HELOISE Outdated window coverings could be hazardous

Dear Heloise: I am writing to inform you and your readers about the very serious issue of window-cord safety. Outdated window coverings in children's bedrooms and play areas can pose a strangulation risk to infants and toddlers. I hope that you will help spread the word about this potential hazard. It could save the life of a child.
Since 1991, more than 175 infants and children have died from accidentally strangling in window cords. Children's cribs are often placed near a window, where the child can reach the looped cords. In recent years, the window-covering industry has redesigned all corded products and developed cord-safety standards. In addition, cordless miniblinds, pleated shades and vertical blinds are now widely available. If all of your readers would take a few minutes to childproof their window coverings or replace them with updated products, millions of homes would be safer for young children.
The Window Covering Safety Council will provide tassels, cord stops, tie-down devices and how-to instructions free of charge to anyone who phones the organization at (800) 506-4636 or visits www.windowcoverings.org.
Please urge your readers to check their window cords. It could mean the difference between life and death. Peter Rush, executive director, Window Covering Safety Council
Peter, thank you so much for offering this free-of-charge lifesaving service! Readers, please take advantage of this today. The WCSC also suggests moving all cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from windows and window cords, preferably against another wall. Heloise
Dear Heloise: I just sent a package to our son-in-law in Afghanistan. I baked banana bread in a small metal coffee can. I let it cool and then sealed it with shrink-wrap. I also baked cookies that fit in the coffee can. In the package I put jerky and used it to cushion the cans. My son-in-law just called to say that everything arrived super -- the cake was still moist and fresh-tasting, and the cookies were crisp and not crumbled. The package did take almost three weeks. I did this for my husband during the Vietnam War time, too. Gaby Linnen, Lewes, Del.
Dear Heloise: I use my debit card all the time when shopping, and even though I try to keep track of all the receipts, I sometimes lose track of a few. Since using my card saves on the cost of checks, I now enter my debit transactions in my checkbook when I make them. To make it easy to verify checks and debits with my bank statement, I enter checks in blue and debits in red, and because there is no check number, I write the word "debit" in that space. Phyllis Wood, San Antonio
Dear Heloise: To keep your kitchen trash can smelling fresh between washings, place a bar of strongly scented bath soap in the bottom of the can under the bag. Keeps odors away for months. Beth Silverman, Baton Rouge, La.
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, Texas 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate