Kitchen sink and countertops should be cleaned and sanitized to kill bacteria

Dear Readers: Your kitchen sink might look clean, but it can still be filled with harmful, icky bacteria such as staphylococcus that could be lurking there and make you and your family sick. That's why it's important to not only clean the sink and countertops, but also to sanitize them.
To do that:
UFirst, wash and clean as usual with a spray or powdered cleaner. Rinse well. Then go over everything again with a chlorine-bleach solution.
UYou can make your own by mixing a tablespoon of bleach with a gallon of water. Put the solution in a spray bottle and use it to spot-clean the sink and countertops.
UBefore you spray, make sure any foods nearby are covered and moved out of the way, and wear gloves to protect your hands. Keep in mind that diluted bleach will lose its strength after it's exposed to air, so it's best to mix up a fresh solution each time you spray. Heloise
Fast facts
Dear Heloise: Here is an idea for making use of used prescription bottles: Take them to a veterinarian's office. Call first to see if the office will take them. I have taken them to two offices. M. Schultz in Wisconsin
Dear Heloise: When I receive a new magazine issue, the first thing I do is tear out all of the advertising and inserts. I am careful about checking both sides of the page before removing. I always mail my magazines to my daughter, and this makes them considerably lighter.
Another hint: I have several tops that slip off the hanger; even the ones that are supposed to be slip-proof. I tried using a hanger for pants, the kind that has the clips on it. This works great, and no more tops on the floor. Lisa Smith, Charleston, Tenn.
Dear Heloise: I read your column daily in The (Newark, Ohio) Advocate. My hint is about 2-gallon freezer bags. Quite by accident, I needed a cover for a plateful of cookies and discovered the 2-gallon size fit nicely over the plate! The cookies are visible, and the frosted tops didn't get messed up. This also worked for a pie I took to a picnic. Sue Blaha, Newark
Sue, thanks for the hint. It seems these large bags are a hit in my office, too. My assistants use them to hold crocheting projects, gym clothes and complete outfits when traveling. Heloise
Sound off
Dear Heloise: My soundoff is that when people are not allowed to smoke in a building, they will often go and stand right outside the entrance to the place, forcing people coming in to walk right through their foul-smelling smoke. The no-smoking rule should include the entry area as well as inside! Jennifer in Virginia
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate