HELOISE Spider's bite caused months of pain, anguish

Dear Heloise: I store my purses on a closet shelf, and some are not used often. I took one down to go with an outfit, and as I transferred the contents from one to the other, I was bitten on the hand by a spider that had taken up residence in the purse. I couldn't use that hand for months, and an ugly scar remains to remind me.
I carefully examined the other purses, zipped or snapped them all and stored them in boxes with tightfitting lids. This might have been a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing, but believe me, once is once too often. Jerry S., Houston
Yikes, and ouch! Glad you are OK. You are right -- it's probably a rare occurrence, but it's a good reminder for all of us. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I was trying to clean up a spill on upholstery, and a few stubborn stains just wouldn't go away. In a minor panic move, I grabbed my electric toothbrush (my regular cleaning toothbrush just wasn't doing it) and gently applied it to the spots. Voil & aacute; -- instant success.
Now I always keep the used toothbrush heads and carry one with my other cleaning tools, and it comes in handy again and again. Mary Douglas, Via E-mail
This is a new use for an old "tool," but please use caution on delicate fabrics. Heloise
Dear Heloise: Love your column, and here is my hint: These new disposable dusting mitts are nice, but they can get expensive.
Instead, I buy a package of women's socks, turn a sock inside out, fold down the top until it meets the toe area and then stitch across. Turn inside out again. To dust, just slip over your hand and dust away. When you are finished, shake off any excess dust, and toss in a load of laundry to wash. They can be reused over and over. Patty C., Kingston
Patty, welcome to my world. Readers of this column have been doing this for more than four decades. It's cheap and environmentally friendly. Heloise
Dear Heloise: When I shower, I use liquid soap and one of those nylon-net balls on a string. When my bottle of liquid soap seems empty, I take off the top and fill it about 1/3 full with water. Then I shake, shake, shake. This liquid is easy to pour because it's thinner, and just a little makes lots and lots of suds. You'll be surprised how many more showers you can get from that bottle of liquid soap. Donna Nanney, Montgomery, Ala.
Dear Heloise: As a mother of three young children, I'm often preparing meals or snacks. Pancakes and waffles are big at our house, and I have to make sure that they are cut up into bite-size pieces for the little ones.
I've discovered that a good-quality pizza cutter works wonders. It cuts pancakes or waffles quickly and efficiently, and the cut-up pieces seldom stick to the blade. Lucie Richard, Moncton, Canada
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