezer.
When she gets home from the hospital, at least for a couple of weeks she won't have to worry about cooking. Her meals will just need to be defrosted, warmed and served. Everyone loved it, and the mother-to-be reaped a bountiful feast. Ann B., Edgefield, S.C.
Dear Heloise: Another way to use a turkey baster: Drain old oil from a lawn mower without having to turn it over. A Reader, Nashville, Tenn.
We called a leading lawn-mower manufacturer to see what the company thought about your hint. A representative said the company sells drill-activated devices to help remove the oil, but also said that a baster is worth a try if it will fit far enough into the oil reservoir. Remember, too, that most mower models have oil drain plugs (under the mower). Check the owner's manual for recommended oil removal (from the plug). Heloise
King Features Syndicate